Ordering prescription glasses online - good idea or not? (price, ears, contacts)
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YMMV. Some aren't comfy with buying frames they haven't tried before (issues in fit, fashion, comfort, etc.). Others would be fine (heck, we're already generations into buying stuff online. Most notably: electronics, appliances, shoes, actual clothing, etc., when older wisdom used to say "I would never buy something I didn't see in person").
Me... I admit I buy locally if my VSP didn't lower the prices significantly. Otherwise, I'd consider "sucking it up" and buying online if the savings were significant.
I have ONLY bought glasses online for the last 10 years.
I can vouch for 39dollarglasses.com, zennioptical, and payne glasses. They all use the same frame supplier (probably from China) and just give them different names.
Best long term strategy is to sign up for their newsletters to get coupon codes. For example, 39 currently has a $15.00 off promotion.
There is no easy formula to figure out who is best. When I had a simple Rx I could get glasses plus frames at zenni for $7. When I needed bifocals it was cheaper to go somewhere else. When I needed trifocals it was cheaper still to go somewhere else.
My best recommendation is to get the pupillary distance from your Rx provider because you will need it when you order glasses, and it's not part of an Rx. You can calculate it yourself, but it's more accurate if your eye doctor does it.
I ordered $6 frame from Zenny because it was large, lightweight, and 13 mm at the bridge (not an easy find). Then reordered. Broke one, lost another, still regret I didn't order 25 of them. Glasses ordered at the special places for $150+ didn't feel more comfortable.
I have ONLY bought glasses online for the last 10 years.
I can vouch for 39dollarglasses.com, zennioptical, and payne glasses. They all use the same frame supplier (probably from China) and just give them different names.
Best long term strategy is to sign up for their newsletters to get coupon codes. For example, 39 currently has a $15.00 off promotion.
There is no easy formula to figure out who is best. When I had a simple Rx I could get glasses plus frames at zenni for $7. When I needed bifocals it was cheaper to go somewhere else. When I needed trifocals it was cheaper still to go somewhere else.
My best recommendation is to get the pupillary distance from your Rx provider because you will need it when you order glasses, and it's not part of an Rx. You can calculate it yourself, but it's more accurate if your eye doctor does it.
the BOLDED is VERY true!
word to the wise- stay away from Firmoo ( an online low price eyewear store)- Ships from China and has to sit in port to pass customs. Plus they will try to charge your card extra . Worst experience since they have no customer service phone #. Its all done thru email or automated email.
I got progressive lens from Eye Buy Direct and they are some of the best glasses I ever had. Saved so much money.
Same here.
Over the past three years, I have bought four pairs for myself (Different prescriptions) and two for the wife. Totally satisfied. I have nothing but good things to say about eyebuydirect.
I have used 39dollarglasses.com for at least 10 years or so. Every pair I have bought was the correct prescription and well-made, and I have had no issues at all. They usually have a promotion going around every major holiday, something like $15 off.
For contact lenses I use discountcontactlenses.com with good results as well. They carry my RGP lenses which are hard to find elsewhere.
I recently went to a new eye doctor for a long overdue exam. When I went into the office, the spaces on the wall where you would usually see the frames were totally empty. Putting it down to a Covid precaution, I went ahead with my eye exam, but at the end the doctor asked me where I planned to get my prescription filled. She said she did not fill prescriptions.
I'm seeing a whole lot of companies that offer eyeglasses online. Has anyone done this? Would love to hear what experience others have had with online prescription glasses.
Yes, we have done it for over a decade. Mostly we go to Zenni but there are numerous others popping up all the time. I have never had a prescription error with Zenni and the glasses are so inexpensive that getting several pairs is nice. Go for it. The thing to ask your doctor is if she will check your PD measurements (pupil distance) but Zenni offers a printable measuring stick and instructions to check it in the mirror or have your spouse measure.
Sometimes I will drop in to one of the store fronts for glasses and try them on then look on the arm for the measurements (I just tell them I am looking at the moment, Walmart eye dept is a good place to try them as they don't bother you) so that I can get similar sized glasses but if you have glasses you like now just measure them or look on the arm to see if they have the measurements. I have also taken photos of the ones in Walmart so I can look for similar ones.
I have two vastly different eyes because I had a cataract in one. When ordering it does pop up am I sure on the prescription but they process it no problem. I don't do reading glasses because I don't think my prescription is right for the eye with the cataract. I tried with a store front for bifocals and couldn't deal with them. I can read fine without glasses in one eye which has taken over in that department so the other eye just zones out.
As far as adjusting the frames. They honestly don't need too much adjusting. If the nose is adjustable you just take needle nose plyers and adjust until you like the fit. With the ears you can heat them over boiling water and adjust for comfort but I haven't had to do that. They have all fit pretty well without much adjusting.
Last edited by NorthofHere; 03-17-2021 at 11:03 AM..
I only buy glasses online at this point, the stores are just nuts in terms of cost. I like Warby Parker but have used other sites too. Contacts are a different story though- the stores price match the online sites quite well. So I go in for my eye exam, get a price quote for contacts, walk away for 5 mins and pull up the online price on my phone, and show it to the clerk for a price match.
Then I go home and order new glasses (or new lenses if the frames are still in good shape) and move on.
Last edited by NYCresident2014; 03-17-2021 at 11:26 AM..
I got progressive lens from Eye Buy Direct and they are some of the best glasses I ever had. Saved so much money.
How do they know where to put the different strengths? One complaint I’ve heard about trying to order progressives online is that the frames can fit higher/lower on the face than the virtual try on might indicate and then you end up with too much of the reading distance or too much of the far distance for it to be useful. I don’t think my eyes are 100% even either, so I can see getting sick.
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