Comments on: Save a small fortune on prescription eyeglasses

Still spending hundreds on frames and lenses? By ordering your glasses online, you can save a bundle. All you need is your prescription and a little patience.

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

I've seen a trick where someone used a high temp hairdryer to warm up the arms on the glasses to adjust them slightly. Since these glasses didn't break the bank, you might want to risk that to make them more comfortable

[BrookBabcock]

Still need to make some fit adjustments? I can give you the basics.

First, whether you can adjust them or not will depend on metal or plastic frames and whether the nose pieces are part of the frame or on wires. Second, a disclaimer: It's always best to get a professional in an eyeglass shop to do this. If you break them, they're broken and no one else is responsible. Be especially careful around welds & joints, these tend to break easily. If you have rims that are drilled through the lenses (drill mounts), then don't even try this. (Helpful tip: Never get drill mounts with plain plastic lenses. Get Polycarbonate lenses or they will probably crack the lense eventually.) I spent (5+) years in an optometry lab & still occasionally broke frames. If you?re still game to try this, then read on.

Metal frames are the easiest. You can use pliers to bend the bridge (between the eyes), the nose pieces, and the temples (the ear pieces). Optometry shops use special pliers with no ridges and/or silicon/plastic pads so that they don't leave marks on the glasses. Most are also specially shaped to grip better. (Hence the $50-$300 price tags.) You can fake some basic tools though by wrapping a set of needle nose or wide nose pliers (1-2mm & 3-5mm) pliers in a couple layers of cloth or tape. A pair will let you hold fine wires better for adjustment without having to stress welds.

Plastic frames take heat to make them pliable. Again, optometry shops use special tools: a hot bath of salt water or silicon beads. You can also use a hot air blower (heat gun or hair dryer). You have to be very careful not to get too hot though or all you have is melted plastic. If your hand can't take the heat, then your glasses probably can't either. Heat slowly & test pliability as you go. Also, use your hands for adjustments, pliers will probably leave indentations.

There are three basic adjustments you can do. The first is to level & straighten the temples. Set your glasses upside down on a flat surface, so that the top of the temples are against the surface & lying parallel to it. If one temple sticks up off the surface, make small adjustments by CAFEFULLY bending the glasses at the bridge or near the joint of the temple until both are level and most of the temple, joint to the start of the ear curve, is straight. Be especially careful with rimless glasses. (The ones with cords around the bottom of the lenses). Also look at the angle made between the eyeglasses & temples and adjust them so that both temples form about the same angle. (Probably about 80-100 degrees off from the lenses. Wider for wider heads.) Finally, your lenses should also be at the same angle, if one lenses is twisted off from another you need to adjust the bridge twist.

The second adjustment is to the piece of the temple that wraps around the ear. Most temples are metal wires with plastic covers. Heat the plastic enough to be slightly pliable before bending, otherwise it will crack or break. Basically you need to wing this. You can adjust the bends back & forth the temple for ears that are more forward or back of the head. You can make the bend more or less rounded to match the curve of the ears or the depressions around them. In the end you want the glasses to fit comfortable without pressure, but you also want the glasses to be held tight to the nose so that there is little give when sliding them forward & back, and so that they do not slip further down the nose/face.

The last adjustment is to the nose pieces. This only works for nose pieces on wires. If the nose piece is part of the frame you can take up space with those stick on pads but only an optometry lab can spread it further. Wires though can be CAREFULLY bent using needle nose pliers. These are fine wires on welds, too much force & they will snap off. You can increase or decrease the width by bending them in & out. You can make them site higher or lower by increasing or decreasing the curl. You can change the angle by twisting & bending the wire near the nose piece. Most people want the top of the nose piece to sit on a level with the inner corner (tear duct) of their eye. The nose piece should be bent to fit the contour of the nose, matching the angle of the valley & the slope of the nose into the face. Pressure should be light. If you are creating divots in your nose, or it feels like the pads are pinching, then you have them adjusted too tight.

[j_a_s_p_e_r]

WOW! Great info

[rickbroida]

Agreed! Thanks a million, Brook!

[laja05]

Cool find Rick. I am tempted to try it but my prescription is so high I wonder if they could even make my glasses at a discount.

[ibetz]

From a satisfied customer.

