Online prescription glasses. Does anyone buy them?

[Dos_Box]

I've just been having a look at Goggles4U and Glasses2u and am quite shocked about how much cheaper these are over their high street counterparts. I've also been reading some online reviews as well as watching some on YouTube. Now, as we all know, some of these may be in the Trip Adviser vein, so I'm going to ask the people I trst for advice. You guys.

Is anyone odering their glasses online from these (or any other) companies and is there anything I should watch out for? The way I lose glasses I would rather like a cheap way of replacing them

Edited March 17, 2012 by Dos_Box

[featured_spectre]

My mum gets them from Glasses2u and has no complaints aside from her ones scratched easily (she didn't get scratch resistance lenses). But you get what you pay for.

[plexer]

I used ciliary blue to glaze an insert for some sports sun glasses and the service was excellent.

 

I believe your prescription has to have been produced within a certain time frame and you will need to know your pupillary distance.

 

Ben

[Soulfish]

Used Googles4U before. Didn't have any problems tbh. My dad's also bought varifocals from Glasses Direct ™ UK's Most Trusted Prescription Glasses Retailer before - they send out someone to double check all measurements etc, and was still cheaper than the opticians!

[witch]

My sister uses Glasses Direct and is very happy with them

[kevbaz]

been using glasses direct for a few years, cant fault them.

[SteveBentley]

I had a bad experience with Glasses Direct a few years ago, totally screwed up the order and took ages to get it refunded. But this was a while ago and I know of others who have used them with no problem.

[SpuffMonkey]

Further to this thread - recently had to get reading glasses - so bought a pair from the posh optician in town where I had the eye test and also a cheapo pair from Glasses2U - although the prescription wasn't very complicated - functionally the glasses seem identical - so thats the last expensive pair I'll buy - big saving - £16 plays £285!

[carvjo]

I need varifocals and found online ordering of these was rather complicated..

 

A quick trawl of the high st.. to get my prescription with anti-reflective coatings, thin lenses, anti-scratch and a decent stylish frame.. Specsavers wanted about £250, Boots and Vision Express around £300 to £350..

 

I went to ASDA and got exactly what I wanted for £99 - which was about the same or less than some of the online offerings..

[Dos_Box]

Well, I'll try some online glasses today see how they do. If that doesn't work out then the local Asda is just around the corner

[laserblazer]

I'm really long sighted and have always got my varifocals from a reputable shop which supply Hoya lenses. This time, they would cost £235 putting them in the existing frames. I went to Specsaver and the same spec. lenses were £185 including frames. I asked what lens they used and was told Pentax. That's a good sound name I thought but when I got home and checked, they have a licence to use the Pentax name and the lenses are from their own source. I haven't got the new specs yet and I'm sure they will be fine but if not, I'll make a huge stink about them leading me to believe I was buying a top ame brand.

 

I'm not sure about going online for varifocals. When I had my eyes tested, they used some fairly elaborate kit to determine where the centres were. How do you get that sort of accuracy if you do it yourself?

[witch]

TBH if anyone just wants standard reading glasses - you can get cheapo ones from most chemists. They are, after all, just magnifiers.

Obviously a more complicated prescription will need a more professional tailored service.

[crc-ict]

Mixed experience here with Glasses Direct.

 

My Dad bought some simple ones which were fine and he was happy with them.

 

However, I have a complex prescription involving prisms and the experience was different... Ordered and all went through online for about £30 ish, but a couple of hours later got a phone call, "oh, you need prisms? That'll be £50 extra per lens!" So making them more expensive than the high street which doesn't charge any extra for prisms.

 

I'd say if you have a simple prescription it's worth a punt, but beware if you need something a little more complicated.

[flyinghaggis]

Everytime I've been to buy glasses I've had to go back to the optician to get the fit adjusted a couple of days later as I almost always find they don't sit properly so this would put me off ever buying glasses online.

 

Might just be me though.....!

[Edu-IT]

I was pricing up a replacement pair last week after mine got damaged.

 

£185 in the local opticians... £75 online for the same thing.

 

Can't believe I let myself pay £185 only 12 months ago. Definately will be buying online in future. The lens price markup in opticians is stupidly high.

[plexer]

Yes one of the issues with ordering from the Internet is what if they don't fit quite right but I'm sure that anyone who's worn glasses for a while can probably adjust them a bit themselves.

 

The one measurement you need that won't be on your prescription is the Pupillary Distance, i.e the distance between the centre of the pupils.

 

This is measured after the eye test and it doesn't hurt to ask for it yourself they don't have to provide it but most will.

 

Otherwise you can measure it yourself either with some help or even with an app.

 

Ben

[Edu-IT]

even with an app.

On an iPhone? Really?!

[SpuffMonkey]

On an iPhone? Really?!

 

No on an eyePhone ;-)

[Dos_Box]

Well, my first pair from Goggles4u.com came through today and I'm very impressed. The optics are good for cheap lenses (they are plastic and not as good as glass ones in terms of durability and scratch resistance IMO) and for a £20 pair of glasses fitted as per my prescription look and feel good. Certainly better than the £14 'reading' glasses you can pick up off the shelf in supermarkets/chemists. They did take about 20 days to arrive though (from the US) and I was going to email them next week to chase them up.