Buying glasses or contacts?

[XXX-er]

if you got an easy prescription maybe cheaping out will be ok but then how do you know whats good from bad, these are kinda like ... your eyes

nothing fits my head like rayban wayfarers so I toss the lenses th frames are very well made & pretty reasonable

[Danno]

I just got an exam at Costco. After 15 years post-Lasik, I still don't need glasses. Curiously enough, one eye is better at distance and one at close up, and they compensate for each other; the optometrist told me that they actually make glasses that way for people, and my eyes do it naturally. But I am going to get glasses for driving (at night especially) even though I don't need it (as soon as my insurance turns over in July). Was planning on hitting Costco, but will keep an eye on this thread for better ideas.

[m2711c]

if you got an easy prescription maybe cheaping out will be ok but then how do you know whats good from bad, these are kinda like ... your eyes

nothing fits my head like rayban wayfarers so I toss the lenses th frames are very well made & pretty reasonable

If you have some frames that you really like and you would like to put prescription lenses in them, then give these folks a try.


https://www.lensabl.com/

[Soups]

Once you get your prescription from the optometrist, check out these guys for excellent prices on glasses.


https://www.zennioptical.com/

This. Decent quality, good styles, and you can't beat the price. Have had 2 pair of polarized sunglasses and 3 pair of regular and probably paid the same for all 5 as for one pair of regular designer glasses.

[iceman]

If you're gonna wear glasses get Transitions lenses and never have to fuck with sunglasses. I have the darkest ones, they get quite dark quite fast. Takes them a bit longer to lighten back up but not a real problem. There may be other good brands, I don't know.

[reckless toboggan]

If you're gonna wear glasses get Transitions lenses and never have to fuck with sunglasses. I have the darkest ones, they get quite dark quite fast. Takes them a bit longer to lighten back up but not a real problem. There may be other good brands, I don't know.

Transitions don't work when driving as the auto glass filters out UV.

If you're going in and out of doors on a regular basis, like running errands or shopping, the lenses stay dark for too long and you have to take them off to see inside, or wait around for 15 to 20 minutes for them to lighten back up. Especially in very cold weather. The colder the lenses the darker they get, and the longer it takes them to go back to being light.

If you are on a patio for drinks, and the sunlight is uneven because of shadows or an umbrella post, the lenses won't darken in that area, and you end up with a partially dark partially clear lens which can be very annoying.

Just FYI in a buyer beware type scenario.

[Ted Striker]

Transitions does make a lens that will darken behind a car windshield named Drivewear. It's a kind of a greenish amber-to-brown tint, and reacts fast enough for normal driving (though not twisties through trees-to-sunlight), but they're spendy.

[KyleLanTheman]

I'm really shocked people don't just stick with contacts. Takes 5 seconds to throw them on in the am. No frames that break, no lenses that scratch, wear any sunglasses/goggles you want, no glare or fishbowl effect, won't steam up. Unless you have vision only to be corrected with glasses, why bother

[MakersTeleMark]

I'm really shocked people don't just stick with contacts. Takes 5 seconds to throw them on in the am. No frames that break, no lenses that scratch, wear any sunglasses/goggles you want, no glare or fishbowl effect, won't steam up. Unless you have vision only to be corrected with glasses, why bother

I agree. Been wearing them for 30 years. But, I clean them every night and wear glasses as much as possible to promote oxygen transfer and staring at screens and devices really fatigued my eyes. So for the last 10 years inside means glasses outside contacts.

[riser4]

If your eyes are weird even in the slightest and if you do contacts start with the eye Doc/optometrist. I did, and I'm glad. They didn't work for me and it only cost $50 to find out. He had a bunch of brands and types in my prescription sent. Nothing worked and I wasn't out hundreds of dollars. And Lasik is off the table for me. And even if it was an option, I'd still have to wear glasses for prism. Which would be worse than where I am now. I am waiting for implantable lenses to get better and cheaper. In the interim, it's glasses or the world looks like a painting by Monet.

[Woodsy]

You can try Costco or https://www.warbyparker.com/ for budget pricing. Warby Parker has stores in some cities that can do adjustments on your frames. Fuck buying them at the Optometrist, that's like buying luggage at the Airport.

Fuck Warby Parker.
got frames sent tried some on sent some back tried more went through the whole thing and then when I tried to pull trigger, was told they couldn't do my prescription. Great if you have a slight correction or a stupid hipster that wants glasses for "looks" but to buy real glasses from they suck.

Had good experience with Cohens Optical Not the cheapest but my medical pre tax account covered it and they are solid and good with follow ups to tighten/etc.

