Cheap Prescription Glasses Thread (as low as $19)

[alent1234]

Originally posted by: Warder45

Originally posted by: alent1234
it's not that hot. By the time you pick out a nice frame and the good lenses the cost can go to over $300. Plus the quality is questionable. My wife bought glasses for $500 from a place on Madison Ave in NYC. She bought the same glasses that Liv Tyler wears. She also has another set for $500 that will last for years. Using Flexible Spending Account money for this combined with a vision plan is the hottest deal you can get on a good set of sunglasses.

wait so this is $39 for the frames only? There is another charge for the lenses? I think i'm confused now.

the cheapest metel frames with the cheapest lenses are $39. I looked at the add on's and it looks like it's going to be at least $100 with a better set of lenses. I priced titanium frames with lenses and it came out to over $300. I don't wear glasses, but my wifew does. She loves titanium frames because of their strength and that they are extremely light. And the amounts I quoted in my last post are for everything. Top of the line scratch resistant lenses, frames and tax.

 

[rockable]

Originally posted by: Warder45

Originally posted by: alent1234
it's not that hot. By the time you pick out a nice frame and the good lenses the cost can go to over $300. Plus the quality is questionable. My wife bought glasses for $500 from a place on Madison Ave in NYC. She bought the same glasses that Liv Tyler wears. She also has another set for $500 that will last for years. Using Flexible Spending Account money for this combined with a vision plan is the hottest deal you can get on a good set of sunglasses.

wait so this is $39 for the frames only? There is another charge for the lenses? I think i'm confused now.

Yea , they price outrageous for better frame and lens .
This is why I used the $29 one (optical4less) .
I was recommanded by friends at first . Titanium frames with transitional lens for only $108 . Their prices are fair and quality is real top .

 

[Optical]

wow, 108 for transitional and titaninum frames. that's pretty cheap.

Just curious, if you paid for an eye exam are you entitled to get the official prescription spec from your doctor? Can they say no knowing that you won't buy from them?

edit: checked out their site again but could find any mentioning of transitional. Do you have get thru the order process to select this?

edit2: nm, found it after entering prescription info.

that is indeed a good price. a bendable titanium with transistion w/ free ship for 108!!

 

[mnguyen84]

but wow. I think i need to go to my eye doctor to get my eye's specs.

 

[RBC]

I have two friends in Florida that were both part of the first 300 in the US that got Laser corrective surgery on their eyes. I think like ~15+ years ago, maybe more. Both are doing just fine. That being said, I'd NEVER have it done on mine (and I'm a good candidate for it) for all the reasons said above. In fact I gave up contacts after using them for 20 years because I could never get as sharp a correction to my vision as a I can with glasses (except for the old hard contacts and boy did they hurt after a long day).

 

[drewdogg808]

these are great sites for backup glasses....can't beat the price.

as for lasik....alot of you guys need to read more about it and get your facts straight...
loss of night vision? forced you to wear glasses all the time? these are not true.

earlier broadbeam lasers had more issues with night time glare and halos, but you do not lose vision.

everyone on the planet goes through the process of losing reading ability in their mid-late forties....you will just need to wear reading glasses just as someone with perfect distance vision all their life will at that age. the only exception would be someone who is mildly nearsighted who will have to take off their distance glasses to read, or get bifocals.

as for the high pressurized scuba mask causing the flap to pop off....i haven't heard of this or read any studies on it, but perhaps i'll find out in a few years when i try scuba diving...i don't plan on going to extreme depths though so who knows what military classified information has info on. i think the military probably doesn't want their people to have lasik in the case of combat where direct blows to the eyes can possible cause flap dislocation....but thats just my guess.
diving and lasik....info near bottom

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SimMike2
It isn't a matter of "can't afford lasik," it is a matter of nobody knowing the long-term effects of Lasik. Also it is a matter of not wanting to gamble with something as precious as your eyesite. Then there is the fact that older people in their 40s are getting to the stage where they need reading glasses. Lasik won't help this and it could in fact make it mandatory to use reading glasses after lasik.

