Best place to get eyeglasses (Denver, Highlands Ranch: insurance, buy, price)

[gypsymouse]

ANY OPINIONS ON THE BEST PLACE TO GET MY EYES CHECKED AND GET GLASSES IN THE HIGHLANDS RANCH AREA? I DON'T HAVE VISION INSURANCE....I KNOW THERE ARE PLACES LIKE SEARS OR VISIONWORKS...ANY EXPERIENCES WOULD BE HELPFUL....THANKS

[denverian]

I recently went to Vision Works because I needed both glasses and contacts. My "local eye doctor" was just too expensive. Anyway, for the price I normally would have paid for an exam and 6 mo. of disposible contacts, I got a new pair of frames, lenses, plus 12 months of contacts. They were very professional and I can see just fine.

[Brian_M]

For Glasses (don't know about contacts), I can suggest hitting up Walmart for the vision exam and then shipping online for frames/lenses. If you're really poor, you can do the whole thing for under $100. $60-ish for the exam, and as little as $13 for frames and lenses online.

Note that this is the Bare Minimum... to get you into glasses so you can see. It skips out on all that diagnostic care for early detection of problems that you get with a regular eye doctor exam. Probably fine if you're under 35~40, or between more through eye exams, but not something to make a habit of. Vision is one of those things that most people take for granted and REALLY miss when they lose it due to something that was preventable.

PM me for specific online websites if you can find them yourself. "Cheap glasses" in google returns a well know online shop as the first hit.

Oh, as a BTW... typing in all caps is considered bad form/etiquette online. It's akin to YELLING all the time. Most people I know won't read OR reply to posts typed in all caps.

[BarryK123]

I am an ophthalmologist in the Phila area, so I can't give you a specific recommendation for Denver. However, when it comes to glasses, especially progressive (Varilux, etc.) lenses, you get what you pay for. There are some "$49.95 for 2 pairs of glasses plus a free carwash" type places near me, and most of the glasses-related problems I see come from them. Sure, you can go overboard with expensive designer frames that cost the same $2 to manufacture in China as the cheapies, but quality lenses do cost money. One of my favorite lines, when patients ask for a recommendation where to get glasses - I tell them don't buy glasses at a place that also sells tires.

[JstPam]

I use the optical doctors in the Lone Tree Costco.