Fuck Warby Parker

[m2711c]

i can’t read the newspaper wearing corrective lenses

You need more lenses.... fuckers got me up to trifocals now.



still can’t see shit and now i gots to hold my heads just so for each focal length... gettin old sucks.

[Groomer Gambler]

.

[Groomer Gambler]

Fuck Warby Parker.
got frames sent tried some on sent some back tried more went through the whole thing and then when I tried to pull trigger, was told they couldn't do my prescription. Great if you have a slight correction or a stupid hipster that wants glasses for "looks" but to buy real glasses from they suck.

Had good experience with Cohens Optical Not the cheapest but my medical pre tax account covered it and they are solid and good with follow ups to tighten/etc.

Fuck Warby Parker

Yes and no. See my post above. I have a really strong prescription but fortunately no other corrections like an astigmatism. If you have any corrections, then yes, don't go the online route. My take on their frames is you have to try a lot and suck it up and just order a pair to actually try with your RX. Keep in mind they might suck after a few weeks and then you will have to suck it up and get rid of. From my experience, get the most basic shape and average looking silhouette if you order from them. The only frames that I can get away with without a headache so far are the cranes and wilkies for reference. Larger frames (i.e. more hipster types with the oversized looking sillhouttes) have always induced vision headaches. My theory if you have a stronger RX is the cheap lens and fit centers the RX in the exact center of the lens (not taking account into your face measurements). So a big frame, the money spot of the lens will be below your actual line of vision. I had two pairs like this where I would have to kind of crane my head back if I was really staring hard at something in the distance. I.e. my eyes were just above the correct spot of the lens, so the RX was effectively weaker, if that makes any sense.

I'm also skeptical that their frame quality has changed over time too. When the very first pair I ordered (maybe 6ish yrs ago?) arrived I was blown away at the price and the fit, they were near perfect like right out of the box. I've actually ordered the same frames over time since, and funny timing of this thread, I just ordered a new pair a week ago that just arrived. The trend lately has been the frames require much more modification out of the box, and even the frame shape will be slightly lopsided or lenses angled more downward than the pictures online show. It seems like the plastic quality is cheaper too, but not sure. I have stopped going back to an eye doctor for the fit as they always give you the same annoying bullshit spiel. I now just do it myself with warm water on the arms. Avoid the lenses with any heat. I had a shitty lenscrafters type place once fit a pair of Warby Parkers and they put direct heat over the lenses too. This will completely melt the surface of the lenses.

[iceman]

If you're going in and out of doors on a regular basis, like running errands or shopping, the lenses stay dark for too long and you have to take them off to see inside, or wait around for 15 to 20 minutes for them to lighten back up. Especially in very cold weather. The colder the lenses the darker they get, and the longer it takes them to go back to being light.

I've had them for at least 10 years now. To me 15-20 minutes is way overblown (In my experience it's more like 2 minutes or so), as is the complaint that you have to take them off when you go inside. I have had to do that very infrequently, and only when going from brilliant sunlight to a quite dark area, and even then only for a minute or two. I am a fan for sure, although the driving thing is a bit of an irritant. I do keep a set of clip-on lenses in the car but I rarely use them.

[Woodsy]

If you have any corrections, then yes, don't go the online route..

information they should provide up front before people waste weeks with multiple try on boxes.

FUCK WARBY PARKER
they have a store in Grand Central so I go in and tel them to fuck themselves occasionally

[Groomer Gambler]

I agree. Been wearing them for 30 years. But, I clean them every night and wear glasses as much as possible to promote oxygen transfer and staring at screens and devices really fatigued my eyes. So for the last 10 years inside means glasses outside contacts.

This, I avoid contacts for staring at computer screens all day. I went strictly with contacts for probably ten years until my eyes started bugging out and getting really uncomfortable and itchy after a few hours. I now switched to daily lenses, and use them sporadically. I'm probably 75% glasses, 25% contacts these days.

Contacts are pain for multi-day trips (travelling or outdoor related) as you need to pack more supplies. Even a day trip ski/hike/bike I'l bring eye drops, an extra pair of contacts, and even a backup pair of glasses. Plus for something like a backpacking trip you gotta think about keeping your fingers clean to take contacts in and out.

Idk. Both glasses and contacts are a major pain in the ass either way, especially when you are outdoor-minded like people on TGR!

[Groomer Gambler]

information they should provide up front before people waste weeks with multiple try on boxes.

FUCK WARBY PARKER
they have a store in Grand Central so I go in and tel them to fuck themselves occasionally

True...although some info is really buried on their info page. I had a similar experience with their sunglasses. I tried on a few pairs, submitted an order, then got a response that my RX was too strong for their sunglasses.

