New glasses, highstreet or online?

[PositronicRay]

Needing some ne varifocals, confused in the shop. I'd like my existing frames reglazed, but it comes out more expensive than new frames.

Anyone use online places and what are the pitfalls?

[FiF]

This has been done to death on here, but personally, and particularly for varifocals, I wouldn't give online the time of day.

In my experience most of the genuine dispensing non tolerances, i.e. clients saying they have problems with their new specs, come from an issue with either the glazingof the lenses into the frames or the fitting, namely the lens has not been presented in the correct way in front of the pupil

I'm sure there are people who have used online successfully, but for anyone with the slightest complicated scrip it's not just a case of providing a self measured PD plus a copy of the scrip and letting the supplier get on with it. Online suppliers will just work with population averages for very important parameters like Vertex Distance or Pantoscopic Tilt. You can't sort this yourself, you need a proper optician to do the examination, that's not the examination by an optometrist, the eye test, but the measuring for new frames, marking up the sample lens accordingly having set VD and PT, and checked suitable facial wrap. Can you ensure the correct fitting height from the centre of the kens to the lowest point on the frame? And so on.

Naturally the usual folks will be on saying that all opinions against online suppliers are simply High St opticians protecting their market. Not in this case.

[rednotdead]

Agree with the above - for varifocals it has to be highstreet to make sure the measurements are bang on.

[Tom_Spotley_When]

I bought some new single vision lenses from Cubitts late last year.

I really like them and couldn't fault the service. Really good returns policy too.

Could always try them (4 day home try-on of styles is free) buy them, and if you don't like them and don't get on with them, return them?

[Dermot O'Logical]

I have an eye test, inevitably accompanied by new glasses, every two years. I tried an on-line supplier a few years ago, but quickly realised that as a varifocal user the only option is to use a reputable high street optician.

A couple of years ago I joined Costco, who have an in-store optician at my local store, and use Zeiss lenses. I had my previous glasses, and a pair of varifocal sunglasses from them, and other than the restricted choice of frames, I was impressed with the thorough eye test and fitting procedure.

Last year I decided to provide my own frames, and bought some Lindbergs. Eye-wateringly expensive, but exquisite and so light. Costco were happy to glaze these for me, and I've been delighted with the result.

[henrycrun]

One issue of buying online (IMO) is how to measure the pupil to distance accurately