Cheap Prescription Glasses Thread (as low as $19)

[Muse]

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

Where?

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.

I received the glasses from coastal.com today. I thought my chances pretty good of being pleased for once with online purchased glasses based on the reviews of the frames at their website. I am pleased. The Frame is their Derrick Cardigan Birch, with retails for $79. My impression (and I could be wrong) is that the Derrick Cardigan wayfarers they sell are similar except for the color. They have some at $99, the first I tried to order was out of stock, a black frame.

The frame seems very good quality, a first for me in online glasses buys. They supplied a big heavy hard shell case, something I don't normally use. I have my glasses in soft sleeve cases, but maybe I'll use this. They include a little glasses maintenance kit which includes plastic bottle of cleaning fluid, a small cleaning cloth, and a real cool tool, a tiny double ended screwdriver with phillips and slot ends to deal with those tiny screws holding hinges together. The Rx looks OK, the glasses came with clean lenses.

One reason I like glass is that I never fear cleaning them. I'll hike up my T shirt and whale away on my glasses with glass lenses. But with plastic lenses, I figure I'm risking scratching them if I don't baby them. I don't know the ins and outs, but I presume that cleaning them at a sink is what you need to do if you want to keep them scratch free. Run water over them, maybe a soft brush to dislodge any potentially abrasive particles before addressing the lenses with soft clean clothes. Such a hassle! I'd much rather deal with glass, I don't give a hoot about the additional weight. However, I don't know of any online sources that will furnish glass lenses in their frames. I know of one B&M.

 

[mikeford]

http://www.amazon.com/Rimless-Wrench...ef=pd_sxp_f_pt

I use spray from the optometrist, basically alcohol and water, and an OLD baby towel or microfiber cloth.

 

[Carson Dyle]

How do you fit yourself for mail-order glasses?

 

[qliveur]

^The right tools and an hour in front of a mirror can literally save you 100s of dollars.

/satisfied Zenni customer

 

[Muse]

How do you fit yourself for mail-order glasses?

I took glasses I'd gotten from B&M outfits and a little ruler that has cm/mm markings, measured the size of the lenses, and I measured the basic dimensions of the frame. I also read reviews of frames at the online outfits to get an idea of the satisfaction people were experiencing. My head is not particularly unusual, I'm not Andre the Giant. I think the glasses I just got from Coastal are great right out of the box.

I wanted glasses with big lenses. I figure the bigger the lens the wider the angle I'm going to get. I'm used to glass so I'm not concerned with the extra weight of plastic lenses that are large. The frame I just got has adequate sized lenses, but I do have frames with larger lenses. This is a good solid frame.

I don't know if I'm ever going to buy glasses at a B&M place again. The only reason I'd do that now is to get glass lenses.

 

[Muse]

http://www.amazon.com/Rimless-Wrench...ef=pd_sxp_f_pt

That would probably contain the tool I need. Unavailable. I put it in my wish list. They don't include a price and don't know that it will become available, but it's a maybe. Thanks. Meantime, I'll do another ebay search. I'm pretty sure I need a 2.5mm hex nut driver.

Edit! Oh man, I gotta laugh! After posting the above I started looking all over trying again to find a tool to remove the head head screws in my American Optical frames' hinges. Tons of bad luck on Ebay and Amazon but I stumbled upon this item:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZY0J9W/sr=1-14/qid=1388486325/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1388486325&seller=&sr=1-14

Cheap enough, but there was no dimension shown on the part that removes/replaces hex head screws. Then it hit me... that tool looks very like the one I just received today in the box from Coastal.com which included my new glasses. They have a little kit including what I think is that very tool linked above, a little spray container of cleaner and a cleaning cloth. I had looked at the tool and only noticed the phillips and slot screw driver facility, but looking again I see it also can do hex nut driving and removal (one size only). I tried it on my American Optical frames and sure enough it fits! Voila!!! The funniest part is that while I was searching all over online for that tool all the time I had that tool within a foot of my left elbow! Now I'm super happy with that purchase.

My Zenni order of a few days ago hasn't arrived yet.

 

[Gillbot]

I ordered from Zenni today. I have my hopes up but even if it doesn't turn out for the best. $29 for two complete pair of glasses with tint and all, I can't be too disappointed.

If it does work out well, it'll save me a bunch and a GIANT hassle every year. I'm hoping my next trip to the eye doctor will be simply to get my prescription, then i'll order online from now on. Currently my eye doctor wants more for just the frames than what I paid for two complete pair at Zenni.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I ordered from Zenni today. I have my hopes up but even if it doesn't turn out for the best. $29 for two complete pair of glasses with tint and all, I can't be too disappointed.

If it does work out well, it'll save me a bunch and a GIANT hassle every year. I'm hoping my next trip to the eye doctor will be simply to get my prescription, then i'll order online from now on. Currently my eye doctor wants more for just the frames than what I paid for two complete pair at Zenni.

You buy new glasses every year?

My prescription hasn't changed in more than 30 years. I've acquired a need for reading glasses, but my near-sightedness hasn't changed a bit.

