Eyeglass Lenses

[Neil4Speed]

My health benefits were recently renewed and I had the frames that I wanted in mind for a while now. They are made by Persol ($200) and to my surprise, Lenscrafters carried them, for a seemly good price as well.

When I went to get my quote put through though, the Lenses were running something along the lines of $340 with the AR coating, which seemed like allot considering my prescription is fairly basic (-2.75). Even after their limited time "30% off" sale, it came out to be around $440 for a pair of glasses, which sounded really expensive.

Just wondering if this is the going rate for lenses these days or if there is a way I can save a bit by perhaps buying the frames in one place and the lenses in another.

[speedog]

Spent around $500 on my most recent set from this spring - included graduated progressive lens, anti-scratch, anti-glare & UV coatings. Glasses - they aren't necessarily cheap any more and some frames can really bump up the price.

[Affinityion]

Yep sounds about right, bought a brand new pair of glasses (Nikon lenses, power ~-4, -5) and Ray Ban frames...came to a bout $350. This was about 6 years ago. They ding you mostly on the lenses :/

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
My health benefits were recently renewed and I had the frames that I wanted in mind for a while now. They are made by Persol ($200) and to my surprise, Lenscrafters carried them, for a seemly good price as well.

When I went to get my quote put through though, the Lenses were running something along the lines of $340 with the AR coating, which seemed like allot considering my prescription is fairly basic (-2.75). Even after their limited time "30% off" sale, it came out to be around $440 for a pair of glasses, which sounded really expensive.

Just wondering if this is the going rate for lenses these days or if there is a way I can save a bit by perhaps buying the frames in one place and the lenses in another.

You would want something better then their polarized lens, as their lens are known to delaminate over time. But most importantly is their edgers does not take into the curvature of the frame into account. About 80% of the time the lens will flatten the frame and will cause the arms to splay (spread). Which, now, the frame fits a lot bigger then originally. You may ask them to send it out to their outside lab to do the entire job (grinding, edging and mounting) but most of the time the lab manager will end up doing it in-lab after the lenses are back from AR-coating.

Which has happened many many times at the Lenscrafters lab I used to work at. Where the lab manager prefers quantity jobs completed vs quality of jobs completed.


Originally posted by speedog
Spent around $500 on my most recent set from this spring - included graduated progressive lens, anti-scratch, anti-glare & UV coatings. Glasses - they aren't necessarily cheap any more and some frames can really bump up the price.

Hate to be a prick, but nothing is anti-scratch. It is call scratch resistant.

But yes, glasses are not cheap anymore. Spend 70% of your budget into better lenses. Your eyes will thank you later.




:goflames:

[Neil4Speed]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown HiSpec, you do know your stuff!

Just wondering, do you have any recommendations on where to go for lenses?

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed
Thanks for the detailed breakdown HiSpec, you do know your stuff!

Just wondering, do you have any recommendations on where to go for lenses?

I know Nikon have a series of lens call SeeMax Style, dedicated for frame with high curvatures. I know my optometrist at Urban Optique at Market Mall professional center carries that lens. But I can't give personal review because my prescription is really high, so I wasn't able to fit the lenses into my frame of choice.

[Neil4Speed]

Originally posted by HiSpec


I know Nikon have a series of lens call SeeMax Style, dedicated for frame with high curvatures. I know my optometrist at Urban Optique at Market Mall professional center carries that lens. But I can't give personal review because my prescription is really high, so I wasn't able to fit the lenses into my frame of choice.

Interesting, that lens place is very close to me so I will check it out. My prescription is pretty weak though -2.75.

[HiSpec]

If you do go check it out, please do let me know how it works out for you.

[pho88]

I don't know the specifics of your lense requirements, but my prescription is around -6.5, so I usually need the high index lenses. The eye glass place by my house was charging around 400-600 depending on which index you wanted. Then I decided to check out costco, they were around $200 ish for the thinest high index lens. Even with the $60 membership fee, you would still come out ahead.

[anarchy]

I would highly recommend purchasing glasses off ClearlyContacts.com.

I buy glasses every year or two and I used to go to Visions in Chinatown (because you can haggle lol) and it would typically come out to $350-400 for designer frames (Prada, Lacoste, Calvin Klein etc.).


I've recently been buying from Clearly Contacts and it's much cheaper - mostly non-designer but even my pair of CK's and Armani's from Clearly were only $80-100, lens included.

The refund policy is awesome - you have 365 days (a full year!) to return them as long as they are in original condition, and they pay for shipping back. I've ordered 7, 8 pairs in the past before deciding on one pair and shipped them all back with full refunds.

I'm a -5.00 prescription by the way.

[jaysas_63]

Originally posted by anarchy
I would highly recommend purchasing glasses off ClearlyContacts.com.

I buy glasses every year or two and I used to go to Visions in Chinatown (because you can haggle lol) and it would typically come out to $350-400 for designer frames (Prada, Lacoste, Calvin Klein etc.).


I've recently been buying from Clearly Contacts and it's much cheaper - mostly non-designer but even my pair of CK's and Armani's from Clearly were only $80-100, lens included.

The refund policy is awesome - you have 365 days (a full year!) to return them as long as they are in original condition, and they pay for shipping back. I've ordered 7, 8 pairs in the past before deciding on one pair and shipped them all back with full refunds.

I'm a -5.00 prescription by the way.

cheap lenses but you get what you pay for. deff not ganna see any sort of brand name lenses like nikon or essilor lenses in that price range. all depends how picky you are with the optics i guess