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How to Buy Quality Eye Glasses Online & Save Hundreds
How to Buy Glasses Online
My employer has a rather generous vision plan that covers $155 towards new eyeglass frames and 100% of the lenses through insurance provider VSP. With the new insurance, I was thinking I might actually be able to get away with simply paying the co-pay of $25. I was so excited! I may actually get to try on some glasses, in person, and see what they’d look like on my face. Wow, what a privilege!
My excitement quickly faded before my appointment as I started trying on glasses and looking at the little price tags on each of them. $300, $350, $400… things were not looking good. Sure, there were a few cheap, outdated frames that I could get for around $200, but the quality of these frames were not even close to being as good as the quality of the frameless memory titanium, anti-reflective coated glasses that I had purchased online about 3 years earlier for under $40. Equivalent glasses were actually 10 times more at the local optometrist!
What You’ll Need to Buy Glasses Online
If you’re running into the same issues (and you will when you visit your local optometrist), here’s how you can go about buying your glasses online:
1. You’ll Need your Eyeglass Prescription
If your old eyeglass prescription is still bring clear vision in your present lenses, then call up your optometrist to get your prescription. Note that you will not be able to use a contact lens prescription (the two are different). If your prescription is outdated, then you will have to go to an optometrist to get a new one. General eye exams are usually covered by your vision insurance, if you have one. Check with your vision insurance provider to be certain.
Here are some terms you’ll need to be aware of when ordering.
- OD (Oculus Dexter) means your right eye
- OS (Oculus Sinister) means your left eye
- The Sph or Spherical correction is how near (-) or far (+) sighted you are. If you have ‘PL’, that means you are at zero.
- Add is for bifocals
- Cylinder and Axis is for astigmatism, meaning that your eyeball is not perfectly spherical.
2. You’ll Need your Pupillary Distance
Pupillary Distance (PD) is the distance between your pupils, usually measured in millimeters. Pupillary distance generally falls between 54 and 68 mm. Optometrists will usually take this measurement during your exam, but if they don’t, then you can measure the distance yourself with a mirror and a ruler.
Most optometrists will not write this number on your prescription, because they know that it gives you the ability to shop online. Ask them to write this number in, if they haven’t.
The image below represents an example of a pupillary distance of 62mm.
3. Be Careful of Add-Ons
Eyeglass retailers online will often suck you in with extremely low advertised prices (i.e. ‘Complete set of glasses for only $9!’, however they have add-ons that really crank up the price – anti-reflective coating, anti-scratch, poly-carbonate lens, etc.
The best thing to do is to figure out exactly what you want, and then find out what 3 or 4 different online retailers would sell for that exact same model, so that you are comparing apples to apples. For instance, if you know you want a memory titanium frame with a slight tint and anti-reflective coating then shop around for that exact same pair elsewhere. Some include the add-ons and others don’t, so go with the final price, not the advertised price that gets you in.
4. Shopping for Glasses Online? You Need to Really Look Around for the Best Deal!
When shopping for glasses, don’t worry about the brand. A pair that I purchased under a generic brand was much better than any of the designer comparables that I saw at the optometrist. There are a few retailers that seem to have extremely competitive prices, that I’d recommend comparing to the others:
Buying Glasses Discussion:
- Have you bought glasses online? Share your story and tips.
- If you’re afraid to buy glasses online, why?
- Where did you find the best pair of cheap glasses?
My name is G.E. Miller and 
Local optometrists charge way too much for crappy frames, so they drove me online also. I bought a pair through Zenni. Not a pretty site, but good deals. Can’t believe how cheap you can actually get them for.
Were you able to get VSP to cover your online purchase?
No, the only website that will allow you to use your VSP benefits fully is http://www.VSPONLINESTORE.com. The other sites tell you they take your insurance but they are OUT-OF-NETWORK so you only get about 40% of you benefits. I used VSPonline and the glasses were perfect, for about half the price at my local ophthalmologist.
I think that glasses are one of those things it is worth paying full price for, since once you divide the total price (especially after insurance) by the number of days you will wear them, they cost pennies or less.
I got beautiful Versace frames with anti-reflective/anti-scratch coating, and am glad every day that I did. I would NEVER buy frames without trying them on, and I would never buy anything cheap. My frames prior to this were I think Calvin Klein…even if I paid $400 for them (and I’m pretty sure they were significantly cheaper than that) my estimate is that after the 4 years I wore them before they finally broke irreparably, they cost about 27 cents a day. That is not a lot of money.
i like the idea of buying online for cheaper, but how do you suggest finding a frame you look good in without being able to try it on?
BTW nice new logo!
My dad has done some shopping online for glasses, but ditched the idea to go “traditional.” Ah well.
