Anyone have any experience? I normally get them at the Dr. office, but they charge so much. I wouldn't mind buying online but a) I think returning them would be a bitch and b) I would like to try them on. This is for a cheap back-up pair if something happens to my contacts. My go to company where I can get them dirt cheap fell through because they can't handle my prescription.

12/16/2008 8:30:50 PM

I have a friend who buys glasses at http://zennioptical.com/

He gets them for as little as $20 I think, and loves them. They don't look that bad and mainly uses them for backup glasses and when he's doing anything outdoorsy.

What's your prescription?

12/16/2008 8:38:48 PM

I will have to look at the Rx. Its not crazy or anything as every online place I've looked at can do it.

12/16/2008 8:41:48 PM

I got a pair of sunglasses from zenni. I figured for the $10 I could toss them, but they're fine, it's just a little hard to tell exactly what they're going to look like. I tried to match my regular frames, but it looks like I should have a generic euro accent, a black leather jacket, and possible an assault rifle to complete the look. It worked out pretty well all in all, but I'd assume they're smaller than they look next time.

12/16/2008 8:52:18 PM

just ordered from zenni...took 6 weeks to get my order because they said it got held up at customs

12/16/2008 9:06:56 PM

I got my current pair from zenni. I hope to have the cash for another eye exam soon, and then i'll get another pair.
The accent paint on mine started peeling within a couple weeks of getting my glasses, though. FYI. They're similar to most of the ones at the top of this category.
make sure to get the pupillary distance measurement when you get your Rx.

http://www.43folders.com/2007/11/29/adventures-40-eyeglasses

12/16/2008 9:34:38 PM

I ordered from Zenni Optical about 15 months ago, took about 3-4 weeks I think to get them.

Was around $47 for a standard pair of eye glasses and a pair of prescription sun glasses.

Eye glasses seemed very cheap at first, but I'm still wearing them and they aren't broken. The sunglasses were a bit small for me, but I still wear them sometimes when I'm driving. Sometimes hard to tell from the pictures online.

I plan to order from them again.

12/16/2008 9:51:57 PM

^
to add. a lot of optometrists in the area try to skimp on that, b/c they know you have to go somewhere (like them) and order them. ask for it directly, before the eye exam, as it takes NO time at all. if they refuse, find another doc. none have refused for me, but i'm sure it could happen.

the cost of the frames themselves is dirt cheap. doesn't matter if the frames say made in italy or china, the cost is relatively similar. the lenses are the same way. the blanks are made by the millions and and cut to size. high index or low, it costs almost the same.

the true cost of a complete pair of nice glasses is around $20 (retail cost of $500). that includes high index polycarbonate lenses with all the coatings and a current fashion geek sheik frame.`

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 10:00 PM. Reason : d]

12/16/2008 9:53:09 PM

I went to LensCrafters to figure out which glasses I liked the best and then found them on http://www.dreamshades.com/default.aspx.

The glasses I wanted are about $150 cheaper online than in the store amazingly enough. I have scanned my Rx so I'm going to place my order and send it in tomorrow, will let you know how the process goes.

12/16/2008 10:01:18 PM

Quote :

" the true cost of a complete pair of nice glasses is around $20"

This is completely untrue. Where did you hear that?? Every office I've ever been in marks the frames up 2-3 times, with the average frame costing them 60-80. The "cost" of the lenses I had put in my frame directly from the lab was 75 bucks. Yes, you can buy them online from some Chinese factory, but in my experience they are usually total crap.

12/17/2008 2:37:43 PM

i think he means the cost to actually make them--i mean it really is just some bent wire with a few screws and a couple of nosepads

12/17/2008 2:44:13 PM

True, just like a shirt is some yarn and thread thrown together.

12/17/2008 3:21:18 PM

and costs less than $5 to make...

12/17/2008 3:30:42 PM

Yes, you are probably right in the actual construction costs being low but that is not what they are sold to the optometrists for.

