I need new glasses. The only insurance-approved place I can shop online will cost $250 with my needs. I went to a "cheap" glasses website that doesn't accept insurance: $250. Yay, America.
The optometrist recommended seamless bifocals. I have a very painful nerve condition in my face (atypical trigeminal neuralgia), so this is what I need with glasses: the lightest weight frames possible- known as ultra light- with the lightest weight lenses possible and automatically darkening lenses so I don't need the weight of sunglasses. The cheapest frames brought the total to $250 on the site the insurance worked with.
The frames are $20 on the cheap site. Everything else in the cost is the lenses.
As for why I have to buy them online- I don't want anyone touching my face unless it's absolutely necessary. The exam was painful enough.
American for-profit healthcare is fucking awesome.
Zennioptical.com
I got mine for $30, they can make them mute expensive, but for just glasses, it's perfect.
I got mine with their HD lenses, no-line bifocals with antiglare coating, and the total came to $135 shipped.
While my initial reaction to this was "wholly fuck that's expensive" I realize that all those modifiers would make it close to a grand at a glasses shop.
I have had less than stellar results with Zenni, ymmv
I bought one pair from them and they were pretty crummy. Also getting the pupillary distance is tricky.
Measuring your own PD is ehhh. You can have the optometrist give you PD at your exam.
Good luck. Then the front of the store won't get any business.
When I've gone to America's Best for an eye exam, yeah, they were none too happy when I wouldn't also buy glasses from them, but I got my prescriptions to go. Fuck em. Didn't have a single problem with the optometrist office in the Target. I'm also pretty sure that the optometry part and the retail frames and lenses part of these stores are at least somewhat separate from each other, business-wise.
The down side of the online "cheap glasses" places is that when your frames show up all bent and twisted, you have to adjust them yourself, and if there's a problem with the lenses, that's a whole thing. Buying from a storefront, they'll handle all that for you. I'm capable of running my plastic frames under hot water to straighten them out and adjust them to my crooked head.
I have bought at least 10 pair from Zenni optical and they were just fine.
I second this, but OP says they have special lens needs. That's what stacks the price.
I used them and they were great good-enough glasses.
So far my $30 glasses is going strong for 5 years now.
When I got LASIK I wasn't allowed to wear contacts for a few weeks before the surgery. I bought the cheapest pair of glasses from Zenni. I had new glasses for $17 + $10 shipping.
If I had to do it again I would have my IPD measured by a proper optometrist first. I just guessed at it and got ones a little too small, so they had a kind of fisheye effect.
Still, for <$30 it was a great bargain
Have you tried Zenni?
I've had good luck with them over 3 pairs. I get the exam at Costco and then buy from Zenni. The most expensive pair so far has been $108 for progressives with anti-glare etc although that was during a sale. They are better quality and have lasted longer than almost anything I've got from the traditional optometrists places, even when I've gone higher end. Even better, you can select the distance for computer, mid or distance - I wear one of 4 pairs depending on what I'm doing - AND they don't check your prescription so you can use an old one if you know that works for you.
Ain't never going back.
I have not. I'll chedk them out. Thanks.
No problem. I've been using their glasses for years now and haven't had any problems with them. I only really replace them when I get a new script with changes in my vision.
I always go for sprung hinges with Zenni. I've never need to tighten the screws with those.
Used them for years with no issue and get lots of pairs for distance, reading, daytime driving (polarized sunglasses bifocals so no glare and I can see the instruments), etc.
I'm an ABOA advanced optician, I've helped with lens designs, I've made my own line of frames, worked with every insurance company, and know the technical details of virtually every product on the market.
If it's going to cost the same either way, do not get the online glasses. The 250 in store is discounted from probably 1200$, and the difference is immediately noticable.
The online glasses will not be measured to fit you properly, the focal point will be a best guess, which makes progressives have a ton of distortion, the frame won't be adjusted and have no standards of material and shitty spring hinges, the transitions will be an old off brand composited lens that will delaminate after some time, the antireflective will be the cheapest, smudging crap possible, and the lenses will be thicker and heavier.
Go to a local optical, not any chain you've ever heard of. No corporate execs to pay means actual paid professionals helping you see better, as opposed to collision salesman trying to rip you off.
Online glasses are for single vision rx's for children, not anybody who really needs glasses.
Man, I wish this was always true.
Here in BC/Canada, our healthcare doesn't cover glasses, and our 3rd party providers only cover $2-300 every 2 years for glasses.
My last job had a $500 yearly flex-spend coverage, which I used to buy $600 glasses (mainly lenses cost-wise) with all the options/coatings/transitions/blue light filter/etc from the local eye clinic, and honestly the lenses are not great, and after less than 3 years the coating is bubbling in horizontal lines across the entire lens.
