# Question about progressive lens prescription and shop safety glasses



## tobin.belisle (Jan 18, 2021)

amateur woodworker here, someone who is just starting out and learning the craft... I have a progressive lens prescription, and i am looking at prescription safety glasses, my question here, would it be best if i just got a single prescription for woodworking projects? I have a separate single vision prescription with a set focal length for computers, (and one for reading in bed) i wonder if it would be best to do the same for working on my wood projects? if so what's the ideal focal length?


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

years ago, when I was doing this professionally, I had a pair of safety glasses
specifically focused from two to eight feet for working around power tools.
other than that, I had bifocals.
and now, at the dinosaur age, I have readers and driving glasses - no bifocals.
getting old is a hassle - get ready for it.
discuss this with your optometrist - and see what he/she recommends.

oh - and welcome to the forum !! what kind of woodworking do you like ??


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## kiwi_outdoors (Jan 15, 2020)

For dangerous activities I use DeWalt safety glasses with off-she-shelf +ve areas in the bottom - main area is plain. You can buy them in various strengths.


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## rogerh (Sep 13, 2020)

I have always used progressive lenses and have never had a problem. But, I on the other hand, don’t have special driving and reading glasses. I only have one pair of glasses I use for everything.
John is right, your optometrist is your best source of information on eye glasses.

Roger


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## NoThankyou (Mar 21, 2018)

Once my prescription was made in error with progressive bifocals. They lasted about 30 minutes before being returned. My wife loves her progressives. 

I normally wear bifocals and in the shop I use the "Computer" prescription. It is in focus at about arms length and the bifocal lenses are as if they were my normal bifocal. The Computer glasses are a Godsend for both the shop and computer. I am not turning up my nose to do any close work. 

I do have one advantage. I am near-sighted and can read the daily newspaper w/o any glasses.


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## Bernie_72 (Aug 9, 2020)

NoThankyou said:


> Once my prescription was made in error with progressive bifocals. They lasted about 30 minutes before being returned. My wife loves her progressives.
> 
> I normally wear bifocals and in the shop I use the "Computer" prescription. It is in focus at about arms length and the bifocal lenses are as if they were my normal bifocal. The Computer glasses are a Godsend for both the shop and computer. I am not turning up my nose to do any close work.
> 
> I do have one advantage. I am near-sighted and can read the daily newspaper w/o any glasses.


I too tried progressive bifocals with the far distance set to correct a stigmatism in my left eye and the other distance was my "readers" prescription. I too hated these and returned them the next day. I had the next set built to use my "computer" prescription which for me is set to about 3 feet. The transition between my far distance and my near computer distance was fine and didn't bother me at all.

I use my "computer" distance glasses for normal work in the shop and occasionally switch out with some more powerful "reader" prescriptions when I need to focus in and get close to smaller parts.

Getting old does suck...


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## RonBenson (Apr 20, 2019)

I wear trifocals, and I really don't like them. There are times I find myself tilting my head back and forth to get the right part in the right place. I also have computer glasses with a close focus section on the bottom. They work great in the shop, but I can't use them there because I always forget to change glasses before leaving the shop. If I ever get prescription safety glasses, they will be bifocal and focus close and medium distance because I don't need distance focus in the shop.


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## Badgerstate (Jan 18, 2021)

Ive worked in manufacturing for the past 22 years, so take it for whats its worth. Ive worked with bifocals and you have to be cafeful which window you look through sometimes.
I personally would just get lenses for up close for when you are doing woodworking because you dont really need to see distance anyways.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I have worn tri-focals for many years. I do not think I would want to have an specific focus for wood shop. You still use pretty much a full range of vision there. Just got a new pair from the Air Force and WOW something wrong there. Will have to return those.

I do not think that an ophthalmologist/optometrist would have much knowledge about vision in a wood shop. She/he might be able to recommend safety glasses. You are going to have to decide pretty much on your own just what range of vision you want in your glasses.

George


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## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

For 20 bucks or so, you can wear a face shield. I bought mine from Snap On for about 21 bucks. Then you can wear your own glasses and be perfectly safe.


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## David Nickell (Jul 6, 2020)

Second on the face shield.

I just had surgery and implants for glaucoma and cataracts. In some ways my vision is better than it has been for years. I other ways, it is really a pain. I am going back soon to see if I can go from trifocals to bifocals. What ever I end up with, my face shield will be the same.

Also, I'm a beginner wood turner. My face shield already has some serious dings in it. I figure those dings are worth every bit of the face shield price, and far cheaper than the same dings in my glasses...much less my eyes.


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## Jim Butler (Apr 19, 2020)

Third on the face shield. I turn more than cabinet work and have the Uvex bionic shield. I love it. I too have had a piece or two of wood bounce off my face shield. (I also wear a thick leather 'turners' apron)


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