 

[Gillbot]

You buy new glasses every year?

My prescription hasn't changed in more than 30 years. I've acquired a need for reading glasses, but my near-sightedness hasn't changed a bit.

Yep. If my prescription changes enough that I feel I need to I do. I also usually alternate between regular and sunglasses so neither prescription lapses too far off. Typically runs me around $100-130 a year for a pair including exam.

 

[gorb]

I get a pair or two every year as well. I've still not tried any of the online companies other than warby parker though.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Has anyone been fitted by an optician and then ordered glasses online?

I would only do it up front, letting them know that I only wish to get my measurements. First see if they're willing to do it and then see what they'd charge. Probably not feasible at a "glasses store", but I would think that at an ophthalmology center, where glasses are just one part of the business, they may work with you.

And for those who've been professionally fitted in the past, can you get your measurements in the same way that you can get your corrective prescription?

 

[Gillbot]

Has anyone been fitted by an optician and then ordered glasses online?

I would only do it up front, letting them know that I only wish to get my measurements. First see if they're willing to do it and then see what they'd charge. Probably not feasible at a "glasses store", but I would think that at an ophthalmology center, where glasses are just one part of the business, they may work with you.

And for those who've been professionally fitted in the past, can you get your measurements in the same way that you can get your corrective prescription?

This will be my first time ordering online and my optician had no problem giving me all the measurements I needed. They still get paid for the exam portion and i'm sure the measurements are part of the exam portion.

EDIT: I still prefer getting them at the office, because I like to see how they fit on my face. This is the first time I've ordered online but if it works out I may do it exclusively from now on. The cost difference is so great that i'd almost consider some of these low cost options as throw aways if they don't fit well or I don't like the look.

 

[Carson Dyle]

This will be my first time ordering online and my optician had no problem giving me all the measurements I needed. They still get paid for the exam portion and i'm sure the measurements are part of the exam portion.

I wasn't talking about having an eye exam, only seeing an optician for a fitting. From what I read, eye glass prescriptions are valid for five years (contact prescriptions, two years). I'm not certain, but I don't think that the measurements for glasses are done as part of an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

 

[Gillbot]

I wasn't talking about having an eye exam, only seeing an optician for a fitting. From what I read, eye glass prescriptions are valid for five years (contact prescriptions, two years). I'm not certain, but I don't think that the measurements for glasses are done as part of an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

They are good for two usually, not five. Some places you order from won't accept a prescription that's older than a year so it depends on who you go through.

As for the measurements, most online places tell you how to measure yourself for anything not covered by the typical exam.

 

[Carson Dyle]

From what I've read, federal law says they're good for five years. That seems very odd that a seller would turn away customers by having a policy limiting it to considerably less.

I just hit up the Zenni live help. They say:

We do not monitor the expiration date on eyeglass prescriptions. This is between you and your doctor. As a retailer, we simply make what you enter in the website.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I wasn't talking about having an eye exam, only seeing an optician for a fitting. From what I read, eye glass prescriptions are valid for five years (contact prescriptions, two years). I'm not certain, but I don't think that the measurements for glasses are done as part of an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

There is only a few measurements for eyeglasses, they are easy to do yourself, but they are all part of the eye exam and the Optometrist is required to provide them if you ask. All the other measurements done at a eye glasses store are really more of person preference sort of things and are not standardized.

For the record I've been buying my glasses online for the last 5 years or so. I get 2-3 pairs of glasses a year, and have only one had a bad pair of glasses that had the wrong prescription (that was from Zenni and they had no problem exchanging them, including sending me a code for return shipping)

 

[Gillbot]

Some places don't want to deal with dissatisfaction due to an old prescription but either way I get a new one every year.

 

[Muse]

You can do what I did and take a ruler with mm measurements and get a pretty good idea what your current frames are. When you get your Rx worked up ask the technician what your PD is, the pupillary distance. It's probably right there on your Rx. If it is your distance Rx, you want something a little less for reading or computer glasses because your eyes point in a bit. For instance, my PD for distance is about 66 and I was told that for computer glasses I should specify 63 for PD and for reading glasses 62. One office had my PD at 65 for distance and I decided to go with that. I think that guy may have had a better idea, his name was preceded by "Dr." Who knows.

 

[mikeford]

PD should be included in the eye exam, most glasses shops will do it free as well. Distance PD is usually a couple more than near vision, and some places do PD for each eye. OD is right, OS is left, dexter and sinister. Zenni included a plastic ruler made to measure PD with her last pair, which are fine so far, $80 instead of $500+.

I've never sent in or faxed my actual signed prescription to any online place, and if I feel like it alter my prescription as I see fit. My exam doc put prism in the Rx, I've had it for years, decided to try a pair without and they seem to work fine for me.

 

[Leros]

Just ordered a pair of cheap glasses from Zenni. I've been wearing contacts for 15 years, but I've never had glasses. Hoping this will be decent enough to wear around the house a bit.

