Cost for new bi-focals???

In My Humble Opinion
1

It’s time to replace the 5 year old bi-focals. What have you found is the most cost effective way to do this? Go to an optometrist, get an exam and a prescription and order the glasses through them? Or drop into one of the Lenscrafter mall locations and have them do the exam and make the glasses on the spot.

What should I expect to pay? (on average)

2

I just got new glasses a couple of weeks ago. They’re progressive tri-focals. I went to an optician who has an independent optometrist on the premises, got the exam and bought the glasses. I’m not sure how it works in your area, but I could have got a 20% discount for being a member of a particular health plan, or get a free pair of prescription sunglasses. It was $39 to get them polarized, so we paid. It came to just over $400. So the regular glasses were about $369.

3

While it may be more cost effective to go to a place like LensCrafters, I’ve found through trail and error that the best results in terms of quality of glasses is to buy through my eye doctor. The customer service and product quality have been hit or miss for me elsewhere. (I’ve bought glasses every 1-2yrs for 21 years now)

A large part of the cost of your eyeglasses can depend on the frame you select. There’s a huge mark-up on designer frames. You can easily add on costs for things like antireflective, polarized, photochromic, anti-scratch and other coatings. The lens material (CR-39, polycarbonate, high index) you chose has an effect on the price and quality of your glasses. I understand progressive bifocals cost more than traditionals also. I’d estimate a good pair of glasses will run approximately $300-$400, including exam, but that’s in my neck of the woods.

4

Ditto on the low-cost chain stores. After trying out 2 of them, and having to go back over and over for adjustments, I went back to getting them from a local optometrist.

5

I just paid $435 for new progressive lenses through my optometrist. There were problems fitting them and they redid the frames until everything was fine.

6

Yeah, kind of what I expected to hear.

Thanks all!