Question about Zenni Optical and other cheap eyeglasses

[Jenny in GA]

A few months ago I and two of my children went for our yearly eye exam. (I wear contacts, and they are both farsighted and need glasses to read and do other close-up work.)

 

Both the kids needed new prescriptions, as well as having outgrown their frames. I had heard good things about getting glasses on-line through Zenni, so when the doctor was ready to start trying on frames with my kids, I told her I was hoping to buy them from Zenni.

 

The doctor (who we have been going to for several years, and who I have always liked) said, "Well, I do have to tell you that the reason they are so cheap, just like Wal-Mart's glasses, is because they use inferior materials for the lenses, and because of that the prescription will not actually be correct. It will compromise the kids' vision if you get glasses from there."

 

I was surprised and disappointed to hear that (I assumed they were cheaper because they weren't designer frames). Since I obviously wanted my kids to have the correct prescription so they can see to read and do their schoolwork, we went ahead and bought the glasses there.

 

During my own exam, we discovered that my own glasses prescription was very out of date. (I normally wear contacts, but use the glasses some, especially in the evening. I knew I needed a new prescription.)

 

I really didn't want to fork out the money for another pair of glasses, so I asked the doctor if ordering from Zenni or Wal-Mart might be a good idea for me, since I use the glasses so infrequently.

 

She said, "For you, I definitely would not order glasses from there. Since you are so severely nearsighted and have astigmatism, they would not be able to accomodate your prescription correctly. You would be better off wearing your old pair, with an out-of-date prescription, then to order glasses from them with the correct prescription." (Italics mine)

 

So I kept my old glasses, ordered glasses for the kids at $160 a piece, and the bill for everything, including the exams and my new contacts, was several hundred dollars.

 

Now, one of my kids has lost her glasses and we haven't been able to find them for several days (which could be a whole other thread), so I am thinking about this again. No way can I spend another $160 on a child's pair of glasses.

 

But, if they need glasses to read I want to make sure they get what they need.

 

So ...

 

All this to say ...

 

Has anyone heard that the actual lens/prescription quality of Zenni, Wal-Mart, etc is inferior??? Is the prescription actually "wrong" due to faulty, cheap materials?

 

If you have "cheap" glasses, does your eye doctor feel like they're working for you? Has anyone had a problem with "cheap" glasses, or had a doctor tell you they won't work for you because of your eye problems?

 

Is anyone an eye doctor, or know one, who can comment on this?

 

Thanks so much!

[HiddenJewel]

My dd and dh just got glasses through Wal-Mart. We had dd's prescription double-checked with the eye doctor's office after receiving them to make sure it was correct and there were no issues with the lenses.

[jillian]

I'm wearing Zenni glasses right now and wear them daily....I've seen nothing/no durability issues with them and have been wearing them for almost a year now. Never had problems with a doctor saying anything about them.

[Random]

"Well, I do have to tell you that the reason they are so cheap, just like Wal-Mart's glasses, is because they use inferior materials for the lenses, and because of that the prescription will not actually be correct. It will compromise the kids' vision if you get glasses from there."

 

Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!

 

The truth is SHE doesn't make a small fortune on the glasses you buy from Zenni.

[teachermom2834]

I've been very happy with all the glasses my family has bought from Wal-Mart. Our particular store has great customer service and a very good independent optometrist.

 

I'm going to try Zenni soon.

[allie911]

Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!

 

The truth is SHE doesn't make a small fortune on the glasses you buy from Zenni.

:iagree: I was concerned about the quality of them as well, so I ordered both of my kids glasses through the eye dr., then ordered back up pairs from Zenni. The prescription was perfect (we had the eye doc check) and, honestly, no one can tell the difference b/t the $200 pair and the $30 pair we have.

[garddwr]

I think my brother orders from Zenni and is fine. I have ordered from Goggles4u and Coastal contacts for both myself and my husband, at least 6 pairs of glasses. I have only had trouble with one pair of glasses that didn't seem quite right (the other pair I ordered at the same time with the same prescription but different frame was just fine) but since I paid less than $20 for that pair I just decided to keep it as a backup. I got two pairs for under $50--check for coupon codes.

 

Seriously I think you should be fine.

[oldskool]

Ditto. I have actually had worse luck with the more expensive places than I have with glasses I have purchased through Walmart.

