[ddbach]

It sounds from your description that your lenses maybe a bit over-minused causing you to need to use part of your add for the distance.

I would speak with your optometrist again and ask them to put the distance correction in a trial frame so you can see what it looks like outside of the exam room. Exam lanes are designed to simulate 20ft which works well for the vast majority of people but every once in a while trial frames will find a small difference. A small increase in the reading add can also move the part you are using for near higher in the lens.

If your old pair are better also ask the optometrist or the optician to check what lens you have been wearing, both manufacturer and design as there are a substantial number of them. Sometimes a change in this can affect your use and comfort.

On shorter depth frames there are two general kinds of progressives; standard corridor and short corridor. The short corridor lense have a faster rate of change as you look down into the progressive allowing smaller frames to still be used. Newer designs of progressives put add power on both the front and back of the lens reducing distortion at the edge of the add. Definity is one such brand, this can improve comfort and wearability.