I’m not afraid of buying almost anything online so long as it’s from a reputable resource. A fifteen minute search can find that out, so no real worries. If someone hates a website/resource, they’ll blog about it.
(Random: if you Google “shaun connell” you should be able to see a flame somewhere on the first page. Hehe. I still don’t know who the person was/is or anything.)
I’m actually going to the eye doctor for the first time in 3 years on Thursday, so perfect timing!
I’m planning on buying at least a pair or two online: I need a specific kind of sunglass for evenings, due to my sleeping disorder, and they’d cost above $400, if i bought them from a local store: from zenni they’re 40. I’ll probably pick up one or 4 in addition: at ten bucks a pop, i’m STILL way below the money i stashed in my HSA for this year (for glasses, specifically).
-=allen
You’re right- watch out for those add-ons. They make everything cost more!
I found you via Wisebread’s Top 100 Personal Finance Blogs. Congrats on making the list!
I’ve gotten eyeglasses at zenni optical. I liked them and recommend them if you can wait a couple of weeks. Just be sure to inspect them closely when you receive them. If you’re really doubtful of the lenses, you can take them to our optometrist to test the prescription of them. They should be able to do it for free.
I discovered after breaking my glasses in Hong Kong that the prices there are quite reasonable. I was able to have an eye exam and purchase frames and lenses for around $140 and the whole affair was done in less than 24 hours. My only complaint is that they aren’t Transitions lenses. I think I’ll try this online method soon, if I can get Transitions!
Last time I needed new glasses, I actually went to the doctor’s office to try them on. I made a note of the pair I liked (~$400 if I remember correctly)- brand name, any little numbers on the inside of the temples, etc. Then I Googled. Came up with FramesRX.com- you can order them from start to finish right there if you have your prescription, but since my eyesight is really bad, I wanted to make sure the lenses were exactly right.
Once I received the frames, I took them back to the doctor’s office and had them do the lenses for me. They charged about $40 to use frames I already had, but the $260 saved was well worth it!
Advice from an optician;
First, let me start by saying to the folks here that have made a sccsessful purchase of eyewear online, congratulations, you were lucky, and probably have a simple single vision Rx. But if you have a more complex Rx (astigmatism, high power, bi-focal or no-line lens, ect) you WILL have a difficult time getting eyewear produced by an on-line vendor accuratly. There are measurements they can’t take over the net. Just a few….
*PD; (pupilary distance) This is the distance between your eyes. Most people are not symmetrical, one eye in slightly in more than the other. An optician will use a Corneal Reflex Pupilometer to take this critical measurement. It measures monocularly (center of the bridge of your nose out) exactly where light enters each of your eyes.
( did you know light doesn’t enter exactly in the center of your eye?) You cannot measure accurately this monocular distance with a ruler in a mirror.
MRP; (Major Reference Point)This is the point, verically, Where your eye centers in the chosen frame. A “virtual frame” try-on will not exactly “sit” on your nose like the real thing.Unless the frame is in “as worn position” you cannot take this measurement accurately.
Optical Center; This is the point on a lens where light travels through perfectly strait. EVERY other point on a lens, light is bent and deviates creating a prismatic effect. The Optical Center should be placed directly at the PD (see above) AND at the MRP (see above). This is most important on higher Rx’s (the stronger a lens is, the more light gets bent (prism) away from the optical center) AND also important if you have different powers in each eye, ( different power lenses create different amounts of prism, so one eye may get a prism effect while the other doesn’t)
Pantoscopic Tilting; Most eyewear works better with “PT”. Most frames sit on the face with this “tilt” (bottom of the frame closer to the cheeks than to the brow line.) This tilt is usually 2-10 degrees. For every 2 degrees of tilt, you effectively lower the Optical Center a full millimeter. How many degrees do yours tilt? And you know this precisely by…..?
Vertex Distance; This is how far away the back of your lens sits from your eye. Frames can sit at varying distances from your eye (i.e. metal frames sit further away than plastic frames) Just as you can move a magnifying glass closer, then further from a viewed object and get differeing size images, it’s the same with your RX. Vertex measurement are many times needed to adjust the Rx for patient comfort and vision.
The above is just a small fraction in the equation of delivery of quality eyewear. A well trained and educated optician not only takes the measurements above, but also can advise you on lens materials ( there are over 10 availible today) and on lens designs. (actually hundreds from spherical, aspherical, atoric, PAL’s, ect)
There are also hundreds of treatments that may improve performance. (you don’t have to buy them if you feel you won’t benifit from them!…But, you probably will enjoy their benifits)A well trained optician can explain these to you…How do you know the performance or benifit unless someone tells you, plus you can ask for more explaination.
A few last things; Glasses are not a commodity (like contact lenses)They are custom made one at a time. They are not “one size fits all”.
