Glasses

[howie]

Used glasses for years when it comes to reading and watching telly, but resigned now to the fact I need them for driving as well.

Direct sunlight and the reflective glare of other windscreens etc. is the main problem with watery eyes and slightly blurred vision being the result, with my normal sunglasses now causing eye strain.

First up of course is a full eye examination, but i,m thinking of having those reactorlight lenses. Anyone out there using them for driving, and would you recommend them.

[twooks]

hi howie,

My eyes react badly to flashing lights / bright lights / strobe lights [like sun appearing from behind trees buildings etc, yellow flashing warning lights on roadworks etc] - they can cause migraine.

I came to the conclusion that the best option for me was permanently tinted specs, cos a) they work in artificial lights - reactorlight don't and b) they don't decide when to 'go dark' you do!

A friend has recently abandoned reactor lights - said they drove him daft - flickering on and off

You can only get a slight tint on the glasses but you can also get anti-glare coating. - works for me

don't actually need them for driving [yet *-) ] but find it more relaxing to drive in them, basically they are just a very expensive pair of sunglasses with a slight prescription - but beats getting migraine *-) :->

 

B-)

[Ranger]

Hi Howie, my wife has reactorlights, they do not change as fast as you are driving. Out of the sun light and into a heavily tree shaded road you will have to whip them off P.D.Q. They do not change as fast as their advert!!! She sez one of the good things is, they enhance colour so good for watching T.V.

[flicka]

Hi Howie

i have driven for many years with Reactorlite lenses and have always been satisfied with them (including Bi-focal and varifocal), As with everything though, there is no "one fit suits all" and I know friends who have not been satisfied with them.

You do need to discuss your requirements with your Optician, as some makes take more time to change than others.

Th ealternative permanentally (not sure that's right spelling & no it's not my glasses) :$ tinted lenses are a possible option and much cheaper.

[JayKay]

Hi Howie,

I have been using varifocal glasses with reactalite lenses for about six years now with no problems but the varifocals take about two weeks to get used to, when it comes to bi-focals forget it pal you will end uo looking like "Mr. Magoo" (lol) (lol) (lol)

By the sound of it you are not as young as you use to was.

John D

[colin]

Have been using reatalite for 20+years they are generaly fine for driving, behind a windscreen they do not go as dark as in open air, in poorly lit tunnels they can make it overly dark on entry and if long enough will just get clear when you find yourself leaving the tunnel into bright sun.

[sax]

Hello Howie,

Been using a pair of Reactolite Varifocus glasses for six years now. After the initial 48 hours no problems. I put them in the glove box at end of the summer and switch to a plain pair of varifocals for winter. Also for computer work and reading a pair with neither, only strong magnification. Need an eye test before Scottish 6 weeks in autumn, last time all 3 over £700. Hopefully no frames needed next time and I can keep the costs down.

Each to their own, good luck, Mike

[carolh]

I've got varifocals and reactolite lenses, and wear them all the time.

But they only go dark when I am out in the sun or even when it's bright, when I am driving there is no appreciable difference - they seem to need direct light, and don't work behind glass, the optician told me they would not go dark when driving!

 

It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the varifocals - moving my head around to find the focus point, but I would not be without them now.

 

I keep a pair of reading glasses for reading in bed, it's more practical.

 

Just watch the price, it soon mounts up - with coating, anti glare etc etc......

 

Carol

 

[howie]

Thanks everyone, and not quite as straightforward as I imagined. Bit of a mixed response with the replies but with enough doubt over the practical use of reactor lenses re. driving for me to lean towards a standard pair of glasses with a tint.

One thing I had,nt considered was the time it takes for the lenses to actually respond to varying degrees of light, which, as pointed out, could be a problem, and of course night driving.

As suggested i,ll see what the optician has to say about it. Our local Specsavers have these buy one get one free offers quite often, so one pair of tinted for daytime use, and one for night seems my best option at the moment. Thanks.

[coach2000]

I have worn Reactolites for over 20 years since they 1st came out and would not change. (Except when I wore contact lenses for a couple of years.) They do go darker behind glass. Never had no trouble driving in them in all light conditions including going in and out of tunnels. Your eyes still need time to get used to the different light levels even with ordinary glasses.

The advantages of the lens far outweigh any disadvantages,they cut down the glare of oncoming headlights which I found very handy when travelling down the French motorways in the middle of the night in the holiday season with a constant stream of cars on the opposite carriageway. Also in the snow they cut out the white glare.

When in the house or van I change to an ordinary lens pair as the reactolite still retain a bit of their colouring, this is just me and of course I always carry a spare pair around with me just in case of a mishap.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Clive.

[howie]

Thanks Clive, our postings crossed but you,ve gone and added more confusion to what I should do. ;-)

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

I'm saving up so I can get my windscreen ground to my own prescription.

 

My bigest problem with glasses is when reversing....I can still see through both lenses, but also can see through the gaps at the sides of the lenses at the same time. Perm any two views from four. I usually take them off to reverse. I wonder if thats legal?