 

[Muse]

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

Received the Zenni Optical glasses a couple of days ago, two pair, same frame, different color (very different!). I am quite pleased with them. Fit perfect AFAIK, look, well, quite OK. The temples (as was noted in one of the reviews of the frame on Zenni's site) are not metal reinforced, which is a concern, but my thought is that the Achilles heal of this frame is the hinge. I'm thinking that the hinge might pull away from the plastic. It seems as though there are metal anchors that jut out from the hinge metal which helps the glue (I presume they have glue in there) hold the hinge to the plastic, but most plastic frames I've seen have something more intense going on -- generally an attachment of the hinge to the metal reinforcement of the temple.

I'd encourage people here to consider the FIRSTPAIRFREE coupon code at coastal.com. The glasses I got from them have a considerably better anti-glare coating. I compared the glare from them with the pair I got from Zenni (both have the same Rx) and the Zenni is reflecting easily twice the light. It's still way better than some old glass lens glasses I have from the 70's, but the Coastal pair wins hands down. Also, the Coastal comes with that cool tool I linked in a post above thrown in gratis and the case supplied was miles ahead of the plastic clam shells supplied by Zenni. The Coastal case is faux leather, symmetrical, tough, heavy, kind of the Mercedes of glasses cases. As I said above, the Coastal pair with their medium cost coatings package they call "Silver" came to ~$58 shipped, and it came in just a few days. My Zenni order took over two weeks. I had Zenni toss in a pair of clip-on sun glasses for $4. Don't waste your money. They are supposed to be polarized, but they have apparently zero anti-glare capability. They are a disaster. I'm going to order some Rx sunglasses from Zenni.

I'm struck by the lightness of the Zenni's. This morning I decided to weigh all my glasses. I've never minded the "heaviness" of glasses with glass lenses, well not in recent years. Anyway, some results:

New Coastal 1.37 oz
New Zenni 1.07 oz (it's a lighter, but weaker frame)
Computer/around-the-house glasses I've been using (probably w/ glass) 1.68 oz
Distance glasses from the 70's w/ glass that are almost current Rx 1.71 oz
Wire frame glasses from 70's, possibly 60's (glass) 1.43 oz
I have some lighter Zenni reading glasses from over a year ago 0.87 oz

I just compared those wire frame glasses from many years ago with my new Rx glasses and was amazed. They seem to be virtually equivalent! They have no anti-glare at all, but they might work in my home theater with my projection system, will give them a try.

 

[Muse]

I haven't had sunglasses for over 30 years. Since I don't like the clip-on's that I ordered with my Zenni distance glasses that I received a week ago (no anti-glare, they are terrible!), I want to order a pair of dedicated sunglasses from them. They have this on the ordering page:
- - - -
QUICK TIP: You can make tinted or sunglass lenses four ways: choose a standard lens and add tint, select a polarized or photochromic lens, add a sunglass clip-on, or order our Sunshade models which come with magnetic clip-on sunglasses.
- - - -

I know I don't want clip-ons, so that eliminates those. That leaves:

Standard lens and add tint
Select a polarized or photochromic lens

Which do I want and why? Also, which lens material do I want? For sure I want good anti-glare and UV protection! The page says:

FREE
1.50 Standard Single Vision

FREE
1.57 Mid-Index Single Vision

RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR PRESCRIPTION

$29.95
1.53 Trivex Single Vision

$9.00
1.59 Polycarbonate Single Vision (where I had my eyes examined they said that Polycarbonate has good UV protection and anti-shatter characteristics, so they recommended getting that, back in October)

$19.95
1.61 High-Index Single Vision

$34.95
1.67 High-Index Single Vision

$79.00
1.74 High-Index Single Vision

 

[mikeford]

Polarized is most effective, Photochromatic only if they are indoor and outdoor use.

I wonder if they will do polarized like movie theater 3d glasses, one eye horz and one vert, but I don't know which is which or if a standard even exists.

 

[CPA]

Wow, why haven't I seen this thread before? Wife needs to get the kids new glasses and she's hell bent on going to a B&M that charge $150 or more. I am convinced on getting her to go online. Will be following up with all of the suggestions in this thread.

 

[Muse]

Polarized is most effective, Photochromatic only if they are indoor and outdoor use.

Thanks. So, photochromic is just like the "photo-grey" glasses I've had for years. I'm going to get polarized for this pair. First priority is for driving, then cycling. So, at Zenni, there are many options in polarized sunglasses. I figure maybe for me it's between these:

$32.99 1.50 Polarized Single Vision - Gray-tinted at 80%
$72.00 1.59 Vision-Ease SunRx® Polycarbonate Polarized Single Vision - Gray -tint at 85%
$76.00 * North American distribution only * 1.59 Vision-Ease Coppertone® Polycarbonate Polarized Single Vision - Gray -tint at 90%

- - - -
A major priority for me is UV protection. I figure the $70+ lenses are probably fine for that, the other maybe too, don't know. I think that Zenni vouches for UV protection on all their lenses, I see that in a blurb. I can't find anything online to help me decide between the Coppertone and SunRx lenses. Maybe I'll just pick the SunRx's. Comments?