Cheap Prescription Glasses Thread (as low as $19)

[craftech]

From the Warby Parker website:

"We’re so sorry, but unfortunately we’re unable to fill bifocal/progressive lens prescriptions for now."

Then they go on to suggest that you have to try them on to fit them properly and that's why they don't sell them via mail order.

John

 

[mikeford]

Rx I was looking for was single vision -9.25, lots of places don't like over -8.00

Use some normal hot deals savvy with Rx glasses deals, look at total shipped cost and terms, and what the basic product quality is like.

 

[richardycc]

Alright guys got my glasses from Zenni. They're going back. The fit was great and I love the style. The lenses are very lightweight compared to what I wear from Lenscrafters. The problem is that the Rx doesn't seem the same, even though it's the EXACT Rx that I got from Lenscrafters. I have trouble focusing with them unless I squint a bit. I called their customer service dept and they are having me ship back the glasses w/ a printout of my Rx and they will figure out what went wrong. I'm hoping it was just a minor screwup on their part, but I have doubts for some reason - they're cheap maybe? lol.

I had the same problem yrs ago, before I got my Lasik done back in 2004. I forgot why, but I had to do a chargeback with my credit card to get my money back, and my cc refunded the money right away due to the low amount, it was under $50.

 

[HelpWithWoL]

Well, i use lenses, but good deal!

 

[mikeford]

New glasses from Zenni arrived today, total time about 10 days. Other than I would have liked to see more bevel to the edges, the thickness due to the high Rx and shape of the frame make it easy to see why it wasn't done (frame needed to go over middle of edge of the lens to keep the front flat). The 1.74 index looks very clear, very optical.

 

[GusSmed]

I'm wearing some glasses I purchased from Zenni right now, optimized for computer use (distance + 1/2 reading prescription). It feels odd to have a third pair just for sitting at my computer, but they were only $29 shipped, and I spend most of my day here. I'm happy with them, though I think now maybe I should have sprung for the priciest coating, since it seems like getting fingerprints off is a chore.

I wouldn't get progressives from them. Frankly I find the usable band of digitally-surfaced progressives much too narrow, and they only offer standard progressives. For single vision prescriptions, though, they seem pretty nice.

 

[mikeford]

For me, I can hold a book a bit farther away and just get two pairs, computer and distance.

Expensive adventure started yesterday. My wife was really happy to get her new glasses a couple weeks ago after a big change in Rx, but couple days ago she told me she was having trouble with the distance vision and having some eye strain with the computer glasses. We got her glasses checked this morning, just takes a minute in any opticians shop, and found the Rx was swapped between R and L (they are not close). I correctly copied the Rx from the doctor, but unless OD doesn't mean right eye he did them backwards. $250 in extra high index lenses.

 

[donttnod]

Can anyone say how the Zenni frames hold up under normal wear and tear?

I was thinking of a pair of the aviator model. I don't know whether the least expensive frames break after a few months of even careful use or whether the somewhat more expensive frames are far better and definitely worth the extra cost.

How much of a difference does the scratch coating make in the amount of delicacy needed? I've always had glass lenses and have no idea how careful I need to be or whether the extra features they sell are mostly just how they manage to stay in business. Prescription is about -4.

Thanks

 

[GusSmed]

I bought a pair of $19 semi-rimless aviator frames, and they're not at all flimsy. I've only had them a bit over a month, but I don't have any fears at all that they'll break with normal usage. The price differences seem to be mostly about aesthetics, not sturdiness.

I do worry a bit about scratches, though I haven't scratched them as yet. You don't want to use anything but a soft microfiber cloth to clean them. Which Zenni includes, and places like Amazon sell them for less than $1 each. They pick up fingerprints easily, and there are times that using the cloth alone just smears around the finger oil. Water and liquid soap does a great job when it comes to that point, though you'll want to dry them because otherwise you'll get spots and you'll have to clean them again.

 

[mikeford]

No real issues with any of the frames, and my son is not "easy" on frames. I have one pair that seems to need the screws tightened more frequently than I like, but I think tiny bit of loctite would fix it if I was really bothered.

** Update on Rx, nothing wrong by Zenni, hopefully nothing wrong with eyes, but big change in Rx over last few months.

 

[Muse]

Can anyone say how the Zenni frames hold up under normal wear and tear?

I was thinking of a pair of the aviator model. I don't know whether the least expensive frames break after a few months of even careful use or whether the somewhat more expensive frames are far better and definitely worth the extra cost.

