I HAZ TEH PIE!
And it’s all mine. Muahahahha.
Next on the list is the lens material.
Most places want to upgrade you to a thinner lighter lens. A lot of the time, you don’t actually need one.
If your total lens power ranges in between a +2.00 to a -2.00 you will have little benefit of a thinner lighter lens. There are some exceptions to this rule. Generally children and people who have low vision in at least one of their eyes should wear Polycarbonate lenses if at all possible. This is to protect the eyes from the possible shattering of the lens. Also, some frames are limited as to which lenses can be cut properly for them. If the frame is completely rimless or (drill mounted) this is most likely necessary. Also oddly shaped frames can require a stronger lens to prevent lens shear. Also, if you insist on getting those h00ge honking lenses that are much too big for you, get a thinner lens material to avoid them looking like Coke bottles or dragging your head down.
If you have a high cylinder correction avoid polycarbonate or Trivex type lenses, if possible. The higher your cylinder the more distortion you can get in those lens materials.
In general, a basic plastic (CR-39) lens with a scratch coat, UV coat, and Anti-Reflective coating will give the best vision with the least amount of distortion. If you have an astigmatism, an aspheric model of these will give you more peripheral vision.
In general, spend more money on the lenses than the frames. Designer frames come from the same place as the regular ones. They have no extra qualities. The only frame type that I feel is worth spending extra amounts of money on is Marchon’s Flexon line. These frames usually retail about $250 but they are made with Titanium which is light and flexible as well as corrosion resistant.
Go to a doctor you like, however don’t snub an optometrist over an ophthalmologist. Both can give you an RX but the optometrist is more experienced with giving you a physical (i.e. glasses or contacts) solution and an ophthalmologist is more experienced with surgical matters. Also, an optometrist generally charges less.
Chain stores are usually cheaper than private doctors offices because they can buy materials in bulk.
Lastly, to all you presbyopes out there, I know you might have tried those nifty No-Line bifocals, you may have hated them, however, this is usually do to your optician sucking at measuring your eyes properly. Don’t be afraid to try them again, especially as most shops will offer you a 30 day money back guarantee.
~Aqua