Honestly though, been regretting getting glasses with the blue light filter for the past 2 years anyways, nothing feels vibrant anymore and i swear it has been negatively affecting my mood, and i have noticed zero difference in eye strain levels.
Blue light filters have a purpose, but it isn't eye strain. That's just marketing bullshit from people who don't know it's purpose or can't be bothered to translate it to laymen.
It's purpose is to protect your retina from damage that accumulates throughout your life. It's to protect you from developing macular degeneration. It does nothing anyone will notice, it's more like sunblock, except you can't feel the burn.
Also if someone sells you shit products, go to someone better if possible. But avoid chains at all costs.
So life loses vibrancy, but my retinas stay in slightly better shape when I'm 80? Sounds like future me problem then, definitely have no interest in trying again with a different pair after my next eye exam.
Unfortunately every eye doctor in this province (or at least not a 13 hour drive away) is associated with a chain, with I think a single exception that is referral only. So the best I can do is get an eye exam, demand my detailed results, and do my best to order glasses that fit comfortably.
Wait, the blue tint actually does something? Everyone kept telling me to get it because sCrEeNs BaD but I wanted the clearest vision possible. Couldn't find anything online saying the blue tint wasn't useless so saved myself the $30.
Just wear sunglasses when outside and you're good. Or get transitions and never think about it again.
They're the same frames sold in physical stores, though
My old glasses that I don't even wear anymore are 7 years old and never had issues and still aren't delaminated at all, never had issues with smudging or glare
And yet you still spend way more than you would at somewhere like Zenni. So you're getting ripped off for someone lower down the ladders benefit.... Yay?
Complete bullshit. Not surprised that someone "with their own line of frames" would encourage people to go the pricier route, though.
I don't feel like quoting or typing out responses, so I'll just hit your points.
No they're fucking not. Not even close. There's 200+ different manufacturers, and even individual lines from the same companies have wildly different qualities. I would know, since I work with them every day, go to several trade shows every year and didn't get my info from Google.
Survivorship bias, and you just noted you don't wear them.
This point is attempting to imply there is no difference in products, which there absolutely is.
My line of frames is not a "big name", and was only sold in 54 offices in 4 countries when I had them manufactured in 2021. There is no benefit to me for anyone to go to any store other than the two I own, you'll never bump into my line, which I don't make money from anyway.
I'm glad you watched a video once, but this is my profession and I know better than you.
Nice source. Yes, they are.
Holy shit dude, anymore. They survived 6 years of wearing. I've been using glasses off the internet for over 10 years as have 3 other people I know, it's not survivorship bias if over 10 pairs of glasses haven't had any of these issues you mention.
You're right, the brand name glasses I used to wear have never lasted as long as my Zennis
Or I've ordered them and wear them regularly. Nice assumption though.
So you're incentivized to keep the bullshit going? Well, I should definitely trust you!
Clearly not, as you said a bunch of shit would happen with these glasses that, again, I've never seen despite my and my wife both having our entire family order glasses online for the last 8-12 years (mine 12, hers 8ish). Oh, and friends as well for about the same amount of time.
If you can't tell the difference in quality between zenni and OvvO, lool, or paradigm frames, you're willfully ignorant. I wouldn't expect someone who only gets glasses online to know this since you have no experience. I however do.
As for issues with lenses, I see 25 patients a day, and have for the last 12 years. I've seen a few more cases than you and your wife, or even you and your friends.
Your opinions are not equal to my education and experience. I am literally an authority in this industry.
I've designed frames and vetted manufacturing plants to find one that fit my standards for materials. I make lenses everyday. I troubleshoot and fix or replace eyewear everyday. I know what happens when a focal point is off center by 3 mm. I can tell when someone is wearing online glasses just by how the temples fit.
There are a few very large companies that benefit greatly from pushing the idea that they're all the same, and you're shilling for them whether you know it or not.
What part about "none of my online glasses have been any worse than the designer frames I got before" did you not read?
Keep telling yourself that. So far you've only been a high on your own farts cunt spouting total bullshit. Frankly with how little of anything you've given but "but but but but I'm such a PROFESSIONAL" ive begun to think you're a LARPing 13 year old
I'm honestly not sure which frustrates me more. That teeth and eyes are not considered important enough aspects of health to be covered under normal health insurance. Or the shit insurance that's available even when you pay for additional policies to cover them.
The lack of coverage of teeth and eyes in standard health insurance is because of dentists and optometrists opting out when insurance was becoming a thing.
