Glasses

[NewGig]

I have my everyday trifocals, but I use them because it’s easier, I can see and drive without them. That said, I was driving home from the major city 2 hours away 2 years ago and did fine, but was straining. So I gotdrivingglasses.used old frames to keep the costs down. The frames died. Our insurance will only pay for doc visit, the doc quit most plans, but she’s by far the best eye doc near here.

So my plan is to get a new prescription from her and take it somewhere Cheap to get glasses.

Recommendations anyone?

TIA too.

[catherine]

I've never bought online, but I almost bought from glassesusa.com. My kids swear by Warby Parker, and I've also browsed Zenni.

They are all much cheaper than your local optometrist.

[rosarugosa]

I get my eye exams and glasses through Costco. Exam cost $70., and my glasses, which have progressive & transitional lenses, anti-glare, scratch resistance, cost $280. The exam is from an optometrist and not an ophthalmologist, but I don't really have any issues, so that is fine with me.

[CathyA]

My distance vision has improved so much that I don't need a prescription for that. But I do need close-up help. My ophthalmologist said not to waste my money on whole glasses, but just use reading glasses. But I don't want to be looking over glasses all the time, or putting them on and off. So I will probably get the mid and low sections filled per RX, but leave the top part plain glass.
I might look into online buying, but it sort of scares me. Unfortunately, if I get them where I usually do, without insurance it's about$450.

So you just need close-up glasses? I've seen some OTC glasses at Meijer that have the bottom for reading and the top is clear. Maybe that's an option for both of us?

[SteveinMN]

Seems like a good place to put my followup with my Warby Parker progressive bifocals. They were about 60% of the price I paid for similar glasses from a local independent (that is, not a heavy-advertising branch of Luxottica) optician.

My conclusion is that I got what I paid for. The frames don't have the springy hinges my old one did to ward off destruction by opening them too far. There is no wire running through the front part of the glasses, but that likely depends on model and I could have chosen metal frames if I wanted. The high-index polycarbonate used for the lenses is not the same grade as the Seiko or Nikon lenses the previous place used; there is somewhat more internal refraction and I can tell that the sweet spot of focus is much smaller on these lenses despite being about the same size as my previous pair.

I can adapt (and have). But, for as critical as my glasses are to me, my next pair might not be from WP. It was great to save $300 but this might be an area in which for me I get more when I pay more.

[JaneV2.0]

For some unknown reason, readers don't work for me, and so far I get along fine with none. (I do wear "driving glasses.") My original Rx was something like 20/60. Costco glasses are fine for my correction--distance plus astigmatism--and I would be up for shopping on line for additional pairs.

[Teacher Terry]

I have 2 pairs of prescriptions readers. Although the lenses have changed I am still using the frames after 22 years. My other pair is 8 years old. They were expensive but worth it.

[CathyA]

I've tried to find some readers with no frame on top. But still......I just feel more comfortable with a whole pair of glasses, even if the top IS just plain glass. And I really need anti-reflection stuff. Does anyone know in progressive lenses, if there's actually a middle prescription or is it mostly far and near?
It's funny to not need help with distance anymore. That's the ONLY thing on me that's improved with age. haha
Thanks for that info Steve!

[Yppej]

I have found Walmart to be the cheapest place around. $9.00 for frames the last time I went and the lenses were reasonable. They do not take insurance which keeps their overhead costs down.

[NewGig]

Thank you guys!