A friend suggested to me that I should order my next pair of glasses online.
Has anyone done this? How did it work out? Any recommendations?
I need progressives. I like rimless, titanium frames. I am very interested in the new, higher quality, thinner lenses. (Can’t recall the name…HD?)
zennioptical.com is the site my husband used to get his progressive lens glasses from. I am shopping on the site now trying to make a decision. My husband has been very pleased, he spent about $60 on his glasses.
I’ve done both zenni and 39 dollar glasses dot com and am happier with the latter. The lenses are fine in both bot the zenni frame is not as comfortable. It’s really important to know the size of the frame you need, and your intrapupillary distance. The progressives do cost more than standard prescriptions but in both cases they were spot on. Definitely a huge savings over brick and mortar stores.
One issue for me is that I have a very large head.
I’ve gotten both regular progressives and polarized sunglasses progressives from Zenni optical. Both are fine and I use them both every day. For like $50. I’m pretty sure I will never buy glasses at an optical shop again.
Warby Parker will send you frames to try out before ordering. They have different width options (D and I have small faces and are very limited as to what frames will work for us).
I love, love, love Zenni. If you get a pair you’re less than thrilled with, there are hundreds more to try. I cannot wear progressives but instead need 2 different pair (one for driving, one for reading). I don’t get the expensive titanium frames, but like to mix it up with the plastic colorful ones. I get compliments on my frames all the time, and I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $15. You DO need to know your pupilary distance and your frame width. They tell you on the site how to figure those out. They sell several lens thicknesses too.
Consolation, a friend of mine with a very wide head has had to buy men’s frames for years but found some cute women’s ones at Zenni. Once you know the size you need, you can filter from there.
Wellspring, I discovered Zenni after the optometrist I went to had me consult with his front office for glasses and she told me I needed pairs that started at $300 EACH. I had her hand me my prescriptions and got online. I only order from Zenni now and couldn’t be happier. I just got new “summer” prescription sunglasses for about $15 just for a change of frames. I don’t have to wait for 2 years to get “approved” for insurance if I want to change frames up-I just order when I want to.
So how does one find out one’s pupilary distance and frame width??
I plan to call my eye doctor today. My husband tells me they will give that info to me over the phone. (He and I go to the same eye doctor office, so assuming it will not be difficult to get the info.) It appears the zennioptical website has some tools for letting you measure it yourself, but I feel more comfortable getting the doctor’s office measurements.
@Consolation, thank you for starting this thread. I have been reluctant to buy eyeglasses online, though recently I visited a couple of online sites (not sure if Zenni was one of them), one site does tell you how to measure something, but I said to myself: how in the world will I be able to measure it right, and if measurements are wrong, then the whole focus is wrong (see, I worry too much). And picking out a frame online? Not sure if it will work… Can’t even tell what shape my face is!!!
I need progressive lens, been getting them at Sears Optical for a number of years. They are the least expensive among other stores when they have promotional offers.
My D recently had gotten her prescription eyeglasses at LensCrafter which is very expensive, but I don’t think I could have convinced her to try online company since she is so fussy about frame, we stopped by a few stores and she tried on SO MANY frames, finally found one she “likes”!!!
For me, I think I may get a pair of progressive sunglasses online first to try it out, since I don’t wear sunglasses as often.
The Zenni site has a how-to on how to measure the distance. Also, once you’ve ordered one time from them, they send a little ruler with your order to use from then on, if you like. It is shaped like a pair of glasses, for ease of measuring. All pupilary distance means is the distance between the center of your pupils. Unless you’re legally blind, I don’t see how it would be hard to measure. I’m not sure it’s even on my prescription. I did it myself and have been very happy with the results. My insurance would not cover a visit just to get this measure, so I went DIY.
Hopeful, its usually pretty easy to determine your face shape, if you pull back your hair and stand back from the mirror.
If you still cant tell, its probably oval.
http://beauty.about.com/od/bestcutsbyfaceshap1/ss/Are-You-Round-Square-Long-Heart-Or-Oval.htm
I need prescription sunglasses, and my regular glasses were almost $1000, so Im interested in saving money, but the websites ask for more measurements, than are on my prescription.
We asked the optometrist to write down the PD distance for us, the distance between pupils, when we went to get our eye exams.
The optometrist specificially write it down on our eyeglass prescription forms…
otherwise, s/he won’t write it down.
So you don’t have to measure it yourself.
One of my family member called & ask for her PD distance. The optometrist has it in her eye exam file & was able to tell her what that was over the phone.
Hope this helps.
They have all ordered from zenni & are happy with their eyeglasses. Except mine. Mine did not turn out right at all. I will try again with another style eyeglasses.
I bought a couple of pairs of glasses from Coastal.com. I recommend them to friends.
EK, what kind of glasses do you need that cost so much?? The bulk of the cost with mine was the type of frame they claimed I “had” to use-thick, designer frames because “only those can hold the kind of thick lens you need” Then there was the special lens “required” for my prescription, except that both claims were not true. I have a choice of frames and use “regular” thickness glass. I’m almost certain most of the $300 per pair they wanted to charge me was fake mark up. I will never again buy from the shop inside the eye doc’s place.
As I said, Zenni has guidelines on how to find measurements not on the prescriptions. Take bow length, for example. All you need to do is look at your current ones. They are also really good at answering questions. It really does pay to shop around. H refuses to and is stuck with his one frame per 2 years, no matter how bent or scratched they get. He doesn’t believe an online store can match the “quality” of what he gets. His loss. I get bored with purple frames, I order blue ones for another $15 anytime I want. I decide the sunglass coating needs to be darker? Another $15 for a new pair. Two weeks later I’m wearing them.
I have progressive ultra high index lenses with a coating to screen blue light. Even with high index, they still stick way out beyond the frame and so Im limited to thicker frames, and cant use metal as the weight of the lens digs into the bridge of my nose.
My frames are handmade, about $400, lenses about $500, not including tax.
I dont need handmade frames certainly, but Ive looked at various places, and face à face is the current brand that fits my face and taste the best, but I cant even order the style I like when it doesnt come in my size.
I cant see that great with glasses anyway, no peripheral vision.
Coastal has been the best for me. I think the first pair, with a promo code, is around $25. Can’t beat that, and I’m very picky. I believe the return policy is very long too - you can return them up to a year later.
Sorry, it double-posted
My family is a huge fan of Warby Parker. The frames are stylish and new looking. We all get many complements on the frames. While my daughter order her’s online, my husband and I were lucky enough to purchase locally as they opened a store in our city. Great customer service and business practices.
Warby Parker’s website seems to have a pretty limited selection of frames. None of them are rimless, which is what I prefer.