Eyeglass Cost

[Narragansett]

OK, it has been about 7-8 years since I got new eyeglasses. Had my eyes checked, and Dr said that vision change was ever so slight, and I could get new glasses if I wanted.

My usual specs are decent frames, but not the most expensive, glare coating, progressive lenses, and photo gray light to dark.

Lenses are top shelf polycarbonate.

Well, the quoted price was 878.00. Frames were Ray Ban 265.00

Needless to say, I was in shock. Is this right?

Where do you go?

 

[s&wchad]

I got my last pair from a local Ophthalmologist. My MD wanted me to have my eyes screened and the eye doctor was in the same building. The Mrs and I have optical insurance, so my copay was just over $200.

If I had to pay it all out of pocket, I'd go to Costco.

 

[Tom S.]

The only prescription glasses I wear are for my computer and/or shooting to correct an astigmatism. I buy them on line. The most I've paid was something like $150. I've paid more for non-script Ray-Ban sunglasses.

 

[chief38]

I went to Costco to buy a pair of non subscription sunglasses last week. When I chose a pair of plain metal Ray Ban's I was shocked to see the price of $200.00 bucks! The lady at the counter did say they are on sale for half price for a limited time and so I bought them. Remember, these are off the rack, non prescription! I said to her, "since when did Ray Ban become designer sunglasses"? She laughed at me when I told her the last pair of Ray Ban's I bought were $39.99 - lol. The last pair of sunglasses I had (actually bought 3 pair) were Skyy Avenger's and cost me $35/pair. That was only about 3 years ago. I liked them very much but my son commandeered one pair, one pair was scratched beyond serviceability and I am currently on the last pair. They have since been discontinued hence the reason I purchased the Ray Ban's.

My Wife wears prescription glasses and has 4 pair if you include regular, sunglasses and a back up pair for both. She is reliant on Rx glasses. They ran us well over $2,300 for the 4 pair and the exam was an extra hundred or so.

So I do feel your pain and understand that it has gotten way way out of hand! BTW, we just went to the Dentist as well - another expensive proposition! All I can say is, "take care of your teeth as best as you can" - they are expensive to fix!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Here is a Rx glasses idea for shooters. Since your eyes didn't change a great deal: If you use your right eye to aim, leave your left lense totally alone. Have the right lense replaced with a new one that is you reading Rx but the focus is for 36" (the front sight at arm's length) Keep in a hard clamshell case in your range bag.

For Iron sight rifle shooters, same basic thing except, have the focal point moved to the top left corner of the right lense (some sooters use the read Rx and some use the distance Rx.)

Learned the handgun trick from a 2x national champ and the rifle trick from and AMU shooter. They helped my aging eyes lots!

My brother uses Range brand colored lenses for his shot gunning. The name of the color for a bright sunny day is vermillion. (Kind of a orange/red color) It makes the orange clays stick out against the green trees and blue sky!

Ivan

 

[Maddog 521]

I use the same frame for several lens changes. Works for me

 

[Engineer1911]

Sam's Optical was $75 exam, frame and lenses, progressive, transition, protective coating was $220 as Sam's + member. The eye exam was done WITHOUT dilation of my eyes and vision is fantastic.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I started wearing reading glasses at age 48, and back then bought the el-cheapo readers from the local Walmart. When I had to start getting serious prescription glasses, about 8 years later, I established a relationship with a local optometrist and an ophthalmologist.

I get my eyes examined and my vision checked every year, and usually my prescription does change. For the last 8 years or so, I've been wearing trifocals, which work very well. If I keep the same frames, and just swap out the lenses, it keeps the cost down, but it's still several hundred dollars. I also wear prescription sunglasses, which adds to the cost, of course, but work sooo much better than transition lenses.

I have friends who go to the discount vision places, and if that works for them, good. But I prefer my optometrist. He and his staff are all local folks, they do a really good job, and yeah, they cost a little more, but I think I get what I pay for.

