Where should I go for economical eyeglasses?

[OOMPAH]

[Dean E]

I go to an ophthalmologist for a complete vision exam, and I send my prescription info to an online store: http://www.framesdirect.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank. You will need to have your pupils' (a) center-to-center distance and (b) distance to center of the lens design you order. Any discounter will provide that service at no charge.

For loseable, breakable reading glasses, my ophthalmologist recommended going to the dollar store or drug store.

[Thomas Maurice Booth]

If there is one in your area try America's Best. They usually offer two pairs starting at $69, but you can get two pairs of higher quality glasses for a little more. They have a good one year no questions asked replacement policy should you break or scratch your glasses. They also have opthamologists in the office should you need an exam also.

TMB

[SRanney]

It doesn't seem difficult to be able to locate an eye exam *and* a pair of glasses for under $150...far less than the average car repair.

When last I bought glasses (3.5 years ago), the doctor at Pearl Vision provided me with an exam for <$50 and I purchased the frames/lenses for no more than $120. I was prepared to pay much more but was pleasantly surprised.

Steve

[MaryAnn]

I see the optometrist at Costco ($55) and bought my last pair o' specs at Sears. Flat-top 28 bifocals with scartch coating and generic get-dark-in-the-sun cost $200 with my AARP discount. I used to get the specs at Costco for slightly less than that, but the quality went down and I gave up on them. What I like about the Costco setup is there is no pressure to buy specs from them.

I'd stay away from national chains that advertise being a "medical facility." I tried one of those and they had this big long form they wanted me to sign giving them the right to do any treatment they wanted (and charge me for it.) Run from those places; you won't get out without spending a bundle o' dough. They did the high-pressure sales thing of telling me that the doctor couldn't examine me without my having signed the form. Well, I didn't, and he didn't.

We have a local company that sells single-visions for $29; I got my music glasses from them. I don't usually need a new prescription now except every 3-4 years, and my eyes have actually been getting better, with the strength of the lenses going down.

MA

[rocksanddirt]

...my eyes have actually been getting better, with the strength of the lenses going down.

MA

I've heard that as the brain shrinks, the pressure on the eyes lessens and the eyes are allowed to restore themselves to a more spherical shape.

I find the same as MaryAnn...but I think it's less hair putting presure on the insides....

[OOMPAH]

[Rick F]

What are single-visions?

Single-vision means not bifocals or trifocals - just single vision. Your glasses work for one thing... distance and/or close up. Some folks need glasses just to correct astigmatism - which would be single-vision.

I wear progressive bifocals (no lines), but they don't work well for reading music so I have a pair of 'single-vision' glasses I wear for about 3' distance.

[lgb&dtuba]

Like Rick, my progressive focal glasses don't work well for reading music. I also bought a pair of single focus glasses specifically for reading music.

For anyone going that route, here's a suggestion. Most of the "reading" tests optometrists use for reading glasses or the bifocal are prescribed for reading text at an average reading distance. For music you are neither reading text nor placing it at average reading distance.

Take along to the exam a piece of music the represents about the smallest notes you read and get them to place it at the same distance from your eyes as your music stand normally is. My optometrist had no problems doing that for me and I ended up with a pair of single vision glasses perfect for reading music.

The prescription on those was different from the bifocal on my progressives and different from the glasses I wear in front of a computer.

Getting old is a bitch.

[MartyNeilan]

Doctors Value Vision is probably about the absolute cheapest. Be prepared for third-world conditions inside. Seriously.
All the reviews on them are horrble in the way of customer service. My job covers eye exams but not glasses. I needed a new pair of lenses late last year when I had already used up my flexible spending account. Credit card was full (something to do with an F tuba.) My wife found this place and told me it was there or nowhere.
I took my prescription there, and what I got does seem to work well, and I am a very picky person.
I wouldn't send my kids (or anyone I loved) there, but for the prices they cannot be beat. Perfect for the broke college student who needs to see.
http://www.drsvaluvision.com/

[LoyalTubist]

My last pair of glasses in California cost over $350 with my health insurance (I have several things wrong with my eyes). When I flew to Vietnam, I sat on those glasses on the airplane, breaking them. One of the first things I did when I got there was buy new glasses. I paid $80. My glasses here in the Philippines are actually a little less than that.

Move to Asia.