Glasses actual costs ARE lower than what your optician sells them for.You are not just paying for glasses from your optician, his time, skill, and knowledge are worth something, just as your time at work is valuable. When you buy glasses, you are not just getting “glasses”. You get expert advise, measurements, adjustments and hands on selection.
I had a patient ask me once, “What’s the most expensive glasses?” My answer, “Ones that don’t work, hold up or aren’t made properly.” If they don’t work or are a pain to use, how valuable is that?
And finally, please, if you get your glasses and they need adjustments or verification, you should offer some payment for the service. Do you work for free?
These are all intelligent points, and I appreciate that you detailed them with care. I don’t discount your experience and skill. However, the problem is the amount of money people have in pocket.
About six years ago I had to start wearing progressive lenses, and my prescription, always expensive because of my low vision problem with my two very different eye requirements, and the need for high-index lenses, became even more expensive.
My eyecare insurance paid for the exam, happy thing. Eyes were healthy, new progressive lenses prescription was given. However, the glasses, at a local, fairly large optician’s, put me out over $500, and I did not choose some fancy designer frames. I bought blue-gray Coleman frames, acrylic. Nice looking, but nothing cutting-edge here. The resulting lenses were great, I adjusted quickly to them, but…
I was never able to purchase a spare pair at that price. And I wasn’t able to find a cheaper, satisfactory alternative; to my shock, these prices were totally market-competitive for store-front eyeglasses for my particular vision requirements. (And dig it, the frames were not even the big expense; the prescription was.) It was so incredibly expensive just getting the one pair, I walked around in no small fear that my one pair of glasses would break, and I’d be bereft.
Fast-forward to three years ago. I obtained another exam at an eye doctor’s office (not an optometrist this time, he wasn’t pushing glasses), and a new prescription.
After two months of actually having a new prescription to fill but no money for yet another pair of $500+ glasses, I found out about Zenni Optical and decided to give it a try. Then the next FOUR pairs I purchased were from Zenni Optical. I could afford all of them, purchased over a couple of years’ time, and I could have extras in my handbag and in my car, should my glasses break.
I have been quite pleased with their product. Apparently, by proceeding with careful measurements and much thought, I was able to make the right decisions about PD and choice of frame. I have also helped my boyfriend buy three pairs online, measuring his PD myself. Progressives also. He’s been very happy with them, and loves the price.
Excellent hand-rendered care by a Guild Optician is a fine thing, but if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it.
For about $80 (includes shipping for a pair of frames with progressive lenses), I can afford myself if I purchase online. And I can see! And see as well as with any other pair of glasses I have ever owned!
I am truly sorry I can’t afford your level of care. Fewer and fewer people can these days, and competition is going to force overpriced options out of the market. It’s just the way of commerce.
wow Im glad you had success with your online eyeglass experience, I would like to get progressive lenses, i need help with understanding how to measure these. I you would give me advice I would greatly appreciate it. I will in no way hold you responsible it i don’t receive exactly what i hope. thanks Gail
Progressives simply put a prescription that allows you to focus closer at the bottom of the glasses. You just need to determine how strong.
What I did to find out was to go to a drug store where they had reading glasses, and while wearing my normal glasses, put reading glasses of varying strengths over my normal glasses and try to read something (I just picked up a nearby product and read the box). I picked the strength that let me read comfortably in a reasonable distance from my eyes. If you haven’t had bifocals before then, like me, you probably only need +1.0 or +1.25.
Just use that as the “add” (maybe labeled NV-ADD) for the progressive lenses when you order. Done. It’s that simple.
I also eventually wanted computer glasses. All these are is a normal single-vision glasses with HALF the add that you use for reading, because computer monitors are not quite that close. So for me, I have +1.0 on my reading, so I add +0.5 for my computer glasses. Since these are single-vision, you just add that to the spherical correction on both eyes. Note that if you are nearsighted, your spherical is NEGATIVE, so adding to it makes it less negative. One of my eyes, for instance, is -2.25 spherical, so my computer glasses have -1.75 on that side.
The computer glasses give you comfortable reading at a distance of 3 to 4 feet from your eyes, over the whole area (single vision). They’ll be a little blurry in the distance if you forget and walk around with them on.
I work on computers all day at work, and never had computer glasses. They were $18 including shipping at Zenni, and it was ridiculous of me not to get them before, they make it much nicer to work all day.
Glasses and contacts are medical devices. Optometrists spend 8 years in school and $200,000 to prescribe eyeglasses. Opticians spend 2 years in school to learn how to adjust and fabricate glasses. The tools needed to make a pair of glasses cost $25,000-$35,000.