IIRC it’s because there isn’t really much of a point to add those to insurance. With health insurance some people will need very expensive treatments but lots of people don’t. It works because you spread the risk over many people. The people who don’t need expensive treatments pay more than they would without insurance, the ones that do need those treatments pay a lot less. Since you don’t know which one of those you will be insurance is a good idea.
With dental and glasses this is not the case. There isn’t too much variation in how much a person will need to spend on those during their lifetime.
If you get additional insurance for either you’ll see that the maximum payouts are pretty much the same as what you pay extra during the same period. You might as well just put the money in a savings account.
Presbyopia literally means "old eyes" and the risks of periodontal disease increases roughly linearly with age and closer to exponentially if your a long term nicotine user; to name but one example for each.
They eyes are also often the first place to (outside of specific blood tests that are not routinely run) see signs of diabetes, thyroid disease, and certain types of brain tumors. The mouth is the leading cause of sepsis. So both are important for people of all ages from a preventative medicine standpoint.
Seamless bifocals=Progressives. I got mine at Zenni Optical for like $145 all in.
Yeah, sorry, that's what I meant. They used to be called 'seamless bifocals' back in the 90s and I still think of them that way.
Okay, I'm going to go against the grain here and say "Don't go with the really cheap online glasses".
I used eyebuydirect, Zenni, and a couple of others for many years, and was pretty happy with them, especially for the price. However, one thing I'd always noticed is that they'd wind up being pretty beat up with some large scratches in the coatings, or they'd just fail and start flaking off by around the 1 year mark (I'm pretty hard on my glasses, tbf) and I absolutely had to get new ones. I just kind of accepted that I was very hard on my glasses, and that's what happens.
However, I started going to Costco just because my insurance wouldn't cover any of the online places, and the quality of the lenses and coatings are absolutely night and day. I've had 10 pairs now (sunglasses and normal lenses), and only had one with a single scratch in the lenses, after having them go flying across a cement floor due to me doing something quite stupid.
I don't think you need a membership for their optical center either, but I'm not 100% sure.
I've had the exact opposite experience. Last time trying glasses at a local place, they hurt my eyes and couldn't figure out how to adjust them properly. Every pair I've purchased on Zenni has lasted multiple years of me sleeping in them or doing contact sports in them. I still have multiple pairs kicking around my house or car as spares.
...you sleep with them on? How?
I do this quite a bit too. I can fall asleep insanely quickly, so sometimes I'm just chilling on the couch watching something, and then I'm out. Then when I wake up I have to go digging through my couch to figure out where the heck my glasses went
See that's the weird part. They stay on my face. I've always been a restless sleeper, and I think I just hated waking up blind and disoriented, so I learned to keep them on when asleep.
I've been making an active effort to not do so the last... Couple of years I guess. It's a bit more comfortable when I remove them, but I'd say maybe half the time I still just forgot to take them off.
I don't know, I have since I was a kid. My eyes are REALLY BAD so I think I just hated waking up blind and disoriented, so I just learned to sleep in them.
Yay the conglomerate that owns glasses production and distribution.
It's not just the US, Essilor is a virtual monopoly.
That said, my glasses are 50% less online than at a local shop.
Also, thank insurance companies for inflating prices
Essilor monopolizes lenses, Safilo monopolizes frames – neither offer direct sale
Why is it always luxottica
If you have Costco membership, their optical department is pretty affordable. Frames are $50-80. Lenses another $80 or so, but depends on complexity and of you get transitions and whatnot.
It’s the same for Sam’s Club. My eye doctor said glasses would be $800 AFTER insurance. I went to Sam’s Club and got two pairs for $200.
from the op description they are in fact a very complicated seamless bifocal. likely some of the most expensive lenses to make. idk, to a certain extent op is looking for a modern luxury item and mad that it's expensive. like they don't NEED seamless bifocals, it's just Better for their condition. they could spend less on thicker cheaper bifocals, they just wouldn't be as nice.
like it sucks that most glasses are uncomfortable for them, but sadly this has simply resulted in them needing expensive glasses if they get this spec. it's kind of like someone saying they need a car that's fast, fuel efficient, rides great, looks cool, is safe, and has lots of storage but are confused why they can't find a good deal on that.
And if you don’t have a membership, one costs $60. So frames lenses and membership could end up less than $250.
also, costco takes the shitty eye insurance so you may not be paying much on top of not paying much already. felt good that year.
eyebuydirect. You'll need to measure your pupillary distance if your prescription from the doctor doesn't list it.
$250 for glasses like that is very cheap. I also have bifocals, not the thinnest lenses either, IIRC they were one step up from the standard ones. A light frame but nothing special, the frame was like €100, the entire set of glasses was around €650. The lenses only have a cylinder in them; no prisms or anything like that. If you need more complicated or stronger/thin lenses they can easily go over €1000.
