OptiReaders Pro vs bifocals

How bifocals work

A bifocal has two distinct powers with a visible boundary — usually a segment in the lower half. Look above the line and you get one focus; below it, another. There is nothing in between, which is exactly where a computer monitor lives.

Image jump

Crossing a bifocal line makes the image shift abruptly. Most wearers adapt, but it is the classic complaint, especially on stairs and kerbs. A graduated lens changes power continuously, so there is no jump — instead you get slightly softer optics at the far edges. Different compromise, same physics.

Head to head

• Focal zones: two vs three, including intermediate for screens
• Visible line: yes vs no
• Image jump: yes vs none
• Edge sharpness: bifocals hold it better
• Price: prescription bifocals $150+ vs $29.99 non-prescription

Which suits which person

If your day is paperwork and distance with no screen in between, bifocals are perfectly logical. If you move between a phone, a monitor and a room constantly, the missing intermediate zone in a bifocal is felt every hour. The lens explainer shows where each zone sits.

The prescription caveat

Bifocals from an optician correct astigmatism and different powers per eye. OptiReaders Pro is non-prescription and cannot. That comparison is covered on the prescription progressives page.