For years I spent significant sums on eyeglasses. I wear the darn things 16 hours a day (at least) so I figured I should get what made me happy. It wasn’t just the lenses (mine tend to be pricey due to severe myopia and astigmatism) but also the purchasing of high-quality, durable frames that I liked. Yep, I’ve sunk some money into eyeglasses over the years and was generally happy with the outcome.
Problem is, now I need new glasses and I don’t have much money.
So - questions and seeking of opinions to follow:
All these Lenscrafters/Pearl Vision/Etc shops - how are they really? (I already know Lenscrafters can NOT gives me new lenses “in about an hour” - I’m one of the reasons they say “most” and not “all”)
How is Wal-Mart vision center? I shudder to think I may be going to Wal-Mart for this, but if I can get a competent exam and the new lenses I need there I’ll grit my teeth and do it.
I still have my high-qualify titanium frames that I still very much like. Are these places willing to put new lenses in frames I provide?
If I get new lenses and they turn out to not be correct (it does happen) how are these places about making things right? The optometrist practice I used to go to really strove to correct any problems, but retail chains… I don’t know.
Does anyone else have any suggestions? Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?
My recollection is that LensCrafters will retrofit lenses into existing frames, and that they offer some sort of 30-day money-back guarantee. I’m also astigmatic, and I don’t know where you can find cheap lenses. I always have to pay through the nose for my eyeglasses.
Walmart is fine. Reasonably quick, reasonably competent. More recently I have gotten most of my glasses from Zenni Optical. A general rule of thumb is that you’ll pay about 10% of what it would cost at your optician. You probably can’t find a pair of glasses there for more than 60 dollars, and that would involve titanium, adaptive lenses, a few extra coatings for good measure.
A side benefit is that you can have many pairs of glasses for cheap, in case you want to try different looks and the like. You do need your PD, which most docs do not put on the prescriptions.
I used to wear glasses and I went to the wal-mart locations for my lenses and frames and they were always great. The doctor was competent and the frames were nice enough (considering the price) and they were always happy to fix any problems that arose. I can’t speak for the wal-marts in your area and, although I don’t particularly like wal-mart in general, for this kind of thing they do a pretty good job.
Another vote for Zenni. I bought two pairs of glasses last year. One was a pair of bifocals from a place like Lenscrafters and they were $400. The other is a pair of single-vision glasses from Zenni which were less than $20. I got the Zenni pair to wear in the pool for water aerobics, but I cannot tell the difference in quality from the $400 pair. I also got a pair of reading glasses from Zenni for $7.
If the latter, look at Zenni Optical. They’re so cheap that if you’re very concerned about getting the right fit, look, etc., you can just buy like 10 different pairs and it’ll still be the same cost as a B&M store. It takes a bit of a while to get them made and shipped (I think 10-14 days, usually), but the price can’t be beat, and they’re decent quality. Retail markups on glasses border on criminal.
I’ve also heard good things about Costco, but no personal experience.
EDIT: In the couple of minutes I was typing this response, I somehow became the third person to recommend ZO!
Last year, I got 2 pairs: one rimless at Zenni, for about 10% of what they would have cost anywhere in the U.S. - quality is just as good as the last pair, which I had made in the U.S. I also got prescription sunglasses at Costco for driving - I wanted to try on the frames, which is why I got those domestically. They are also fine. I’ve never had to return glasses or have them fixed - I have a really mild prescription, and I guess I’ve just been lucky, so I can’t tell you about that aspect.
I’ve used goggles4u.com several times and been extremely pleased. You need your prescription and your pupillary distance. They come fast and they’re, like, fifteen bucks for really nice lenses.
You can measure PD yourself in a pinch, but the optometrist that gives your prescription may be able to tell you if you ask. It’s just the distance from the center one pupil to the other in millimeters. Should usually be in the 60-75 range. Just hold up a ruler in a mirror and you can get a good reading. Just measure a few times to make sure.
I got my last pair of glasses from zenni, and would purchase my next pair from them, too. I spent $45 with several lens upgrades (they turn dark in sunlight) and titanium frames. I used my prior pair of glasses to get the lens height/width measurements (again in millimeters) from the old pair and got a nearly identical pair for a fraction of the cost.
There are several very good, cheap online eyeglasses places. Hereis a good site for information, reviews of the different sites, discounts for many sites, etc.
