Lens technology has come on in recent years in leaps and bounds. We have lenses that change colour in the sun and variants that will even go dark in the car. We have varifocals that help the over 50s see clearly at all distances with no ugly demarcating line on the lens. We also have boosted lenses which are often overlooked as they are not as flamboyant as varis and photochromic lenses, but which can be a real boon to those using reading glasses
Reading glasses are a fixed focus lens that helps people of a certain age with their near focus. They offer great clarity but only at one focal length. Move the visual target in or out a bit and it goes out of focus.
Boosted lenses use varifocal technology to give a bit more flexibility to the traditional reader. Want to be able to read a book on your lap but also see the text on your iPhone at a closer distance? – the boosted lens will let you. Want to be able to work at a bench but be able to take fine measurements using a ruler? Again, the boosted lens will help.
The main part of the lens is like a traditional reading lens – fixed for one working distance. The clever bit is that as you move towards the lower parts of a boosted lens, the power increases bringing the focal distance in, allowing you to see closer objects more clearly. The boost power can be varied according to what it is you want the lens to do for you.
The lenses are underwritten by Essilor’s non tolerance warrantee so if for some reason you do not like them, we can exchange them for something else. In truth however this does not happen much even with people who have previously not liked traditional varifocals. This is because the power change from the top of the lens to the bottom is much smaller than on a traditional varifocal and they are designed, being a reader, to be used sitting down.
They are only a little more expensive than a regular reading lens, so if you use reading glasses, it may be worth considering when you next update.