What Are Free Form Progressive/Varifocal Lenses? + 3 Benefits
January 24, 2025 • 2:01 PM
If you’re ordering glasses these days, you have access to some cutting-edge technology that you might not even know about yet. One of the biggest examples of how glasses have evolved comes in the form of free-form progressive lenses, which can take comfort and clarity to a new level with their unique design.
Here’s what you need to know about free-form progressive lenses, including how they work, some of the biggest benefits they offer, and how to decide whether they fit your eyewear wants and needs.
What Are Progressive Lenses?
Progressive lenses have three distinct zones that help with close-up vision, intermediate vision, and distance vision. They’re the main alternative to bifocal lenses, which only have two zones: one for far away and one for close-up.
One of the biggest draws of progressives is their seamless design. While bifocals have a distinct, visible line that separates the distance and near vision areas, progressive lenses look clean and stylish, with no lines defining the different prescription areas.
In addition, progressive lenses can be helpful for those who use their intermediate-distance vision regularly —the biggest and most relevant example of this in the modern age would be looking at a computer screen. Bifocals don’t offer that intermediate range, which can lead to sitting too close to your screen to see it clearly.
Overall, progressives are a fantastic option for anyone who needs help seeing at a variety of distances. Plus, new innovations have made these lenses even more comfortable and precise — which is what we’re here to talk about.
What Are Free-Form Progressive Lenses?
Free-form progressive lenses (sometimes called digital progressive lenses) are one of the most high-tech additions to the world of eyewear. Created using specialized digital technology, these lenses are uniquely crafted to match the wearer’s prescription rather than the standard approach used in conventional lens crafting.
When a set of free-form eyeglass lenses is created, its design draws directly on the wearer’s eyeglasses prescription, the measurements of their eyes, and even the frames that will house the lenses. Factoring in these elements makes the lenses as clear, accurate, and comfortable as possible for the wearer.
The tech behind free-form progressive lenses is called digital surfacing. This process makes it easier to make precise adjustments based on a person’s prescription by using a lens blank (a template for all glasses lenses) in a unique way. In digital surfacing, the design of the lens is created on the back surface of the lens blank, which makes the final product clearer than any other type of progressive lens.
What Are the Benefits of Free-Form Progressive Lenses?
Free-form progressive lenses stand out for a few key reasons:
1. Clearer, More Precise Vision
One of the biggest complaints about standard progressive lenses is that they can cause some peripheral distortions — changes in the way objects look at the edge of your field of vision. These distortions are relatively easy to get used to over time, and some wearers don’t notice them at all.
However, free-form progressive lenses give you a much clearer image, even at the edges of your field of view. They reduce the distortion problem using precise eye measurements and the specifics of the wearer’s prescription during lens manufacturing. As a result, you end up with a lens that gives the wearer a wider field of clear vision, which can be extremely helpful for driving, reading, and more.
In addition, free-form lenses are designed with a gradual change between their visual zones. This is true of all progressive lenses, but the transition on free-forms can be even more precise. That means you don’t have to worry about tilting your head or repositioning something you’re holding to get a clearer image.
2. More Lens Design Customization
Free-form progressives are unique in how customizable they are. While traditional progressive lenses are made using a more standardized process, free-form technology creates glasses that are tailor-made for the wearer based on their prescription, the dimensions of the frames of their glasses, and, if needed, any extra requests.
These lenses can even be adjusted based on your specific needs. For example, if you work on a computer for most of your day, your lenses can include added blue light coatings and even an increased area for the intermediate zone.
If you want highly customizable glasses that are tailor-made for you, there’s no better option than free-form progressives. However, the high level of personalization can make free-form lenses pricey.
3. Stylish and Comfortable
When choosing a new pair of glasses, you want them to be stylish and functional. With free-form lenses, you get the best of both worlds.
These lenses can be thinner — even more so when a high index lens is used when a person’s prescription is on the high side — which makes them more aesthetically pleasing than thick bifocals or single-vision lenses. In addition, free-form multifocals can be lighter than bifocals or other progressive lenses, which can make them easier and more comfortable to wear throughout the day.
Find the Right Pair for You
You have plenty of choices to make when you’re looking for a new pair of glasses, and Pair makes it easier than ever. With virtual try-ons, free returns, and plenty more helpful resources, we’re here to make the process as seamless as a pair of high-tech progressive lenses.
Check out our full selection of lens options, including progressives and more, to find the perfect option for you.
Sources:
Pros and Cons of Progressive Lenses | American Academy of Ophthalmology
Are blue light glasses effective? | Mayo Clinic Health System
How to Read an Eyeglasses Prescription | American Academy of Ophthalmology