Good deals for prescription glasses in the triangle. (insurance, to buy)

[des1rees]

My glasses broke - so I need to get new ones. Insurance won't cover it, since I already met the maximum with my contacts. So an out-of-pocket expense for me. I only use it at night, can you all give me ideas of a good place to go where I can get it at a cheap rate. Looking to get a basic pair, that's it.

Thanks for your suggestions,

D

[igolfchip]

If you're a member at Costco, they have great deals. I believe its $80-$100 for the whole kit and kaboodle. The Optometrist on site was also quite good and believe the visit cost around $70.

[crifever]

Try Zenni Optical Zenni Optical (http://www.zennioptical.com/home.php - broken link) ....they carry a wide range of glasses.

[lovebrentwood]

I second Zenni Optical. I brought my grandson in to one of the local eyeglass centers last week to get his old glasses fixed, and I was shocked to see the prices of frames. They're just plastic, and they cost as much as small TV's! ($250 to $450!)

Zenni has a great selection, far greater than the local eyeglass places (I didn't even see any framless glasses), and the prices at Zenni are laughably cheap in comparison, but the quality is excellent. You pay just one low price for both glasses and frames.

I've bought three pairs, and I've been very happy with them. You can get the best possible pair of glasses, with all the bells and whistles, and they probably won't cost you more than $50, tops.

I did buy a pair for my grandson, and the total cost was $15, and they look just as good or better than the ones he had before. I had a bit of a problem deciding which ones would be best for him, but the customer service people were very helpful. The ones I originally chose for him were $30, but they directed me to the $15 pair, which met his needs better. You have 24 hours to change your mind once you submit an order.

Originally Posted by crifever

Try Zenni Optical Zenni Optical (http://www.zennioptical.com/home.php - broken link) ....they carry a wide range of glasses.

[des1rees]

Thanks, all, for the suggestions. Since I use my glasses ONLY at night, did not want to spend a lot getting a fancy pair. Will definitely look into Zenni.

D

[FranklinBusybody]

I've also purchased glasses from Zenni. Super price but you give up trying the glasses on, you have to figure the correct frame size/dimensions yourself, and if there are fitting issues, you are on your own. In my case, I bought frameless. The nosepads arrived ninety degrees out of alignment. Because the glasses are frameless you have to disassemble them before bending the nosepads. If you call
Zenni they will send you a tool. It took me about a month to get my glasses right. I'm handy and didn't mind or have a major problem. If you are not confident doing fitting adjustments yourself, stay away from the frameless glasses.

Also, my ophthalmologist (that's right, not just an optometrist) gave me the wrong inter-pupil distance! Fortunately, I thought the PID I was given odd and jury rigged a good way to measure it myself before ordering. I really don't think it was in my case, but beware that some people claim that when asked, some optometrists will give an incorrect PID because they figure you are not going to buy lenses and frames from them or their affiliated shop.

Otherwise, I'm very happy trading the work for the savings. I got ultra-light frameless glasses and lenses (progressive, photochromic) from Zenni for less than just new lenses (progressive only) for an existing frame from Walmart. And I prefer the Zenni lenses!

In summary, Zenni is a good deal if you are willing to do some of the work that a local shop would do. Zenni's such a good deal that even if it doesn't work out, you haven't lost much. It's worth a try.

[lovebrentwood]

If an eye doctor doesn't give the right pupillary distance when asked, he or she shouldn't be in business.

You can also print out a pupillary distance ruler from the Internet, but you need to be sure your printer is set up properly to print it the proper size.

I love the Costco eye doctor at Six Forks Road, and I think the charge is $60 or $65.

[aldamon]

We've always ordered our glasses online at 39DollarGlasses but will check out Zenni in the future.