Multifocal Contact Lenses and Varifocal Contact Lenses

If you're still unsure whether multifocal lenses will work for you, below you'll find some of the main pros and cons of the lens type.

Advantages

• A more convenient option than switching between lenses and glasses

• The eye naturally chooses the correct prescription

• A range of convenient wearing patterns

Disadvantages

• Typically more expensive than other lenses

• Can take time to adjust to multiple prescriptions in a lens

• Multifocal lenses lead to occasional nighttime glare

Daily multifocal contact lenses

• Easy to use

• No need to store in solution overnight

• Apply in the morning and dispose of before sleep

• Have a lengthy expiry date, so ideal for irregular wearers

Monthly multifocal contact lenses

• Simple wearing pattern – 30 consecutive days

• Just clean and store in solution every night

• Comfortable clear sight at an affordable price

Two-weekly multifocal contact lenses

• The middle ground between dailies and monthlies

• Fresher and more hygienic than monthlies, more convenient and affordable than dailies

• Clean and store in solution for 14 consecutive days wear

Multifocal contact lenses, also called varifocal contact lenses, correct presbyopia, the gradual loss of near-focus ability that typically develops in your 40s. They use concentric or aspheric optical zones to provide correction at multiple distances simultaneously, so you can see clearly near and far without reading glasses. Popular multifocal lenses at Vision Direct include 1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal, Biofinity Multifocal, Air Optix plus HydraGlyde Multifocal, and Dailies Total1 Multifocal. Your optician will assess your 'add' power, the additional correction needed for near vision, alongside your distance prescription.

Both daily and monthly multifocal lenses correct presbyopia, but they differ in replacement schedule and care requirements. Daily multifocal lenses, such as 1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal and Dailies Total1 Multifocal, are discarded at the end of each day with no cleaning required, the most convenient option for part-time wearers. Monthly multifocal lenses, such as Biofinity Multifocal and Bausch & Lomb ULTRA for Presbyopia, are worn daily and cleaned nightly, making them more cost-effective for full-time wearers.

Yes, though options are more limited than for standard multifocal lenses. Multifocal toric lenses, which correct both presbyopia and astigmatism simultaneously, are available at Vision Direct. Bausch & Lomb's Ultra Multifocal and Acuvue's Oasys Max Multifocal are available in toric versions for certain prescription ranges. Your optician will determine whether your level of astigmatism falls within the available prescription parameters. 

Multifocal contact lenses offer clear near and distance vision without needing to carry or switch between glasses. They preserve the experience of glasses-free vision across a full range of distances. Multifocal lenses also give a wider, more natural field of view compared to varifocal spectacle lenses, which can have peripheral distortion. Most new multifocal lens wearers experience an adaptation period of a few weeks as the brain learns to select the appropriate focal zone depending on distance.