what are varifocal glasses

Varifocal glasses, also known as progressive or multifocal lenses, are a type of eyeglasses that correct both near and distance vision. They have a gradual change in strength from the top of the lens to the bottom with multiple focal points in between, allowing the wearer to see all distances and focus points through just one lens. The first patent for varifocal lenses was created in the early 20th century, but it wasnt until 1955 that they were made commercially available by Irving Ripps at Younger Optical. Modern varifocals can be described as having three portions of vision within a single lens: distance, intermediate, and near. The main advantage of varifocal glasses is that they allow the wearer to see at all distances with the same pair of glasses, eliminating the need to carry multiple pairs of glasses around or swap between pairs. Although it may take some time to adapt to them, the significant majority of wearers get used to varifocal glasses within hours, and the overall success rate is over 98% .