Where are you guys buying quality prescription eyeglasses in the USA these days?

[Honga Man]

I'm mildly myopic and have been wearing glasses for distance vision since 1978.

I have a fresh prescription from my local eye doctor's office, but I do not like the frames they sell there. The little office I've been going to since 2005 is owned by a big corporate chain now. They apparently bought out the private practice of a doctor who happened to be my age and with whom I enjoyed doing business.

Maybe I'm too fussy, but the last glasses I bought there a year and a half ago or so ago haven't aged well. They're Oakley "indoor" glasses, as I call them, and Ray Ban prescription sunglasses. Both seemed okay when I bought them, but have proven to be cheap and flimsy and haven't aged well. I still have and occasionally wear glasses that are many years older that have held up better than the newer ones.

Where are you guys getting good quality eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses these days in the USA?

 

[uriah1]

Pretty often . with optometrist and or othomologist.
Local office also sells glasses. Have to wait couple weeks.

 

[kmcanney]

I order from Zenni.

My prescription is weird, and they always get it right.

Their prices are so good that I can order multiple pairs to leave around, and I don’t get upset if I scratch or break them.

 

[0SubSeanik0]

I've had good luck with Warby Parker... sometimes I have them send me a few frames to try on, but mostly I just stop at the shops. Over the years I've come to the realization that the Optometrists are just 80% a retail operation, and most of these "brand name" frames are all made in the same factories, lol. I really don't care what the label says to others, so I prefer not to pay for that.

There's also similar business models like Zenni who I've heard good things about as well.

 

[Jakedog]

I wish I could order online. I love these stories of getting glasses so cheap.

My prescription is weird so it’s still more expensive, but my main problem is that no online outlet I’ve found makes frames that fit my head. I have a rather sizable cranium, and the ear pieces are never long enough. Even if the frames have the right numbers stamped on them, they’re too small and won’t stay on. Or they kill my ears.

I have to go to the local expensive shop and spend a ton. And usually find 2-3 pairs of frames I can choose from instead of a huge selection. But I have to try them on in person. They never fit unless I do.

I like really crazy, colorful, and whacky frames. I rarely ever get to have them. My giant gorilla head just doesn’t allow it.

As far as how long things last- usually a year to a year and a half. Doesn’t bother me because by that time I need a new prescription anyway. I get a little more blind every year. Usually by the time my glasses are a year old I’m having minor trouble seeing well with them and I’m starting to get headaches cause they’re no good anymore. It is what it is.

 

[dented]

When I wore glasses I went to Costco. But you have to be a member. Or if you know your measurements you can just order the frames online and take them somewhere for lenses. The mark up on eye glasses is huge! I finally got implanted lenses in 2017 and I've had 20/20 vision ever since. Worth it for me. No corrective glasses ever and I can buy sunglasses off the rack.

 

[Boreas]

Try LensCrafters. They have a pretty good range of quality. But take your checkbook...

I don't really buy good glasses since cataract surgery "cured" my myopia. Just need cheap readers. So I am not really up to speed with retailers.

 

[Alex_C]

America's Best has Nike frames, if you do 'sporty' stuff.

 

[maxvintage]

Zenni optical

 

[dented]

I wish I could order online. I love these stories of getting glasses so cheap.

My prescription is weird so it’s still more expensive, but my main problem is that no online outlet I’ve found makes frames that fit my head. I have a rather sizable cranium, and the ear pieces are never long enough. Even if the frames have the right numbers stamped on them, they’re too small and won’t stay on. Or they kill my ears.

I have to go to the local expensive shop and spend a ton. And usually find 2-3 pairs of frames I can choose from instead of a huge selection. But I have to try them on in person. They never fit unless I do.

I like really crazy, colorful, and whacky frames. I rarely ever get to have them. My giant gorilla head just doesn’t allow it.

As far as how long things last- usually a year to a year and a half. Doesn’t bother me because by that time I need a new prescription anyway. I get a little more blind every year. Usually by the time my glasses are a year old I’m having minor trouble seeing well with them and I’m starting to get headaches cause they’re no good anymore. It is what it is.

You can get your size and then search your size in frames. The three numbers are the facial width, size of the bridge of your nose and length of the arms I think. I had to do this also when I wore glasses.

 

[Jakedog]

You can get your size and then search your size in frames. The three numbers are the facial width, size of the bridge of your nose and length of the arms I think. I had to do this also when I wore glasses.

I’ve tried it several times. Even though the numbers say the ear pieces are the correct length, they’re always too short. I end up sending them back. To be fair I haven’t tried to order like that in seven or eight years. It’s entirely possible they’re better now.

Last time I ordered three pair, and they all claimed to have different lengths. Not only were they all too short, they all measured the exact same length. It’s like they were stamping different numbers on them, but they were all the same size anyhow.

 

[JDB2]

Costco. With five glasses wearers in a family of six I’m not sure how else I would pay my mortgage.

 

[Killing Floor]

My Optoeyeballologist has really nice selection and she has no problem fitting lenses to frames she doesn’t sell.

 

[bobio]

We (wife and kids) typically get our prescription from our eye doctor and then go to Lens Crafters to purchase glasses.

I typically have two pairs, both have the same progressive prescription.
The Wayfarers are for daytime driving the other pair is for everything else.
They Wayfarers have Ray Ban progressive lenses with their G15 tint.
The other pair have Lense Crafter progressive lenses with their transitions tint.

 

[Honga Man]

Thanks for all the suggestions, gents. The Zenni website is interesting. Really appreciate all the input so far.

 

[ale.istotle]

I go to the local shop and it usually works out fine but I have pretty good insurance through work.

For less expensive, I got some frames/lenses from Glasses USA, probably 7 or 8 yrs ago and they held up well but he lens coating was uneven. Frames are durable. I 'outgrew' the prescription for everyday reading, but they are in my tool bag for when I need to see well enough to get screwdriver in a screw head. So, maybe the lesson is check reviews on lens quality before you decide.

 

[Papanate]

Where are you guys getting good quality eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses these days in the USA?

CostCo is where I go - price is right - service is good.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Thanks to recommendations from here, I bought Maui Jim shades -- non-prescription -- but they sell prescription lenses, too. The ones I got (Byron Bay) have rubber frames and are indestructible.

 

[archetype]

Has anyone had experience with Stanton? They're what's available to me via Medicare Advantage.

 

[clayville]

I've been getting mine from my optometrist. Not cheap, but years ago I went for extremely lightweight, titanium, hinge-less Silhouette frames and used their plastic clip-ons for shades. Liked the glasses so much that at the next prescription change I bought another frame and hop-scotched the two for about a decade. The frames lasted (almost) that long, but though the clip-ons looked good they always scratched and broke first - I went through way too many of those and they weren't cheap either, especially for what they were.

Last time one of the frames finally broke and I switched to some metal framed ones by Eco Eyewear that have been really great but a little heavier (can't vouch for their plastic ones). These have really tough, problem free "clip-ons" that attach to the frames with magnets and they've been much better. None of these clip-ons look goofy, imho, and they're easier to cart around than two pairs of glasses. YMMV.