[Progressive lenses, history and comfort factors]

Since some fifteen years, progressive glasses tend to replace gradually the bifocal ones as first choice of the correction of presbyopia. This tendency varies however according to continents and countries. The idea of the progressive glass returns mainly to a French (Maitenaz) working in 1956 for the firm Essilor. At that time, large reticences had been emitted by the other firms manufacturing glasses, that do not suspect the success that would have later this kind of correction once imperfections of the infancy will have been solved. Progressive glasses have been improved by taking account of remarks of wearers and by privileging the comfort in the current life, ending to glasses well supported by most of the presbyopes.