Multifocals are also known as Varifocals or Progressive lenses. They offer a continuous, gradual change in prescription strength from the lower (reading correction) to the upper (distance correction) portion of the lens, providing correction for all distances. Progressives lenses derive their name from the fact that they have progressively more “add” power from the top to the bottom of the lens, meaning they have many focal points for different distances, hence the name Multifocal. In a sense, progressives are bifocals or trifocals without the lines.
These lenses require some getting used to, are more expensive compared to single vision and bifocal lenses, but offer the best correction if you need to see far (driving), intermediate (computer screen) and near (reading). Single vision lenses give you good distance or near vision, bifocals give you good distance and near, and multifocals give you all the other distances in between as well.
