Progressive vs bifocal lenses

Part of our guide: types of eyeglass lenses explained.

Both lenses help you see far away and up close in one pair of glasses. They are designed for presbyopia, the natural loss of close focus that most people notice from around the age of 40. The difference is in how the lens is built.

At a glance

	Bifocal	Progressive
Zones	Two: distance on top, reading below	Three: distance, middle and reading
Visible line	Yes	No
Looks like	A lens with a clear segment	An ordinary single lens
Middle distance (computer)	Not covered	Covered
Getting used to it	Quick for most people	A few days, sometimes longer
Price	Usually lower	Usually higher

Bifocal lenses

A bifocal has a distance zone and a small reading zone, separated by a line. You look down through the lower part to read. They are simple and many people adapt fast. The line is visible, and there is a jump in vision when your eye crosses it. See bifocal lenses.

Progressive lenses

A progressive changes power gradually from the top (distance) through a middle zone to the bottom (reading), with no line. They cover computer distance as well and look like ordinary glasses. The sides of the lens are slightly blurred by design, so you turn your head to look at things instead of only moving your eyes. See progressive lenses.

Getting used to progressives

• Wear them all day for the first week. Switching between old and new glasses slows adaptation.
• Point your nose at what you want to see.
• Choose a frame tall enough for the reading zone. A frame that is too shallow cuts it off.
• Accurate measurements, including your PD, matter more for progressives than for other lenses.

Which should you choose?

• Choose progressive if you want one natural-looking pair and you work at a computer or switch between distances all day.
• Choose bifocal if you mostly need far and near only, want a lower price, or find progressives hard to adjust to.
• If you only read, a simple reading pair with single vision lenses may be enough.

Next steps

• Not sure of your numbers? Read how to read your eye prescription. The ADD value is what makes a lens bifocal or progressive.
• Try Which Lens Do I Need, or see how lens pricing works.
• Book an eye test or order prescription glasses online.