Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Zenni does not sell glass lenses as they can shatter and cause severe eye damage. Most places will not sell you glass lenses because of the liability. Plastic lenses are more impact resistant and in my 40+ years in the biz I never saw a pair shatter and injure someone. Polycarbonate is shatterproof and can withstand almost anything which is why they are used for children under 18 and anyone desiring maximum eye protection. As I last remember glass lenses only come from overseas because of the liability, domestic production ceased year ago.
Well one of the pairs I had a year or so ago I dropped, and the "glass" chipped off the bottom of the lens (half rim glasses). So whatever it is, it is indeed breakable.
Finding your PD isnt hard and you dont need a special tool, even at the eye dr. They used to use a ruler!
We use pupilometers now which give monocular PDs, which are necessary for Progressive Lenses and high prescriptions. Rulers (which I used for 40 years) are not that accurate and a millimeter or 2 can affect a high prescription. Its not as easy as the online companies would have you believe. If your prescription is not that high it won't make a huge difference. If your face is not symmetrical (eyes different distances from your nose) it can be an issue. There is also the issue of your current glasses may have been made incorrectly and if your new PD is accurate and your old one wasn't there can be problems. That is why I always checked the previous PD and had no makeovers because I spent a little extra time. If I didn't, the patient may have had incorrectly made glasses and if I made them correctly they wouldn't be able to see as well. They would think I made them wrong and was just making excuses. If the PD was off, I would explain to the patient that their old glasses were made incorrectly and I would be making them correctly and it would take them some time to adjust. Sometimes they were so far off you could only do a partial correction and finish them the next pair.
Well one of the pairs I had a year or so ago I dropped, and the "glass" chipped off the bottom of the lens (half rim glasses). So whatever it is, it is indeed breakable.
That happens all the time, that is why we recommended polycarbonate for those types of glasses.
If your prescription is high -- as in your can't see really well at all without your glasses -- glass is extremely thick, and very very heavy. And breakable. The polycarbonate isn't as breakable so if something heads towards your eye, you have eye protection on. My polycarbonate lenses save my eyes several times a year.
I have had POLYCARBON one time (They accidently made them this) -- Gave me headaches like crazy!!
Im sorry I posted that in this thread Tallysmom,I was speaking GENERALLY about Glasses,perhaps I could have found a better thread...
I have had POLYCARBON one time (They accidently made them this) -- Gave me headaches like crazy!!
The headaches are not caused by the lenses being polycarbonate. They're caused by the frame being fitted wrong and/or the lenses being the wrong prescription. Try ordering the same glasses online, from more than one website, and see if they all give you the same headache. In that case, the prescription itself might be wrong. The doctor who gives you the prescription is not guaranteed to never make mistakes.
Lots of price gouging just like in many areas of life. I know many go to Costco.
Costco costs me about two glasses since transitions suck. I have vision insurance through work thankfully but it's still a LOT of money for my two pairs and I don't get glare resistance. It's just the RX and that. And I don't even have bi/tri focals or progressives. The frames I get are in the $60 range, give or take. It's honestly the cost of the lens going in them.
We use pupilometers now which give monocular PDs, which are necessary for Progressive Lenses and high prescriptions. Rulers (which I used for 40 years) are not that accurate and a millimeter or 2 can affect a high prescription. Its not as easy as the online companies would have you believe. If your prescription is not that high it won't make a huge difference. If your face is not symmetrical (eyes different distances from your nose) it can be an issue. There is also the issue of your current glasses may have been made incorrectly and if your new PD is accurate and your old one wasn't there can be problems. That is why I always checked the previous PD and had no makeovers because I spent a little extra time. If I didn't, the patient may have had incorrectly made glasses and if I made them correctly they wouldn't be able to see as well. They would think I made them wrong and was just making excuses. If the PD was off, I would explain to the patient that their old glasses were made incorrectly and I would be making them correctly and it would take them some time to adjust. Sometimes they were so far off you could only do a partial correction and finish them the next pair.
Congrats I guess?
I didnt say people should guess at their PD, im saying its not some special science.
You mean the video that is totally false? Luxottica doesn't own 80% of the optical business. I work as an optician, so I know. Consider that most people wear their glasses every day for at least a year, more often two or more.
I can't believe all the whining about how expensive a custom, prescription item costs when a person wears them every single day for years. They aren't like a $30 pair of jeans that you wear once a week or once a month, and if they don't fit, they can be returned and resold to someone else. They are prescription; a medical device for your eyes that is designed to correct a problem you have with your vision. (And one that comes with a warranty too).
People often buy phones that cost more than glasses. But glasses serve a more important purpose. If you find nice ones cheaper, great, but don't complain because a specialized medicine you wear daily for years is expensive. It should be.
Re: expensive phones. The eyeglasses that I purchased 11 years ago cost about $1,000. The eyeglasses I purchased (but returned) this summer retailed for $1200 but cost about $850 after the "discount". The two sets were virtually the same. Similar Silhouette frames, hi-index, progressives, anti-reflective, blah blah blah.
I purchased my first Iphone in 2008. It was a 3g. Last year I purchased an Iphone 6+. Was there a major advance in smart phone technology from 2008 to 2015? Uh huh. I paid for that advanced technology. My glasses? Same glasses, same technology, same cost.
So why has the cost of eyeglasses NOT come down since 2005? Is it because there are fewer customers now than back in 2005? Or is it because the stores have a captive audience? Or?
I didnt say people should guess at their PD, im saying its not some special science.
It is a science to get it right and depending on the prescription it may or may not make a difference. Some people are hypersensitive to a PD and others not so much. It induces prism if its off and some people can tolerate it and others not.
You mean the video that is totally false? Luxottica doesn't own 80% of the optical business. I work as an optician, so I know. Consider that most people wear their glasses every day for at least a year, more often two or more.
I can't believe all the whining about how expensive a custom, prescription item costs when a person wears them every single day for years. They aren't like a $30 pair of jeans that you wear once a week or once a month, and if they don't fit, they can be returned and resold to someone else. They are prescription; a medical device for your eyes that is designed to correct a problem you have with your vision. (And one that comes with a warranty too).
People often buy phones that cost more than glasses. But glasses serve a more important purpose. If you find nice ones cheaper, great, but don't complain because a specialized medicine you wear daily for years is expensive. It should be.
Not everyone wears the same one daily for years. I have a couple of pairs I wear for different occasions. I have a progressive pair that I only wear to look at the computer. I have a transitions pair I wear outside. I have a few single vision pairs I bought online (I didn't get Zenni but went somewhere I could try the frames on and got my PD from an optician). As it is, insurance will only pay for one every 2 years and since I can't wear the progressives outside because I don't feel safe driving in them, it's really nice to have options to buy options outside of the 4-year timeframe.
I think I am going to try Warby Parker for Progressives since they may still be cheaper without insurance than the places my insurance is accepted since those are so limited and often expensive. I have access to a brick and mortar Warby Parker and it's apparently only $295 for a progressive pair.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The frames I get are in the $60 range, give or take. It's honestly the cost of the lens going in them.
