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Eyeglasses

BelemNole

BelemNole

Veteran Seminole Insider
Mar 29, 2002
37,548
4,190
853
Roseville, CA
Last weekend I went to the local optometrist, used my insurance and ordered a new pair of eyeglasses. Dropped $265 on a pair of progressives. Yesterday I ordered a pair of single prescription backups from one of those online sites for $43. Glasses are such a racket. The "anti-glare" coating cost me $69 dollars on Saturday and $4.99 yesterday online.
 
BelemNole said:
Last weekend I went to the local optometrist, used my insurance and ordered a new pair of eyeglasses. Dropped $265 on a pair of progressives. Yesterday I ordered a pair of single prescription backups from one of those online sites for $43. Glasses are such a racket. The "anti-glare" coating cost me $69 dollars on Saturday and $4.99 yesterday online.
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There are different products out there that cost and work differently. The online place will sell you the cheapest they can. they will never see or hear from you again so they don't give a crap if the product is good for you. The local guy is going to see you again if you aren't happy and will likely sell you a premium product. Also local guy will typically have more overhead and is a hands on experience you have to pay for.

I'm guessing after you get the backup set you will notice differences in the anti glare especially. The set I have now are Crizal lenses and they are the best anti glare I have ever had. In the past I have had some that didn't do much of anything.
 
I'm sure there are difference. I had a choice online. I could get the $4.99 for anti-glare, or upgrade to $8.99 for anti-glare with some anti-smudge, or go whole hog at $14.99 for anti-glare with anti-fingerprint/smudge and hydrophobic. The price of frame ran from $19.99 to about $50. At the shop they started around $180 and went up to $350. Lenses add another $10 online compared to $200 in the shop.
Yes, there is overhead. Yes, there may be some quality differences in coating. But come on now, everything is automated with making the lenses. They put the values in the machine and it cuts them out of a block of polycarbonate.
If it hadn't been for insurance the cost of my local pair would have been 10 times that of the online pair. That's insane.
 
Why don't you wear contacts............I put a new pair in every 5-6 weeks and usually never have any problem.

I live by these

air-optix-night-day-aqua-contact-lenses-lg.jpg
 
I had to stop wearing those a few years back as I got older and my eyes just didn't seem to handle them well any longer. Now I need bifocals and I don't want to deal with wearing a different lense in each eye. I only wear my contacts when skiing, etc.
 
On the subject of progressives, does anyone make a progressive lense that used the full width of the lense to go from far vision at the top to reading vision at the bottom. I have one pair of progressives and I hate that hourglass progressive pattern.
 
Warby Parker is a good company. I've bought from them as have some folks I referred to them. They're online but I can say their customer service was top notch every time I called. They do have a few brick and mortar stores but not worth the drive for me.
 
Agreed, I got new glasses in May. The prescription sunglasses I got at Sam's are optically cleaner then the one pair I got from my optometrist costing almost 4X as much.
 
Zennioptical.com
I've ordered from them before. Frames aren't as nice as some in the brick and mortar store (although my last expensive pair broke in 2 years) but the lenses were just as good. For the price it's worth a try.
Warby Parker looks interesting as well. Slightly more expensive, but they ship 5 pairs for you to try on and you keep the ones you like.
 
i tried a couple of online companies a few years ago and their product was junk. it didn't last long, fell apart.

i get mine at walmart. good selection. i pay about 2-300 depending on the frames.

i like the frameless and my Rx changes every year so i don't buy designer.
 
I wear frameless as well. We're talking about a tiny amount of metal and plastic but the cost even in Walmart is over $100. Just nuts.
 
I get my glasses from Glasses.com. Excellent selection and you get to try some at home for 14 days. 30 day money back guarantee and they have a 1 year warranty.
 
There is an optometrist guy on Kennedy in Tampa. His personality kind of sucks, but his assistant (wife?) is very helpful without being pushy. I have bought from her before where I said give me only what insurance covers and not a penny more...and other times have bought Prada this and that ($300 after insurance).. She, unlike most sales people, doesn't really seem to care either way which I really appreciate. She has just the apathy I'm looking for.
 
F4Gary said:
On the subject of progressives, does anyone make a progressive lense that used the full width of the lense to go from far vision at the top to reading vision at the bottom. I have one pair of progressives and I hate that hourglass progressive pattern.
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Mine are from lens crafters. The guy said I would not have clear vision in the peripheral area, but I do. He said that is great, but it's not guaranteed.

FWIW.
 
So . . . if you have prescription glasses, how do you get them on-line? I mean, how do you get the correct prescription?
 
The place I use just has you enter it yourself. I asked for my prescription last time I had it done just for that purpose.
 
yeah, but the thing about that vs a full service place is they will take great pains to make sure your eyes line up where they are supposed to in the lenses. For some people, this can lead to headaches if done incorrectly.
 
BelemNole said:
Last weekend I went to the local optometrist, used my insurance and ordered a new pair of eyeglasses. Dropped $265 on a pair of progressives. Yesterday I ordered a pair of single prescription backups from one of those online sites for $43. Glasses are such a racket. The "anti-glare" coating cost me $69 dollars on Saturday and $4.99 yesterday online.
Click to expand...

Belem if you don't mind let me know who you ordered them from and if they are decent. My wife mainly wears contacts unless in bed watching TV. She lost her pair a while back and refuses to pay the full price for something that is seldom used.
 
Bartdog said:
yeah, but the thing about that vs a full service place is they will take great pains to make sure your eyes line up where they are supposed to in the lenses. For some people, this can lead to headaches if done incorrectly.
Click to expand...