There is a very large difference in the quality of frames. I spent much time adjusting state provided medicaid frames versus quality frames. The quality of plastic, composition of metal,types of hinges, ect. Many cheap plastic lenses are made in Japan and actually flake. I have seen paint completely peel off the temples of plastic frames in less than 6 months due to improper clear coat.
There is also a large difference in lens coatings. For example, inexpensive nonglare coating can peel and get foggy within months of purchasing new glasses. The more expensive nonglare will last years longer. Ask anyone that has purchased Walmart glasses.
If you’re worried about them going bad “in a few months” then buy a new one for EVERY month online! At $10 each and $5 flat shipping for zenni optical, that’s still only $125. Hundreds less then at the Optometrists.
While the optician brings up a lot of valid reasons to be cautious I think the online option is a really good alternative for many reasons. My in store shopping experiences have been much more negative than most of my online purchases. Usually a store has some salesperson, not the actual optician, helping you pick out frames from behind a counter, often steering you towards particular styles that may or may not be flattering. The selection online is fantastic, especially with Rx sunglasses, and if you know what shape of frame you want you will have thousands of options.
One big thing to look for when buying online, however, is the size of the frame. Pay close attention to the measurements. I have a beautiful pair of Rx sunglasses that I can never wear because they always fall off my face since they are too big.
My Zenni Optical glasses were $92 (progressives, transitions, anti-glare, etc) and I’ve had them since July and the anti-reflection coating has started peeling off – both lenses – and stuck at halfway. I could deal with ALL the way but now I can’t use them. I’ve emailed as to how to get it off or fixed – not much chance there – but no response… I have worn glasses all my life and know how to take good care of them…
Great article. As other commenters have pointed out, you are giving up something when you order online, and opticians provide additional service and expertise that is not available from the online retailers. But, you’re saving a heck of a lot of money too.
I think it’s a lot like going to Best Buy and having them help you pick out all of the stuff you need to set up your home theater and then having their professional install service come set it up, making sure the T.V. is the right distance from the couch, the surround sound speakers are in the right place, etc. You’ll pay a lot, but you’re getting extra help and service. Alternately, you could save lots of money on your home theater if you shop around for the components individually, educate yourself using online home theater guides on how to set it up correctly, and do the installation yourself. It may not be quite as good as when the professionals do it (but on the other hand, maybe it will be). Either way, you’ll have saved tons of money.
Yeah you definitely want to watch out forr anything you ahve to use to add on. I agree with the last commentor. Try some of those things and save some of that money.
I had a simular experience when I had to buy a new pair of glasses to replace the ones I lost. When I went to the optician they tried to charge me almost £300 for a pair of rimless spectecals. I was told the price for my frames would be a little more expensive because of my strong prescription.(an index of 1.6) So instead of getting taken to the blody cleaners by a high street optician I decided to search for glasses online. I mean they couldn’t be any more than I was just about to pay.
Thank God I found Brill24. co.uk
I was able to buy a pair of rimless “Mackay“frames with anti refective, scratch resistant coating, and EMI coating for about 50 Euro. My regular optician tried to charge me for each one of these extra features.The coolest thing about the website in my opinion was the fitting room. You can upload a photo of yourself and try on all the frames you’d like before buying. After loging in and selecting my glasses I procced to to fill in my prescription information. The next morning I woke up with an email from Brille24 stating that I had entered my prescription information incorrect. After correcting my prescription information my glasses arrived after only 12 days!!!!
I had a bad experience with BigEye Optical. Avoid.
Hey guys, I’ve used a couple of online retailers in my life and I found that eyebuydirect.com holds the top spot in all around value, customer service, website efficiency, selection, and pretty much everything you need. Loved their “try it online” feature and the prices are incredible!
I live in the Netherlands. We have one company for online glasses and they are still expensive. I’v been paying $ 400 for my glasses every other year. Last month I decided to go modern and try online buying. My best option was a USA firm. The price was worth the gamble. For $ 90,00 I had a super Kam Dhillon 3022 frame with progressive lenses, incl. shipping! In 7 days I received the parcel. Stupidly enough, It turned out I ordered the wrong frames. Coastal Contacts told me: “no problem, Just send them back, and re order the right frame, they would pay for all the costs. Today my new order arrived and they are really great. They send them express, special rush delivery. I would highly recomend them. Great frames and lenses, total guarantee and very personal service.
When buying frames first try out frames at other highroad shops, so you know what you want (I always know what I want and I stick with that.)
My tip: Coastal Contacts. I checked out all USA firms, it took me a full week to compare them all. They have wonderfull frames, also brand names.
1. Pay attention buying online at the size of the frame, read their information carefully. Bridgewidth and frame width is important, it makes al the difference how your glasses look awesome or just plain ok.
2. Search for a coupon on the internet, copy and paste the number when asked for, I got 25% off!!!.
Sorry for bad English.
That’s all, good luck.