 

602

[michele]

Howie ,

Hubby has been wearing them for years he says they are great can't stand the sun in his eye's ..Yes they do stay dark for a while but they soon lighten up. Ask to try some

[carolh]

Hmm - mine don't go dark behind glass! Perhaps there are different types.

 

Carol

 

[catinou]

We have both worn reactolight glasses for some years and wear darkly tinted prescription glasses for driving in sunlight - windscreens have a tint to protect you from the U V rays, which the glasses need to react to - or so we're told....... just remember to have clear ones handy for a quick change when driving through "forests" or in tunnels!

 

B-)

[coach2000]

Carol, has your vehicle got a tinted glass or do you not get direct sunlight onto your face when driving. I have found this in some vehicles that unless the sun is vey low i can manage without the Reactolites. I find it very strange that an optician should say this because even though the glass does stop a lot of the u.v. getting through, they shoiuld still darken to be able to work properly. As far as I know there are a few different makes of lens. I have only seen 2 colours Brown and Grey. I copied this info off a info sheet;

 

Photochromic lenses (also known photochromatic, transition, transitions, reactolite, reactolites, sunsensor, or sunsensors lenses) darken as sunlight intensifies. These plastic lenses are clear indoors, but outside darken rapidly so that on a bright day the spectacles will effectively become sunglasses.

 

Photochromic lenses are perfect for those who'd rather combine their spectacles and sunglasses into one. Their only drawbacks are that they don't darken fully when worn in cars (as windscreens filter out most of the UV light which causes the lenses to darken), and conversely they do darken - though not fully - on overcast days as cloud cover does not filter out UV light.

 

Clive.

 

 

[Usinmyknaus]

Hi Howie,

 

I have used varifocal, reactive, plastic lenses for many years for both driving and flying.

 

I recommend you use a firm that has a qualified, dispensing optician

to advise on frame and lens type, size, quality and efficacy, degree/shade of tint and crucially, the amount of peripheral vision you want to retain though the position and extent of the varifocal parts of the lenses. I find that many chain opticians have qualified people to do the eye test but not to properly advise you on the other bits, which can significantly affect your comfort and safety. Similarly, setting the glasses correctly on your face will affect their efficacy for distance and reading so I would have the actual fitting done by the dispenser too if you can rather than the shop staff.

 

The comment on reversing is well made - you may want to fit a reversing camera with a screen positioned where your varifocals will achieve good definition. As mentioned in another post, you will need to get used to moving your head more but it's not a problem (until turning round to look behind which usually means everything goes blurred.)

 

In terms of darkening, mine have never worked well inside a car, or the van or in the aircraft, apparently the UV they need is stopped by the windscreen. I had prescripition sunglasses but as my prescription changed often it became too expensive - I have to have 2 pairs of glasses for flying so a pair of sunglasses on top was painful to the wallet. I find the tint and the sun visor adequate for driving and have a stick on shade for the 'screen when flying, but then I have not driven to the Med yet.

 

The biggest benefits of the plastic lensed varifocals for me are the convenience in use and a huge saving in weight, especially with titanium frames, compared to my old glass lenses.

 

Bob

[Mike Parke]

I have used 'Reactolite' lenses since I first took to wearing glasses for driving 15 years ago. I have never found a problem with them be it sunny, cloudy, tree lined avenues, Swiss passes or coastal roads. Would recommend them but, of course, each to their own!!

 

Regards, Mike.

[Guest caraprof]

I use Reactolite glasses only when I would normally wear sunglasses. For everyday use it's a pair of normal, clear, lightweight plastic lenses.

No one has yet mentioned the main disadvantage of tinted specs for everyday use, which is that they make you look like a used-car salesman!

[Mike Parke]

And what, pray, is wrong with used-car salesmen??!!

 

(keep your answers respectable, please!!)

 

Mike.

[howie]

Hi. Had a full eye examination today and as I expected not before time either. The trouble is that deteriation of your eyesight is over such a long period that you don,t realise how bad things are, and in my case I was shocked when shown how much of a difference there was when my present eyesight was matched up to lenses giving me 20/20 vision again.

Thanks for all the different viewpoints given, but for my own personal use, and with the advice of the optician, I settled for a standard prescription tinted pair and another without the tint but with anti-glare lenses for night driving.

This all came to just under £110, with the second pair free. The "buy one get one free" (Specsavers) was not on offer today, but I did ask about it and they gave me the second pair free without hesitation anyway, so always worth asking.

Should be ready sometime next week and i,ll let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

[michele]

Howie,

keep the bedroom lights on :D

[twooks]

If it's not too late - try for a slight tint on the ones for night time use,

 

 

B-)

 

ps - note - this is a SERIOUS post :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Mel B]

Howie

 

Are you still going to be able to wear your goggles? 8-) I just can't imagine you without them now my little fluffy pink beastie, they just add a certain something ...... ;-)

[howie]

Not to worry Melanie, The lenses are being fitted by special request into my goggles. Forgot to mention there,s a 30% discount for the over sixties as well. No idea what they charge elsewhere, but well pleased with the expertise and care given and happy with the money I paid.