Get your pupillary distance next time you get a new Rx.
 
fsu1jreed said:
Why don't you wear contacts............I put a new pair in every 5-6 weeks and usually never have any problem.

I live by these

air-optix-night-day-aqua-contact-lenses-lg.jpg
Click to expand...

I wear glasses and contacts interchangeably. Just depends on the day.

I've been wearing contacts since I was 13 years old and always struggled finding contacts that were comfortable until I started wearing Acuvue Oasys. One of my eyes has astigmatism and the other doesn't so I have to wear one Toric lense. Before I started wearing Acuvue, the toric lenses I had felt like a thick piece of plastic in my eye.
 
TexSkills said:
I wear glasses and contacts interchangeably. Just depends on the day.

I've been wearing contacts since I was 13 years old and always struggled finding contacts that were comfortable until I started wearing Acuvue Oasys. One of my eyes has astigmatism and the other doesn't so I have to wear one Toric lense. Before I started wearing Acuvue, the toric lenses I had felt like a thick piece of plastic in my eye.
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I too have been wearing contacts since 12-13 (got them in 8th grade). My eye doctor actually talked to me about those (but I think she is paid to push them, kind of like doctors and pills), but I stayed with mine......I'm of the thought that once you find something that works, why change it. But in looking I could make one box last a year or so (I have the same prescription in both eyes), so maybe I'll try them out when I go see my optometrist next month.
 
fsu1jreed said:
I too have been wearing contacts since 12-13 (got them in 8th grade). My eye doctor actually talked to me about those (but I think she is paid to push them, kind of like doctors and pills), but I stayed with mine......I'm of the thought that once you find something that works, why change it. But in looking I could make one box last a year or so (I have the same prescription in both eyes), so maybe I'll try them out when I go see my optometrist next month.
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I know a guy who works for Acuvue/Vistakon (they're based here in JAX) and he said they incentivize eye doctors to push their products big time. Apparently they get a rebate out of it. They genuinely are the most comfortable and breathable contacts I've ever worn. I wore the original Acuvues, Biomedics, Ciba, Bausch & Lomb....been through them all.

I wish I had the same Rx in both eyes! I'm -2.25 in one (the astigmatism eye) and -3.00 in the other.
 
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As Belem said Zennioptical.com is the way to go. I have been ordering from them for about 5 years now. 3 pairs for me and 2 for my wife over the years. The last order was 2 pair shipped for $17. I don't need all the extras, just a pair that I can wear at night after the contacts come out or if I run out of them and am waiting for replacements.
 
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TexSkills said:
I know a guy who works for Acuvue (they're based here in JAX) and he said they incentivize eye doctors to push their products big time. Apparently they get a rebate out of it. They genuinely are the most comfortable and breathable contacts I've ever worn. I wore the original Acuvues, Biomedics, Ciba, Bausch & Lomb....been through them all.

I wish I had the same Rx in both eyes! I'm -2.25 in one (the astigmatism eye) and -3.00 in the other.
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-4.00 in both eyes (I'm blind as !@#$), I had a slight astigmatism and they gave me the weighted contacts and it went away within a year.
 
fsu1jreed said:
-4.00 in both eyes (I'm blind as !@#$), I had a slight astigmatism and they gave me the weighted contacts and it went away within a year.
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Rookie, Contacts script is -6.5 in right and -7.0 in left. Get on my level....
 
Any of you fools blind as bats like me? I've got a -9.5 contact prescription and have been at that level for about 15-20 years now (I've worn corrective lenses since I was in Kindergarten and started contacts in 8th grade - 38 now). My glasses rx is so heavy that the lenses are so damn thick that I stick to just contacts and wear my glassss at night to let my eyes breathe. Haven't gotten a new pair in about 5-7 years (Ray Bans that have lasted well) but I want to try to get new lenses in them since they're a little scuffed now.

Any new advances to make a heavy rx more feather weight??
 
Naught-Nole-Buc said:
Any of you fools blind as bats like me? I've got a -9.5 contact prescription and have been at that level for about 15-20 years now (I've worn corrective lenses since I was in Kindergarten and started contacts in 8th grade - 38 now). My glasses rx is so heavy that the lenses are so damn thick that I stick to just contacts and wear my glassss at night to let my eyes breathe. Haven't gotten a new pair in about 5-7 years (Ray Bans that have lasted well) but I want to try to get new lenses in them since they're a little scuffed now.

Any new advances to make a heavy rx more feather weight??
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, not that I've found. I'm -6.5/-7.0 and glasses are as thick as ever. Can't stand wearing them and like you still only wear them at night before bed.
 
Naught-Nole-Buc said:
Any of you fools blind as bats like me? I've got a -9.5 contact prescription and have been at that level for about 15-20 years now (I've worn corrective lenses since I was in Kindergarten and started contacts in 8th grade - 38 now). My glasses rx is so heavy that the lenses are so damn thick that I stick to just contacts and wear my glassss at night to let my eyes breathe. Haven't gotten a new pair in about 5-7 years (Ray Bans that have lasted well) but I want to try to get new lenses in them since they're a little scuffed now.

Any new advances to make a heavy rx more feather weight??
Click to expand...

Cost more $, but you can have the lens rolled. Still a little thick, but much better than your normal lens. Also, get thicker frames.
 
And -9 is nothing. One of the last Pts I saw while working for the ophthalmologist, had -23.50 OD and -21 OS.
 
I always thought my eyes were bad. I'm just a 4.5! Been wearing glasses since 4th grade. Bought my first pair of topics at age 22 for about $400. They had to last a year!
 
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