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Good Rx Glasses Online Retailers

Can anyone recommend a site that they've purchased Rx glasses from and have had good service and quality glasses?

At a local store, I've recently purchased new lenses for my current frames which has significantly reduced the cost of getting a completely new pair. But I also need a good set of Rx polarized sunglasses and wondered if the cheaper prices from online retailers are worth it since brick and mortar stores generally have higher prices.

Some of the sites I've looked into have such astoundingly low prices that it really makes me wonder about the quality of the frames/lenses.

All comments are welcome!
 
I bought from framesdirect.com. I would do it again, the frames are cheaper, I think so is everything else. Make sure you know your PD or pupillary distance, and just fax them your prescription and your PD. I dont see my self buying from anywhere else.
 
I have personally bought six pairs of frames from Zenni Optical. Another six for my gf. All twelve are excellent. You have to adjust the frames to fit. Make sure all your measurements are accurate. Oh, I don't think they do polarized lenses.

Warning: 12 months ago, I had never had more than one or two pairs of glasses at one time. I also would buy glasses as rarely as possible. Glasses that cost less than eating out are dangerously addictive.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I haven't bought any yet, but was thinking about it. Should be interesting to see if there are any responses here.

In the mean time, this is a good article with references to several sites:

http://www.slate.com/id/2198746/

Interesting!

I liked the link to this site http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/ that comments on the various internet vendors.

I've bought a couple pair from 39dollarglasses, and been satisfied. I cannot yet comment on long-term durability, and with any other place you buy glasses adding the bells & whistles makes the price go up.
 
I like those prices, but how do u adjust the frames to fit?

Heat 'em up (quite hot, I like to boil some water in a kettle and use the steam - mind you don't burn yourself), twist and tweak them till they're comfortable and straight. One pair I took a dremel to to open up the bridge a bit (I'd knowingly gone narrower than I should have because I wanted the style. A little bit of grinding on the inside and they fit very comfortably, and the modification is hidden when they're on, and hard to notice even if you inspect them.)

Metal frames don't need as much (or any, sometimes) heat as plastic to tweak the fit.

When the saleperson at the glasses store adjusts them for you, they use a device that is basically a hairdryer to heat up the frames.
 
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My Glasses from Zenni and Goggles4U have been great for over 2 years.

Eyebuyforless has been a mixed bag. My sunglasses were great, but
My wife has a strange prescription with an Astigmatism, and her lenses were off slightly. Wearable for the beach, but not for driving.
 
I have bought lenses and frames from Eyeglass Factory Outlet and from The Eyeglass Guy (both on eBay, if I remember correctly) and got completely decent glasses from them for very reasonable prices.
 
I would never buy online instead of my optometrist. I'm sorry, but my eyes are just too important. If anything, I might ask my optometrist about a frame that she didn't carry, though she can probably source nearly anything.

I have been with my optometrist for several years and she gives me a discount. Yes, I know the discount off full retail is still higher than online sales. But I have a relationship with her. She is taking care of my eye health, not just my spectacle/contact lens choices.

Several years ago I bought an expensive pair of Calvin Klein "frames" ... actually frameless spectacles from her. I am on my 3rd script with these frames. They have withstood nearly daily use and thus the initial cost of the frame, even though near $500, is now near "nothing".

Previously I had gone to the "doc in a box" chains. I got inferior service and inferior choices. Sorry if this sems like a rant, and I do appreciate that money may be tight. But try and seek out a real optometrist, an independent who truly cares and has to manage their own business, not answer to corporate masters. Ask around, ask your friends, ask your primary care physician. Get references, check everything out.

[rant mode off]
 
Sorry to bump this, but I thought it would be better to collect all the info in one place rather than in several posts.

I just bought a pair of backup glasses from 39dollarglasses.com. Very fast and professionally done work. Lenses are great (1.59 index) and I see fine out of them. No anti-glare or other stuff like that, and it was about $45 shipped. They could stand to be fitted to my face a little better, but that's obviously not the website's fault, and they fit well enough for a spare pair. I am sending in my regular frames to be re-lensed by these guys since they did such a good job on these. The lenses for my old frames (titanium flexible) will be about $110 shipped (thinner lenses, anti-glare coating), but the optometrist wanted something like $275 for the lenses, which is almost prohibitive. If you hear nothing more from me on the subject, you can assume they did a good job. I'll be back to whine if they screw it up.
 
I agree with MasterP.

Try these guys...

http://www.framesdirect.com/

They have a wide selection of classy frames and lenses. I have bought several pairs of progressives from them over the years. Good service, not exactly the cheapest but competitive, good quality stuff.

They carry Berkshire Chase Saville Row frames, which I'm wearing. I like them because the offer the "curly" temple on their rimless frames.

Also had them do progressive lenses in my Ray-Ban aviator frames. Most places won't touch these because of the curvature of the lens. Frames Direct did real good job.
 
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