I am considering going this route, possibly just for a backup pair.
I’d like you hear your experiences, including which website you used.
Thoughts?
mmm
I’ve used Zenni optical. Had good experiences.
My only issue is make sure you get the right frame size. I bought a pair w/o paying attention to that and regret it. Luckily they were only $15 total. Make sure you pay attention to every aspect of frame size when you buy a pair.
Also make sure you get your pupilary distance. Everything else you need should be on your prescription.
Have been happy with Zenni.
Prescription or reading?
Zenni Optical was great for prescription glasses for my kids, when they want a break from contact lenses. I bought multiple pairs and they were reliably great.
Reading Glasses dot com is my reliable go to. I’ve been ordering from them for years.
I’ve been very happy with my $30 progressives from Zenni.
ETA: there are several previous threads about this if you want more in-depth information.
Shityea. I have two pairs of regular glasses and to pairs of sunglasses. Total cost probably $75.
Do make sure all of the sizes match. My suggestion would be to buy one pair then base your additional purchases on how they fit
The flimsier of the regular glasses are getting a little rickety after a year. Whatever. They were $15.
I’ve bought several pairs from Zenni over the years. Never been disappointed. Even having moved up to no line bifocals, I’m still paying around $50. And that’s with nice flexible frames, not cheap plastic.
Very, very disappointed with Zenni.
Quite happy with EyeBuyDirect. Not as dirt cheap, but you’re not going to get garbage either.
Very interesting NPR podcast about Warby Parker on NPR’s How I Built This.
I had a very expensive pair of glasses that lasted me for years. I ordered a spare pair for traveling from Zenni, another one tinted, and I liked them so much, they are my daily drivers, I put the other ones away. They’ve lasted me about five years, still no problem.
My wife used to order them by the dozen from Zenni, and pick out the fashionable one for the occasion. Some tinted, some clear, some reading only. It would take her a year to lose or break most of them, and she’d order another dozen, a hundred bucks or so.
I had my progressives checked at my optometrist’s office. They were slightly off, with the worst error being the reading portion being 2.00 rather than 2.25.
I’d be interested in hearing more about your disappointing experiences with Zenni. I’ve mostly heard praise for them. What should we be watching out for?
We ordered a pair each around the same time.
For my glasses the frame was way too flimsy despite ordering nicer (pricier) frames. The lineless bifocals had a tiny area of the reading part that was usable. Had to constantly wave my head around to read. The protective coating almost immediately began to wear off leaving a speckled pattern on the lenses. The protective coating needed a protective coating!
Mrs. FtG’s pair were just badly done and largely unusable.
Keep in mind: we didn’t go with the low end versions of things at all. Paid extra hoping to get better quality. Nope.
Definitely done with Zenni.
Ordered so far two pairs from EyeButDirect. Standard bifocals and a pair for the computer. Costs only a little bit more. Happy with both after a year+.
I’ve had generally good results with EyeBuyDirect and Zenni. They look as good, work as well, and are slightly more durable than the last pair I got from a bricks-and-mortar optician. In part, that’s because I avoid the cheapest of the cheap frames. After a few missteps, now I buy only frames that have spring hinges. They’re more comfortable, less likely to get bent out of shape and are of higher quality overall. If the description doesn’t explicitly say they have spring hinges, then they don’t. I’ve had quality frames for under $30 online.
As others have mentioned, pay close attention to the size and shape of the frames. When I first started buying online, I ordered a pair that looked nice in the picture but turned out to be much smaller than I expected.
Even if you are disappointed, don’t give up. You can buy 5 or 8 pair of glasses online for the price of one from a b&m optician. You can afford to order a few until you get it right.
I have used Warby Parker for years without complaint.
I bought 2 pairs from Zenni about 6 years ago. They swapped the lenses on both. It wouldn’t have been a big issue but I was leaving for New Zealand a few weeks after I got them. I survived using my old glasses while Zenni fixed their screw up. I have used my local place since with no issues.
I wear a large frame. I’ve been frustrated that the majority of frames offered are M. I clicked over a dozen frames on eyebuydirect. Only 2 were offered in L.
Couldn’t find any way to filter by size. I had to keep clicking till I found this one. Boring, but at least it’s inexpensive and in a L.
https://www.eyebuydirect.com/eyeglasses/frames/reunion-matte-black-l-18269
NM
I found the frame filter. Lower left hand corner of screen. I’m accustomed to looking at the top of the screen for menus.
Life is better, with glasses and a filter by size.
I just bought a pair of sunglasses from Warby Parker. And if you’re not totally comfortable with buying totally online, they have quite a few retail stores. (I like the sunglasses but didn’t like most of the eyeglasses.)
I’ve been using Zenni for years and I love it. I especially like the filtering options on the site. I have wide set eyes and not every frame will work for me. This way I don’t have to scroll through a hundred pair that won’t work. Also the “Try it on” feature works very well. You upload a head-on photo and then enter your pupilary distance. The software automatically figures everything else out from there, and you can see approximately what the frames will look like on your face.
Ditto to whoever said “Have your pupilary distance measured.” I tried to measure it myself the first time and those glasses were never quite right. The second time I asked the optometrist to do it and all the glasses since then have been right on.
I have used them for bifocals, distance only, prescription sunglasses and clip-ons. (Always get the $3 clip-ons, you never know how handy they will be!)