Yeah, I can read without glasses but can't do much else except see up real close. My eyes focus at around 7 inches, I figure. If I got lasik I'd need glasses for everything but driving and watching a movie. I'm far better off without surgery. I wear glasses and can just take them off to see up close. Long term effects of lasik is something to consider and also the fact that a small percentage (but not insignificant) of people who get the surgery have very bad consequences.

I just got glasses from For Eyes. Haven't checked around lately, but every time I've checked they've had the best prices by far of any walk in shop in my vicinity (S.F. East Bay). I checked out Costco 1.5 years ago and they couldn't come close. But this time, For Eyes prices had gone up. You could still get two pair for $99, but this time they wouldn't use glass lenses (which I always used to get because they are comparatively scratch proof), and they've started charging for UV. You can get a combo deal of $20 for UV and scratch resistant coating, which I opted for. I'm subscribing to this thread, though. Maybe I'll go this way next time I order glasses.

There are bonuses with a walk-in shop. They will adjust your frames if they sit funny on your face for free. One of my glasses had a prescription that wasn't working for me and I went back to the people who did my eye exam and they gave me a different prescription. For Eyes is swapping out the lenses with ones with the new prescription and they're doing it for free. Pick them up today.

 

[Marauder-]

If you guys just need lenses - you should check out Costco. When I needed replacements, after having checked around for pricing from Site for Sore Eyes and Lens Crafters, Costco was definitely the place to get them if you can afford to wait 3 days. For $80-90, I got all the features you can stuff onto a lens.

(Sorry if this is all in LensCrafters terms, those are the only ones i remember since they're on TV) I think it came w/ the Invisibles (no glare coat), Scratch resistant, Featherlights(lighter weight lenses/thinner).

 

[Marauder-]

Oh yeah, and for similar or less options from the other two, they were both over $200.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Marauder-
If you guys just need lenses - you should check out Costco. When I needed replacements, after having checked around for pricing from Site for Sore Eyes and Lens Crafters, Costco was definitely the place to get them if you can afford to wait 3 days. For $80-90, I got all the features you can stuff onto a lens.

(Sorry if this is all in LensCrafters terms, those are the only ones i remember since they're on TV) I think it came w/ the Invisibles (no glare coat), Scratch resistant, Featherlights(lighter weight lenses/thinner).

Like I said, I've checked those all, and For Eyes beat them (1.5 years ago, and probably today too). If you have a For Eyes near, check them out too if you want B&M.

 

[WebDude]

Originally posted by: drewdogg808
these are great sites for backup glasses....can't beat the price.

as for lasik....alot of you guys need to read more about it and get your facts straight...
loss of night vision? forced you to wear glasses all the time? these are not true.

earlier broadbeam lasers had more issues with night time glare and halos, but you do not lose vision.

everyone on the planet goes through the process of losing reading ability in their mid-late forties....you will just need to wear reading glasses just as someone with perfect distance vision all their life will at that age. the only exception would be someone who is mildly nearsighted who will have to take off their distance glasses to read, or get bifocals.

as for the high pressurized scuba mask causing the flap to pop off....i haven't heard of this or read any studies on it, but perhaps i'll find out in a few years when i try scuba diving...i don't plan on going to extreme depths though so who knows what military classified information has info on. i think the military probably doesn't want their people to have lasik in the case of combat where direct blows to the eyes can possible cause flap dislocation....but thats just my guess.
diving and lasik....info near bottom

I don't want to turn this into a lasik thread. BUT

I had lasik in Mar. of 2000. I haven't been able to drive safely at night since that time. It's not really an issue of broadbeam vs. custom lasik. It's more a question of ablation diam. vs. pupil size. If your pupil opens up beyond the ablation zone at night, you don't see well. (I don't drive at night.)

Many people do loose a line or two of best corrected specticle vision on the snellen eye chart after lasik. It's theorized that lasik induces higher order aberrations in the cornea that causes this, but that's still debated. Whether the new "custom lasik" lasers can cure this problem is still an open question.

The greatest post lasik problem that I've heard about, and myself personally have to live with, is permanent dry eye. Yet it's hardly ever mentioned. Cutting the lasik flap severs the nerves on the surface of the cornea that trigger tears. In some people these nerves never grow back fully, resulting in a decrease of tears, which in some people equates with permanent dry eye. Permanent dry eye is NOT fun to live with.

