Buying Eyeglasses Online
Liz and I both bought new glasses recently. We paid about $200 for four pairs of glasses between us. Last time I bought glasses, I would have been ecstatic to get one pair for less than $200.
The ultimate guide on how to order eyeglasses online is at http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/. The site explains what you need to do, reviews online retailers, and provides a forum for questions and comments about the process.
Basically it’s very simple. We went to an optometrist and got an eye exam, took our prescriptions home, browsed for glasses online, entered the prescription numbers into the web page and placed our orders.
We tried two different retailers, Goggles4U and 39DollarGlasses.com. Goggles4U is cheaper, but I found the process at 39DollarGlasses.com to be more satisfying. They have a better web site, give you more feedback, and get the glasses to you faster.
As you might imagine, the biggest problem with ordering glasses online is the fact that you can’t try the frames on before you buy them. All you have to go by are the measurements provided. Typically the sites will list the total front width, the length of the arms, the lens width & height, and the “nose/bridge” distance. 39DollarGlasses helps you out by providing a PDF which prints to actual size, assuming you set your printer settings right — they include a ruler in the picture so it’s easy to tell.
Goggles4U doesn’t have this feature, and I was a little surprised when I got my glasses because the lenses were taller than I imagined. No problem really, I only paid $26 for them and they make a perfectly good backup pair.
I’ve never had a backup pair of glasses before. My modus operandi has always been to wear my glasses until they break (or my vision changes too much) and then go to Lens Crafters and get a new pair right away.
I’m going to be buying glasses online from now on.
