Which glasses are more scratch proof-> Lenscrafters or Walmart?

[JEDI]

i'm tired of replacing the lens on my glasses every other year because i scratch them. (no comments on how they wont be scratched if i take care of them.)

i bought my glasses from lenscrafters. it was their best scratch-proof lens at that time. and it wasnt bad. but it's gotten to the point where the scratches are beginning to bother me

Lenscrafters most scratch-proof lens is featherwates. (their website also say duralens has an extra scratch resistant coating.) featherwates are $200+ just for the lens.

Walmart's most scratch resistant lens costs $130.

Anyone have links to reviews on scratch resistant lens?

THX

edit: found this Link saying that glass is more scratch resistant than plastic w/a coating. but i'm thinkiing not that many places make glass lens due to higher risk of injury if you fall on your face. if i'm wrong, link to places that sell glass lens?

 

[brxndxn]

just put those ultra-cool 80's style sunglass clippers over them.. they're only like $1.50 and who cares if you scratch them? besides, you'll look gnarly, man!

 

[Imdmn04]

lens crafters are professionals, walmart,well... is just walmart.
its like the difference texaco gas and safeway gas

 

[lowtech1]

They are all plastic therefor the hardness is relatively low, and scratch resistant has been questioned by many as in the actual value & affectivness. However there are such thing as glass lenses, but they tend to be heavier than high index plastic.

The best route is look into lasik.

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Imdmn04
lens crafters are professionals, walmart,well... is just walmart.
its like the difference texaco gas and safeway gas

It is not entirely true. Walmart may carry lower index lenses compare to Lenscrafter, but it is unlikely. The reason that Walmart price is lower is could be from better pricing from volume buy. Grinding the lenses aren't as difficult as you think, becuase the technician just have to dial in the prescription number.

The markup on eyes glasses is insanly high compare to camera lenses. Camera glasses has to be much higher indexes including difficult grind such as aspherical grinds with multi elements, but thanks to computer aided design & high index plastic technology we can enjoy high quality lenses at a relatively low price.

 

Originally posted by: Imdmn04
lens crafters are professionals, walmart,well... is just walmart.
its like the difference texaco gas and safeway gas

lol like you have to ask

 

[TommyVercetti]

I went to buy glasses at Lenscrafters and some other chain store. All I saw were the same styles, wireframe ones which eveyone is wearing. Heck, I am wearing those right now. I didn't see the point of buying new glasses.

 

[Zenmervolt]

It's not the company, it's the material. Plastic is the most easily scratched, polycarbonate is harder to scratch than plastic, but glass is still by far the most difficult to scratch. The problem is that glass is also heavy as all get out. Plastic is cheap and light, but easily scratched. Polycarbonate is light and harder to scratch, but more expensive than glass or plastic. If you wear your glasses all the time, glass lenses will soon become tiresome because of the weight and consequently their predisposition for sliding down your nose.

Any quality optometrist will be able to get you glass lenses. LensCrafters is JUNK. Nothing more, nothing less. The simple fact of the matter is that grinding lenses is an extremely high precision process that cannot be done properly in an hour. Most people don't notice though since they walk out with glasses that let them see better than no glasses and they assume that it's as good as it gets. Find an independant optometrist that sends lenses out to a lab for fabrication, they will be able to help you a lot more than the people here (unless someone here happens to be an optometrist).

ZV

 

[Kaieye]

Look guys, I grind and edge all the material's( but Trivex) and regular plastic is harder than scratch coated featherweights(aka as polycarbonate)lenses. I find that glass is still the hardest stuff to scratch but it is heavy. Lenscrafters and Walmart tend to use the same scratch coating on their lenses and are probably equal.

What is wrong with scratching your eyeglass lenses?? If people break or lose their eyeglasses, I can make more $$ and buy more computer hardware parts!!!


Kaieye

 

[Ornery]

Zenmervolt's right. Buy glass, heavy or not. Buy a frame that's small, so the lens will also be smaller and lighter. Don't let anybody talk you out of it. The price will be the same as plastic, so that's no issue. I shouldn't talk, because I hate wearing my glasses, which of course are made of glass, but I will NEVER buy plastic, polycarbonate or anything like it. I used to work in a shop, and wore glass lenses 12 hours per day. I got used to them within a couple days. My polarized sunglasses have pretty large lenses and they're glass. I love 'em! Weight never enters my mind, but I just don't care to wear my regular glasses all the time no matter how heavy or light they are.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Ornery
Zenmervolt's right. Buy glass, heavy or not. Buy a frame that's small, so the lens will also be smaller and lighter. Don't let anybody talk you out of it. The price will be the same as plastic, so that's no issue. I shouldn't talk, because I hate wearing my glasses, which of course are made of glass, but I will NEVER buy plastic, polychromatic or anything like it. I used to work in a shop, and wore glass lenses 12 hours per day. I got used to them within a couple days. My polarized sunglasses are pretty large lenses and they're glass. I love 'em! Weight never enters my mind. I just don't care to wear my regular glasses all the time.

Actually, I wear polycarbonates. The things are extremely light and they still manage to slide down my nose. I tried glass for a while and I liked its durability (if I were getting glasses for shop work or a set of motorcycle goggles I'd never consider anything but glass), but the weight of the glass lenses had me pushing the glasses back into place every 45 minutes or so. Insurance covers new lenses every year so I don't worry too much about scratching the polycarbonate.

ZV

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
It's not the company, it's the material. Plastic is the most easily scratched, polycarbonate is harder to scratch than plastic, but glass is still by far the most difficult to scratch. The problem is that glass is also heavy as all get out. Plastic is cheap and light, but easily scratched. Polycarbonate is light and harder to scratch, but more expensive than glass or plastic. If you wear your glasses all the time, glass lenses will soon become tiresome because of the weight and consequently their predisposition for sliding down your nose.