 

Us too. Dh's expensive glasses were made very poorly. The company (well known) said they could fix them for another $300 (we paid almost $500 originally). We then knew that the whole eye glass business is a scam. I would not trust what your eye doctor told you. Go with what you can afford.

[WeeBeaks]

I have bought from Zenni and other places. I have a very heavy duty prescription with astigmatism in one eye, and these glasses are perfect, as are the other pairs I have purchased, including prescription sunglasses and the like.

[zookeeperof3]

I LOVE my Zenni glasses. I am severely nearsighted and have an astigmatism....they made my glasses perfectly. In fact I always had trouble at Lenscrafters etc because they never had my strength in stock and had to special order it. My husband loves his Zenni sunglasses. I've bought their goggle style and regular styles for my oldest son. We've all had our glasses from Zenni for over a year now, without any problems.

 

Kim

[nukeswife]

The only thing my eye Dr. Said about ordering online was that getting the measurement between the pupils can be tricky if you don't use the special gizmo they use in house or at wal-mart, so she recommended that if our budget wouldn't accommodate glasses from their office, then she recommends wal-mart instead of going online. My dd and I both have glasses from wal-mart and have had no issues.

[HiddenJewel]

The only thing my eye Dr. Said about ordering online was that getting the measurement between the pupils can be tricky if you don't use the special gizmo they use in house or at wal-mart, so she recommended that if our budget wouldn't accommodate glasses from their office, then she recommends wal-mart instead of going online. My dd and I both have glasses from wal-mart and have had no issues.

 

You can get the PD written write on the prescription.

[Farrar]

I didn't like the look of the Zenni frames, so I ended up going with Warby Parker, which, while it's a good bit more than Zenni, is still massively cheaper than the last pair I owned. Eyefly has a similar business model and set of styles to WP, but both are for adults only. Like the OP, I have an astigmatism and am nearsighted. The online WP's are great. I love them. I was nervous about it, but I'm really glad I did it. I did have to get them adjusted, but somewhere did it for me for free.

 

I have now met a couple of people who got the wrong or an inferior prescription from an online outfit, but in both cases, people said it wasn't a big deal - after all, they had only shelled out $15 for them in the first place. It was worth the risk. WP and Eyefly run closer to a hundred, so that's a bigger risk, but Zenni is so cheap... I'd just try it if I were you.

[garddwr]

The only thing my eye Dr. Said about ordering online was that getting the measurement between the pupils can be tricky if you don't use the special gizmo they use in house or at wal-mart, so she recommended that if our budget wouldn't accommodate glasses from their office, then she recommends wal-mart instead of going online. My dd and I both have glasses from wal-mart and have had no issues.

 

I just ask my optometrist to measure the pupillary distance and put it on the prescription. If they refuse to do that in house I would find another optometrist, because they're just trying to rope you into buying your glasses from them!

 

--Sarah

 

ETA:

You can always just call the last place where you got glasses made and tell them you need to know you PD. They keep records, they should give it to you. I have done this before.

Edited January 9, 2012 by thegardener

[abbeyej]

She needs to sell glasses to keep her practice going. So she ... fibbed. I would find another doctor.

[OLG]

She needs to sell glasses to keep her practice going. So she ... fibbed. I would find another doctor.

 

:iagree: This is the truth.

 

My ds and I both have used Zenni glasses for a few years w/o any problems and his eyes have not deteriorated as they did before (which could just have been a age/growth issue but..)

 

These docs make a FORTUNE from glasses.

[alpidarkomama]

We have many Zenni glasses in the house. The only pair that didn't work out so well were my bifocals. They're just not quite adjusted right (the field of vision for the bifocals seems rather narrow!), but I haven't done anything about it yet.

[Jenny in Florida]

I have ordered from Goggles4u and Coastal contacts for both myself and my husband, at least 6 pairs of . . .

 

I'm currently wearing a pair of glasses from Goggles4u, and I like them quite a bit. I've had no more trouble with duratibility or any other issue with them than I have with any glasses I've purchased from a doctor's office. I plan to order from them again next time.

[Carpe]

I own dozens of $10 glasses from Zenni optical. No problems with them at all.

 

I think your doctor misled you.

[ChristusG]

I have on Zenni glasses right now. Actually, I have a pair of $200 glasses from Wal-Mart and I prefer my $12 Zenni's and wear them more often. The prescription actually seems more correct and I can see better out of them. Shhh...don't tell my husband I prefer my $12 ones LOL.