As far as the military goes, in the past they allowed and even offered PRK, but not lasik. I don't know if they've expanded their policy to include lasik yet or not.

Lasik does weaken the cornea somewhat, and they've been reports of mountain climbers who have had lasik experiencing a refractive shift at high altitudes due to this (the internal pressure of the eye causes the cornea to distort more when the outside pressure is reduced). The flap won't come off, however, unless there's a violent jarring to the eye, like in a car crash (which has been documented).

Bottom line, if you're thinking of having lasik, my suggestion is to read the FDA advisory about it.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/risks.htm

Then buy a good pair of glasses, and be happy with the vision you have.

WebDude

 

[alent1234]

Originally posted by: WebDude

Originally posted by: drewdogg808
these are great sites for backup glasses....can't beat the price.

as for lasik....alot of you guys need to read more about it and get your facts straight...
loss of night vision? forced you to wear glasses all the time? these are not true.

earlier broadbeam lasers had more issues with night time glare and halos, but you do not lose vision.

everyone on the planet goes through the process of losing reading ability in their mid-late forties....you will just need to wear reading glasses just as someone with perfect distance vision all their life will at that age. the only exception would be someone who is mildly nearsighted who will have to take off their distance glasses to read, or get bifocals.

as for the high pressurized scuba mask causing the flap to pop off....i haven't heard of this or read any studies on it, but perhaps i'll find out in a few years when i try scuba diving...i don't plan on going to extreme depths though so who knows what military classified information has info on. i think the military probably doesn't want their people to have lasik in the case of combat where direct blows to the eyes can possible cause flap dislocation....but thats just my guess.
diving and lasik....info near bottom

I don't want to turn this into a lasik thread. BUT

I had lasik in Mar. of 2000. I haven't been able to drive safely at night since that time. It's not really an issue of broadbeam vs. custom lasik. It's more a question of ablation diam. vs. pupil size. If your pupil opens up beyond the ablation zone at night, you don't see well. (I don't drive at night.)

Many people do loose a line or two of best corrected specticle vision on the snellen eye chart after lasik. It's theorized that lasik induces higher order aberrations in the cornea that causes this, but that's still debated. Whether the new "custom lasik" lasers can cure this problem is still an open question.

The greatest post lasik problem that I've heard about, and myself personally have to live with, is permanent dry eye. Yet it's hardly ever mentioned. Cutting the lasik flap severs the nerves on the surface of the cornea that trigger tears. In some people these nerves never grow back fully, resulting in a decrease of tears, which in some people equates with permanent dry eye. Permanent dry eye is NOT fun to live with.

As far as the military goes, in the past they allowed and even offered PRK, but not lasik. I don't know if they've expanded their policy to include lasik yet or not.

Lasik does weaken the cornea somewhat, and they've been reports of mountain climbers who have had lasik experiencing a refractive shift at high altitudes due to this (the internal pressure of the eye causes the cornea to distort more when the outside pressure is reduced). The flap won't come off, however, unless there's a violent jarring to the eye, like in a car crash (which has been documented).

Bottom line, if you're thinking of having lasik, my suggestion is to read the FDA advisory about it.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/risks.htm

Then buy a good pair of glasses, and be happy with the vision you have.

WebDude

Maybe it was your doctor or your specific condition? Doctors have different amounts of skills. I have a family member that almost died during a minor sinus surgery. He later went to a better doctor who did a much better job. In my case I make a habit of not visiting any specialist recommended by my general physician. I like the recommendations of the New Yorker's best doctors survey.

 

[PacoGrande]

I've ordered 4 pairs from Zenni ($19). Seem to be decent frames to me. I've been using the one pair daily for over a year with no problems. And I got a pair of prescription sun classes for $25, hard to beat.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: PacoGrande
I've ordered 4 pairs from Zenni ($19). Seem to be decent frames to me. I've been using the one pair daily for over a year with no problems. And I got a pair of prescription sun classes for $25, hard to beat.

Gotta admit that's hard to beat. I think I'll get some sunglasses.

