Yes.

Since you mentioned the "special order " Varlilux, I assume that the lenses you
have are a house brand.  They are probably less expensive, and often the house
brands will not have as good optics as the so-called "premium" progressives
(such as Varilux).  (Often, but not always).  The Varilux are a very good lens
with minimal peripheral distortion (I wear them myself), but they are more
expensive than many progressives.    

A regular bifocal will give you better peripheral vision, but will not give you
good intermediate vision (ie something at arms length right in front of you,
such as the computer screen you're looking at right now).  If you use a
computer a lot, you'll regret a regular bifocal as soon as your neck starts
hurting.  (from lifting your head to see through the bifocal part).

There are several factors to consider for progressives:

1. It usually takes several weeks for first-time progressive wearers to
adapt.
2. You will never be able to see clearly through all parts of a progressive
lens, although some brands/materials are better than others, and it depends
on your specific Rx.
3. There is a difference in the various brands, and the premium brands
usually do better, especially if you have a moderate to strong Rx.
Determination of what constitutes a strong Rx includes the distance power,
and the reading add.
4. There is also a difference in lens materials. Almost all progressives
come in a variety of materials. Polycarb is good for safety glasses since it
has very good tensile strength and high impact resistance, and it is
reasonably light and thin (1.59 index). However, polycarb has the worst
optics of almost available material, which can show up as blurring in
peripheral vision. Find out which material you have and what other materials
are available for your current lens, and other lens you may purchase.
Personally, I would avoid polycarb like the plague. If you need safety
glasses, go for Hoya Phoenix (trivex) material. Some of the big chains push
polycarb because it is more profitable for them.
5. Lens and frame fitting is very important for progressives, and is a major
cause of remakes, or ultimate non-adaptation. Make sure your optician is
experienced with progressives, and preferably wears progressives themselves.
6. Fashionable frames with a very small top to bottom dimension (called
short frames) can lead to less than optimal results with progressives.
7. Varilux has 2 models, the Comfort and the Pananic. The Panamic is
marketed as their premium lens, especially for shorter frames.
8. Some people do better with one brand/model, while others do better with
another brand/model. Some of this is the fitting, but there is a certain
amount of voodoo in getting the best lens for each person's Rx.
9. Progressives usually come with liberal remake or money-back warranties
because of the problems described above. One reason progressives cost so
much is because the cost of these remakes and warranties is built into the
price of the lens. Make sure you keep close track of the warranty expiration
date for getting a full refund if you are not satisfied.
10. It sometimes helps to post your exact Rx when asking for help on this
forum.
11. Bifocals have better vision through the near and far parts of lens if
you don't mind the line. But progressives have the advantage of providing
some in-focus vision at all distances from the far vision to the near
vision. The size of the intermediate variable vision channel is not large,
but can be important to some people. Bi-focals only provide in-focus vision
at two distances, near and far.

There are wide differences in the peripheral vision of even premium
progressive lens brands.  In my case, several remakes from several
labs of the Zeiss Gradal Top and I still felt I was looking through a
smoky tunnel.  Switched to Hoya's SummitECP lens, and from the first
moment it was almost like an SV lens, except I could read.  There's
peripheral blur even in the Hoya, but apparently low enough and pushed
so far toward the edge that the brain doesn't normally perceive it.

If you're not thrilled with the vision from your progressives when you
first leave the optician's office, you won't be thrilled with them in
a month or a year.  Knowing what I now know, I wouldn't let anyone
ever convince me otherwise.

I went thru a similar experience last year with my first pair. In my case
I was initially sold a set of Essilor Ovation lenses which may or may not
have been acceptable but in any case they were fitted improperly. As a
result I was basically unable to wear them from day one and had many of
the same symptoms you report.

After several attempts to make them work the senior optician (and owner)
of the shop discovered the error in fitting made by his staffer and
replaced them with a set of Varilux Comfort lenses. The difference was
huge right from the start. These are acceptable for most activities and
adaptation time was virtually nil. However, progressives are at best a
compromise and the technology is oversold. In my case I still need to wear
single-vision glasses when I play golf as it is impossible to hit a
golfball wearing progressives. While peripheral vision with these is good
enough for most things, I do notice that I have to adjust my head position
if, for example, I am trying to watch television while laying down. There
are still certain situations where I cannot seem to find the right spot to
look through to get clear vision (trying to read fine print on labels of
products on grocery shelves seems to be the prime offender) and just take
them off to read. However, at least now I can read a paper or magazine
wearing them so that is a step forward.

Fitting them properly is key. Yours may be set too high and you may be
finding yourself looking through the bottom of the "funnel" in the lens
that is the area that gives clear vision. That was my problem with the
first set. If you can slide them downwards on your nose and see more
clearly in the periphery they may need to be adjusted or remade. Or it may
be a poor-quality lens that cannot deliver acceptable claity on the edge.
In any event, take them back and be firm in insisting on action. Every
optician will try to convince you that you just need to adapt, but you
cannot adapt if the lenses are not fit correctly or are of poor quality.

--
Greg Beaulieu    ab348@chebucto.ns.ca    Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

Thanks to all for your comments. I took the glasses back. I need my
far lenses to read my computer monitor. (Basically anything beyond
about 18")

With the new glasses, I could not even view my 17" monitor side to
side from more than arms length without turning my head. This "tunnel"
just wasn't acceptable at all. And driving my car and having to turn
my head to look at my left side mirror makes drive MORE dangerous, not
less.

At some point I'll go to a good eye doctor and try again, but for now
I'll put up with taking my glasses off for up close reading.