Thank you for recommending a couple of places where to buy glasses. Might I also recommending this site where you can get nice glasses? I usually get mine from http://PoshEyewear.com and I’m really happy with their designs and quality.
Having successfully purchased (for astigmatism) single vision, then progressive no line bifocals in both standard and sunglasses from Zenni, I have had no problems at all. I had the lenses verified the first two purchases just to make sure. While it is a buyer beware situation, to say that purchasers have been “lucky” and “have a simple single vision Rx” is not the truth. I enjoy higher quality frames than I could afford (that I also LIKED) and great vision too. At OVER $780 for the last brick and mortar glasses I bought, the $61 is worth it.
Folks, I’m an Optician. And I’d like to shed a different light on this discussion.
First, In response to Optical24/7 and Doc B; YES, there are particular measurements (PD, OC, MRP, Panto, Vertex, Seg) that cannot be measured through an online system. These can only be measured directly on the patient’s face in combination with the particular frame they have chosen. There are also other measurements having to do with each patient’s prescription that are very important: Cyl, Prism/Decentration, Bifocal fitting point, short/long corridor, spherical/aspherical.
All those things are true. HOWEVER, what they are not telling YOU, the patient/consumer, is that there are “tolerance” ranges for EVERYTHING in our industry. A PD can be +/- 2 millimeters monocularly; your RX can be +/- 0.125 in low ranges, +/-0.25 in medium ranges, and up to +/-0.50 in super high ranges. In the online business we have served thousands of patients, and we are able to create each pair of glasses to the exact specifications and WITHIN TOLERANCE; and we can do it at up 70% of the retail price that the doctor/optician are charging.
Don’t let the technical jargon impress you. YES it’s real; NO it does not justify their price markup! Besides, many online retailers have a return policy that is AS GOOD OR BETTER than your “bricks & mortar” optician retailer.
At our online retail store, we offer a 7 DAY satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied for ANY reason, simply return them to us and we will refund your money, or make you a second pair at no charge; YOUR CHOICE. And we guarantee the accuracy of the prescription, as well as all the other technical lingo mentioned above: because we’re professional, and we know the tolerances. PLUS, you’re getting the SAME high-quality, brand name lenses. And an even better Anti-Reflective coating. This is one of the most important elements to good eyewear. We all drive at night, and we all sit in front of computers. YOU NEED IT! And like all other add-ons, all A/R coatings are NOT created equal.
Try us. If you’re not satisfied buying prescription eyeglasses online at http://www.OrderYourGlasses.com then we’ll refund your money! Maybe you’ll find out we can create the same high quality product for half the cost; b/c we didn’t mark it up!
Unfortunately the way opticians and doctors of optometry make a large portion of their their income is through the high on selling eyewear, and any of them telling you that the adjustments and measurements cannot be properly managed with a little care and routine measurements taken at home (after an accurate refraction) are just trying to scare you. I was in the business for too long and while all the technical information provided above is true, it is irrelevant in providing adequate vision correction, and irrelevant to the fact that those $500 designer frames cost $20-30. All the skill is in the correct alignment of the lenses and that information has already been measured in your vision prescription. The rest can be adjusted on your face afterward to within tolerances that the end user would not notice even if slightly off. Who cares how accurately and carefully all these dimensions are measured if it makes little or no difference to one’s vision? Is that worth $300 – $500 markup? Eyewear is one of the biggest secret scams perpetrated on the unsuspecting public and I am sick of observing the spectacle. I am surprised more opticians have not chimed in and attempted the “party line” of scare tactics to scare you all away from this. Truth is the word still is not out, people are afraid of getting the adjustment correct on their face (or of damaging the frames trying to adjust them) and this fear of the unknown keeps them overpaying time and time again for a “service” that they dont realize is so overpriced it is obscene.
I am loving this conversation. It has given me so much hope. I am a struggling artist, and have been wearing the same pair of “ugly-makes-me-look-seriously-deviant-scratched” glasses for five or more years. I HATE them! They make me feel so terrible that I find myself dragging my self-esteem behind me in the dirt. (LOL)-
Thanks to all of you. I feel like I can actually afford to get new glasses! Bye… Im off to search those sites you have listed, and try on some virtual glasses (Yes, I have a new script from an opTOMETRIST!!).
))
Sam
Yes, optometrists spend time in school and deserve to earn a living. Medical doctors are not alowed legaly to own a pharmacy so they can make money off their diagnosis. How many doctors try to sell you Gucci crutches? The same should be true for optometrists. The trust is lost if I am told I “need” progressive lenses or overpriced coatings by the doctor. The markup on frames is obscene. If you have VSP, the up the price even more.
Get your frames online and have the doctor’s office do the exam and put in the lenses for you. Even if VSP doesn’t cover the frame, it will be less than the out-of-pocket cost at an eye doctor’s office for that frame, guaranteed.