Even if you have the optional insurance for it, that doesn’t really help you. The amount they cover is basically the same amount you pay for the additional coverage. You’re better off putting the money in a savings account earmarked for your next set of glasses.
Also, if you need anything but the most basic single focus lenses without any cylinders or prisms, get them at a real optician. The online store can’t properly measure where to place the lenses in the frame (they need to be properly centered in front of your pupils).
Canada doesn't win here. Our opto care is embarrassing, it's mercenary, it's predatory.
I have decent insurance, so my c$1300 single pair was only $400. (Edit: Zenni for complex myopic astigmatic presbyopic thin lenses is about c$500)
Woo.
I feel ya.
We're fixing dental care, slowly, but opto's gonna be forever.
None of the online places even accepted my prescription last time I looked. Mine are about $800 for the lenses during a sale. They generally give me the frames for free when they see the cost of the lenses.
Insurance covers $200 every 2 years.
Just to give you a little something:
My glasses cost around 500€ to 700€ per glass (so around 1200€ plus frame) and I have to pay them myself.
I understand your frustration. This sucks major league. I know a fairly cheep German glasses company who ship worldwide (production for most glasses worldwide is Thailand, that's where the company gets their products as well). They've got a very generous refund policy as well. If you want to, I can pm you their website.
Can you please post that here publicly so everyone can benefit?
Please do, thank you.
Brille24.de
Unless they hiked up their prices or went out of business in the past 2 years, the link should be grand.
If you need help regarding navigation around the website or how to put in the data for the glasses, please let me know.
Can you pm me the link as well?
Comedian Kyle Ayers has Trigeminal Neuralgia as well. He's about to do the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his show (Hard to say) all about how he's been dealing with it. I know that doesn't help you with your glasses, but maybe his comedy can help alleviate some of the pain and worry.
Good luck.
That's awesome! I'll check him out! Thanks!
If you do buy them online, make sure to submit the receipt to your insurance- they should cover at least some of it.
I tried bifocals, and they are just not for me. I work on a computer all day, and having to jog my head around in order to have appropriate focus sucks.
So ... when I go to get an eye exam, I have them give me two prescriptions. One for distance (driving, movies, whatever), and another for about six inches past arm's length - how far away my main monitor is. Then I get two pair of glasses online for ~$40 each, and a pair of distance sunglasses for $50.
I like the distance sunglasses better than transitions lenses, because they're darker than the transitions would ever get. Adding other fancy coatings will certainly increase the price of the lenses, but I think I only did scratch resistant on my regular distance pair, since I'm not doing somersaults while on the computer.
This is what I did through Zenni as well. Only, I intend to get a third pair of glasses. The distance at which you read a computer screen compared to a physical book is very different.
If you have a membership, check out Costco. They often have really good prices on this sort of thing.
I think Costco glasses are a good deal, even if you have to buy a one-year membership to get them. Don't know if they're available online, but don't you want to try glasses on in person to make sure they fit and are comfortable?
No Costco around here unfortunately. I don’t want any glasses touching me unless they are the ultra lightweight ones. They weren’t available at the optometrist, which is who my insurance covered.
Just checked, it looks like you can buy Costco frames online, I got my glasses in the physical store and they were super cheap (like ~$60 for the lenses and ~$40 for the frames), it came out a bit over $100, I highly recommend.
Thanks.
Zenioptical it's like 75 for every option and I wear them more than the glasses I paid hundreds for
Get Kaiser Permanente!.... I got new $150 for my $20 copay, which I was told I didn't need to pay!
Weeks later they started sending me daily reminders to pay my copay and the extra 100 I owed on the frame!
Surely I don't understand healthcare.
Unfortunately, my wife, who's insurance I am on, doesn't get to choose policies. Also, nothing is in-network for Kaiser around here. We did have it when we lived in L.A. and my daughter was born in Providence St. Joseph in Burbank, which was a really nice hospital and they paid for it. But I'm in Indiana now. No Kaiser stuff here.
Her vision plan is called VSP and it clearly sucks. But again, no choice.
Well then you don't have to put up with the daily Kaiser pay 5 bucks please.
Fub fact: they both cost $250
Very fub indeed
I buy from glassesshop, I think the cheapest pair is $50 for frame and lenses. I went all in on the thinnest lenses and transitions, I think it was $150.
Target optical does vision tests for $75 IIRC, and I go there to get a prescription that I give to glassesshop and pick up a cheap pair and a nicer pair. Still not free.99, but much cheaper than other routes without insurance.