I have terrible vision/trifocal progressive lenses and have not gotten out of Lenscrafters for an estimate of less than $600 after all the coatings and crap are added, even with the cheapest frames. I ended up at Costco and got great glasses for about $250, including coatings and progressive trifocals.
I researched the online sites for my brother, who also has crappy vision, but no bifocals yet. The prices ranged from almost $200 (for extremely bad eyesight you usually have to pay extra for lenses that aren’t coke-bottle thick, and some places charge extra for non-reflective coatings, some don’t) to about $60. He went with the cheapest and is very happy with them. You can upload a photo of yourself and try the frames on your photo to see exactly how they’ll look. I can’t remember which site was the cheapest for him, but it’s really worth pricing all of them. And they can all use your own frames, but they’re so cheap online, you may as well get new ones.
Goggles4u, EyeBuyDirect, 30DollarGlasses, ZenniOptical, Optical4Less, etc. Check on the return policy on them, too.
Zenni Zenni Zenni Zenni Zenni. I saw them recommended in a Doper thread a few months ago, and I will never go back. Complete new glasses for $10? Sold. And they’re great glasses, no complaints, don’t feel like I compromised anything.
heh. My glasses broke yesterday. I was due for a new pair anyway.
I would have done Zenni in a heartbeat, but it takes about 10 days to get your glases and I needed then NOW - my glasses were held together with tape and prayer and i’m blind without them.
I had an eye exam at Doctor’s Visionworks - very professional, and $40. WOuld have gotten the glasses right then and there, but since it was sunday their tech wasn’t in.
Went to Lenscrafters. Assholes. $300, then after making me come back in an hour, they said, oh right - we can’t make these for you - the blanks for your Rx are special order. Come back in a week.
F*ck that, I said, and got my money back.
Today I went back to Visonworks, and got 2 pairs of glasses, with coatings etc… for about $150 total. Not too bad.
The Zenni Optical thing is intriguing, as are the on-line options, but they won’t put new lenses into my existing frames. Which is what I want. Yes, I like my current frames that much and no, I am NOT interested in trying out “new looks”. For me, eyeglasses are not a fashion statement, they are a necessary prosthesis to allow me to function.
Don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate the suggestion, however, even $60 a pair I can NOT afford to get multiple pairs, but in fact I can not get glasses from ZO for $60, the cheapest I can get them (I did go through their ordering process to see what they could do for me) is $120 because of the strength of my prescription, and even so, those were single vision lenses and I suspect I’ll need bifocals now. I am also concerned because I had to make selections from a drop-down list and therefore could not get my exact prescription, merely one *close *to it. I don’t really find that acceptable. I also note that most of their frames are half-rims, with a significant number of the remainder rimless. I can NOT use half-rims - they are incapable of supporting the lenses I use even with the thinner, high-index lenses. Same problem with rimless - too much lens, not enough support.
I also have not had an eye exam for nearly four years now and so must get and exam anyway before ordering on line. I’ll certainly consider them for getting back-up glasses in the future, but really, I’m very leery of ordering glasses on-line. I’ve had enough difficulties with getting glasses right when in person, I’m just really, really leery about attempting this on-line.
So what I really want, I guess, is help with brick and mortar stores/chains and not on-line ordering. I have to get an exam anyway, and while the on-line services might work for most people I’m not convinced they’re a good thing for me, and certainly won’t let me keep my current frames which are durable and look good on me.
That’s the Depression era saying.
Get a cheap local eye exam, usually $45-55. I believe fed law requires them to give you the written prescription.
Learn the proper measurements by reading the Internet. Measure the glasses frame that you like. Search the Internet sites for similar looking frames that are offered in that frame size. Sometimes the size is printed on the arm of the frame.
Get new frames and lenses for about $35 plus shipping. I just did it prior to renewing my driver’s license.
PS. A helpful practitioner will help you to know what the measurements are of you current frames.
Al BundyI don’t want new frames! I really LIKE my old frames. I don’t want to change them. Really, really, I don’t. ~whimper~ Why do I have to change my frames? ~whimper~
And no, I can’t get new lenses for $35. It’s impossible. My prescription really is that strong that I can NOT get lenses that cheap. Not anywhere. I can’t use the standard blanks, they always have to get my custom ones.