Affordable eyeglasses?

[vicb]

My DS needs new perscription sunglasses and regular glasses. Our eye doctor has no problem giving us our perscription and letting us go where we want to get glasses but I'm not sure where to go. Last time we got glasses from the doctor they were close to $350 !

Wondering where other folks have gone? Sears optical? Walmart? other?

Don't want to do online as DS wants to try on frames.

TIA!

 

[Poohforyou]

I've always gone to Lens Crafters. With an AAA membership you get a 30% discount.

 

[tvguy]

My DS needs new perscription sunglasses and regular glasses. Our eye doctor has no problem giving us our perscription and letting us go where we want to get glasses but I'm not sure where to go. Last time we got glasses from the doctor they were close to $350 !

Wondering where other folks have gone? Sears optical? Walmart? other?

Don't want to do online as DS wants to try on frames.

TIA!

Certainly price shop, lots of Dispensing Opticians, check the Yellow pages.
I guess type of lens, prescription, and frames make a big price difference, but $350 sounds like a bargain. I have vision insurance and my co-pay for my last pair of glasses was $425. With what the insurance paid the glasses cost $875, and I went with the "cheap" $125 frames. Amazing, my frames probably cost $3 to make.

 

[vicb]

I've always gone to Lens Crafters. With an AAA membership you get a 30% discount.

Good idea! I just looked up and there are two locations in my town. Thank you!

 

[phorsenuf]

Zennioptical.com

Great prices, great service and excellent product!

 

[crazelion]

Wal-mart vision center. You can get a complete set for 40.00 dollars lens and glass for that price. I am blind as bat and I wear 40.00 dollars glass I got from Wal-mart they is great.

Would have tried zenoptial but too much thinking involve. Did I mention that I use Wal-mart gift cards to pay for glasses and they was free. LOL

 

[shaylyn]

zennioptical.com is awesome

We order DS8's glasses there.

 

[lovetoscrap]

another vote for zenni ! We have had great luck with them and they are so cheap you can get a few pairs for spares and back ups.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Another vote for Zenni - I've known several people IRL and online that have used them. I took a chance a few months ago, ordered 3 pairs for $40, and I love all 3 pairs!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

My family uses Zenni as well. They have glasses (frames and lenses) for as little as $8. My brother is really good at breaking his so he orders 2-3 at a time.

 

[cglaura]

Walmart...my exam, lenses and frames = $98 (no vision insurance, that was the total cost).

 

[aprilgail2]

Certainly price shop, lots of Dispensing Opticians, check the Yellow pages.
I guess type of lens, prescription, and frames make a big price difference, but $350 sounds like a bargain. I have vision insurance and my co-pay for my last pair of glasses was $425. With what the insurance paid the glasses cost $875, and I went with the "cheap" $125 frames. Amazing, my frames probably cost $3 to make.

I was thinking the same thing- my daughter just got her first pair of glasses and it was closer to 500 after insurance! She got designer frames though so those cost a bit. She was upset enough about having to even wear glasses so there was no way I was sending her with walmart frames to school!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So what do you need to ask your eye doctor for in order to get glasses online, besides the prescription? Anything else?

I am going to the eye doctor in a few weeks and I would like to get some spares for my dd and I.

 

[NaLisa]

Thanks for this thread. I'm definitely going to give Zenni a try. I just started needing glasses a couple of years ago (over-40 eyes) and I bought my last pair from Walmart. They lasted about three months before screw came loose and lens popped out.

I did notice that my local Target has an optical center now so I was thinking of trying them out. I generally find that customer service and quality of product are much better at Target than at Walmart.

 

[RitaZ.]

Certainly price shop, lots of Dispensing Opticians, check the Yellow pages.
I guess type of lens, prescription, and frames make a big price difference, but $350 sounds like a bargain. I have vision insurance and my co-pay for my last pair of glasses was $425. With what the insurance paid the glasses cost $875, and I went with the "cheap" $125 frames. Amazing, my frames probably cost $3 to make.

