24 Aug 2026
There usually comes a point when your arms simply aren’t long enough anymore. Menus move further away. Text messages get bigger. Restaurant lighting suddenly seems far too dim.
Welcome to the world of reading glasses. Or perhaps… not.
Many people are surprised to discover that varifocal contact lenses have become incredibly sophisticated, offering clear vision for distance, screens and reading – all from one tiny contact lens.
“We hear it all the time,” says Jez (isn’t he getting good at these quotes!). ‘Wait… they do varifocal contact lenses now?’ They do, and the technology is remarkable.”
One of the biggest questions people ask is how the ‘reading bit’ ends up in the right place. The clever answer? It doesn’t need to.
Unlike varifocal glasses, which have distinct areas for distance and reading, modern varifocal contact lenses contain several optical zones blended across the lens. Distance, intermediate and near prescriptions are all available at the same time.
Your brain then does something rather clever – it naturally selects the sharpest image depending on what you’re looking at.
Reading a menu? Your brain favours the near vision. Driving home? It switches to distance. Working on a laptop? The intermediate vision comes into play.
“It sounds complicated,” says Jez, “but our brains are incredibly adaptable. Most people quickly stop thinking about how the lenses work and simply enjoy seeing clearly.”
Another common myth is that people with astigmatism can’t wear varifocal contact lenses. Not anymore.
Modern toric contact lenses are specially designed with tiny weighted or stabilised areas that help keep the lens sitting in the correct position on the eye. That means the astigmatism correction stays aligned properly, even though the lens moves slightly when you blink.
Better still, that technology can now be combined with varifocal optics. For many people, that means one pair of contact lenses can now correct: distance vision, reading vision, computer vision and astigmatism.
“It’s one of the biggest advances we’ve seen in contact lenses,” says Jez. “People who previously thought they weren’t suitable candidates are often pleasantly surprised.”
Of course, there is a short adaptation period while your brain learns to make the most of the different optical zones, but most wearers quickly discover the freedom of not constantly reaching for reading glasses.
And no, wearing varifocal contact lenses doesn’t mean giving up your favourite glasses either.
Many customers enjoy the convenience of contact lenses during the day while still wearing their favourite frames whenever they fancy a change.
Which feels very EYES on St Albans.
Practical when you need it.
Stylish because you want it.
Spex, hugs and rock’n’roll.