12/17/2008 5:40:04 PM

How much are eye exams these days?

12/17/2008 6:17:48 PM

i think my last one was around 100 before insurance

12/17/2008 6:29:33 PM

I ordered from Zenni optical a while back and they told me they couldn't fit my prescription unless I purchased a metal frame (of course, I couldn't get the fashionable ones because my lens would be too thick they stated). This was after I had paid for 2 pairs of glasses and it took a week for them to tell me this. I looked through the frames they offered and they were just pure crap so I wanted a refund. The first person I spoke to in customer service (took me about 2 hrs to get through) told me they couldn't refund my money. The second person I spoke with decided to refund my money but only with a 20% fee. I spoke with the manager and this is the only way it could be done. They refunded my money about a month later but charged a 20% fee, which I think is bullshit because its not my fault they can't explain on each item "Does not go over +2.5 astigmatism" when mine is +4.0. Why even give the option on an item to choose +4.0 when you can't make it? Why not program the page to send an error and tell the user they can't make it because the prescription is too strong? I ended up just getting LASIK.

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=531362&page=1#11760057 thats the other thread with the details...

[Edited on December 17, 2008 at 9:03 PM. Reason : ]

12/17/2008 9:02:00 PM

should've just had the credit card company refund it

12/17/2008 10:00:22 PM

So what's the latest and greatest in online prescription glasses?

Anybody gone that route lately? Website recommendations?

I found this:

https://www.39dollarglasses.com

Quote :

"Skip the pricey retail shop and order the perfect pair of prescription eyeglasses online. Browse our huge inventory of stylish frames and premium lenses designed for all face shapes and personalities. Every pair is handcrafted in the USA and starts at just $39."

That's impressive... US-handmade frames for 40 bucks? Full story:

https://www.39dollarglasses.com/about_us.html

Anybody tried them, or any other reputable site?

11/7/2017 4:14:49 AM

I use eye buy direct and zenni

11/7/2017 9:10:17 AM

I use goggles4U

lots of times they have specials for $10 or so

11/7/2017 11:45:36 AM

I used goggles4u and optical4less for years

11/8/2017 5:33:23 PM

thanjs gusy

now you can also check your eyes at home with this $30 device and get the numbers you need just like at an optometrist to have glasses made

https://www.eyeque.com

pretty amazing how such brick and mortan businesses are getting dusruped and maube 20 years inot the future there will be barely any optical stores or optometrists

11/12/2017 6:16:59 PM

So I am new to vision insurance. Had a family member get glasses that said they didn’t really need them, but has made everything much better. Maybe for reading only? IDK. What is the order of operations? Just ask for an eye exam, and get my prescription and then order online through a site like Zenni? In elementary school I remember my eyes were mostly 20/20 or 20/30.

9/14/2019 10:12:35 PM

^yup, pretty much

The Zenni glasses arrive pretty quickly too, imo.

9/15/2019 8:49:54 PM

Got an appointment for Wednesday. Should I get eyes dilated? She said it would mess up my vision for like 4 hours after that, plus I don’t have any issues, just want to do an eye exam

9/16/2019 7:11:32 PM

Dilation isn't a big deal, it's just annoying. You'll be sensitive to light and your vision will be a touch blurry for a few hours. In my experience, it come down to whether the practitioner feels they need to fully examine the back of your eye and isn't something you really opt into or out of.

9/17/2019 9:20:17 AM

So i just sumbit this paper to zenni and pick the frames i like and they sell me glasses?

Didn’t get dialated, told me my nerve was bigger than normal, but pressure was fine. Did a vision test where dot blinks all over the place and i hit button when i see it. She showed me results after, said if a quadrant was missing might be a sign of glaucoma but my results were like a nice circle of dots on the thing she printed off

[Edited on September 18, 2019 at 7:36 PM. Reason : Dots]

9/18/2019 7:34:25 PM

You input those numbers into Zenni's options. No "proof" needed. Just triple-check what you type.

9/18/2019 9:11:57 PM