[prairiewindmomma]

-

Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[joannqn]

I just ask my optometrist to measure the pupillary distance and put it on the prescription. If they refuse to do that in house I would find another optometrist, because they're just trying to rope you into buying your glasses from them!

 

--Sarah

 

:iagree:

 

When I woke up to the sound of my 2 year old trying to put the lens back into my very mangled frames, I called around. The ones that said they wouldn't give me the PD didn't get my business. I ended up going to the optometrist at Costco because they said they could give it to me. They sent me out to the counter where you choose glasses and they got me the measurement, no questions asked.

 

I get a lot of compliments on my Zenni frames. They work great.

 

On a side note, before my Zenni frames, I was wearing an old prescription because the glasses I got from the doctor were so wrong I couldn't even wear them a few minutes. They checked them and assured me they were right. I never wore that pair.

[Celia]

I'm just curious (we don't have this option in Canada, as far as I know), but when you buy glasses online, who adjusts them? How do you choose the frames that are a good fit? Is it only for single vision lenses, or do you buy progressives and bifocals there as well? If so, how do they measure the height to put the bifocal/progressive? And how do they help you choose the type of progressive lens to wear to work the best with your prescription?

 

For higher prescriptions, do they give you tips on frame shape/material to keep your lenses as thin as possible without spending $$$ on high index lenses?

 

I can see how ordering glasses online could work for people that don't wear them constantly, or if there's a place you can go to try on the frames first and get them all measured up, but other than that, I think it would be a crapshoot.

[Shellers]

I don't have glasses from Zenni. The prescription glasses I wear everyday I got for free online thru Slckdeals. I think I got them from Coastal Contacts. I haven't had any problems. I love my glasses!

 

My DH got a pair of $800 glasses from Lenscrafters and he can't even wear them. The RX is all wrong. He prefers his freebie RX online glasses.

 

Doctors make a big chunk of money selling glasses.

[Audrey]

I'm just curious (we don't have this option in Canada, as far as I know), but when you buy glasses online, who adjusts them? How do you choose the frames that are a good fit? Is it only for single vision lenses, or do you buy progressives and bifocals there as well? If so, how do they measure the height to put the bifocal/progressive? And how do they help you choose the type of progressive lens to wear to work the best with your prescription?

 

For higher prescriptions, do they give you tips on frame shape/material to keep your lenses as thin as possible without spending $$$ on high index lenses?

 

I can see how ordering glasses online could work for people that don't wear them constantly, or if there's a place you can go to try on the frames first and get them all measured up, but other than that, I think it would be a crapshoot.

 

 

Clearly Contacts is one option in Canada. Also, I do know people here who have ordered from Zenni, so you can get them here.

[Carpe]

I'm just curious (1 we don't have this option in Canada, as far as I know), but when you buy glasses online, 2 who adjusts them? 3 How do you choose the frames that are a good fit? 4 Is it only for single vision lenses, or do you buy progressives and bifocals there as well? If so, how do they measure the height to put the bifocal/progressive? And how do they help you choose the type of progressive lens to wear to work the best with your prescription?

 

5 For higher prescriptions, do they give you tips on frame shape/material to keep your lenses as thin as possible without spending $$$ on high index lenses?

 

I can see how ordering glasses online could work for people that don't wear them constantly, or if there's a place you can go to try on the frames first and get them all measured up, but other than that, I think it would be a 6 crapshoot.

 

1. I am Canadian, Zenni ships here

2. You do. It's not hard. Alternately some stores will adjust any glasses, the one in the mall closest to me does.

3. If you like your current glasses, measure them, all the measurements are available. I found a pair that are identical to my last pair of multi-hundred-dollar glasses for $8.95. If it's your first pair, I don't know what you would do.

4. All the special lenses are available, I know nothing about them because I don't need them

5. If you're nearsighted smaller lenses will be thinner at the edge. Farsighted: bigger. It's the distance of the edge from the "center" (where your pupil is) of the lens, not the shape that makes a difference. (ie a square lens 15mm from the center will be as thick as a round lens 15mm from the center)

I have -8.00 and the standard lens aren't even that thick.

6. Even with all the information it is a bit of a crapshoot. But having bought many pairs that have yet to total my last non-Zenni pair, I don't care that one pair are a little too wide, and one pair are not a good colour for me.

 

HTH

Edited January 9, 2012 by Carpe
Funky formatting error

[ThisIsTheDay]

I've been very happy with all the glasses my family has bought from Wal-Mart. Our particular store has great customer service and a very good independent optometrist.