Any quality optometrist will be able to get you glass lenses. LensCrafters is JUNK. Nothing more, nothing less. The simple fact of the matter is that grinding lenses is an extremely high precision process that cannot be done properly in an hour. Most people don't notice though since they walk out with glasses that let them see better than no glasses and they assume that it's as good as it gets. Find an independant optometrist that sends lenses out to a lab for fabrication, they will be able to help you a lot more than the people here (unless someone here happens to be an optometrist).

ZV

What you are saying is like saying pants are manufacture at your favorite mall becasue they have people to bring up the hem.

They don't grind your lens at the store, but just cut it to frame size & to set the astigmatism to the corrected angle. The diopter & astigmatism degree is prefab before they get to the retail stores.

 

[Doggiedog]

Get some real lenses like Carl Zeiss or Seiko. My Carl Zeiss lenses never scratched even though I've dropped them countless times. They are definitely worth the premium over crap like Lens Crafters and Cohen's Crapshion Optics.

 

[LSUfan]

Most plastic lenses are molded (not grinded) today. We mold the lenses in our optical. Scratch coatings are a waste of money in my opinion. If you dont take great care of them those will scratch too. Glass lenses are really heavy and cost more than plastic. They still have to be ground. Lenscrafters do prestock their lenses and just cut them to fit the frames you pick out like most one hour opticals. Wal mart sends them to a lab in most stores. Usally have the same quality as other opticals depending on the lab they use. If you scratch them up a lot just get the cheapest ones you can find and dont add any coatings. The coatings are where the opticals make a lot of money for something that you probably dont need. If you can handle the weight glass will last longer. If you have any specific questions PM me.

 

[Freejack2]

Check out Sears. They are having a 50% off sale on glasses.
I have to get a new pair myself and noone so far I've found is cheaper than Sears with their current sale.

 

[LSUfan]

Of course LASIK will free you of them!

 

[kyutip]

My wife get her glasses from Sam's club.
$200 for Rodenstock frame and lenses with all the trimmings (high index, anti-scratch, etc).
The lenses are made in Germany.

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Get some real lenses like Carl Zeiss or Seiko. My Carl Zeiss lenses never scratched even though I've dropped them countless times. They are definitely worth the premium over crap like Lens Crafters and Cohen's Crapshion Optics.

Ha.ha.ha....

Carl Zeiss lenses are made by Sigma & the alike.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
It's not the company, it's the material. Plastic is the most easily scratched, polycarbonate is harder to scratch than plastic, but glass is still by far the most difficult to scratch. The problem is that glass is also heavy as all get out. Plastic is cheap and light, but easily scratched. Polycarbonate is light and harder to scratch, but more expensive than glass or plastic. If you wear your glasses all the time, glass lenses will soon become tiresome because of the weight and consequently their predisposition for sliding down your nose.

Any quality optometrist will be able to get you glass lenses. LensCrafters is JUNK. Nothing more, nothing less. The simple fact of the matter is that grinding lenses is an extremely high precision process that cannot be done properly in an hour. Most people don't notice though since they walk out with glasses that let them see better than no glasses and they assume that it's as good as it gets. Find an independant optometrist that sends lenses out to a lab for fabrication, they will be able to help you a lot more than the people here (unless someone here happens to be an optometrist).

ZV

The only problem is, no matter where the lenses are sent, they will be ground by the same machine.

 

[zephyrprime]

Try to not scratch your lenses so much by using premoistened lense wipes rather than plain cloth or your clothes.

 

[The Stigenator]

I had a pair of Lenscrafters Featherweights.. let me say it was crap.. it was thick as hell.. and sratched like mad. Worse yet the lenses had an internal reflection. And oh yeah for my power I had to wait a week to get them. The glasses dont ahve much power but lense crafters dont carry materials for my glasses.

The biggest problem I saw with teh lensecrafters lenses was that it was all fine and dandy day time, come night time I am driving with my friend and seriouslly I couldnt drive back home. I was getting all these "rays" eminating from the light source.. sorta difracting.. he used his eyes to guide us home (he cant drive stick). It took a few days to get used to it (or for that damn thing to dissappear)

Next time I went to a different doctor and got SpectraLite, its a material that lensecrafters dont carry. I got the usual transition lenses + anti reflective coating. This lens is A LOT thinner than the lenscrafters variety.

This time (past week)I tried lense crafters to see if they can make me a batch of lenses with anti reflective & transistion lenses... turns out they have their own properiety lenses.. they dont use spectralite, they use something else (with his featherlite). They also cant do both Anti reflective and transistions.. they dont call it transistions, they call it something else (its not the transistions brand).

Needless to say I went back to my other doctor and got a new pair made, should get it on friday. Cost me $666.00 with frames before insurance kicked in to bring it down to $490.. my frames were 300bucks before insurance after which it was 200.. damn I am expensive.

tgg

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: Doggiedog
Get some real lenses like Carl Zeiss or Seiko. My Carl Zeiss lenses never scratched even though I've dropped them countless times. They are definitely worth the premium over crap like Lens Crafters and Cohen's Crapshion Optics.

seiko? as in sapphire glass like on watches? yes sapphire glass is almost impossible to scratch under normal conditions, but isnt it expensive as hell?

 

[JEDI]

called up lenscrafters.

featherwate plus are their most scratch resistant lenses. $175
Regular featherwates are 2x LESS resistant than the plus-> $150
Duralens are 10x less resistant than the plus ->$100

for sears, do they have a sale just on the lens?

EDIT:
Just came back from Sears. only frames 50% off. Lens discount differ by type. their most scratch resistant lens is 40% off (~$100)