# Optical Forums > Progressive Lens Discussion Forum >  Cheaper alternative to Varliux Comfort lenses?

## 69stingray

Our two most dispensed lenses are the Comfort and the Definity. We are looking to move away from both/Essilor... lab we use can get just about anything. 

Are there any progressives that we can put existing perfectly content Comfort/Definity wearers in for less cost, and hopefully keep happy?

----------


## Judy Canty

SightStar365 from Luzerne.

----------


## eyemanflying

> Our two most dispensed lenses are the Comfort and the Definity. We are looking to move away from both/Essilor... lab we use can get just about anything. 
> 
> Are there any progressives that we can put existing perfectly content Comfort/Definity wearers in for less cost, and hopefully keep happy?


Good move for leaving Essilor.  Summit is a good alternative - similar hard design.

----------


## hipoptical

PM sent.

----------


## Lee H

Seiko Supercede

----------


## Judy Canty

> Seiko Supercede


LOVE mine!

----------


## hipoptical

> LOVE mine!



I"m truly shocked. I would rate the Supercede average or OK at best. I guess that just goes to show ya... there really is a sucker born every, er, I mean, there's a lot of lenses out there that are good alternatives to molded oldies.
I kid, mostly. In the digital world, the Supercede in my book is just OK. Having said that, digital "OK" is better than molded "great" in real life testing (when the digital lens is made correctly.)

----------


## Judy Canty

LOVE my Surmounts even more!  That being said, SightStar365 is the totally awesome alternative.  ONE design with the widest availability of materials I've ever seen.  And I've seen a lot in 38 years!

----------


## gatorbait

I would go with a Summit. If you go to Lensguru.com and check out the lens map, the Summit is actually a very good lens for the price you pay and I have had nothing but outstanding service from Hoya. With that said, I am currently using Zeiss(I relocated and am working for an optical shop that Loves Ziess). Here we use the Reveal FF and I have never had a complaint from a customer and haven't had tooo many problems with Zeiss yet except for invoice issues but thats easy to fix.

----------


## scriptfiller

The Kodak Unique works well for us.

----------


## gatorbait

Didn't Essilor buy out the Kodak lens?

----------


## hcjilson

I think you could move from Comfort with no problems, however, DEFINITY lenses are different. Without exception, my DEFINITY customers who have gone eleswhere for new lenses have returned to get back into them. They ARE that good, admitedly not less expensive.

----------


## KStraker

3 Rivers, "See More Comfort".

----------


## eye2

> I"m truly shocked. I would rate the Supercede average or OK at best. I guess that just goes to show ya... there really is a sucker born every, er, I mean, there's a lot of lenses out there that are good alternatives to molded oldies.
> I kid, mostly. In the digital world, the Supercede in my book is just OK. Having said that, digital "OK" is better than molded "great" in real life testing (when the digital lens is made correctly.)




REALLY! Sears optical still uses the ovation talk about old design! :drop:

----------


## 69stingray

> I think you could move from Comfort with no problems, however, DEFINITY lenses are different. Without exception, my DEFINITY customers who have gone eleswhere for new lenses have returned to get back into them. They ARE that good, admitedly not less expensive.


i was worried someone would say this about Definity... they are great lenses. not sure what to replace with yet

----------


## 69stingray

> Seiko Supercede


what is approx. pricing on these?

----------


## listenclose23

Hoya for sure..they have a wide array of lenses at great prices and they put their money in development instead of marketing, unlike essilor . I have used many different labs specializing in every manufacturer including Zeiss, Shamir, Essilor, and Signet before it was bought by Essilor. You cant beat Hoya...PM me your pricing and location and I'm sure I can help.

----------


## kcount

Rochester Optical Digital, Shamir Element, Adaptar, AO Omni  I think the last two came out about the same time.  My low cost go to is the Shoreview although it's also an Essilor product.

----------


## hipoptical

Couple of PMs sent

----------


## sumit082

shamir genesis

----------


## IndianaOD

> Hoya for sure..they have a wide array of lenses at great prices and they put their money in development instead of marketing, unlike essilor . I have used many different labs specializing in every manufacturer including Zeiss, Shamir, Essilor, and Signet before it was bought by Essilor. You cant beat Hoya...PM me your pricing and location and I'm sure I can help.


Doesn't Hoya import their digital lenses from out of country?  I may be crazy but I stick with lenses that are processed in the good ole USA.  The labs we use generate their digital lenses in-country.

----------


## RT

HOYA has AR and Freeform technology at a number of US labs.

----------


## DragonLensmanWV

> Doesn't Hoya import their digital lenses from out of country?  I may be crazy but I stick with lenses that are processed in the good ole USA.  The labs we use generate their digital lenses in-country.



Varilux is made in France.

----------


## ThatOneGuy

> Doesn't Hoya import their digital lenses from out of country?  I may be crazy but I stick with lenses that are processed in the good ole USA.  The labs we use generate their digital lenses in-country.


Someone didn't do their homework.  If I took my rep's words for everything, I'd be believing that Zeiss processes all of its lenses in Asia and then very quickly ships them back to me, Hoya configures everyone's AR units for optimum performance, and free form lenses are made with lasers.

You are missing out on business opportunities and opportunities to service your patients better if you aren't talking to companies yourself and touring their facilities to see what they are really capable of.

----------


## Clive Noble

> REALLY! Sears optical still uses the ovation talk about old design! :drop:


 Don't knock Ovation........ we're still winning hands down ...... when patients walk out of the door with this lens and you don't see them for 2 - 3 years when they return requesting the same again, you know it's still an acceptable design.....  Gradal2 still comes out top and Summit is great..... however I still claim it's not the lens..... it's the guys who do the surfacing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(and you guys know who I mean)

----------


## eyesee4u

KODAK Precise Digital or KODAK Unique (available in 49+ materials)

----------


## sharpstick777

> i was worried someone would say this about Definity... they are great lenses. not sure what to replace with yet


The Seiko Surmount is the only lens to replace the Definity.  Both have I M M E N S E Intermediates.  Where they differ is that the Surmount has 5 times the distance width, but about 20% less reading.   Fit the Surmount on center.  I wear both and the prefer the Surmounts hands down.

the Supercede is great lens, but its also one of the hardest FF lens designs made, and it has almost zero prism thinning.  Long time progressive wearers love this lens.  If you don't like the Supercede, try adding .5 D Base Down prism OU, and dropping the seg 1-2mm over OC.  This simulates prism thinning a little.  It is hyper clear though and the corridor is enormous.

----------


## sharpstick777

Another question, why dispense a grinder at all?  Free-form lenses are now available that are less expensive than the Comfort if you shop around.   I stopped dispensing all grinder progressives in 2005 and never looked back.  

However, if you must have a grinder on your price list, I would suggest the Younger Image.  I had fewer non-adapts than the Comfort in hyperopes when I used to dispense them.

----------


## eyesee4u

deleted

----------


## Steve Machol

Please do not post wholesale prices in a public forum. Thank you.

----------


## Judy Canty

So, I'm re-reading this thread and realize (sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake) that we've spent a great deal of time informing potential patients about all the alternatives that are CHEAPER than Comfort.  Good thing or not???

----------


## bigeyejim

Image would be a great lens.  US company to boot if that's your thing.   Shamir and Kodak/Signatek are Essilor as well, or 50% in Shamir's case  and 100% in Kodak/Signetek.  I thought you stated that you might want to  get away from E, and although Signetek is an awesome lab, we dropped  them as soon as the ink dried on the buyout deal.  There are other labs  that do true digital at GREAT prices.  I have personally tried some  private label freeforms with good success.  

Good Luck!

----------