 

[ladder13]

Since cataracts, no prescription, no readers, just a pair of Costas for sunny days.

 

[madmikeb]

I usually just get new frames every 3rd prescription change. The last pair I got with an exam, new frames and two pairs of sunclips was a little north of $1000.

 

[bruce5781]

The last 10 years or so, I have been buying online from The #1 Store for Glasses Online | Get 50% Off Eyeglasses Online | GlassesUSA.com
Never an issue. My last pair, just a few months ago, were $315 with RayBan frames. My main cost is the lenses. I have progressive lenses and very bad vision. My lenses used to be about a quarter inch thick and stuck out beyond the frames all the way around. I now pay extra for the super thin lenses, and love them. They are lighter and don't look like the bottom of a Coke bottle.

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

 

[wagwan]

For glasses that I use everyday to see the world I pay top dollar at the optometrist. However, I often have extra sets made up for travel, shooting, workshop, etc. For those I like Eyeglass World. Their basic plastic lenses run about $55 for two pair! Polycarbonate are higher at around $125+. They are also willing to fit them to old frames. I have 40 year old Rayban frames that still get new lenses every so often. I like them for shooting.

 

[Pisgah]

For a number of years I have bought glasses online from Zenni Optical. Last two pair -- bifocals with Transitions darkening lenses -- cost me a total of $110. Just get your prescription (including inter-ocular distance), spend a few minutes picking out your frames and filling out your order, and glasses come in the mail in about a week. Just for kicks, I checked what the local optometrist would have charged -- just under $600 apiece. Optometry is the medical-device equivalent of funeral homes when it comes to price...

 

[Jeff423]

As the above post states: Zenni - I've not paid more than $120 for glasses with progressive lenses. They also have a very good refund/exchange policy. My daughter uses Eyebuy Direct which is a similar operation.
I also get one pair free from the VA every year.

 

[WR Moore]

Check out the availability of Rx safety glasses in your area. I can't recall off the top of my head (mergers everywhere) who does the safety eyewear for my former employer. However, as a retired old fart, I can still use their services and get the employee pricing. They're usually much more reasonable than the style mongers.

Since OSHA, safety eyewear has had to become much more stylish than in days of yore with surprising options. They're no longer birth control frames-unless you want them.

No idea what Warby (sp?) Parker charges for lenses, but the frame seem reasonable.

 

[Krogen]

The eyeglass business, and hearing aides in my opinion are rackets. Witness the half off sales and that Costco can undercut traditional stores by significant amounts. The last time I got eyeglasses they had to remake them 3 times before they got it right. Not the prescription but the optical center. The "technician" just asked me to look directly at her eyes and she put a grease pencil mark on the lens where my pupil was, or so she thought. I told her she missed but she'd have none of it. The new glasses were such that I'd have to tip my nose to the sky to see my computer or the dashboard in my car. Not a good experience, but with that much re-work it's no wonder they charge so much. Next time, I'll join Costco just to get eyeglasses.

 

[H Richard]

I got the same Poly carbonate, multi-focal, darkening lenses at my local Clinic for $285, and had put in the same Titanium frames I have been using for a few years.

 

[Xfuzz]

Started needing "cheaters" (reading glasses) at around 43 years of age.
Turned 70 and needed glasses for distance and driving.
One pair of clear lens and a pair of shades in prescription.
About 3 Bens...

 

[ralph7]

Here's another plug for Zenni.
Just got a pair of prescription bifocal sunglasses for less than $90 with my birthday discount they offer.

 

[pasound]

I have a very odd prescription, correcting for my shift from nearsightedness to farsightedness after cataract lens replacement. My opthamologist owns his own lens manufacturing and glasses store. A little less than $400.00 for a pair and nothing-fancy frames. Before I said ok on the ones I have, I called around several firms (including the chains) and the price was higher, and one place said they couldn't make my lenses.