Do endless options at the opticians leave you feeling confused?

There is some interesting information to be had here but I do really think these Advice sections should be dated and even up-dated to confirm that the information has been checked for validity x years on.

I am a little dismayed to find that the Advice section on glasses is undated and given a reference to Dollond and Aitchison being taken over in 2009 by Boots very probably old.This link does not work.
Your search – which.co.uk/media/popup/table-popup-laser-eye-surgery-375902.html – did not match any documents.

The four sections on laser eye surgery seem a little bland on the problems people have faced following surgery. Given the Conversations on the subject I feel that this points to a mismatch between Guide and Conversation both hosted by Which?. I am very happy to believe that percentages of success are to a degree trustworthy but in the interests of understanding what can go wrong and the effects it can have on your life then surely real life experience is helpful to people considering it.

On the spectacles side I understand that until recently that the anti-reflection coating was nowhere near as tough as glass and the cleaning could result in this being visibly damaged as a sort of film spreethed across the lense. I understand a new super-hard version is now being touted. Can you ask your tame optician if the coatings are liable to damage by sub-optimal use of handkerchiefs, tissues etc.

Lighting is important – as we age the lens yellows so reducing the amount of light reaching the retina – hence higher light levels needed for the elderly. Must also be careful with the light position, as glare causes the light to diffuse when entering the eye due to slight cloudiness, and puts a “veil” or “fog” over the image. This can be particularly difficult when facing oncoming headlights at night. It is a pity we leave cataract operations until they are quite advanced, giving people unnecessarily poor eyesight for far too long. Perhaps some of the NHS’s fringe activities and life-style-choice remedies could be sacrificed to help those with such debilitating problems.

You will be pleased to note a BBC programme “Trust me I’m a Doctor” actually covers this degeneration and what foodstuffs can help!.

You can watch it tonight at 8 pm on BBC 2

Indeed diesel, there is authoritative published information on the relationship between visual acuity and illuminance (amount of light) with age. Most lighting is designed for the mid-age group. For domestic situations general lighting may be fine for general ambience and easy tasks but I use local lights (reading lamps, table lamps etc,) that you can get closer to – increasing the illuminance – to improve your ability to read smaller print and study detail. Magnifying (reading) glasses also help.

Although there’s a small incremental cost in using new frames, I’d recommend that, as in my experience by the ime I need to change the lenses the frames have also had a fair bit of wear, having been bent slightly through use, the screws are starting the become loose, etc. Worth the extra to be sure of a continued good fit and lenses not falling out when the screw loosens unexpectedly.

Mike- I think they probably mean the centre line of each pupil is at the centre line of each side of the frame that holds the lens so that the lenses are accurately positioned with their centre in line with the frame centre so that there is no vision distortion through the lenses. I agree that there is a variety of varifocal types , I chose the most expensive type as I found the cheaper versions limited peripheral vision . I also agree with you about the “Chinese ” style glasses , useless for me , I opted for larger lenses like you as they dont cramp my vision nor allowed a reduction in vision range due too the narrowness of them . They still look good because they are frame-less and dont detract from my facial features-IE- blend in.

Duncan, I understand what you’re saying but the lenses *should* be cut taking into account the shape/size of the frame and the distance between pupils so the size of the frame shouldn’t make any difference.

I remember when varifocal lenses appeared on the market and at that time shallow frames were not recommended because if you have a shallow frame the intermediate section becomes compressed so the transition from distance to read more resembles a bi-focal. A deep frame allows for a larger intermediate area and therefore a smoother and longer transition.

I have used Zeiss and Freeform lenses (both ends of the price band) and the expensive lenses do provide better peripheral vision but is it worth the price. This is where Which could do more in testing and evaluating varifocal performance verses price.

You will discover that Which is not as good as it pretends to be. They make mistakes, frequently, and they’re very poor at communication. I’ve become so disappointed with their performance that after several years I’m considering cancelling my membership.

David – Boots and De Rigo -European eyeware specialists group which owns D+A merged under the Boots name . Alliance Boots ,owned by US private equity group KKR will have a majority stake , that was way back in -2009 . As a result of the merger overlapping of stores will cause some to be closed and the deal was subject to anti-trust clearance . Since then , of coarse , in the never-ending US take-over of whats left of British commerce Boots has been sold to a major US pharmaceutical -Walgreens -equivalent =Walmart but in the drug selling industry (for a high price to US hospitals ) .

The history is very interesting, Duncan however, it does NOT answer my question.
If there are no longer any D&A opticians because they were absorbed by Boots, how has Which? managed to publish performance figures for both of them separately, D&A 78% and Boots 72% customer score? How can that happen if D&A are no longer trading in their own right? Unless, of course, all 149 customer views for D&A were BEFORE 2009, in which case, not really relevant!
Tell me where these Dollond & Aitchison branches are so I can start using them again.

You have a point David but even my search engine knows Boots have taken over D+A they took me to a Boots list webpage and then asked if I wanted D+A . I did and it took me to – youreyeguide.co.uk/find/opticians/lists/dolland-aitchison-list/dollondaitchison.html – there you will find all the branches in the UK . As this is an html I dont know how old it is but there are branches still operating so maybe Which is using that data ? Looking down the webpage its still all Boots or info about Boots taking over D+A . I cant answer your question directly it will need to be Which or those members who know the policy.

Many thanks for all the replies, especially yours, Joanna. Despite the report giving me the impression there were still D&A opticians out there trading independently from Boots, that’s obviously not the case and I can stop looking. A real shame because I found Boots absolutely awful!

I will add my thanks to Joanna . A refreshingly ,open and straight forward reply.

MS. Pearl. I have always thought your research for Which? some of the best.

This highlights something which I have mentioned several times here, in the Member Community forum, and quite possibly to the Trustees. The survey is undated, as is the article. My best guess is that the survey dates from around seven years ago and the article slightly later. Perhaps you could confirm that.

It is possible that the rebranding/closure date for the last D&A was in 2012 so to be quoting the D&A score in 2016 seems slightly odd.

It may be perverse but D&A does live in on as a sort of zombie sub-brand of Boots probably because of its joint venture nature and placing it in bigger Boots stores.

However given it is majority owned by Boots since 2009 I think most people would consider the sub-branding a cosmetic distraction from the actuality.

It is referenced on-line by the NHS and also those misleading guides Cyclex and the Big Red Book. Whether the shops exist is not their problem.

One dislikes crediting the DM too much but this article is actually very good. You will note the date and she used D&A amongst other opticians.

It also discusses why you can have different prescriptions on the same day even. Very interesting.

dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2100778/So-thats-new-specs-giving-headache.html