 

I'm going to try Zenni soon.

 

:iagree:

 

I have a distaste for Walmart in general, but our experience with buying prescription glasses for dd has been at least equal to, or better than, any other place where we've forked out big bucks. At this point, the only other place I'd try ordering glasses from would be Zenni.

 

 

On a slightly different note, my dd has had vision concerns in the past and seen a few optometrists simultaneously. After we moved, I took her to a new eye doc and ended up filing my only BBB complaint ever. I ended up getting twice the amount of money I requested. Afterwards, I looked very carefully before choosing a new eye doc and ended up at Sam's Club. We've been very happy.

[cjzimmer1]

My son and my husband both have a basic prescription and have gotten glasses through Zenni. The metal frames seem a little thinner than what we have found locally and do break a little easier. We have found that we just plan and get 2 pairs a year for my son. $40 dollars is still a whole lot cheaper than over a $100 that it would cost locally.

 

For my husband he got the ones with the built in sunglasses (I think called transitions?). They are okay but they always have a bit of gray tint even indoors. And they don't change as quickly as mine do (I'll discuss mine below). So we have two pairs for him as well. One for one he will be outside more and one for when he is inside more. Again 2 pairs was significantly less than 1 locally and he only gets new glasses every 3-5 years.

 

For myself, I get them locally. I have severe astigmatism and a strong prescription. Once the glasses are made, they have to bend/shape them multiple times to get them to sit just right on my face. If they are not bent properly, I get glares off the sides that prevent me from seeing clearly. Also because of the astigimitism (there is only a small space on the lens where I can see clearly to read in the distance (street signs for example). It is imperative that this part sits directly in front of my eye. Even with proper measurements from the doctor, adjustments are necessary at the tail end because everyone frame and glasses shape will be different and thus affect where that perfect spot is. This is not a case of poorly made glasses but simply due to my vision issues. I have boughten glasses at the eye doctor, Walmart, JC Penney, Sears, Eye Mart Express etc. THis has been a problem with every single places. My eye doctor has confirmed that this is due to my prescription and astigima combination.

 

When you buy glasses for Zenni, local places may or may not be willing to make any adjustments on them. Because I know up front I will need adjustments made several times, I buy locally so that I know I will get the service I need to make it possible for me to see.

 

So for a basic prescription, I wouldn't hesitate at all to go with Zenni. For a complicated prescription, I will only buy locally. However, I no longer wear contacts so my glasses are my only means of seeing. If I still wore contacts and only occasionally wore my glasses, I might gamble on a Zenni pair and see if they were good enough.

[KS_]

We go to Sam's Club for our eye exams (the drs there are wonderful!) and they don't have any issues with us ordering from Zenni. We've taken in at least one of the pairs to verify that the prescription was correct. The only comment I've had from one of the techs there is that the glasses my dd was wearing weren't polycarbonate and just regular plastic, and by law, they're supposed to be polycarb for kids. I had just ordered the regular lenses and didn't realize that when I placed the order (next time, I'll get the polycarb). The techs at Sam's will often replace the nose pieces for us, because the Zenni ones are cheaper and not as comfortable as the ones Sam's has, but that's it.

 

I think many eye drs don't like the competition. I stopped going to another eye dr because of her attitude with me purchasing contacts online. I won't go to drs (or other sales people) who act like I don't have options or might know enough to make my own decisions.

[KS_]

I just ask my optometrist to measure the pupillary distance and put it on the prescription. If they refuse to do that in house I would find another optometrist, because they're just trying to rope you into buying your glasses from them!

 

 

I agree. I the optometrist won't work with me and tries to make me feel guilty because we can't afford buying glasses from them, I won't continue to give them any of my money.

[Guest Tiffany11]

I received my two pairs of glasses from Zenni Optical in exactly 10 days after placing the order online. Had doctor checked them, he said they were a great pair: cute frame and correct prescription! Each pair came inside a free eyeglass case wrapped with a cleaning cloth and my order was just over $50. I am very satisfied with this pair.

[HiddenJewel]

When we ordered from Zenni, they emailed to confirm my dd's prescription because it is very strange. That impressed me a bunch!