How much of a difference does the scratch coating make in the amount of delicacy needed? I've always had glass lenses and have no idea how careful I need to be or whether the extra features they sell are mostly just how they manage to stay in business. Prescription is about -4.

Thanks

I'm shopping for new glasses now. Started off by visiting Zenni yesterday, looking for a frame with real substance (the glasses I've bought online so far have very cheap feeling frames, very light, parts that are obviously not built to last at all). I started by going to Kaiser Permanente, where I was told a year ago that I had a $125 allowance every two years toward new glasses. I was going to put new lenses in old frames but they said my allowance wouldn't be available until January 15 or so 2013. I go in there a couple of days ago and they said it was $75. I guess they cut back the allowance. I priced my idea and they wanted over $225 before the allowance and I told them I'd go shopping online instead.

Looking over Zenni's frame catalogue now (they do appear to have markedly better prices than other online sources), I couldn't find anything that appears to be substantial. The reviews reveal that their best "wayfarer" frames are chintzy. So, I go to other sites but it's kind of tough. I found a decent looking frame at coastal.com. They have a bunch of promos and it's confusing. One was for FIRSTPAIRFREE, yippee I think. But try to get it! The coupon code wasn't accepted. They have several other promo codes, one for $25 off, several for free shipping (why have 3 different codes for that?). It appears that the coupons don't stack. It's one only, and they don't tell you that. After trying to get my free pair a few times the system refused to accept any codes and it said I'd reached the limit and I was SOL. I called and they are closed for the holiday, guess I'll call them tomorrow.

It appears that several if not the majority of the online glasses sources offer promotions such as % off on first order. I guess I'll have to check them for decent frames, my first requirement.

My optometrist (last) said I should defintely get anti-glare (even for computer glasses, anyone know why that would help?), anti-scratch, and for athletic glasses get polycarbonate instead of glass (usually I like glass because it's so hard to scratch) because polycarbonate won't shatter. I want UV protection, if the lens doesn't incororate that already (many do). Zenni's the only online source I've seen that specifies polycarbonate as an option.

 

[GusSmed]

"Anti glare" means that it has a coating that cuts down on reflections. You'd want that for computer glasses if you have any source of light, any at all, that might hit the glasses directly. Overhead light? Get anti-glare. Window behind you? Get anti glare, because the light is going to hit the glasses from behind when you turn your head.

I'm still quite happy with my Zenni computer glasses 8 months later, incidentally.

 

[Muse]

Thanks. I may go with Zenni anyway and save some money although I haven't spotted a frame there that compares in strength and durability AFAIK to almost all of the ones I've bought over the years at B&M outfits. Fact of the matter is my Rx seems to change a lot. The glasses I use now for distance are the ones I bought in the 1970's for distance. 20 years after that they were my go to glasses for around the house, nowhere near strong enough for driving and other distance usage. They are the same Rx for distance as I just got from an eye clinic except that the astigmatism is different. So, I'm getting new glasses. I suppose any frame that looks and feels decent and will last 2-3 years is adequate for my ever changing eyes.

 

[mikeford]

Titanium frames are very thin, but also very flexible and almost indestructible. I don't think visual appearance gives much practical information on frame quality.

Put my personal Rx into the Zenni acct last night, waiting on wife's latest pair of PC glasses to arrive. I may sit on my next pair until the next sale, as it adds up fast to buy two pair in high index with one photochromatic..

Nobody seems willing to reuse old frames, but we have ordered same frames a few times with the intention of keeping old frames as spares for new lens.

*** maybe worth checking, I've hear vision coverage may DROP a LOT as Obamacare kicks in first of the year. We got a notice yesterday with a bunch of things no longer covered.

 

[Muse]

I ordered last night, 3 pairs, 2 from Zenni, one from Coastal (with their FIRSTPAIRFREE code). The coastal pair was frame-is-free ($79), got the $39 coatings package, the intermediate they call "Silver." Includes scratch, UV, AR coating in their penultimate thinness/lightness lens material. They dink you for shipping and handling/insurance, so it all came to ~$58. The positive on-site reviews of the frame seemed to justify the purchase.