I hear ya! In December, I paid close to $400 for my new glasses. That was just my share of the cost. Total cost was well over $800. That is absolutely insane!!!!!!! I have been going to the same doctor for years and I'm tired of his ridiculously high prices. They do carry very nice and high-end frames, but I'm not willing to pay those prices any longer. I've purchased the $$ frames before and they didn't last longer than the cheaper frames. My current frame was considered really cheap at $130. When I was about to choose the new frame, I told them that I didn't want to exceed the amount that my insurance co. allows for the frame (it's between $130 and $150). They said that it would be difficult to find such an inexpensive frame in their selection. Guess what my "frame" is? Two legs and the tiny part that attaches the lenses and goes over my nose. The glasses are rimless. There is nothing special or unique about it. I purchased the same frame the previous year and they've stopped carrying it. They had to special-order it for me. I won't be purchasing any more glasses from them.

OP, go to Walmart. My neighbor gets her glasses there now. She used to go to my doctor, but got tired of his high prices.

I'll have to look into Zenni.

 

[OceanAnnie]

zennioptical.com is awesome

We order DS8's glasses there.

We have used zenniopitical with fantastic results! We are on the second round of glasses within 6 months and are looking at another purchase in the next 6 months. The doctor explained with growth spurts the eyes can change and they did. There is no way I'd pay crazy high prices for replacing glasses that soon.

The first time I got two pair of eyeglasses with sunglass clip ons for $60. That included high index, and anti-reflective coating.

I just ordered another pair of half rimless, the total cost was under $30. Needless to say, I'm thrilled. My son gets lots of compliments on his glasses and the price is right.

ETA- You will need your child's pupil distance and temple distance. The temple distance is really the length of the arm of the glasses. You don't input that number, but it is a guide so you won't have a overhang of arm behind the ear.

*** The temple distance is actually on a lot of glasses. There are numbers embedded on the side of one of the arms. My temple distance is 140. It's usually the last 3 digits on glasses closer to the lens.

HTH.

 

[anniemae]

If you have a "for eyes" around you, they have really good prices.

If not, I would check out Walmart.

 

[mtemm]

my son got his first pair of glasses a month ago. we went to a local place that accepts the vsp that comes with dh's insurance, and that did help some with the price. instead of prescription sunglasses, though, we just bought ds transition lenses for his regular glasses, so they tint to sunglasses when he is outdoors. they are fabulous and he loves them!

of course, a week later we realized he needed rec specs for baseball. cha-ching. although I guess I just thought they were pricey...at $200 they seem like a bargain compared to what others here have paid for glasses!

 

[OceanAnnie]

Oh, Lens Crafters and Wal-Mart adjusts the glasses for free. Lens Crafters advertises that they adjust eyeglasses from anywhere. At least they used to advertise it. We have used both for adjustments, just depends on where we are running errands. BJs has done it too.

 

[clori]

I have a vision plan. My dd's free glasses ended up costing me about $50 from lens crafters. Frames are free up to $125 then 20% of the remaining cost. DD picked frames for $130 which included a sunglass clip on part. The polycarbonate lens were free which included uv and anti scratch. The antiglare was $45 but we had a $25 coupon combinable with insurance. Then I bought the $30 insurance for 1 year.

My glasses were about the same only I didn't have the coupon plus I went with polycarbonate which cost me $40 copay since they aren't free for adults. Neither of us has a strong enough rx to pay for high index. Both glasses are from lens crafters.

Now I'm dreading dh's glasses though curious as to what they will cost after insurance. His rx is very strong -15.xx, etc and needs high index etc. Even though lens crafters has glasses ready in about an hour his take a few weeks. He just wants basic frames but those tend to be high as well. I think last time we paid around $500 after 30% AAA discount. There are newer high index lens options he is debating about before he orders.