Glasses by need
Distance Glasses
Prescription glasses for driving, watching TV and general outdoor use. Single vision distance lenses glazed to your exact prescription — in any frame from £10.
About distance glasses
Clear vision for driving, outdoors and everyday life.
Distance glasses correct long-range vision — for driving, watching TV, viewing a whiteboard or simply seeing clearly across a room. They are the most commonly prescribed type of glasses.
Who needs distance glasses?
Distance glasses are prescribed for people who need correction for long-range vision. This includes short-sighted people (myopia) who can see clearly up close but struggle at distance — and long-sighted people (hyperopia) whose eyes have difficulty focusing at any distance depending on the degree of prescription. If you squint to read road signs, struggle to see the TV clearly or find faces across a room are blurry, distance correction is likely what you need.
What does a distance prescription look like?
A pure distance prescription will have an SPH value and may also include CYL and AXIS values if you have astigmatism — but it will have no ADD value. If your prescription does include an ADD value, it means your optometrist has prescribed correction for near vision as well as distance.
Can I wear distance glasses all day?
Many people wear their distance glasses full time. If your prescription is primarily for distance, you may find that wearing them for close-up work causes eye strain — in which case taking them off for reading or using separate reading glasses is perfectly normal. If you need correction at both distances, varifocal or bifocal lenses offer a practical one-pair solution.
Choose your lens type
Which lens is right for distance vision?
Your choice depends on whether you need correction at distance only, or at both distance and near. Check your prescription — if it includes an ADD value, you need correction at more than one distance.
Distance only
Single vision
One prescription throughout the entire lens — optimised for distance vision. The most common distance lens and suitable for most prescriptions.
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Corrects distance vision only
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No adjustment period
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Next-day delivery on standard 1.50 orders before 3pm
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Available in all four indexes
Distance + near
Bifocal
Two zones in one lens — distance at the top, near at the bottom, separated by a visible line. One pair for both tasks.
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Corrects distance and near in one pair
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Visible line separating the two zones
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No intermediate zone for screen distances
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Generally shorter adjustment period than varifocals
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Available in 1.50, 1.60 and 1.67 index
Distance + intermediate + near
Varifocal
Three zones in one lens — distance, intermediate and near — with a seamless transition and no visible line. The most versatile one-pair solution.
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Corrects distance, intermediate and near in one pair
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No visible line on the lens
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Includes intermediate zone for screen use
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Requires an adjustment period of 1–2 weeks
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Available in all four indexes
Understanding your prescription
How to read a distance prescription
Your optician will have given you a written prescription after your eye test. Here is what the key values mean for reading glasses.
SPH (Sphere)
The main lens power needed to correct your vision. For short-sighted people (myopia), the SPH will be a negative number — for example -2.50 or -4.00. For long-sighted people (hyperopia), the SPH will be positive — for example +1.75 or +3.00. Both positive and negative distance prescriptions are glazed in exactly the same way — only the values differ. The larger the number in either direction, the stronger the prescription.
CYL (Cylinder)
Corrects astigmatism — an irregularity in the shape of the cornea that causes blurred or distorted vision at any distance. Not everyone has a CYL value. If present, it must be included in your prescription to achieve the sharpest possible distance vision.
AXIS
Only present if you have a CYL value. It specifies the orientation of the astigmatism correction in degrees between 1 and 180. Always included alongside a CYL value — never one without the other.
ADD
The ADD value only appears if your optometrist has written a near addition alongside your distance prescription. A pure distance prescription has no ADD value. If your prescription does include an ADD, it means you need correction at more than one distance — bifocal or varifocal lenses are the recommended option rather than single vision distance lenses.
PD
Pupillary distance — the measurement in millimetres between the centres of your pupils. Essential for accurate lens positioning and optical clarity. Your optician can provide this, or you can measure it using our virtual try-on tool.
Lens index
Choose your lens thickness
Distance lenses are available in all four indexes. A thinner lens is most noticeable for stronger prescriptions — particularly for short-sighted prescriptions above -4.00.
Note: 1.74 index is not available for bifocal lenses. For bifocal with prescriptions above ±6.00, varifocal in 1.74 is the recommended alternative.
How to order
How to order prescription distance glasses
1
Choose a frame
Browse our full range from £10. Any frame can be glazed with a distance prescription across all three lens types.
2
Select your lens type
Choose single vision for distance only, or bifocal and varifocal if you also need near correction in the same pair. Some people prefer to keep separate pairs for distance and reading — all options are available.
3
Enter your prescription
Enter your SPH, CYL, AXIS and PD values from your prescription. Our team glazes every lens in-house to your exact specification.
✓ Next-day delivery on standard 1.50 single vision orders before 3pm
Ready to order your distance glasses?
Prescription distance glasses from £10. Next-day delivery on standard 1.50 single vision orders placed before 3pm. All lenses glazed in-house by our qualified technicians.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between short-sighted and long-sighted?
Short-sighted people (myopia) can see clearly up close but struggle with objects in the distance — driving, TV and faces across a room. Their SPH value is negative. Long-sighted people (hyperopia) have difficulty focusing clearly, particularly at closer distances, though moderate to high long-sightedness can also cause blurred distance vision. Their SPH value is positive. Distance glasses correct both conditions — the lens type is the same regardless of whether the prescription is positive or negative.Can I wear distance glasses all day?
Yes — many people wear their distance glasses full time. If you find that wearing them for reading or close-up work causes eye strain or makes things blurry, this is normal for distance-only lenses. In that case, either removing them for close work or switching to varifocal lenses is the practical solution.My prescription has an ADD value — do I still need distance glasses?
If your prescription includes an ADD value, your optometrist has prescribed correction for both distance and near vision. You have a few options — bifocal or varifocal lenses combine both corrections in one pair, which many people find convenient. Alternatively, some people prefer to keep two separate pairs: distance glasses for driving and general use, and reading glasses for close-up work. Both are perfectly valid approaches — it comes down to personal preference and lifestyle.Which index should I choose for distance glasses?
Use your SPH value as a guide. Up to ±2.00, the standard 1.50 index is suitable. Between ±2.00 and ±4.00, choose 1.60 for a noticeably thinner lens. Between ±4.00 and ±6.00, choose 1.67. Above ±6.00, choose 1.74 for the thinnest possible result. For stronger prescriptions in either direction, a higher index makes a significant visual difference to how thick the lens looks at the edge of the frame.Do I need a separate pair of glasses for driving?
If you have a distance prescription, your distance glasses are your driving glasses. There is no need for a separate pair. If you wear varifocal or bifocal lenses, these are also suitable for driving — the distance zone at the top of the lens is used for road vision. You should never drive in reading glasses as they are not corrected for distance.