Fucking Stanton and Warby Parker advertised $45 for 2 pairs... But you can only actually get that price if you don't actually need lenses. These two (and probably all others advertising similar prices) are just fucking scams.
Costco is pretty good, my glasses were like $105 or $110 and they're perfectly fine for me
When i submitted the invoice for my safety glasses at work -$750- they just blinked
I always just go to America's Best. $80 for an eye exam and two pairs of glasses is hard to beat.
As far as I know, that's not around here. But the eye exam was only $30, so at least the insurance helped there. It would have only been $10, but they said if I gave them an extra $20, they'd do some imaging thing which meant they didn't have to dilate my eyes. Totally worth an extra $20.
Check out Firmoo, I’ve gotten really cheap prescription glasses on there multiple times.
Never heard of them. I'll check them out. Thanks.
I recently went for glasses and eye exam. Near sighted with astigmatism, and now I need bifocals on top of it. Bifocals with line aren’t common now so doctor suggested progressives. I’m fine with that.
I’m also a special kid who can’t wear polycarbonate lenses because I’m hypersensitive to chromatic aberration. So need Trivex lenses as well. Throw in an anti-glare coating and my cost (with insurance) is like $460.
The sad part is given my needs and how few carry Trivex in my area, I consider it a decent deal.
That's insane. I'm really sorry to hear it.
Don’t be. I’m fortunate to be able to afford it comfortably, and it’s just part of the cost of living to me. In my 40s now and been wearing glasses since I was 10yo.
I’m just happy I’ll be able to read fine print and see stuff close again without needing to take off my glasses.
My issue is getting the examination. Let me know how to get that without insurance.
I get mine at the vision center in Walmart every two years for around $110-150 without any insurance which gets me an eye exam, contact lens prescription, glasses prescription, and one trial pair of contacts. I believe they are all third party, optometrist-owned practices that just rent space in the buildings so YMMV.
I wish I could. That was the one thing the insurance actually helped with.
$250 for a
subscriptionprescription glasses? WTF, are y'all Midas down there or something?That's cheap... I've paid over $500 -with- insurance.
lol you're trolling, right? Are your glasses made of pure kryptonite or what? Even a high-end titanium frame costs $100-$150, regular stuff is well below that. The best prescription lens with all the features like anti scratch or anti blue light or UV-blocking and whatnot would cost no more than $30 each.
These are facts whether you like them or not.
Prescription* lol
lol thanks.
I am from cheap part of Europe. While you can get glasses for 20 Euros, with those kind of requrements 250 sounds about the same.
I guess some countries might get prescription, but I doubt "light frame and light lenses with darkening" would qualify.
Basically, what I have found out since I posted this is that glasses need to be cheaper everywhere.
Goggles4u.com
With the promo code 'BOGO'
2 pairs of frames + lenses with premium coatings (anti-glare, blue light filter, mirrored shades, photochromic shades)
Usually for around $50 CAD incl shipping.
Meanwhile absurd fashion retailer has this: https://www.ssense.com/en-us/men/product/nike/gunmetal-4311-glasses/11507631
Also this! https://mavigadget.com/products/pure-titanium-magnetic-clip-on-glasses/
$117 down from $224. For what is probably $1 of titanium.
I can make you something really cool with 10¢ worth of yarn. You're paying me for my time, the logistics, and the fact that everyone involved needs to eat. This shit doesn't make itself.
If you wanna point out the ridiculous prices of stuff on that website, there are plenty of dramatically wise offenses there. I just bought their PI7 though.
All this requires is a metal stamping machine and some quick assembly. We're not talking about a car here, it's a pair of eyeglass frames. The fact that you can get titanium frames for under $50 shows that this is ludicrously overpriced.
https://www.zennioptical.com/b/titanium-glasses
So design, storage, QA, logistics, and everything that's necessary to actually get them in your hands don't matter to you?
Edit: also the glasses you linked only need a stamping machine and a bit of deburring, but the ones I linked are much more elegant and also IMO look far better. Kinda ironic given how absurd the rest of their products look.
How do you think most if the world affords eye glasses? Do you honestly think millions of poor Indian people pay the ridiculous prices they charge us?
No, of course they don't. The problem is that the market is owned by one company and they pretty much charge whatever they want.
And here you are defending their exorbitant prices.
If you can't afford the really nice ones, get the really cheap ones. Everyone's plastering this post with links to chapter options and you're acting like it screws you over that better stuff exists. I've been using glasses with the coating chipping away because I'm saving up to get nice ones. The dude with a Lambo isn't depriving you of your scooter.
If you take care of the you should be good for at least 5 years