I am an optician. If I had a nickel for every person who comes in to have me “fix” their online glasses that:
1. weren’t made correctly
2. don’t fit properly
3. give them headaches
4. make their eyes strain
I would be a wealthy person. Shoes, yes. Glasses, no! They’re your eyes, people!!
I imagine that you got well more than a nickle for fixing those peoples glasses!
I’ve now bought 3 pair of glasses online from Zenni Optical. I have a compound prescription with both nearsightedness and astigmatism. All 3 pair of glasses that I got from them have been perfect. I have several friends that together have bought probably 2 dozen pair from them, and none of them have had any trouble either.
Are we all “getting lucky” or are local opticians just charging 10X as much?
If nothing else, the frames… The frames from Zenni appear to be every bit as durable as the ones they sell in the optician’s shop. I’ve now worn my current pair of Zenni glasses every day for 2 years and they’re rock solid, don’t have a scratch on them, etc, and my optician hassles me all the time about not treating my glasses well – when I had $600 glasses from her, they were always getting scratched, yet the $35 glasses from Zenni last 2 years with no scratches at all, with the same wearer? Yeah.
I assume that the optician is paying $10 or maybe $20 for the frames they’re selling for $400.
Also, Zenni has much more selection than my local optician.
I’m going for an eye exam tomorrow, because I’m about due to start into progressive bifocals. I know I need about +1 on the bottom (I just went to a drug store and tried +1, +1.25, and +1.5 reading glasses over the top of my prescription, determined that +1 is plenty. I’m just getting an exam for health reasons and to make sure the prescription doesn’t need a tweak before ordering from Zenni.
I actually have insurance that would pay for $600 glasses, but I’m actually happier with $35 ones from Zenni than any I’ve ever paid hundreds for at the optician, so I’m PAYING for Zenni glasses instead of getting $600 glasses paid for by insurance.
I’d totally buy from the local optician if they were being reasonable. I mean, sure, I’d pay $100 for a pair of glasses that were identical to ones I could buy online for $40, but I’m not paying $600 for $40 glasses.
If they need to charge $200 for an eye exam to break even without selling glasses, then they should do so, not try to bundle glasses into the price.
Gotta love all the trolls on here — I had a classmate who worked for a large optical chain. They paid on commission, gave performance bonuses, and sent employees on expense paid vacations for hitting sales goals.
He stated the glasses were marked up several hundred percent! Their actual cost on a $400 pair was about $45.
Businesses should make money, but what’s wrong with even a 300% markup? That would make a good pair of professional glasses about $150. Add $50 or so for super awesome frames. Where did these $400 normal glasses come from?
What other retail chains or service providers can get away with this level of profitability? My dentist only gets $125 for a cleaning and exam, and he and the hygeinist have to spend an hour in my mouth…
My GP only gets $70 for an office visit, and he went to 10 years of med school.
I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH PURCHASISNG THEIR EYEGLASSES ONLINE, AND THAT’S GREAT!! WHAT IS NOT GREAT IS THAT THEY COME INTO THE OPTICAL NOT ONLY FOR A PD, BUT WANTING TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF LENS IS RIGHT FOR THEIR NEEDS, WHAT SIZE, SHAPE, STYLE AND COLOR. THIS IS MY JOB AND I DONT THINK ITS FAIR FOR ME TO HELP THEM MAKE A DECISION AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND PURCHASE ONLINE. ALL OF THESE THINGS (INCLUDING DISCUSSING THEM) ARE PART OF FITTING SOMEONE WITH THE CORRECT EYEWEAR. BUY YOUR GLASSE ONLINE, JUST DONT WASTE OUR TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT OR WHAT TO GET.
DUDE. Capslock. There’s no need to YELL here.
I agree. If you’re bothering the optician about lens type and all that, you should buy from them.
I don’t. I just need my prescription checked and my annual eye health checks, and I’ll be out of there.
Personally my experience has been that opticians usually try to steer me into ridiculously expensive options that I do not need. I’m perfectly happy with simple $50 progressive lenses. The last time I was to the optician she tried to sell me some fancy computer-generated curve multistep bifocals with some crazy coatings and designer frames, the bill would have been close to $1000. I didn’t even ask for her opinion, she just started pushing this stuff. I went home and bought $50 glasses that I’ve been happy with for over a year now.
Wrong. True cost of a regular glasses that sell for $150 in store is not $15, it’s less than $10. Many of them are made in Asia. My father in law is in import/export business and he knows the manufacturers. The glasses they bought from manufacturers are around $7-8, and it cost less than $2 to make.
