iPad iPad 12.9 and progressive lenses

[Danae02]

This is probably a weird question to ask here, but I was wondering if anyone with progressive glasses has trouble with the large iPad 12.9 screen. My glasses are new and I know I still have to adjust to them, however using them when I am reading or browsing on the iPad has been challenging. It seems like I can only get one area in focus on the screen at a time, almost like tunnel vision. Is this normal and will this adjust in time, or should I plan for a pair of readers for the iPad? It’s not as bad when I try the old 10.5, because the screen is smaller, but it’s still there. However on the large 12.9 screen it’s extremely distracting.

 

[sparksd]

I haven't had that problem with my 12.9 and progressive lenses. Reading glasses would be worth a try.

 

[secretk]

I don't have experience with progressive lenses, I have only read about them. That being said to me it seems that you have issues adjusting to your lenses. I don't think that it is about the iPad, it is more about the lenses. I know people use progressives with 15 inch and above monitors so they should be usable with 12.9 inch iPads.

From what I have read it might be that you need time to adjust to them, but they might also have not been calculated properly. How long have you been using them?

Sorry to butt in but what is your prescription? I am wondering if you will be able to see without the glasses. Like are you sure that you won't be able to use the iPad without reading glasses? If you use progressive glasses I assume that you have some myopia. I am trying to deduce what kind of glasses you need to use the iPad if you can't rely on the progressive.

 

[Danae02]

I don't have experience with progressive lenses, I have only read about them. That being said to me it seems that you have issues adjusting to your lenses. I don't think that it is about the iPad, it is more about the lenses. I know people use progressives with 15 inch and above monitors so they should be usable with 12.9 inch iPads.

From what I have read it might be that you need time to adjust to them, but they might also have not been calculated properly. How long have you been using them?

Sorry to butt in but what is your prescription? I am wondering if you will be able to see without the glasses. Like are you sure that you won't be able to use the iPad without reading glasses? If you use progressive glasses I assume that you have some myopia. I am trying to deduce what kind of glasses you need to use the iPad if you can't rely on the progressive.

I have only had them for 5 days. My prescription for close distance is relatively mild, but it does help with viewing the screen. It’s different in each eye, 1.75 and 1.25 with some astigmatism, which is why I am trying my first pair of prescription glasses. My doctor decided that I need distance correction too since aging is fun, so I chose progressives. I know it’s a glasses issue, not an ipad issue, but I figured this is the best place to find people who are using this screen size and ask about whether their progressive lenses are usable for the iPad.

 

[sparksd]

I have only had them for 5 days. My prescription for close distance is relatively mild, but it does help with viewing the screen. It’s different in each eye, 1.75 and 1.25 with some astigmatism, which is why I am trying my first pair of prescription glasses. My doctor decided that I need distance correction too since aging is fun, so I chose progressives. I know it’s a glasses issue, not an ipad issue, but I figured this is the best place to find people who are using this screen size and ask about whether their progressive lenses are usable for the iPad.

It definitely took me a while to get used to progressive lenses.

 

[secretk]

I have only had them for 5 days. My prescription for close distance is relatively mild, but it does help with viewing the screen. It’s different in each eye, 1.75 and 1.25 with some astigmatism, which is why I am trying my first pair of prescription glasses. My doctor decided that I need distance correction too since aging is fun, so I chose progressives. I know it’s a glasses issue, not an ipad issue, but I figured this is the best place to find people who are using this screen size and ask about whether their progressive lenses are usable for the iPad.

I hope that you get used to the progressive! I am not at that point but unfortunately sooner or later I will hit it. This is why I have read about it.

The first thing you will need to get used to is the viewing area. You cannot rely on the full glass service all the time, there are 3 areas and at any point of time you have to use only one. So this naturally would take time for you to get used to. I will be honest, I fear that I will fail at that.

The reason I asked you about prescription is because if it is mild presbyopia, you do not need reading glasses to use the iPad. If you had only myopia, you won't need them as well for the iPad. You might need them for the astigmatism.

I have myopia (around 5.50 for each eye) and astigmatism (2.5 and 2.75 respectively). I did not need to use my myopia glasses to read until I reached above 2 myopia and above 1 for astigmatism. Why don't you try to see how you feel without the glasses? It is an easy try and you don't lose a lot.

 

[LibbyLA]

I don’t have a 12.9” iPad, but use a desktop computer with two 24” monitors in portrait orientation and 11” iPad, 11” Surface Go2. I can read the screens with my regular progressive lenses but found that having a second pair with only close and middle distance makes for a much better experience when using my electronic devices or reading. I don’t know if that will shed any light on your situation.

 

[DoubleFlyaway]

I have progressive lenses and no trouble with any particular device. 12.9 is what I use the most.

 

[Danae02]

Thank you everyone, it seems like I need to give it more time to adjust and/or consider close/middle distance glasses.