 

[drewdogg808]

Originally posted by: WebDude

Originally posted by: drewdogg808
these are great sites for backup glasses....can't beat the price.

as for lasik....alot of you guys need to read more about it and get your facts straight...
loss of night vision? forced you to wear glasses all the time? these are not true.

earlier broadbeam lasers had more issues with night time glare and halos, but you do not lose vision.

everyone on the planet goes through the process of losing reading ability in their mid-late forties....you will just need to wear reading glasses just as someone with perfect distance vision all their life will at that age. the only exception would be someone who is mildly nearsighted who will have to take off their distance glasses to read, or get bifocals.

as for the high pressurized scuba mask causing the flap to pop off....i haven't heard of this or read any studies on it, but perhaps i'll find out in a few years when i try scuba diving...i don't plan on going to extreme depths though so who knows what military classified information has info on. i think the military probably doesn't want their people to have lasik in the case of combat where direct blows to the eyes can possible cause flap dislocation....but thats just my guess.
diving and lasik....info near bottom

I don't want to turn this into a lasik thread. BUT

I had lasik in Mar. of 2000. I haven't been able to drive safely at night since that time. It's not really an issue of broadbeam vs. custom lasik. It's more a question of ablation diam. vs. pupil size. If your pupil opens up beyond the ablation zone at night, you don't see well. (I don't drive at night.)

Many people do loose a line or two of best corrected specticle vision on the snellen eye chart after lasik. It's theorized that lasik induces higher order aberrations in the cornea that causes this, but that's still debated. Whether the new "custom lasik" lasers can cure this problem is still an open question.

The greatest post lasik problem that I've heard about, and myself personally have to live with, is permanent dry eye. Yet it's hardly ever mentioned. Cutting the lasik flap severs the nerves on the surface of the cornea that trigger tears. In some people these nerves never grow back fully, resulting in a decrease of tears, which in some people equates with permanent dry eye. Permanent dry eye is NOT fun to live with.

As far as the military goes, in the past they allowed and even offered PRK, but not lasik. I don't know if they've expanded their policy to include lasik yet or not.

Lasik does weaken the cornea somewhat, and they've been reports of mountain climbers who have had lasik experiencing a refractive shift at high altitudes due to this (the internal pressure of the eye causes the cornea to distort more when the outside pressure is reduced). The flap won't come off, however, unless there's a violent jarring to the eye, like in a car crash (which has been documented).

Bottom line, if you're thinking of having lasik, my suggestion is to read the FDA advisory about it.
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/lasik/risks.htm

Then buy a good pair of glasses, and be happy with the vision you have.

WebDude

good information and anyone considering it definitely needs to research...

the night vision is an issue of ablation diameter as mentioned and most of the older broadbeam ones were not able to ablate more than 5-5.5mm so people with larger pupils had night problems. the newer flying spot/scanning lasers are capable of treating larger zones, some up to 7mm so it helps. average pupil diameter is around 6mm. alot of those 299 per eye places use the older lasers and cannot treat a larger ablation zone.

loss of best corrected acuity post lasik is a concern, but only a small percentage (3% or less) have had the complication and they generally are people with high prescriptions.

post lasik induced dry eye is definitely a huge problem many people are not informed about. it is more severe in people who have poor tear quality or dry eye even prior to the procedure. it also is a much bigger problem in older people since their tear production decreases with age. my eyes were so dry even prior to having lasik that i had 2 punctal plugs for 1-2 years before i had lasik. post lasik, i had 2 more plugs put in and had to use ointments, gels, and tears for many months. about 6-7 months out, the dryness went down a little but even now it gets dry with certain conditions (windy, low humidity, etc..)

the military still allows PRK, but not lasik.

the mountain climbers were in really high elevations (it was mt. everest, 25k+ feet) and a couple of them had blurred vision but upon returning to regular elevations, their vision cleared up. it was believed to be lack of oxygen and also dryness/exposure.
mt. everest and lasik

i've been to 12k feet and didn't notice any issues.

there are many, many possible complications and the procedure is improving but will always have risks. make sure you get a really good evaluation, visit several places, and research. it's not for everyone and depends on your lifestyle (if you're active, you'll likely enjoy it more)

now buy those 19-39 dollar glasses.