[Guest katalepsykills]

I've had more luck with glasses ordered through zenni than the minimum $170 glasses I'd ordered twice before through Wal-mart.  Totally agree with the "LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!!".   My zenni glasses are $30.75 for 2 pair.  I've ordered 6 pair so far.  Might want to go in for the $8 or so for the anti-reflective coating... I haven't decided whether I can tell a difference.  But if lights and night-driving are an issue for you it might help.  Don't buy into Wal-mart - or LensCrafters for that matter unless you never break or lose your glasses and want to(and can) spend $500-600(might as well, if you're going to get a nice pair... this is for the adults, not the kids obviously) or so for a pair that will last you for the next 3 years or so.  I picked out these hot $400 frames for a boyfriend once at LensCrafters.  He's still wearing them.            

If it's between walmart and zenni, go with zenni, but if you NEVER take your glasses off because you're mostly blind, I'd upgrade a little.

[In The Great White North]

So, after reading this thread, I went and looked at the Zenni site.  Do the glasses not come in sizes?  Do you just have to pick a frame that happens to be in the correct size?

[ocelotmom]

I have Zenni glasses and Walmart glasses. The Walmart glasses were a $10 frame, which I think came out to about $110 with lenses. I've been wearing them for two years now with no issues. The Zenni frames+lenses were much cheaper than Walmart - I think in the $30 range. I just compared the lenses - I can see a bit better through the Zenni lenses, probably because they've been sitting around in a case for two years, while the glasses from Walmart have been worn daily throughout the same time.

 

I ended up not liking the frame I ordered through Zenni, which is why I don't wear them. I had intended those lenses to be tinted. Somehow it didn't work out that way - I'm pretty sure this was a combo of awkward interface on their side and not paying close enough attention on mine. They do have a thing where you can upload a photo and "try on" different frames, but I found it hard to get a good photo that worked well.

 

I might be willing to give them another shot with my next pair, since they're so cheap that I can risk a bad choice or two.

 

And I agree - she was just trying to sell you stuff.

[vonfirmath]

I'm just curious (we don't have this option in Canada, as far as I know), but when you buy glasses online, who adjusts them? How do you choose the frames that are a good fit? Is it only for single vision lenses, or do you buy progressives and bifocals there as well? If so, how do they measure the height to put the bifocal/progressive? And how do they help you choose the type of progressive lens to wear to work the best with your prescription?

 

For higher prescriptions, do they give you tips on frame shape/material to keep your lenses as thin as possible without spending $$$ on high index lenses?

 

I can see how ordering glasses online could work for people that don't wear them constantly, or if there's a place you can go to try on the frames first and get them all measured up, but other than that, I think it would be a crapshoot.

 

I have a very strong prescription, have bought several pairs of glasses in various places in person, and no one has mentioned that the shape of the frames matters in how thin the lens are.  And the adjustments have never been made in that office, but at Walmart.

[redsquirrel]

dh has bought glasses from Zenni and they were fine. The doctor doesn't want you going to a competitor, fair enough.  To be honest, DH says that the zenni frames are not as well made as his old glasses, but they were really expensive. He's happy with them, though and will buy from them again.

 

I think Zenni is perfect for kids. DS2's friend has glasses at age 7 and his parents were able to get him 3 pairs at a very reasonable price. I think he is down a pair after only a couple months. They got knocked off his face on the playground and they broke. He has to wear glasses all the time and hates them. But, his parents have allowed him to buy them in funky colours and he doesn't have to be worried about them breaking all the time. Because of that he is wearing them most of the time, which is good for him. If I had a kid in glasses I would be getting them at Zenni.

[elliotterae]

Many family members and myself have glasses from Zenni and we are very happy with them. I will also add that I worked for an optometrist's office for a short time one winter when my husband got laid off. They mark up the frames and the lenses at least a good 60-70 percent each and make a fortune on them.  I know this because I was allowed to purchase glasses "at cost" for myself after 90 days. We had opticians who were paid strict commission and did very well. They are not more affordable at Walmart and online because they are poorer quality but because they deal in volume.

[elliotterae]

As for the questions on size and fit when ordering, the website gives the measurements of the frames. I just measured an old pair I had that I liked and ordered something similar when I have ordered. It worked fine for me.

 

[Guest]

I'm wearing my cheapglasses123 glasses right now because my eye doctor basically told me to close my etsy store and apply for welfare, throw away my books and buy a TV, and STFU because nobody likes old women who complain.

 

I had to make a lot of guesses before I figured out a prescription I can live with but it was so worth it.

