Prescription Glasses - cheap places worth going to?

[RealJimmyJames]

Saw the groupon for optics international in the deals and discounts thread, and it got me thinking. My prescription is somewhat complex, and I need the high refractive index lenses. I know my last set of glasses was about a thousand bucks from a place downtown.

Question is, if I have my prescription with me, is there any downside to using the cheaper places if you have an "abnormal" prescription? I don't need name brand frames, but I do need the lenses to be top notch. I've never checked anywhere but my optometrist.

Was thinking I could pretty much get two identical pairs for less than the price of one from my downtown place.

[ganesh]

As long as the lens are made by a reputable place I think it is OK.

Are you paying for the glasses out of your pocket? If not (If it is covered by the benefits) why bother with this one? If you had good experience just stick with the known place.

I have seen this Two for One deals , my question is why you want two pair of the same glasses any way?

[G-ZUS]

Clearly Contacts.ca

Locally I use Eyecicle, they are decently priced

[GTR_Auto]

Costco!

[RealJimmyJames]

I have a small eyeglasses allowance, and so I'm paying the majority of the cost out of pocket with high end glasses like the kind I got last time.

Also, looking at clearly.ca, they don't have the same high refractive-index options as my optometrist. They have 1.59 and 1.61. I'm sure I got 1.85 last time. This makes a big difference for me.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Clearly Contacts or Costco. Both have been excellent.

If you go to a place like Edworthy Vision or similar high-end downtown vision care you are going to pay 2-3X the price for the same or similar product.

My dad had some really cheap lenses made, and his eye doctor was skeptical that they were any good. They ran them through their little optical testing machine and they were exactly the same as the really expensive lenses haha. He was very surprised.

I bought $600 glasses once and I have since realized my mistake. I got the exact same pair at Costco for about $200 with all the fancy lens coatings.

The markup and margins on frames and prescription eye-wear is absolutely insane. Even if you are using benefits, I would rather have a bunch of money left over for sunglasses or contacts than blow it all on overpriced glasses.

When you get an eye exam make sure you get your pupil distance - that is one thing a lot of them try and hide from you to discourage ordering online. Just have them print your full prescription and pupil distance and you're good to go.

[dj_rice]

WWW.ZENNIOPTICAL.COM

[BigDL]

Avoid Hakim and optics international, Hakim is just bad. Optics International charges you the same cost for their crappy brand lenses as normal brand name lenses without the same quality. Also avoid Lenscrafters, they are pretty bad as well.

My friend in Edmonton owns his own store and I hear him ranting enough on IRC chat about all the screw ups from those stores all the time. And since you have a tough prescription it is possible for someone else with less experience to screw up your lenses. It is possible that the lab that makes your lenses screw it up but the guy putting your glasses together at the store misses it and just puts it together and gives it to you.

Best bet is to get your prescription from your doc and shop around.

[blitz]

I have a heavy prescription (-8.5) and have had no issues with Costco and Clearly.ca , they have the high index lenses and more options for sunglasses than most fancy places do.


Originally posted by RealJimmyJames
Also, looking at clearly.ca, they don't have the same high refractive-index options as my optometrist. They have 1.59 and 1.61. I'm sure I got 1.85 last time. This makes a big difference for me.

They offer 1.67 and 1.74

[RealJimmyJames]

Maybe my quick search didn't hit all the options correctly. Interesting.

[ercchry]

Pearl vision is where I went, they seem to always have sales. I got two pairs of raybans (eye, and sun) for $500, sunglasses are polarized and regular ones are the fancy lenses... But I only have a simple -1,-1 prescription

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by ercchry
Pearl vision is where I went, they seem to always have sales. I got two pairs of raybans (eye, and sun) for $500, sunglasses are polarized and regular ones are the fancy lenses... But I only have a simple -1,-1 prescription

I usually go to Pearl Vision as well when they have buy one get one deal on and have them around $250-$300/pair.

I hate web purchase. I tried once and I always hated what I thought looks good. So there is no choice but going to places with floor sample.

Never tried Costco but heard good things about them as well.

BTW, check this out:
h7H-_8UkmFU

[jwslam]

Originally posted by Xtrema
BTW, check this out:
h7H-_8UkmFU
Totally just came to post this. I'm too late I guess....

Found this though:
http://www.snopes.com/does-luxottica-own-80-of-the-eyeglass-industry/