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Guinea Pig With Glasses

May 16th, 2009 at 03:09 am

No, not the one on Youtube.

Text is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAOplanuumc and Link is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAOplanuumc

Me.

I'm anxiously awaiting a $30 pair of prescription reading glasses from an online optical store. If I were happy with the progressive lenses I got locally (and the attitude of the optician), it never would have occurred to me. But in doing some research online, I stumbled on a blog called Glassy Eyes, which is full of info on how to order cheap but good quality prescription glasses (and contacts) online.

Text is http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/ and Link is
http://glassyeyes.blogspot.com/

Basically, you can guesstimate a frame size that will fit by reading the little numbers printed inside your existing frames. You enter the numbers from your eye doctor's prescription form; generally you don't even have to send in or fax the prescription paper, so you still have it on hand for your next purchase. (Apparently it can get quite addictive buying new styles and colors, once you know you can buy them so cheaply. Wink Sheesh, one place has some frames that only cost a dollar!)

The main problem seems to be finding out your "pupillary distance" which determines where the center of the prescription goes in each lens. Eye doctors often don't write that on the prescription blank, and local opticians often don't want to divulge it to the customer. But there are ways to figure it out yourself, or with a friend, and instructions are available online.

I want a nice large, frumpy frame that will give me a large field of vision; the optician would only show me skinny, fashionable frames. I want to try reading-only rather than reading/intermediate bifocals, which the optician says I need. (And which cost more, of course.) So for $30, I'm willing to experiment.

It looks like it might be a workable alternative for someone who really needs new glasses, doesn't have vision coverage, and can't afford to spend much. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, since I haven't gotten mine yet. But I'll keep you posted.

Has anyone else tried this?



4 Responses to “Guinea Pig With Glasses”

  1. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1242477964

    At another website I visit several people have raved about the glasses they bought from online sources. Different sources; all turned out good products that worked for the buyer.

  2. dmontngrey Says:
    1242500941

    DH has been dying to try this out, but has been "unwilling" to even attempt to get/guess his pupillary distance. Thanks for letting me know there are instructions online! Might be worth trying out and guessing.

  3. CouponAddict Says:
    1242538438

    I wish I could buy glasses online but the tops my ears are a good distance different that if I dont get them profitted they are so lopsided that it just looks funny.

  4. StressLess Says:
    1242578426

    CouponAddict, I know what you mean. I was talking about this at work, and one woman just stops in at any random optical store that's convenient to get her frames readjusted. They don't seem to care she bought her glasses somewhere else, and they don't charge her anything. (She didn't buy them online, but at an optician that's a distance away.)

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