 

[bevsb2]

Thank you everyone, it seems like I need to give it more time to adjust and/or consider close/middle distance glasses.

I've had progressive lenses for years and have no difficulty using them on my iPads or 16in MBP. I did have a period of adjustment when I first got them. You have to move your head instead of your eyes to follow the print and after awhile you do that without even thinking. In fact after using them for awhile your eyes automatically find the right spot for viewing things at different distances. Give it time. I tried bifocals and reading glasses and found that progressive lenses gave me the closest thing to normal vision.

 

[KennyJr]

I've been wearing progressive lenses for years. Having those thin hourglass shaped focal areas on the lenses lined up exactly with your pupils is critical. Often, when you order them they'll take your PD (distance between eyes) but not measure from nose bridge to each pupil (dual PD). If those two measurements are different (asymmetrical) but weren't accounted for, you could run into the problem you describe (I did).

 

[chscag]

My progressive lenses work fine for viewing my iPhone or iPad screen, however, when I'm on my 27" iMac I have to switch to my computer glasses. Otherwise with the progressive lenses I find that I have to tilt my head or adjust my distance to the screen. Computer glasses adjusted to focus at 30" work best for me when working on my iMac.

 

[Danae02]

I've been wearing progressive lenses for years. Having those thin hourglass shaped focal areas on the lenses lined up exactly with your pupils is critical. Often, when you order them they'll take your PD (distance between eyes) but not measure from nose bridge to each pupil (dual PD). If those two measurements are different (asymmetrical) but weren't accounted for, you could run into the problem you describe (I did).

Ok thank you, that’s good to know. I’ll give them a few more days and if it’s not better I’ll ask them to measure again/adjust. I was wondering if it’s normal to have to move your head a little to follow the print. I’ve gotten different answers. I did set the glasses higher on my face and that seems to have helped somewhat. Middle and long distance are perfect.

 

[KennyJr]

Ok thank you, that’s good to know. I’ll give them a few more days and if it’s not better I’ll ask them to measure again/adjust. I was wondering if it’s normal to have to move your head a little to follow the print. I’ve gotten different answers. I did set the glasses higher on my face and that seems to have helped somewhat. Middle and long distance are perfect.

Find something to read on your display. Move the glasses away from your nose a little. Move the glasses side to side a little. Note how the focus changes. Now close one eye and move the glasses side to side and note how the focus changes. Now do the same with the other eye. If focus is best before you move the glasses in each case, the issue I described is probably not the problem. On the other hand, one thing to check is whether the nose pads need to be moved to the right or left a little. You can experiment from there and take your data to the place where you got your glasses.

 

[secretk]

Ok thank you, that’s good to know. I’ll give them a few more days and if it’s not better I’ll ask them to measure again/adjust. I was wondering if it’s normal to have to move your head a little to follow the print. I’ve gotten different answers. I did set the glasses higher on my face and that seems to have helped somewhat. Middle and long distance are perfect.

As said no experience with progressive but definitely with astigmatism. Long story short, astigmatism gets corrected with lenses put at specific angles. The moment you have astigmatism lenses you should not move your eyes through the glasses, only your head. Otherwise astigmatism correction would not work and you would see blurry stuff. I remember I had to adjust to my first astigmatism corrective glasses initially. I had to learn to not move my eyes and to use my head to follow the objects I want to see.

Maybe for you this is double considering that you have progressive glasses and astigmatism correction?

That being said I would also follow @KennyJr's advice as indeed some adjustments might be needed with the nose pads too.

 

[papbot]

Thank you everyone, it seems like I need to give it more time to adjust and/or consider close/middle distance glasses.

As @secretk mentioned you’ll have to give it some time. I’ve used progressives for years, decades, and have no problems on an iPad or phone. However a lot depends on your specific prescription and lens material. Because I have quite a strong prescription I always look for the thinnest available lenses my optician can find for me. Unfortunately they tend to be very expensive but otherwise I’d wind up with coke bottle lenses sliding down my nose. One thing that has to be adapted to with such lenses is that you have a small window of sharp vision in the center of the lens and if you keep your head centered in one position but move your eyes out to the side or up or down the image will quickly blur. So more head pivoting is required.

The same is true when reading, I have to keep my eyes centered on the text and turn my head to maintain the sharpest view. It’s just something you get used to and your brain quickly adapts and your head will turn as needed without thinking about it. One thing I found I had to be very careful of when I first got progressives was going down steps. Prior to progressives I could just lower my eyes and see each step as I descended. With progressives that doesn’t work because lowering your eyes gets you into that reading section and the step will blur confusing you for a second as you’re lowering your foot to the next step. You learn very quickly to either tilt your whole head down to see the step or just know where that step is. But I always hold on to the handrail just in case.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Thank you everyone, it seems like I need to give it more time to adjust and/or consider close/middle distance glasses.

I would definitely go with the latter option.