Bifocal & Multifocal Contact Lenses

What are multifocal contacts for?

Multifocal contact lenses have been designed especially for lens users who need vision correction at multiple distances. This primarily includes people over the age of 40 as this is usually when our eyes’ flexibility diminishes meaning that it becomes harder to focus eyesight on objects up close. Such a condition is called presbyopia and it is an inevitable part of the aging process that our bodies go through.

In the past, patients over the age of 40 tended to discontinue contact lens wear in favour of glasses. This is because they often needed additional correction for reading and close work. Fortunately, thanks to the invention of bifocal and multifocal contact lenses, this is no longer necessary and presbyopes can also enjoy complete freedom from glasses.

Bifocal and multifocal (sometimes referred to as ‘progressive’) eye lenses utilize sophisticated designs, combining two or more powers (spherical SPH and addition ADD) to achieve crystal clear vision at various distances. Some portions of the lenses are dedicated to correcting near and others intermediate and distant vision. So if you come back home and want to read a paper or your favourite blog, there’s no need to switch to different lenses or to put on reading glasses. Progressive contacts will correct your short- sightedness and make you forget about your presbyopia for good.

After a brief adjustment period, during which your eyes learn how to use progressive eye lenses, you’ll be amazed by the convenience they provide each and every day. No more tedious searches for reading glasses, no more weird-looking traditional multifocals! Just clear and natural vision all day long.

Which bifocal contact lenses to choose?

Our selection of bifocal and multifocal contacts includes not only standard monthly lenses, but also ultra-modern daily disposable ones, which require absolutely no maintenance and offer incomparable comfort and safety. The most popular types and brands of multifocal contacs are listed below.

• Daily - the most convenient and comfortable option, recommended for those who only want to use lenses occasionally or have sensitive eyes. Examples include 1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal, Proclear 1 Day Multifocal and Dailies AquaComfort Plus Multifocal.
• Monthly - monthly disposable lenses for presbyopia that require care and maintenance with the use of lens cleaning solution. Examples of such products include Air Optix Plus Hydraglyde Multifocal, Biofinity Multifocal and PureVision 2 for Presbyopia.
• Multifocal toric contact lenses - combining two types of vision correction: toric and multifocal. These highly advanced lenses tackle two conditions at the same time: astigmatism and presbyopia. Thanks to their sophisticated design they are able to fulfil the needs of many people who would otherwise have to refer to glasses for vision correction. An example of this kind of product is Proclear Multifocal Toric manufactured by CooperVision.

Normally addition (ADD) powers vary from 0.5D to 3.0D as most people only need that much correction for up close. However, if you need an extra special range of ADD power, you can try Proclear Multifocal XR which feature an extended selection of ADD powers as well as a wide range of spherical powers, for both far- and nearsightedness.

It is important to note that it is impossible to buy bifocal contact lenses without a lens prescription from a qualified practitioner. A prescription for progressive spectacles is not the same as the one for eye contacts, so even if you’ve got one for glasses, this doesn’t mean that you can simply switch to multifocal lenses. Before that happens, an eye care provider needs to perform a lens fitting on your eyes and issue a detailed prescription containing all necessary parameters. Sometimes such a prescription is very specific and includes a particular brand deemed by the optometrist to be an ideal choice for your needs. If you want to try a different brand of contacts, a consultation with your eye practitioner is strongly recommended.