I’m now about 6 weeks on my 4th pair of glasses from Zenni. This is my first pair of bifocals. So, a medium-strong compound prescription with nearsightedness and astigmatism, plus no-line bifocals in a half-rim frame, with high index polycarb lenses and anti-glare coating. No problems at all, perfect prescription, easy to get used to the bifocals. $55 shipped, took about 8 days to receive. About the same as if I ordered them locally, which makes me suspicious that the locals are buying them from China, too, and just marking them up 600%.
My previous pair was nearly 3 years old when I replaced them, also from Zenni, worn daily and never gave me any trouble, broke or had a single scratch in them, despite the fact that I do martial arts and ride a bike > 3000 miles a year.
The local optician charges $99 just for the damned anti-glare coating. Zenni charges $5. I’m betting that it actually COSTS about 50 cents.
Their on-line try-on system is, IMO, BETTER than trying them on at the store. I find it easier to judge what they’ll look like on me looking at a picture of me wearing them than looking at me actually wearing them in a mirror.
I’m about to order a separate pair for working at the computer, which I do for many hours a day.
its funny how all these posts that have been ordering online use the correct prescription terms to describe their experience. These posts are the same website workers that want you to buy online. Their prices are so low because they use the cheapest, least durable, worst vision materials in the market that have been out for nearly 50 years. Its like picking out the cheapest lasik surgeon in town. I would not let them near my eyes. I ordered 4 pair of glasses one for me and 3 of my children and they were all made incorrectly. They have all my three small children to strong of a prescription. Just a big ordeal trying to send the glasses back and remake them, not once, but TWICE. The whole process took 2 months. I will pay a little more and have comfortable clear vision and so will my children.
Jim, I’m just a guy who bought my own glasses. The reason I’m “using correct prescription terms” is that, well, I’m not an idiot, and the terms are right there on the prescription form that you get from your doctor, and also right on the web form. I don’t know how you can wear glasses for a few decades and have gone to the optometrist without picking up the terms, they’re not difficult. I suppose some people go to the doctor and never discuss anything or ask any questions, but that’s certainly not me. I’ve had several discussions of optics with my optician, since I’m interested in telescopes and microscopes.
I’m sorry you had a bad experience, which retailer was it with? We’ll try to avoid them in the future.
My friends and I have ordered a number of times from Zenni and I have not had a problem, though I will say that my prescription is not super strong, it’s only about 2.75 diopter at most.
The glasses I’ve gotten from Zenni have, honestly, been indistinguishable from those at my optician. And I’m not talking “a little more” – the same glasses were $50 from Zenni, $675 from my optician. I agree, if the optician were $100, or even $200, I’d at least think about it, but 13x the cost is just obscene.
I agree with you, John. I learned the technical jargon by reading about eyeglasses and how to fit them. It was worth my while to understand what I was buying, especially if I had to measure the bridge, frame width, PD, etc., by myself. I have a better than fair grasp of technology and figured out the rest by my own researches. I don’t work for Zenni or any other optical firm. I just have eyes that need glasses, and I am glad to have an alternative that furnishes me with glasses that are just as good as any other glasses I have ever had, and for a fraction of the price.
People, think for yourselves. Don’t be scared off just by people who think you SHOULD spend very large amounts of money on glasses, regardless of their reason for thinking so. Make your own experience, and then post here. If it was a bad experience, name names if you can. If it was positive, again, name names. We need the info to make an informed decision. And who has money to waste these days?
My mother got a new pair of glasses for the first time in 8 years. The frames themselves were about $200 and the lenses were well over $500 because of her “complicated prescription.” She gladly paid, just happy to have a new pair. A year later they were destroyed by her dog and she was afraid to buy another expensive pair when the same thing could happen again.
I got her a new pair on Zenni for less than $50. They are not quite as stylish as her other frames, but for the price she could care less. She has been wearing them for about six months now and has not noticed any problems.
Personally, I feel like it is a great option for those who need to see and simply can’t afford to pay the outrageous prices at the optometrist’s. I’m sure that when mail-order contacts first came out the eye doctors were going nuts then, too. I’m positive that ordering glasses online will become very mainstream. Better figure out a different way to make those extra bucks, docs.
On another note, I once went to a well respected opthamologist for a minor eye surgery and had a routine eye exam while I was there. They asked me if I wanted to buy glasses from them since my insurance covered x amount of dollars (I forget how much now) when I said I was not interested, but wanted a copy of my prescription (I didn’t like their selection) they were almost livid! This is simply unacceptable behavior, in my opinion.