 

I still have to wear the old prescription to drive and I can't wait until my latest 123cheapglasses order gets here so I can put them on over my contacts and see when I get to wherever it is I drove to.

 

I have a pair of $160 bifocals that are worthless for reading and a pair of $10 single-vision glasses with the same myopia prescription for when I ride my bike and I don't see a darned bit of difference except that the frames might not last until they're as hopelessly out of style as my old single-vision glasses did.

 

My driving prescription is -6.50 and my "I can function" prescription is -4.00 if that means anything to you.

 

ETA: I stocked up on contacts before my prescription expired and hope to find a new doctor who will let me have -4.00 contacts and -2.50 glasses for driving.

 

 < soapbox >I was one of those kids who kept losing and breaking glasses because I HATED the way the world looked with 20/20 vision; seeing the veins on the leaves of trees a mile away was fun at first, but I got horrific headaches and everything looked like a stereo sounds with the volume set to 10.

 

My parents dismissed everything I said as vanity and rebellion and told me I wasn't pretty enough to be worth the cost of contacts.

 

If I'd had the option of inexpensive glasses that would let me see what was written on the blackboard without hurting and been allowed to take them off when I wanted to, I would have treasured them and cared for them properly. < /soapbox >

[ThisIsTheDay]

(ETA: I posted on this thread two years ago, that I would consider Zenni in the future. This is my experience.)

 

 

So, after reading this thread, I went and looked at the Zenni site.  Do the glasses not come in sizes?  Do you just have to pick a frame that happens to be in the correct size?

 

The biggest thing about Zenni is in the sizing.  I just bought my second pair. I love my Zenni glasses, and it still surprises me to say that.

 

Because it bears repeating, measurements are everything.  I used the photo tool to "try on" frames the first time.  I was torn between two pairs, and I chose the slightly smaller pair (we're talking milllimeters here). They fit fine, the script is fantastic, but I do not care for how they look on me--just a tad too narrow for my face.  I did wear them all the time at home though because the prescription was so clear.

 

I finally decided, that for another $25, I'd try another pair.  I used the measurements provided by the website for my first pair to choose my second pair. They are perfect. I got them a few weeks ago and absolutely love them.

 

I looked at a lot of online reviews before finally purchasing from Zenni.  It seems they have worked to improve their customer service over the past few years.  My eye doctor gave me my pupil distance measurement, and I used the arm measurement from another pair of glasses to help judge the Zenni glasses when choosing my frame.  I was nervous trying glasses on with just a picture, but that didn't turn out as badly as I feared.  (How many times do you try a pair on in real life and actually like them?  Never!  It was pretty much the same online.)

 

I worried that they glasses would need adjusting when they arrived. One needed the nosepiece adjusted, and I was able to do it. Surprisingly, they both fit fine otherwise, as my ears are slightly lopsided and glasses usually don't fit right the first time.

 

I'm thrilled with my Zenni purchase.  I don't have a ton of money to spend on glasses, but I figured that it would be worth it in the long run if I gave it a shot with the first pair. Obviously, I was happy enough, even though I didn't care for those particular frames, to try it again.  If you can afford to lose whatever you spend, it's well worth the chance.  (Glasses begin at about $7, but both of mine were between $20-25.)

[In The Great White North]

 

 

Because it bears repeating, measurements are everything.  I used the photo tool to "try on" frames the first time.  I was torn between two pairs, and I chose the slightly smaller pair (we're talking milllimeters here). They fit fine, the script is fantastic, but I do not care for how they look on me--just a tad too narrow for my face.  I did wear them all the time at home though because the prescription was so clear.

 

 

So they measure your picture and give you a frame it thinks will fit?  The only measurements I could find a place to enter were the actual prescription and the PD

 

Are all these measurements not changeable?  

 

Frame Size

• Bridge:20
• Lens Width:49
• Frame Width:132
• Temple Length:140
• Lens Height:36
• Frame Weight:13

[ocelotmom]

 

 < soapbox >I was one of those kids who kept losing and breaking glasses because I HATED the way the world looked with 20/20 vision; seeing the veins on the leaves of trees a mile away was fun at first, but I got horrific headaches and everything looked like a stereo sounds with the volume set to 10.

 

My parents dismissed everything I said as vanity and rebellion and told me I wasn't pretty enough to be worth the cost of contacts.

 

If I'd had the option of inexpensive glasses that would let me see what was written on the blackboard without hurting and been allowed to take them off when I wanted to, I would have treasured them and cared for them properly. < /soapbox >

 

I wonder if they were overcorrecting?

