Buying prescription Glasses online.

[TimWigan]

Went for an eye test on Saturday and got the expected news that theres been a deteriation in the last couple of years ( comes to us all peeps! ) and was recommended varifocal lenses.
High street prices are over double the online prices but I`ve never ordered glasses on line.
Any experiences/ advice/ recommended sites?

[kaiser78]

I tried online glasses last year but was a total nightmare. All the frames I chose I had to send back and decided to buy on the high street, on the basis that if I keep glasses for say 5 years it does not cost that much. And there are always high street offers on anyway.

(Mind that lamppost now...)

[sasguru]

I've been using GlassesDirect for years with no problems. But then I only need glasses when driving at night or in the cinema (slightly short-sighted) so I don't need them to be brilliant. They seem Ok though - avoid the plastic ones. And you can return them and exchange if you don't like them

[TheFaQQer]

Maybe your eyesight needs testing - we discussed this the other day.

Try Lensway if you are looking for new glasses and lenses, or Ciliary Blue if you want reglazing.

[gingerjedi]

Tried online once but they turned out to be crap, never again.

Pay a professional to examine you thoroughly and take your time trying different frames, even then my last experience of a high street opticians wasn't entirely without problem but it was easy to get a satisfactory outcome and I got a money off voucher for my inconvenience.

[Old Greg]

A good pair of varifocal specs depends on:

Your prescription
Your pupillary distance
The height of the optical centre if the lens in the frame according to how the frame sits on you.

You really need to get varifocals from an optician.

For simple low prescription single vision distance or reading specs you may be ok with an online retailer.

Would you get complex code written by someone online based on a two line spec in an email?

[Old Greg]

Tried online once but they turned out to be crap, never again.

Pay a professional to examine you thoroughly and take your time trying different frames, even then my last experience of a high street opticians wasn't entirely without problem but it was easy to get a satisfactory outcome and I got a money off voucher for my inconvenience.

Having worked in the industry I would avoid the budget chains. My mum got a terrible thick lensed pair from a prominent chain. I went in with her to get it sorted. The Dispensing Optician explained that it was due to the prescription. I have him enough rope to hang himself before making him shrivel up in professional frame and agree to replace lenses.

[TheFaQQer]

If you use someone with a decent guarantee (Lensway have a good record and a 366 day guarantee) then if you don't like them, or they aren't good enough, then you send them back.

If you've never had varifocals then it;s probably worth getting the first pair right - when my dad got his, he had lots of problems with the ones that the optician provided and needed to get them remade a few times.

[Old Greg]

If you use someone with a decent guarantee (Lensway have a good record and a 366 day guarantee) then if you don't like them, or they aren't good enough, then you send them back.

If you've never had varifocals then it;s probably worth getting the first pair right - when my dad got his, he had lots of problems with the ones that the optician provided and needed to get them remade a few times.

Have just worked through lensway's ordering system for varifocals. Although the pupillary distance is included, there is no indication of how the centre of the distance portion of the lens is positioned in front of the pupil height-wise. And indeed this is not possible without the patient wearing the frame sat in front of a dispenser.

Proceed with caution.

[TheFaQQer]

Have just worked through lensway's ordering system for varifocals. Although the pupillary distance is included, there is no indication of how the centre of the distance portion of the lens is positioned in front of the pupil height-wise. And indeed this is not possible without the patient wearing the frame sat in front of a dispenser.

Proceed with caution.

If they aren't right, send them back for your money back. I'm not sure how that's much different from a high street optician (assuming high street opticians offer a 100% money back guarantee).