[tubatooter1940]

i would like to find some bifocal glasses that are tinted, dark sunglasses on the top and clear readers on the bottom for gigging. That would help with the glare from the light show above and help if I should need to read something to play or sing.
I have considered the Wal-Mart eyeball center but I have yet to stop by and get a price.

[JCalkin]

I have traditionally (OK, I've only been wearing glasses for 6 years, but that's 3 pairs so far) gone to Pearle or Lens Crafters. They always offer great discounts, or so they say, but after I get my prescription, frames, anti-glare, etc., my glasses have typically run in the $350-450 range.

Sears is running a "designer special" right now, and I just got a new pair on Saturday. $149.99 covered ultra light titanium frames and poly-carbonate scratch-resistant lenses with the anti-glare coating. I use single-vision and my prescription covers astigmatism, if that matters to anyone. Traditional and progressive bifocals are included in the promotion, IIRC (which I often do not).

[MaryAnn]

i would like to find some bifocal glasses that are tinted, dark sunglasses on the top and clear readers on the bottom for gigging. That would help with the glare from the light show above and help if I should need to read something to play or sing.
I have considered the Wal-Mart eyeball center but I have yet to stop by and get a price.

You can get a gradient tint but they generally charge you out the wazoo for some tech to put the lenses in a machine that dips them in dye. But you can make a little brim-like sun-shield-thingy (sorry can't come up with any technical term for it) that just is barely big enough to fold over the top of your glasses frames (it butts up against your forehead and sticks out like a hat brim) and keeps the stage lights (or sun) out of your eyes. I used to use one made of dark paper, but leather would be better. Just a cut-to-fit hat-brim-like thing that is just long enough to stretch over the top of the frames with a hole in each end for the earpieces to slide through and hold it on. It only needs to stick out less than an inch to work really well. You can fiddle with paper until you get the shape right and then make a more permanent one.

MA

[tbn.al]

My last trip in to the ophthalmologist I got a pair of custom executive bifocals that I love for reading music. The bottom 3/4 is the reading glasses part and it is set up to correct my astigmatism as well as my near vision at 34 inches. The top ¼ is set up for distance vision and I can now read the conductors lips when he throws insults my way. I just match the bifocal line up with the top of the stand and rock and roll. I can see a whole page in focus at one time. It’s quite a novel idea being able to actually see the music.

[Dean E]

My last trip in to the ophthalmologist I got a pair of custom executive bifocals that I love for reading music. The bottom 3/4 is the reading glasses part and it is set up to correct my astigmatism as well as my near vision at 34 inches. The top ¼ is set up for distance vision and I can now read the conductors lips when he throws insults my way. I just match the bifocal line up with the top of the stand and rock and roll. I can see a whole page in focus at one time. It’s quite a novel idea being able to actually see the music.

That's exactly what I did, after my opthalmologist adjusted the focal distance in the prescription to be a little more than arm's length. The focal distance should be the normal distance from the eye to the music stand. I keep my music glasses in a hard case in my junk bag.

The only problem is doing outside gigs in the sun where I'd like to have sunglasses. Both my prescription sunglasses and my auto-darkening regular glasses have variable focus lenses. I have to move my head up or down to adjust the focus, even from the top to the bottom of a page. That up and down head movement changes my mouthpiece position.

[tubatooter1940]

i would like to find some bifocal glasses that are tinted, dark sunglasses on the top and clear readers on the bottom for gigging. That would help with the glare from the light show above and help if I should need to read something to play or sing.
I have considered the Wal-Mart eyeball center but I have yet to stop by and get a price.

You can get a gradient tint but they generally charge you out the wazoo for some tech to put the lenses in a machine that dips them in dye. But you can make a little brim-like sun-shield-thingy (sorry can't come up with any technical term for it) that just is barely big enough to fold over the top of your glasses frames (it butts up against your forehead and sticks out like a hat brim) and keeps the stage lights (or sun) out of your eyes. I used to use one made of dark paper, but leather would be better. Just a cut-to-fit hat-brim-like thing that is just long enough to stretch over the top of the frames with a hole in each end for the earpieces to slide through and hold it on. It only needs to stick out less than an inch to work really well. You can fiddle with paper until you get the shape right and then make a more permanent one.

MA

Cool idea! Thanks, Mary Ann (your long hair in your avatar is so pretty). I might try a rainy day shop project on a spare pair of readers.
Ever seen a video of a tuba player's eyes when he or she plays hard? I believe sunglasses help and give the player that "cool cat" look as well.