Old eyes & reading glasses

[FoghornLeghorn]

I have excellent distance vision, but I wear reading glass for anything inside of ~24" - working on the laptop, any reading etc.

I can still function fine in my current vehicle, but there isn't nearly the detailed information presentation and text that I see on some screenshots of the M3. I'm wondering if I'm going to need to get some prescription bifocals or something to allow me to fully read the screen and see at distance.

Are there any current owners out there that use reading glasses, and what's your experience?

Thx

 

[slipnslider]

If tesla had enough software engineer resources, they could just write code to make the font size adjustable. Hell they could make the entire screen fully customizable.

 

[shrike]

Get progressive lenses. Keep the top at little or no correction, whatever your distance vision needs, and select the progressive portion to the reading strength you need. It's what I use for driving so I can see the gauges and nav screen. Distance vision is 20/20, but reading needs some help.

The glasses are optometrist prescribed, not OTC. Also, bifocals will work too. I just hate the lines. Progressives take a few days to get used to, but once you do you won't notice.

 

[dhrivnak]

I have excellent distance vision, but I wear reading glass for anything inside of ~24" - working on the laptop, any reading etc.

I can still function fine in my current vehicle, but there isn't nearly the detailed information presentation and text that I see on some screenshots of the M3. I'm wondering if I'm going to need to get some prescription bifocals or something to allow me to fully read the screen and see at distance.

Are there any current owners out there that use reading glasses, and what's your experience?

Thx

I unfortunately need readers for most anything semi-close. But I am OK with the Model 3 screen, with the exception of navigation details. For that I need some readers or just turn on the voice commands. If you do not need to read the streets then all is fine.

 

[HankLloydRight]

The glasses are optometrist prescribed, not OTC. Also, bifocals will work too. I just hate the lines. Progressives take a few days to get used to, but once you do you won't notice.

I use progressive readers for general working and everyday use, but in the car/driving, I find bifocals are much much better. The "lines" for me break just at the top of the dash, just where I'd want them to, so everything below the dash is perfectly clear, and everything above the dash is uncorrected. I don't even "see" the lines.

If you're just starting to need reading glasses to see the nav street names or finer details, just wait a year.. you'll need them all the time. And once you start using them, EVERYTHING is so much clearer, you'll say "gee, why didn't I do this a year ago?!?!".

These are by far the best way to add reading bifocals to your existing sunglasses for driving:

https://www.amazon.com/Hydrotac-Stick-Bifocal-Lenses-Diopter/dp/B00IF9375I (they have different strengths).

For nighttime driving, getting a pair of 1.0 reading glasses would help for both short and distance vision, even if you don't need it.

 

[cella]

Get progressive lenses. Keep the top at little or no correction, whatever your distance vision needs, and select the progressive portion to the reading strength you need. It's what I use for driving so I can see the gauges and nav screen. Distance vision is 20/20, but reading needs some help.

The glasses are optometrist prescribed, not OTC. Also, bifocals will work too. I just hate the lines. Progressives take a few days to get used to, but once you do you won't notice.

I actually had some issues with my everyday progressives when I did my test drive. The reason is that the lenses have slightly blurry fields on the lower left and right (see this illustration: http://www.jonathanlenardopticians.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/progressive-lens-design.jpg), so when glancing over to the screen in the Model 3 it wasn't sharp. It's particularly bad for the navigation instructions. A screen behind the wheel like in the Model S (or a traditional instrument cluster) definitely works better when wearing progressives.

Fortunately I can still do without progressives for driving, but for people who need them I'd recommend to test first. Bifocals may actually be better, since they don't have the narrow "channel" in the lower part of the field of view like progressives.

 

[svp6]

Progressive lenses for me - for the last 10 years. But I wish fonts could be adjusted - especially the time and exterior temperature.

It's also hard to read the "remaining battery at destination" on the navigation pane - this is way to the far right of the screen, and with fonts designed for 30/20 vision.... This type of info is critical when driving long distance, and I miss the excellent energy app I had in model S .

 

[TaoJones]

I like the idea of those hydrotacs above and thankfully don't need them yet. But toward the end of the day, I've found these helpful after driving. They fit on the back of a smartphone case and are much more difficult to lose than the easily 8 or 10 pairs of dollar store reading glasses I've managed to misplace with great consistency. Customer service is also excellent, fwiw.

