Buying prescription glasses over the internet - experiences?
Discussion
My current glasses are about 15 years old.
I finally decided it was time to get them updated so I went for an eye test at a certain major high street optician. The prescription is slightly stronger than the one I currently have and there are no complications which is a relief.
Now, back in ye olde days you asked the optician to make up the glasses for you. But it seems that these days there are mail order companies that accept your blank frame, your prescription and a few other bits of information such as the PD, and make them up to order. I'm talking specifically of the ones that do the job themselves, rather than just act as middlemen.
My prescription is roughly -4.75 in both eyes with a bit of cylinder correction added in.
I want the thinnest lenses possible. If I go down the optician route this will be about 300 pounds for 1.67 lenses which are not the thinnest on the market. And I have to choose from their frame selection. They won't fit lenses into a frame that I bought elsewhere.
If I go on the internet, I can get the same lenses for about 100 pounds. Massively cheaper. I can also get even thinner ones. And they will use any frame I want.
The optician naturally says that making up glasses is a highly skilled operation that needs a lot of hands-on time with the customer. The mail order companies say that hardly any opticians make their own glasses anyway, and that they already do the work for most of the leading opticians via mail order, using the prescription and the PD, so it's no different.
Has anyone gone down the mail order route for prescription glasses? http://www.glassesframesandlenses.com/ have come recommended.
I finally decided it was time to get them updated so I went for an eye test at a certain major high street optician. The prescription is slightly stronger than the one I currently have and there are no complications which is a relief.
Now, back in ye olde days you asked the optician to make up the glasses for you. But it seems that these days there are mail order companies that accept your blank frame, your prescription and a few other bits of information such as the PD, and make them up to order. I'm talking specifically of the ones that do the job themselves, rather than just act as middlemen.
My prescription is roughly -4.75 in both eyes with a bit of cylinder correction added in.
I want the thinnest lenses possible. If I go down the optician route this will be about 300 pounds for 1.67 lenses which are not the thinnest on the market. And I have to choose from their frame selection. They won't fit lenses into a frame that I bought elsewhere.
If I go on the internet, I can get the same lenses for about 100 pounds. Massively cheaper. I can also get even thinner ones. And they will use any frame I want.
The optician naturally says that making up glasses is a highly skilled operation that needs a lot of hands-on time with the customer. The mail order companies say that hardly any opticians make their own glasses anyway, and that they already do the work for most of the leading opticians via mail order, using the prescription and the PD, so it's no different.
Has anyone gone down the mail order route for prescription glasses? http://www.glassesframesandlenses.com/ have come recommended.
I had a set of ballistic transitions lenses put into Wiley X frames by a firm called Rockspex.
www.sportsprescriptionglasses.co.uk.
Well pleased with result.
Not sure if this is exactly what you are after though.
www.sportsprescriptionglasses.co.uk.
Well pleased with result.
Not sure if this is exactly what you are after though.
A work colleague has used GlassesDirect a couple of times and has been delighted with the results, and has ever since been trying to persuade me to use them.
Biggest obstacle is getting the measurements from nose to centre of eye correct apparently, but he said "get the other half to help"
Biggest obstacle is getting the measurements from nose to centre of eye correct apparently, but he said "get the other half to help"
Meeja said:
A work colleague has used GlassesDirect a couple of times and has been delighted with the results, and has ever since been trying to persuade me to use them.
Biggest obstacle is getting the measurements from nose to centre of eye correct apparently, but he said "get the other half to help"
Another vote for GlassesDirect here.Biggest obstacle is getting the measurements from nose to centre of eye correct apparently, but he said "get the other half to help"
Quick, keenly priced and communicative. Very good with the "no quibble" returns policy, too.
I measured my pupillary distance by holding a ruler across my eye line, taking a picture, and then inspecting the picture. I did it this way so I could keep looking straight ahead.
I have a very simple prescription, though, so I don't know what they're like with complex lenses.
I've now had 3 pairs from this company, www.2for1glasses.co.uk
and also bought prescription raybans from here http://www.fashion4eyes.co.uk/
Very pleased with both and saved me a serious amount of money
and also bought prescription raybans from here http://www.fashion4eyes.co.uk/
Very pleased with both and saved me a serious amount of money
HammyHamster said:
If you're willing to consider a fellow Pistonhead, I run an online prescription glasses business (iWearGlasses). Without wanting to sound like an advert, we can fit Essilor 1.67 lenses for £54.99 or 1.74 lenses (thinnest available) for £104.99.
We're not as big as people like glassesdirect, but we do have 30 years' experience and we own and operate our own lab (we're not middlemen like a lot of Internet companies).
By the way, if you send in an existing pair of glasses, we can accurately measure the PD for you.
PM me if you like and I'd be happy to do a discount for PH members.
PM sent We're not as big as people like glassesdirect, but we do have 30 years' experience and we own and operate our own lab (we're not middlemen like a lot of Internet companies).
By the way, if you send in an existing pair of glasses, we can accurately measure the PD for you.
PM me if you like and I'd be happy to do a discount for PH members.
I've been wearing some from Speckyfoureyes for a couple of years. No quibbles on quality or price, but they did take over a month to be delivered (which at the time was not mentioned on the website) and their customer service was... Snippy.
Getting some new ones soon and looking at glassesdirect.
Getting some new ones soon and looking at glassesdirect.
FYI, in the end I went with a company called glassesframesandlenses.com
They are UK based and run their own lab. I asked them to reglaze (i.e. refit with new lenses) my rimless glasses with 1.67 double aspheric lenses.
I got them this morning. They are beautifully done and fit very well. The service was excellent. They kept me informed throughout and the handwritten note in the envelope was a nice touch.
They are UK based and run their own lab. I asked them to reglaze (i.e. refit with new lenses) my rimless glasses with 1.67 double aspheric lenses.
I got them this morning. They are beautifully done and fit very well. The service was excellent. They kept me informed throughout and the handwritten note in the envelope was a nice touch.
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