Got the 2 pair of Zennis in the same frame:
Frame #270524 $15.95 green/purple/black/translucent/blue/orange (a best seller) Cheaper than most, but the specs and reviews appear to justify regardless of price
Bridge: 23 Does it matter?
Lens Width: 50 As wide as most
Frame Width: 142 Pretty wide
Temple Length: 147 Pretty long
Lens Height: 40 As high as I see on the 1/2 dozen sites I've visited the last couple days
Frame Weight: 27 Heavier than most at Zenni, so....
- -

These are all single vision glasses, have never had anything else, with the exception of one pair of bifocals to allow me to make adjustments to my home theater projection system without switching glasses. I NEVER use them.

Maybe I'd like something other than single vision, just don't know anything about them. I don't want to be cocking my head at different angles the way old folks do. I'll switch glasses instead. If I remove my glasses I can see up close fine, so...

I had Zenni's premium anti-reflective coating option on the 2 pairs I ordered last night: oleophobic for $14.95. I did some research this morning and there's disagreement in the posts I've seen. Some say they see no difference between that and the cheap AR coating at $4.95. One person said they found they stay much cleaner longer, so who knows?

Maybe I'll experiment with titanium frames. I didn't notice anything particularly expensive browsing around Zenni's site the last couple of days.

ATM I have no hope for vision coverage. The $75 every 2 years with my Medicare advantage plan at Kaiser is utterly useless to me, assuming it applies to their own vision center only.

 

[GusSmed]

Switching glasses is a lot more effort than looking slightly up or down. Most of the time, it doesn't involve any conscious thought, nor any need to move the head, since it's quite normal to look down at reading material, and look up for anything at a distance.

I have a pair of progressive glasses that I purchased from Sears. The main difficulty is that since the glasses are divided up into different zones, each zone is smaller than a full-sized pair of glasses. This mainly comes into play with my computer monitors, which are larger than the mid-range corrected zone. That's why I have the computer glasses from Zenni, so I can see an entire monitor at once without part of it being blurry or distorted.

I'd never buy progressives from Zenni because they don't offer digitally surfaced lenses. Progressives have an hourglass-shaped zone where the image is clear, it's distorted toward the edges, and the middle zone is much wider on digitally surfaced progressives compared to the simple progressives than Zenni offers. It takes some time to adjust for this, initially it really bothered me, but my brain is now editing that stuff out.

I also have a pair of wrap-around distance glasses. They're almost like not wearing glasses at all because they cover my entire field of view. I like them because they give me peripheral vision, which I lack with the progressives. I do, however, find it very annoying that I can't focus to read with them, and I much prefer wearing the progressives if I'm going to read or do close work for any length of time, because I can switch from distance to close without switching glasses, which is a hassle.

 

[Muse]

Thanks for the rundown, your personal experience with progressives. I've copied it into my "glasses" data. Will consider getting a pair, see if it's beneficial for me. I generally get by with two pairs:

1. Computer glasses (my current pair that I have on my face right now is somewhat stronger than my new Rx), which I wear around the house in general, really exclusively. I hope my new computer glasses work for this when I get them.

2. Distance, which suffices for away from the house, although I sometimes bring my computer glasses with me, but usually don't have need of them.

If I want to read something when away from the house (or even at home, if it's a book, newspaper, etc.) I generally remove my glasses, period. My close vision is quite adequate with no corrective lenses at all. I do have a pair of reading glasses, and I think I do slightly better with them for reading a book or newspaper, but the improvement is so slight I seldom reach for them.

 

[mikeford]

Single vision for me, swapping glasses is not that much of a chore, and I prefer to look out the lens the same instead of wobbling my head up and down. Before the PC people would look down at a desk to read, not so with a monitor, just isn't practical anymore.

I go with the free coating, but have plenty of addons for high Rx and high index.

"penultimate thinness/lightness lens material" means whatever they want it to mean, I want to know material and index, best right now is at least 1.74, next step up $$$.

All this said, I really miss having a good local place to do the fitting. I am to the point of looking at learning how and buying the half dozen specialized bending pliers to DIY.

 

[Muse]

Single vision for me, swapping glasses is not that much of a chore, and I prefer to look out the lens the same instead of wobbling my head up and down. Before the PC people would look down at a desk to read, not so with a monitor, just isn't practical anymore.

I go with the free coating, but have plenty of addons for high Rx and high index.

"penultimate thinness/lightness lens material" means whatever they want it to mean, I want to know material and index, best right now is at least 1.74, next step up $$$.

All this said, I really miss having a good local place to do the fitting. I am to the point of looking at learning how and buying the half dozen specialized bending pliers to DIY.