 

[pilotSteve]

Everyone has different reactions to progressive lenses, also to contact lenses. Having said that, I have worn soft contacts for 25 years, and for the last 10 years the multi-focal progressive kind (Accuview). I wear them for 12-15 hours every day, then toss em at night. My brain synthesizes all this into nearly perfect vision: near, far, mid all sharp. Only in low light does the sharpness decline. The brand I use is AcuView Moist Multifocal.. Sorry if this is off track, but consider getting fitted/prescribed. They are magic.

 

[ccassell42]

I just joined TMC and this is my first post. I'm glad I found this thread as I was poised to start a new one. In late June I sat in the M3 at my local showroom before placing my M3 order later the same day. I noticed that the display was too close for comfortable reading with my distance prescription, and too far with my reading prescription. For years I've been juggling 3 prescriptions; distance, computer-distance (~22") and reading (~11") in two bi-focals (distance/reading and computer/reading).

A week later I came back to the showroom and found that reading the display was comfortable through my computer-distance prescription. From a good driving position I measured 25" eye-to-display center (with variation of ~21-28" since the display is canted to the line-of-sight). So, I'm thinking I should get a third permutation on my bi-focals, distance/computer-distance, for driving the M3. I may have the computer prescription focal distance set slightly further than I currently do. I've become used to the line in bi-focals (vs. progressives) and, since the transition from distance-through-windshield to the display is similarly abrupt, bi-focals may make more sense than progressives. That is, as long as the bi-focal line is placed at the correct height in the glasses that you don't have to tilt your head up or down much to make the transition. I suspect (but will test further) that the line should be set slightly higher than I currently have it. I likely have a bit of time to resolve this since my expected M3 delivery is Sep-Nov, but will appreciate any further insight that people have.

The issue of glasses for car displays is, obviously, not unique to the M3. But it's new to me since I'm stepping up to the M3 from a '97 Toyota Corolla (which, BTW, has been hanging in there gamely and I have mixed feelings about giving up on it after all this time).

 

[HankLloydRight]

Welcome to TMC!

(and the old-timer's club. )

 

[cpa]

I have excellent distance vision, but I wear reading glass for anything inside of ~24" - working on the laptop, any reading etc.

I can still function fine in my current vehicle, but there isn't nearly the detailed information presentation and text that I see on some screenshots of the M3. I'm wondering if I'm going to need to get some prescription bifocals or something to allow me to fully read the screen and see at distance.

Are there any current owners out there that use reading glasses, and what's your experience?

Thx

Same here. It is hard--really hard--to wear glasses all the time after 60 years of never wearing them at all. I too have progressive lenses that I wear around the house for much of the day. I also remove them when I do not foresee(!) any need for up close reading. I do not wear my progressive lenses while driving. They become a nuisance after several minutes. I do wear ordinary sunglasses while driving during daylight hours. My light blue eyes are real sensitive to bright light.

I am considering progressive sunglasses, and I have discussed this with my wife. I am not sure whether I will purchase them or not.

But is real difficult to make out the agate-sized type on the touchscreens of both our S and 3. Perhaps Tesla should offer a clip-on magnifying glass accessory to attach to the touchscreen to increase the size of the type if they cannot assign some programmers to give us the option to adjust the type size.

 

[RobbL]

Agree with many here. Point size for Nav text should be adjustable, and there should be an option to have nav info appear on the left.

 

[sduck]

Progressive lenses FTW! (have had them for 10+ years)

 

[SVMike]

I also wear progressives.
One of the first things I noticed was how far away and small the font is for the outside air temp and time.
Way too small and/or in a poorly chosen position.
The car is great...but the UI needs a few people not just out of school working on it.

Mike

 

[Thunder7ga]

My up close vision has fallen off a cliff the last few years and night vision on the screen is the worst. I have to put on my progressive glasses to really see much of anything on it.

 

[israndy]

Favorite discovery of last year on Peepers.com and Readers.com:

Bi-Focal Sunglasses!

I don't usually need reading glasses, but when I put on sunglasses and there is less light I may not be able to read so well, so having readers allows me to read prescription bottles and what not. Since they are sunglasses I ALWAYS take them with me when I am driving.

Highly recommended!

-Randy