 

I had a pair like that once. Everything was SO AMAZINGLY CLEAR, but it gave me a headache. Went back to the optometrist, they checked, and found that the prescription was, in fact, a little too strong.

[Guest]

I wonder if they were overcorrecting?

 

I had a pair like that once. Everything was SO AMAZINGLY CLEAR, but it gave me a headache. Went back to the optometrist, they checked, and found that the prescription was, in fact, a little too strong.

 

That's exactly what the problem was, but I didn't find out until I reached bifocal age. If 20/20 vision is too painful and disorienting for some children, perhaps they would do better with a lower power of lenses that would allow them to see "well enough" for the blackboard even though it didn't correct their vision to an arbitrary standard of "normal".

 

I understand how frustrating it must be for a parent to continually have to replace $160 glasses because of a child's perceived irresponsibility and/or vanity, my point was that the child might have another, perfectly valid reason for not wanting to wear glasses 24/7 and that there might be an acceptable solution other than the child's solution of losing/breaking the glasses and the parents' of escalating the punishment.

 

I don't question the need for vision to be corrected for safe driving, but since children don't drive anyway, is it really necessary  to correct their vision beyond what they need for school and personal comfort? Am I missing something here that I should know about before I take ds for his first eye exam?

 

My new glasses got here today and I'm thrilled to be able to live a normal life again after going for two years living most of my life with no correction at all because of my eye doctor's incompetence. I even splurged on cute frames because I know that this is the pair I will be wearing the most in public. They're granny glasses like John Lennon wore and if they go out of style I'll enjoy being an eccentric anacronism.

 

Apologies if my emotional outburst was inappropriate for the board or veered too far off topic, since the OP's child only needs reading glasses and might be fine with the existing prescription and an affordable backup.

[ThisIsTheDay]

 

So they measure your picture and give you a frame it thinks will fit?  The only measurements I could find a place to enter were the actual prescription and the PD

 

Are all these measurements not changeable?  

 

Frame Size

• Bridge:20
• Lens Width:49
• Frame Width:132
• Temple Length:140
• Lens Height:36
• Frame Weight:13

 

 

The measurements are not changeable.  That's the measurement of the frame.  Just like when you go to many brick and mortar stores, the size you try on is the size you get.  But you can use these measurements to help choose your glasses.

[Berta]

I have about 12 pairs of Zenni glasses and I have never had a problem with any of them. I have sunglasses and some of my regular glasses have the photocromatic (sp?) stuff on them that makes them darken in sunlight. LOVE my Zenni glasses!

[stripe]

I have now met a couple of people who got the wrong or an inferior prescription from an online outfit, but in both cases, people said it wasn't a big deal - after all, they had only shelled out $15 for them in the first place. It was worth the risk. 

I think the risk, though, could be that the glasses are all wrong and the person can't tell.

 

By the way, Rite Aid now sells cheap glasses.

https://riteaidvisioncarecenter.com/

In some places, you can try the glasses on, etc., otherwise you can borrow 4 pairs for 5 days to try on.

 

I recently went to a private optometrist (non-mall); her eye exam was vastly longer (like, an hour total) than the mall optometrists, and the frames there were about half the price of Pearle Vision's, which seems to be about excessive markup so they can run 40% off specials. Both the frames and lenses have a one year warranty, which is unlike PV - although they do have some plan you can purchase. I have a child who recently had frames replaced under warranty; the glasses were obtained through the local hospital's dispensary; they also provide some discount if your prescription changes and you see a doctor there. I don't think the mall places have a warranty past maybe 30 days or a purchased extended warranty. With kids especially, I appreciate this. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'm wearing Zenni glasses right now and wear them daily....I've seen nothing/no durability issues with them and have been wearing them for almost a year now. Never had problems with a doctor saying anything about them.

Me too. I am also severly near-sighted... 525 in one eye and 575 in the other, I also have an astigmatism. The Eye Doctor is blowing smoke up your.... dress. The only thing you will need to do is get the pupil distance. Zenni will send you a little "tool" for this.  You can get scratch resistance, glare reduction, UV protection, ultra light lens (otherwise I'd be wearing coke bottles)for a lot less then the eye dr or even walmart.  The only problem I had with my glasses is figuring out the measurement for my face width and ear  arm length.  I ended up measuring my old glasses.