[japanada]

Another +1 for warby parker. Cheap and great quality. Pic 5 frames and they send em to you to try on. Lots of cities notlw have store fronts too.

Sent from my SM-G973U using TGR Forums mobile app

[GiBo]

I just got an exam at Costco. After 15 years post-Lasik, I still don't need glasses. Curiously enough, one eye is better at distance and one at close up, and they compensate for each other; the optometrist told me that they actually make glasses that way for people, and my eyes do it naturally. But I am going to get glasses for driving (at night especially) even though I don't need it (as soon as my insurance turns over in July). Was planning on hitting Costco, but will keep an eye on this thread for better ideas.

They do contacts that way too. I'm trying the 'multifocal' contacts this week. One is set for computer distance and one for far. I fucking hate it. Sure I can see near and far, but it feels like the close eye is dirty all the time when looking at distance. I rode the trails with them twice this week and my depth perception feels way off. I'm sticking with regular contacts and readers.

[Ted Striker]

Glass has been mentioned a few times, but are any lenses glass anymore?

IME, cheap lenses are made from CR39 and better (or higher index) lenses are made from Trivex. Tinted/sunglass lenses can also be polycarbonate.

[XXX-er]

I've had them for at least 10 years now. To me 15-20 minutes is way overblown (In my experience it's more like 2 minutes or so), as is the complaint that you have to take them off when you go inside. I have had to do that very infrequently, and only when going from brilliant sunlight to a quite dark area, and even then only for a minute or two. I am a fan for sure, although the driving thing is a bit of an irritant. I do keep a set of clip-on lenses in the car but I rarely use them.

this ^^

I think early on Transition lenses took longer to change but the latest are more like a minute or 2, I left a pair on the window sill in strong sunlight a few inches from the bug screen, when i picked them up in the AM the screen pattern of the bug screen looked to be sharply etched on the lense which looked pretty freaky but they changed back to clear in my hands in a minute or 2, I found transitions suck for skiing


no where does the phrase " YMMV " apply more than eyeglasses, sure some people can use 20$ glasses off the drug store rack but I've also seen prescription lenses ruined by improper dispensing that fucked up the focal point to where the user could not see shit ... ordering off a web site just ain't gona work for everybody


I got 5 pair of prescription progressive for astignatism in wayfarer frames which is fucking expensive but the more they cost the better cuz I need to spend the HCSA money or lose it anyhow

[dunfree]

I'm really shocked people don't just stick with contacts. Takes 5 seconds to throw them on in the am. No frames that break, no lenses that scratch, wear any sunglasses/goggles you want, no glare or fishbowl effect, won't steam up. Unless you have vision only to be corrected with glasses, why bother

- if you are somewhere where dust is getting in your eyes, contacts can suck
- if you are working, or living, or travelling really long days eye strain/fatigue can make contacts suck
- glasses make a useful backup if you lose a contact swimming/surfing/whatevering and can't legally drive without perscription lenses.

I've worn contacts for years, they are great for the most part, but glasses have their role. If OP just goes with glasses they'll probably need to be replaced every two years or so depending on your tolerance for wear.

[toast2266]

YMMV is the best advice in this thread.

For me: I own both glasses and contacts. I wear contacts 99.9% of the time. They're comfortable, and the occasional mild irritation is heavily outweighed by all the downsides of glasses. Most significantly, I wear sunglasses a lot. Speaking of which, my glasses have auto-tint / light responsive lenses and I fucking hate it. They're annoyingly slow to respond (it's only a minute or two, but that's really, really annoying if you're going in and out of dark places frequently). And while the glasses look fine, when they're tinted, I think they look dumb.

Also: I had multi-prescription contacts, or whatever they're called. Hated them. They were weighted so they would orient the correct way. Except any bit of wind or dust in my eye would screw up that orientation and make everything go blurry. Which doesn't work at all for an active person.

Secret upside of contacts: sitting around a campfire. Little plastic shields make your eyes impervious to smoke.

[Danno]

I'm really shocked people don't just stick with contacts. Takes 5 seconds to throw them on in the am. No frames that break, no lenses that scratch, wear any sunglasses/goggles you want, no glare or fishbowl effect, won't steam up. Unless you have vision only to be corrected with glasses, why bother

Way before Lasik, I had contacts for a year and a half. I never got over the feeling that something was in my eye. And I felt way more vulnerable, because unless you travel around with a slew of supplies/extras, you're kinda fucked if something happens, even something simple like a piece of dust getting in your eye. In all the years of glasses, I only truly broke them once and it was fixable with tape.

I get the appeal of contacts, but I also get why people "don't just stick with contacts". As stated by a few here, YMMV.