ONE LENS. NEAR, MIDDLE AND FAR.
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A varifocal lets you see into the distance, at arm's length and up close through one lens, with no line across it. Screen, road, book, room — without swapping glasses.
It only works when the lens suits how you live and sits exactly where your eye looks through it. That is what a lens consultation is for. It is free and carried out by a trained member of the J.HYDE team, to the standard set by our founder Vik Malhi, an optometrist in optics since 2000 who trained first as a dispensing optician.
Want to read first? Download our free varifocal guide.
WHO IS THIS FOR
VARIFOCAL WEARERS
Struggling with narrow corridors, distortion or adaptation problems? We regularly get people into varifocals that work after years of difficulty elsewhere.
FIRST TIME VARIFOCALS
New to varifocals? We explain every option, recommend the right Zeiss lens for your day and fit it with digital precision.
COMPLEX PRESCRIPTIONS
High prescriptions, prism, keratoconus, or anything you've been told is difficult. Vik has been getting these right since 2000.
MEASURED TO THE MILLIMETRE.
With varifocals, measurement decides almost everything. We use the Zeiss Visufit 1000 at Birmingham City Centre and the Zeiss i.Terminal at Mere Green to place each lens exactly where your eye looks through it, with you wearing your frame.
WHY VARIFOCALS WORK, OR DON’T.
What happens at the lens consultation?
We talk through how you use your eyes: screens, driving, reading and the rest of your day. Then I recommend the Zeiss lens that suits it, and we measure with you wearing the frame you've chosen.
What does training as a dispensing optician first change?
I know the frame and the lens as well as the eye. With varifocals that matters, because the frame has to hold the lens in exactly the right place for your eyes.
Wide, Wider or Widest: how do I choose?
By how your day is spent. The wider the design, the larger the clear zones for reading, screens and distance. If your day moves between all three, a wider design gives you more room in each. I'll recommend one, and you decide.
— Vik Malhi, Founder & Optometrist
TRANSPARENT PRICING. NO SURPRISES.
Zeiss SmartLife Progressive Wide — £250
Zeiss SmartLife Progressive Wider — £350
Zeiss SmartLife Progressive Widest — £500
Included as standard
Lenses fitted in a J.HYDE frame
DuraVision Plus Platinum UV, with BlueProtect on clear lenses
1.6 index where your prescription needs it
Your eye test
Also good to know
Your own frame: reglazing from £325, subject to frame condition
Eye test: £40, or free with any prescription eyewear
Lens consultation: free, with no obligation
Not sure what your prescription will cost? Send it to us and we'll reply with a price.
GETTING USED TO THEM.
Your varifocals are usually ready in 10 to 14 working days, and we book your fitting when they are. Every pair is adjusted to your face before it leaves the studio.
Varifocals take a little getting used to, and your aftercare guide explains what to expect, and our guide to getting used to varifocals covers the first days in detail. If your vision isn't comfortable within that time, come back in. Vik will review your prescription and lenses, and where an adjustment is needed, we remake the lenses.
VARIFOCALS IN BIRMINGHAM: YOUR QUESTIONS
How much are varifocals at J.HYDE?
Zeiss SmartLife Progressive varifocals are £250 (Wide), £350 (Wider) or £500 (Widest) in a J.HYDE frame, with DuraVision Plus Platinum UV coating and 1.6 index where your prescription needs it.
Can you put varifocals in my own frame?
Yes. Reglazing your own frame with varifocals starts from £325, subject to frame condition.
Is the varifocal lens consultation free?
Yes. The lens consultation is free, with no obligation, and carried out by a trained member of the J.HYDE team at Cannon Street or Mere Green.
Do I need an eye test first?
Only if your prescription is not up to date. A private eye test is £40, or free with any prescription eyewear, including lenses in your own frame.
What is the difference between Wide, Wider and Widest?
How much of the lens is clear for reading, screens and distance. The wider the design, the larger the clear zones. We recommend the right one for how you live at your lens consultation.
Are varifocals good for computer work?
They work, but give you only a narrow strip for computer distance. If you are at a screen all day, occupational lenses give you most of the lens for it, often as a second pair for the desk.
How long do varifocals take to make?
Usually 10 to 14 working days. We book your fitting when they are ready, and every pair is adjusted to your face before it leaves the studio.
What if I cannot get used to my varifocals?
Come back in. Vik will review your prescription and lenses, and where an adjustment is needed, we remake the lenses.
BOOK YOUR LENS CONSULTATION
BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE
Unit 6 Cannon Street
Caxton Gate
Birmingham, B2 5EP
0121 643 7066
Tuesday — Saturday: 9:00am — 5:00pm
MERE GREEN
4 Carlton House
Mere Green Road
Sutton Coldfield, B75 5BS
0121 643 7066
Tuesday — Saturday: 9:00am — 5:00pm
Closed for lunch 1:00pm — 1:30pm
Framing Success™ is how we make sure. This is step two of four.