Owner of 2 pair. The only anomaly in ordering is that Zenni requires your Pupillary Distance (PD) - the distance between the centers of the pupils in each eye in mm which won't be on your prescription. . The only place you will probably find the PD is on the order form for her last pair of spectacles. The order form is NOT part of the clinical record, Call your optometrist's office for that number. Tell them you are ordering prescription safety glasses or a scuba mask.

[SouthsideCanuck]

You can have your glasses adjusted for free from any optometrist. It usually only takes a few minutes, and I've yet to meet one who wouldn't happily do it.

[restoration85]

That service is typically intended only for people that actually purchased their glasses there. What often happens is that staff members do not want to take the time to see that someone has been a past customer.

[BrookBabcock]

Not always true. Some places won't handle glasses they don't sell, especially if they are really bent out of shape. The reason is that if they accidentally break your glasses it usually means they need to make you another pair, probably for free. Some places do it, some use a verbal or paper waiver, and some just won't touch them. Still, it never hurts to ask. Also ask about an ultrasonic cleaning, it keeps down the nose cheese. ;) I can tell you some pretty disgusting stories about that.

[kmsn3000]

great info. Sadly I have met optometrists that won't make a free adjustment. However, that used to be in their own interest. If I am just using their services with no likelihood of ever making a purchase from them; using them would be not cool.

[cjones2010]

Rick- I read this blog daily when I wake up, first time commenter though. Great find on Zenni. I actually own two pairs of their glasses and so far I've been incredibly impressed. They even come with a nice plastic case and a cleaning rag. Every few years I do a charity eye care project in Nicaragua, where we usually bring down about 1000 pairs of different glasses. Last year we used Zenni to purchase about 300 of them and they were worked great.

In regards to the PD, when ordering- 62 is the average. When we place our mass orders with them we always fill it in with 62 (the optometrist who helps out with these projects said about 90% of people fall in the 62 range).

Anyways, my wife is the proud owner of a pair of $500 D & G prescriptions glasses (yeah... I almost pooped myself when she came home with those). I on the other hand am the proud owner of two pairs of $20 glasses. The difference- I won't have anxiety attacks or heart palpitations if I loose mine or sit on them.

[BrookBabcock]

Yeah, the PD comment is pretty much true. Most men fell between 60 & 64. Most women average 58-62. Bi-focals & progressives are more fiddly. They also need a 'Seg Height' or distance up from the bottom for the bi-focal and an inner PD for where you focus when you are reading. If I remember right, the inner PD is usually about 6-8 lower than the outer PD. 'Aspheric' lenses, progressives, & high 'Cylinder' lenses are more sensitive to inaccuracies in PD.

[SMOKEYSPAL]

'almost pooped myself'?

[chrisp339]

Brick and Mortar glasses stores are one of the few oligopolies remaining that outsourcing has yet to decimate. I used to buy all my glasses on trips overseas. They use the same glass, same coatings, and same high tech automatic machines to produce the lenses. Typical costs were a ridiculously low $6 in Morocco (and some of the best glasses I have every owned) to an average of about $20.

Opticians in those areas worked in the U.S. They note that the only differences between there and here are U.S. rents and much higher U.S. margins.

[warlocked]

First, anyone who wants more information or to talk with others who purchase glasses online should visit glassyeyes.com. Some online retailers are better than others. It will benefit you to take some time to do some reading both on the site and in its forums. Also, the guy who runs glassyeyes works with some of the sites and has secured discounts that you will find there.

Second, I own 2 pairs of glasses from Zenni. I paid $45 for the first pair and $19.95 (that price INCLUDES shipping) for the second pair. For comparison, my last pair of glasses bought at Lenscrafters cost close to $250.

[EMTCharlie]

Just happened to get my new pair from ZenniOptical 2 days ago. What a coincidence. I love em. Oakley style, photochromatic with anti-scratch, ant-reflective coating for about $80 shipped. Similar glasses with Transitions would've cost me $500-$700! I'll never buy retail glasses again =)

[mogwhy_monkeyfoot]

I ordered my glasses February 26, and have yet to receive them (today is April 16). I have called several times, was told once that they would arrive in a week, was then told they got stuck in customs and they were remaking them in China, and since then I have been unable to get through the 1-800 number (they aren't taking calls at this time). A co-worker has had 3 successful orders, as has his friend, so I am hoping that eventually they will arrive- although I rather enjoy the excitement of checking my mailbox hoping for a box of super cheap prescription glasses.