 

[Semper Fi]

Originally posted by: Semper_Fi
Thanks for the info yellowfiero. Just ordered a pair of glasses for my wife.
I'll post back when she gets them and inspects them in case anyone is interested.

I ordered from 39DollarGlasses.com on the 28th and we received them today.

The total was $44.95 with shipping and it was a complete pair of glasses (frame & lenses). My wife likes them, so it was a pretty good deal.


Thanks again.

 

[Biggerhammer]

I plan to do both- cheap glasses now let me save up for Lasik later

I acknowlege that Lasik is not perfect, but after careful consideration of the statistics I still think that it is superior to glasses. I hate stumbling around trying to find my glasses, knowing that if I lose/break the one pair that I can afford (I'll have spares at this price though!) I won't be able to work or drive until I spend mucho $$$ for another pair, etc.

 

[WebDude]

Originally posted by: alent1234
Maybe it was your doctor or your specific condition?

As far as I know my doctor did nothing wrong. Since my lasik troubles developed, I've met many people in the same boat as I'm in, and many of them were patients of the most famous lasik surgeons in the country (yes, even including the one that did Tiger Woods' eyes). Doctors can indeed screw up the operation, but even if they don't, and everything is done correctly, you can still have severe problems. The warning on the FDA website is there for a reason (unfortunately it was not there when I had my surgery).

Now maybe I should have had my tears tested beforehand. I may certainly have had a borderline dry eye condition prior to surgery. But to this day I know of no lasik surgeon who pretests for dry eye. That in my opinion is a very big mistake, and borders on irresponsible negligence on the doctors' part. But lasik doctors are reluctant to do anything which will cast the procedure in a negative light, and testing for dry eye would be indirectly admitting there's a problem there.

Besides the FDA website, my suggestion to anyone considering lasik is to visit http://www.surgicaleyes.org/. There's a wealth of info there, and many real life stories from people who have been through the procedure and had problems.

 

[Kazem]

I'll try it.

 

[JAGedlion]

I don't know about most of the army, but the airforce doesn't allow lasik because when pulling too many g's the flap comes undone but PRK is good enough for flying tankers and stuff, IIRC fighter pilots can't even have prk. (They told my brother was in the AROTC who wears glasses)

 

[BUSTaMOD]

Has anyone got there orders yet?

 

[iamme]

sadly, i have a hard time finding glasses that look good on my face. therefore, i need to try them on before buying....

good prices, though.

 

[Technogeek]

Originally posted by: iamme
sadly, i have a hard time finding glasses that look good on my face. therefore, i need to try them on before buying....

good prices, though.

iamme, your face looks normal in size.. but BUSTaMOD (the guy above you) would have a problem..

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: iamme
sadly, i have a hard time finding glasses that look good on my face. therefore, i need to try them on before buying....

good prices, though.

Look, this factor is vastly overrated. The B&M folks WANT you to think like that and unfortunately, most people don't need a lot of convincing that they look less than great. That's almost entirely propaganda, though, is the lowdown. If you are happy, you will look great with any glasses. If you are unhappy, you won't look so great in any. I don't worry about it. I get what's practical, most times, although there's a lot of stuff I wouldn't wear, period. But having to see my face with it before buying? I don't think so.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: iamme
sadly, i have a hard time finding glasses that look good on my face. therefore, i need to try them on before buying....

good prices, though.

Look, this factor is vastly overrated. The B&M folks WANT you to think like that and unfortunately, most people don't need a lot of convincing that they look less than great. That's almost entirely propaganda, though, is the lowdown. If you are happy, you will look great with any glasses. If you are unhappy, you won't look so great in any. I don't worry about it. I get what's practical, most times, although there's a lot of stuff I wouldn't wear, period. But having to see my face with it before buying? I don't think so.

trust me, i have a wide, roundish face.

it's not really a matter of just looking good......many glasses just don't fit right

i think i need to go find some exact measurements at a B&M store, to see what fits my face.

hehe, now everyone invisions me with this giant melon head it's not that bad.....