I still use only single vision glasses.

I really don't know the ins and outs of coatings, knew almost nothing before this week. Have been reading some stuff online. Got Zenni's best AR, maybe a waste of $10/pair. I don't know the ins and outs of indexes either. Just about completely stupid about it. I figure (please correct me if I'm wrong) that the major advantage of getting higher index lenses is that they are lighter. In my case, I've been happy enough with glass (very heavy but really hard to scratch!), so I don't care that much about the weight reduction of going to a more expensive lens material. It's gotten really hard to find glass lenses anymore. The place where I had my eyes examined told me that they can get me glass lenses. I didn't price their stuff, though. Online, I've seen no mention of a glass option.

Concerning bending your frames (and I guess this can be at either the bridge or the temples where they go over your ears), I used to observe the people at optometry clinics immersing frames in hot sand for a few seconds, and of course I don't have anything like that. But saw a post last night by a person who says they use a hair dryer or similar to get the frames pliable. Seems like a good idea. I don't know about using pliers, I figure I'd just use my hands, I've often done that.

 

[mikeford]

Generally I think its the plastic frames that need heating. Reason for pliers is that you need to make very small radius bends, and its needs to be carefully controlled to prevent breaking the frames. Using fingers or hands the frame is going to bend first at its weakest point, not very often where you want it to bend. Each time you bend a section of the frame it becomes weaker, until it breaks.

Let us know how you like them once you get them.

 

[Muse]

Generally I think its the plastic frames that need heating. Reason for pliers is that you need to make very small radius bends, and its needs to be carefully controlled to prevent breaking the frames. Using fingers or hands the frame is going to bend first at its weakest point, not very often where you want it to bend. Each time you bend a section of the frame it becomes weaker, until it breaks.

Let us know how you like them once you get them.

Yeah, I understand the point about being able to bend where you want, not at the weakest point when you use pliers. I have one very small pliers such as they use, also several forceps. The latter have grooves, so I'd have to either grind those off or use tissue paper to prevent scratches. Or, I could do the same with some small workshop pliers.

I'll report when I get the frames. I expect the Zenni's to come later.

 

[mikeford]

I suggest not messing with your frames, just stop in some glasses place when they are not busy and ask if they can adjust them for you. Most will, if not leave and try another.

I have maybe two dozen kinds of pliers, but none designed for glasses frames which have special jaws and shapes. I found a local optometrist that is getting close to retiring and he offered me a deal on any duplicate pliers he has, thinking I may do it as they are not cheap new, ala $80 each for good ones.

 

[cardiac]

I have purchased Zenni glasses for myself, wife and oldest son for the past 4 years. Haven't had any problems at all. I use regular bifocals and they are fine. Titanium frames. Same with my sunglasses. I am a firefighter/paramedic and they do get some abuse and have always been fine...

 

[Muse]

I have purchased Zenni glasses for myself, wife and oldest son for the past 4 years. Haven't had any problems at all. I use regular bifocals and they are fine. Titanium frames. Same with my sunglasses. I am a firefighter/paramedic and they do get some abuse and have always been fine...

Nice, thanks for reporting. I'm starting to believe in Zenni!

I suggest not messing with your frames, just stop in some glasses place when they are not busy and ask if they can adjust them for you. Most will, if not leave and try another.

I have maybe two dozen kinds of pliers, but none designed for glasses frames which have special jaws and shapes. I found a local optometrist that is getting close to retiring and he offered me a deal on any duplicate pliers he has, thinking I may do it as they are not cheap new, ala $80 each for good ones.

Sounds like maybe a good deal for those pliers.

I went into a local discount glasses franchise a couple weeks ago and the guy took off temples from an old pair I had from the 1970's and put on some temples I'd gleaned from ebay (American Optical stuff, you can't buy new any more). Needed a special tool to remove and insert the weird hex head hinge screws, which are about 2.5mm across parallel surfaces of the hex heads. He did it all for free. I may well have bought it from their shop over 30 years ago. I have another identical pair that needs the same treatment (didn't want to bother him with another pair on that day!), which I'll probably bring to him at some point. The temples are breaking but not broken. I have looked all over for that tool, most optometrists don't have it and I haven't been able to find it online. I tried cutting grooves in the screws using a dremel tool but the results using tiny screw drivers has been unsatisfactory.

 

[mikeford]

Its funny, unrelated search turned that tool up a week or so ago.