savannah_boy

Hi there, I am due for an eye test and I am pretty sure new glasses. I will be in England at the end of September and wondered what the costs comparable costs were over there say for Specsavers v here in the USA.
Thanks in advance

kins

My eye test cost $185 but if I'd gone to Walmart it would have been about $100. My insurance doesn't cover it but everyone else in my family had theirs covered fully.

My glasses (mild prescription with astigmatism) were $39 from Walmart - $9 frames and bog standard lenses.

Hummingbird25

an eye test in the UK is around 20-30£ so about 45$ at the most. Depends on the glasses you need in regards to price.

markonline1

I've just had an eye test that was provided via my insurance. Lens Crafters wanted between $75 and $103 for the eye test. However, Costco is the place to go if you have one nearby. $49 for an eye test and you don't need to be a member to have one. If you need glasses you do need to be a member, but they are far cheaper than again, somewhere like Lens Crafters. I've just ordered a pair of Diesel frames with the thin lenses for my strong prescription, and they've come to just under $200. Plus, again compared to both Lens Crafters and Walmart Vision Centers, Costco seem to be the best quality. Unfortunately, the Oakley sunglasses I'm ordering will be costing me just shy of $450! Ouch!

gcjunkie

$100 bucks with insurance you for real?! would thought would be co pay max for that kind of thing. my plan includes vision so i hope that means its free. i need to read the small print.

thinbrit

As an employer, we offer vision. Unless my staff are getting something real fancy it is 100% covered. Even if it is not covered, then they have an allowance towards their 'fancy' eyewear. One of my employees who has had LASIK even gets his Ray-Bans paid for.

sir_eccles

Second Costco for the eye test. Then take your script to zennioptical.com.

markonline1

Without insurance. They wouldn't take my insurance. I told em to take a hike, obviously.

scrubbedexpat091

Maybe they have built business around those without vision coverage and find it not worthwhile to deal with insurance?


My coverage when I was in the US was decent, but the policy didn't do direct payment to the provider at the time, so I had to pay out of pocket, and then seek reimbursement so I never used it as I never noticed any vision issues.

My coverage now is better then nothing, but still not so great. 1 vision exam every 24 months, and 1 pair of glasses every 36 months up to $100 for the frames.

I go for the vision exam every 2 years.

Bob

Even with insurance, it might not be worth much.

I get something like upto $150 towards a frame every 2 years, basic plastic lens and eye test covered and around 20% off depending on where I go if I want the light, polycarb, thin, anti-glare anything extra type lens. Anything from about $100-500 on the lenses.

Online places can be cheap but mostly basic lenses, good for a spare pair.

Oakleys are a bit of a chore, prescription lenses are around the $380-480 mark, which hurts when the frames are only about $120-150...well for the mountain bike type ones.

I am waiting till I'm next eligible for the insurance

Lorna at Vicenza

If it helps, I was in Specsavers UK in July. I had a really thorough eye test including 3D imaging of the optic nerve etc, glaucoma, pressure test, peripheral vision etc. and I bought two pairs of glasses with the extra fine lens that cost a lot more. I don't have standard lenses and both of my eyes have a totally different prescription so one lens is one strength and the other is different. One eye is squinty and was operated on twice as a child and I have astigmatism as well.
I paid around £180 for everything but, I could have gone cheaper with cheaper frames ...... oh and, I left it a bit late for my glasses to be made up for me so they posted them to me in Italy and didn't charge a penny for postage.

markonline1

Just bought a nice pair of diesel specs from Costco. $189 including the thin lenses. That is dirt cheap. I was looking at between 4 and 500 for a pair of designer glasses from the little independent place where I had my eye test.
Just ordered a pair of Oakleys too. Wanted a pair of Maui Jim's, but they are way too expensive. The Oakleys cost me just over 400 from frames direct. As you say though, the vast majority of the cost is lenses. My current shades are Oakleys, but a few prescriptions old. They struggled to put my lenses in anything with too much wrap. The lenses are huge at the edges and have been chiseled to get them in the frames LOL. Now Oakley do thin lenses with the iridium coatings in all their sunglasses. The missus went mad when she found out the cost, but the way I look at it, I work out on an aircraft ramp with loads of glare in 11'months of sunshine. No way am I scrimping on sunglasses. Can't wait to get em!!

scrubbedexpat091

They charge extra for the lenses on top of the frames?

markonline1

Every pair of glasses I've ever bought in my life, the cost is just the frame, lenses are on top.

scrubbedexpat091

They must do it differently here, or the place I went to does. (They do the lenses in house) but the price included the frames and lenses, although you could pay extra for the fancier types of lenses, but the basic lens was included.

It's the only time I have ever gotten glasses, so had no idea most places charge for lenses on top... Now I am curious if that is the norm here, or if the place I went to is just different.