Finally, I would just like to say that I have a pair of Pucci frames that were around $500-$600 if I remember correctly. I have a simple prescription and so my lenses were another $100 or so. For the price I paid you would expect perfect glasses, but let me tell you I have had to take them in at least half a dozen times because the lenses were not cut properly and continue to pop out. I have even had another optometrist confirm this, while the former optometrist maintains that it’s just how my frames are. You know whose lenses aren’t popping out? My mother’s! So in terms of craftmanship, you can get crap quality anywhere. On top of that, Zenni sells a pair of glasses almost identical to my Pucci’s for about $10…
Four months ago I paid $800 for a pair of glasses that I hate and feel like an idiot for doing so. Part of that cost was Transitions which do absolutely nothing unless standing in full direct sun. Complete waste of money.
I seriously wish I’d gone online to buy to begin with. I intend to purchase through Zinni and I’m glad I found this forum.
I agree about Transitions. They always show people hiking, at the beach, etc, but the reality is that the majority of the time that people want sunglasses it’s in the car. Transitions doesn’t work in the car because it triggers off of UV, and auto glass blocks UV. So you need sunglasses anyway. Luckily a pair of sunglasses in single vision (for driving) from Zenni costs about $25 at most, cheaper than non-prescription glasses.
Can someone please tell me what my prescription means…
Sphere CYL AXIS
OD -25 -075 019
OS PL -075 019
I am trying to order glasses online and all they as is what is the Left eye and what is the Right eye ( example.. 15.5 or 20.1)
Lost…please help!!
@1opp
That prescription looks custom-designed to be as illegible as
possible.
Anyway, some de-mystification:
dexter = right, sinister = left
OD = right eye, OS = left eye.
sphere = simple correction, near/farsightedness
cyl+axis = astigmatic correction
PL = flat(plano), no correction (0.00)
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyeglass_prescription
So yours is:
right eye:
sphere -2.50
cylinder -0.75
axis 19
left eye:
sphere 0.00
cylinder -0.75
axis 19
You will also need your PD – pupillary distance. This is simply the distance from the center of one pupil to the center of the other when you’re looking at something far away.
If you have gotten glasses before, call up the optometrist and ask for your PD. It does not change. They are required to provide you this information.
I have had good luck measuring this myself by standing at a window, holding a mm ruler with a thumbnail on “zero”, holding the ruler even with my eyes and sliding my other thumbnail along the ruler from the other side while looking at a far away tree until the two nails seem to touch in my vision, then look at the measurement. I came to within 1mm of my optometrist’s measurement. Anything within 2 or 3mm should be fine.
I received my new glasses (that I ordered through Coastal.com) about 6 wks ago. Single vision prescription, anti-glare, semi-cool frames for only $19, including shipping! Showed all my co-workers, wore them all the time, and just this morning – broken.Plastic is cracked. I took them to my old optician, just to see if there was anything he could do, but he could not. Apparently he used to carry this line of frames years ago, but after dealing with a junky line of frames, he dropped them. He also mentioned that the frames I got such a great deal on have been discontinued for at least 2 years now, so a regular store wouldn’t carry them because there would be no warranty. And, he specifically told me that when this happens, wholesalers sell the junk frames to anyone willing to buy them for pennies on the dollar. I asked him to put my lenses in a new frame, but when he put my lenses in his microscope, he told me he would not because the lenses had prism in them-due to improper manufacturing. I’m done with buying online. What a waste of $19.
It’s possible that the plastic frames are not as good. I have not ever had plastic frames, always metal, and I don’t know anyone who has bought plastic frames from Zenni. I have numerous metal frames from them, the oldest is now about 4 years old and they’re still fine.
I think some people are much harder on glasses than other people too. The last time I broke a pair of glasses was 35 years ago when I was a teenager.
I was scared to order online. My fear kept me needing glasses for almost 3 years. I did some research and was still scared after reading some negative reviews for a few companies. Then I decided after getting my new prescription, and found out my glasses would cost me around $450, to bite the bullet and order online. I paid $65 for the exam and didn’t have the $450.
I wanted an up to date frame and just be able to see again. Then I found Coastal.com with the first pair free. Well. nothing is free but I got my RX filled with designer frames, progressive durable air lens, scratch resistant, UV protection and anti-reflective coating for $104 which included shipping and insurance.
I am very happy! These glasses arrived in about 9 days and they are perfect. They will need adjusting but if the optical want to charge I could care less. After all. I have enough to pay for that.
I will never buy my glasses from an optical store again. I will buy online no matter what the scare mongers say. They can try but I know they are just feeling the pain of being ripped off. After all, they have been ripping eyeglass wearers off for years.
My glasses are so well made and light. I can see excellent with these progressive lens and I don’t care what country they came from. But Coastal.com says they have their own labs and do not outsource their work. I don’t really care if they are made this perfect.
I am so glad I put my fear aside. I can’t wait to order my next pair online. Only next time I will not be afraid. So, take the plunge and save a bundle and buy something nice with the money you save by buying your glasses online.
good advice, Dee!