Anyone know about eye glass lenses?

[TommyVercetti]

My eye glass lenses are seriously scracthed, and getting hard to clean. So I went to Lenscrafters to get them replaced. Lenscrafters wants between $200 - $289 + $20 fee for putting it into my frame. They won't even talk about cheaper options and their polycarbon lenses come with anti reflective coating, and scratch proof coatings. That's just too much.

So I went to this small non franchise store. They are selling me polycarbon lenses for just $89, no tax, and no extra fees. I talked to the optician there and she told me that polycarbon lenses are light and already have scratch proof coating, that is one of their big selling points. I asked her what was Lenscrafters was selling me, and she said she doesn't know.

So there is a price difference of atleast $110. I am confused. How can two places have two very different prices with that much of a difference. I guess that anti reflective coating must cost that much.

 

[gsaldivar]

Do you have a Costco nearby?

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: gsaldivar
Do you have a Costco nearby?

Well I'll have to travel 80 miles, so you can say it's nearby.

 

[gsaldivar]

I'd definitely go with the cheaper option.

LensCrafters is one of these overpriced "convenience boutique" stores. I wouldn't buy anything they're selling...

 

[TechnoKid]

all polycarbonate leneses have built in UV filter too. at least at kaiser optical they do. i'd just go with the cheaper one and be more careful.

 

[masterxfob]

go to the mom and pop shop, i've never had a pair of lenses, frames, and test cost me over $200. though i haven't worn glasses in nearly 8 years

 

[EagleKeeper]

Go to Wal-Mart.

They will provide a very reasonable price and explain what the options are for different lenses and add-on coatings.

 

[damonpip]

Go to the local place. They tend to be cheaper and know more about what they're doing.

 

[kami333]

Did you ask the local place how long it would take for them to get you your glasses back? A lot of places send them out it since it's cheaper than keeping technicians around but can take a few days before they are ready. On the other hand Lenscrafters will usually get it done in an hour or less.

As far as coating goes, by itself polycarbonate does not have any anti-reflective or anti-scratch but depending on where you get your lens the coatings may come as a standard. And not all polycarbonate lenses are the same, they have different index materials, higher index is thinner lens but $$$, whether it worth it or not will depend on your prescription. I have a pretty strong prescription so I got the thinnest ones but the difference is in fractions of milimeters so if your prescription is pretty weak you may not have much benifit.

 

[Lvis]

Originally posted by: gsaldivar
I'd definitely go with the cheaper option.

LensCrafters is one of these overpriced "convenience boutique" stores. I wouldn't buy anything they're selling...

Very true.


I bought my last set at walmart, and saved about 200 compared with lenscrafters. I've had them six months now, and they're great.

Lenscrafters has a better selection of frames, but other than that, no reason to go there.

Polycarbonate = Lexan by the way.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: kami333
Did you ask the local place how long it would take for them to get you your glasses back? A lot of places send them out it since it's cheaper than keeping technicians around but can take a few days before they are ready. On the other hand Lenscrafters will usually get it done in an hour or less.

As far as coating goes, by itself polycarbonate does not have any anti-reflective or anti-scratch but depending on where you get your lens the coatings may come as a standard. And not all polycarbonate lenses are the same, they have different index materials, higher index is thinner lens but $$$, whether it worth it or not will depend on your prescription. I have a pretty strong prescription so I got the thinnest ones but the difference is in fractions of milimeters so if your prescription is pretty weak you may not have much benifit.

She said she will do it within an hour, and that is what confuses me also. She said that they order their lenses after taking down some measurments. How does that work? They have some super accurate way to measure eye glass frames and order lenses according to those specs?

If there is anything which confuses me most, it's eye glasses. I simply don't understand how they design frames and make lenses for them. I mean how do you cut curved glass?

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: TommyVercetti
My eye glass lenses are seriously scracthed, and getting hard to clean. So I went to Lenscrafters to get them replaced. Lenscrafters wants between $200 - $289 + $20 fee for putting it into my frame. They won't even talk about cheaper options and their polycarbon lenses come with anti reflective coating, and scratch proof coatings. That's just too much.

So I went to this small non franchise store. They are selling me polycarbon lenses for just $89, no tax, and no extra fees. I talked to the optician there and she told me that polycarbon lenses are light and already have scratch proof coating, that is one of their big selling points. I asked her what was Lenscrafters was selling me, and she said she doesn't know.

So there is a price difference of atleast $110. I am confused. How can two places have two very different prices with that much of a difference. I guess that anti reflective coating must cost that much.

I have been wearing glasses since 2nd grade....what do you need to know?

What kind of perscription do you have?

Sysadmin

 

[kami333]

They use a computer controlled machine to cut them out of larger pieces that have the correct width and curve.

edit: how stuff works link

 

[Kaieye]

What do you want to know? I own a wholesale eyeglass lab...

The materials are all the same but the quality differs in the Anti-Reflective coatings. Lenscrafter uses their Crizal coatings(mucho $$$) and the mom and pop shop tends to use the cheaper Asian stuff. I understand that the Crizal coatings are pretty good but others say that once the hydrophobic top layer coating is worn off after a coupla months then the durability of the coating degrades quickly.

But I am sure all the folks who sell AR coatings normally give at least a one year warranty for their patients or customers.

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
What do you want to know? I own a wholesale eyeglass lab...

The materials are all the same but the quality differs in the Anti-Reflective coatings. Lenscrafter uses their Crizal coatings(mucho $$$) and the mom and pop shop tends to use the cheaper Asian stuff. I understand that the Crizal coatings are pretty good but others say that once the hydrophobic top layer coating is worn off after a coupla months then the durability of the coating degrades quickly.

But I am sure all the folks who sell AR coatings normally give at least a one year warranty for their patients or customers.

How does the different index materials work? I've made glasses both in the US and Japan and when I make them in Japan they give me a bunch of lens choices from standard to $$$ depending on how thin I want them but in the US it's always been polycarbonate or not. Is there only one grade available in the US?

 

[Kaieye]

The higher the index the thinner the lens but sometimes their is more chromatic abberations unless they are coated with AR coatings.

Regular plastic is normally 1.49 and Mid-index runs from 1.54-1.56. High Index normally runs around 1.6 and 1.67. 1.7 is also available. Glass runs at 1.523 and high index glass runs at 1.7-1.8 and is usually heavy as hell because of all the lead in the compound of the lens.

Poly's index of refraction is 1.586 which is thinner than plastic.

So go ask your Eyecare professional for his opinion for what is best for you.

 

[kami333]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
The higher the index the thinner the lens but sometimes their is more chromatic abberations unless they are coated with AR coatings.

Regular plastic is normally 1.49 and Mid-index runs from 1.54-1.56. High Index normally runs around 1.6 and 1.67. 1.7 is also available. Glass runs at 1.523 and high index glass runs at 1.7-1.8 and is usually heavy as hell because of all the lead in the compound of the lens.

Poly's index of refraction is 1.586 which is thinner than plastic.

So go ask your Eyecare professional for his opinion for what is best for you.

The highest possible

But at normal places they usually don't ask so I take it you need to special order them?