Maybe I’m not describing it correctly. I had transition glasses made by LensCrafter and they were perfect. We had to change providers due to insurance change and the next pair I had made (by a different optician outfit) were awful; I could see distinct steps within the “transition” area. I was told it was a different manufacturing process.
There’s no reason distinct steps couldn’t mean more like on a curve. The steps could just be rounded, so that there’s still no sudden transitions.