[ropadope]

Zenni has had some pretty major problems since late 2008. In the end, I think you'll get them.

There are many other VERY economical online options out there that don't require a trip across the ocean and through customs.

Good luck!

[samspunker]

I have purchased from Zenni 4 pairs for my self (2 regular glasses and 2 prescription sunglasses), 2 pairs for my co-worker and 2 pairs for her parents. Everything from plain glass sunglasses to bifocals. Shipments have always arrived within 3 weeks, every pair has been spot on and very good quality. The most expensive pair was for bi-focals with extra strong lenses and ran about $80. The average cost of all of these glasses ran in the $40 range with everything ( coatings, nice frames, tints, extra strength lenses, clip-ons)
The only problems I have had was one pair needs adjusting to put the proper focal length on my lenses, and another pair was not as dark a tint as I thought it would be.
In all I probably saved over a thousand dollars on all these glasses.
I highly recommend Zenni Optical!

[cecetay2007]

I used a company,. <a href="http://www.eyebuydirect.com>Eyebuydirect</a>. My daughter kept knocking my glasses off my face and I really needed a back up pair. I have a very high prescription, and I can't walk 3 feet without out visual assistance. I made an appointment with Kaiser and my doctor gave me new written prescription.

I went to the optical department and priced a pair. $360 for budget frames glasses. I told her I'd think about it and started shopping online. I heard about $40 glasses, but I figured it wouldn't work for me. However, for glasses I only intended to serve as a backup pair, I decided to take a chance.

My glasses arrived in less than the two-week promise window. I was AMAZED!!! I could not believe that these glasses could be that cheap and work just as well as my primary pair! I will never, ever pay full price again!

Cecelia T.

[siriusproductions]

Do they offer high-index (thin) lenses? I'm very nearsighted and if I don't get high-index lenses, they're very thick around the edges. Since I prefer larger lenses than the current fashion for very small ones, that's even more of a factor.

By the way, I see several people mentioned having to get a copy of their prescription. I recommend everyone who wears glasses get and keep a copy. If you ever break or lose your glasses and need replacements in a hurry, such as when travelling, you can take the prescription to a one-hour place without having to wait to get a copy from your optometrist. I always ask for a copy to keep for that reason and my optometrist has never refused. He agrees everyone should have a copy of theirs.

Jeff

[warrenm]

I've bought from myeyeglasses.net and been very pleased. They only do rimless, but they do them high index with all the extras for $80 for one pair $65 if you buy 2 pairs or $53 if you buy 3.

[paulehoffman]

I have done two orders with optical4less and have been very pleased both times. The ordering process feels very 1990's, but so do the ones on some American stores. It took about a week each time to get my glasses.

[steel36]

Got mine in this week. Took about a month. I just needed some for reading in the evening and didn't want to drop $200 buck considering I'd never used glasses before. These seem solid, and the reading is clearer! All for $20 shipped. Nice work, Rick.

[glassesexpert]

Now so many cheap glasses we can get only, last week I bought one pair from http//:www.prescriptionglassesonline.net , if you have any qustion, you can go to http://forums.glassesadvisor.com for help.

[ropadope]

When I started the GlassyEyes blog (http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com) in late 2006, I had all of these same reactions. The forums, and reviews on the site have grown to have a life of their own with many hundreds of real-world experiences laid out for those cautious to the prospect of buying online. I just got my 35th pair on Monday -- and only had maybe 3 I wouldn't call "perfect." The other thing is, you'll simply 'like' your glasses more, especially when you're not shackled to the same pair every day, for every situation.

There are many places to order online. If you do your homework, you'll never again darken the doorway of another mall eyeglasses store. Think what you'll be able to do with that extra $300 in your pocket.

[weather27712]

Be really careful about lead times with Zenni. I ordered on 5/10, still not shipped - multiple calls, different stories - held up in Customs, may be lost in shipment - they have just reordered today from their factory, so we start over. The two week timeframe referenced on their website seems pretty optimistic.

[foureyes09]

The GlassyEyes blog is a good primer to get started on the online eyeglass purchasing adventure. I've bought glasses from Clearly Lenz and was impressed by the prices, quality and shipping times. Their customer service was great to. I would like to try out other shops as well. The amount you save is unbelievable.