Pennywell

I've gotten to that age where the old eyesight is letting me down and have resorted to buying the cheapo ones from the supermarket. How do you go about getting your eyes tested here? Do I need a referral from my Dr or can I just go and get my eyes tested and get a pair of glasses?
My vanity is preventing me from doing this but there comes a time..

scrubbedexpat097

Huh...good luck


Blind Pugh typing without glasses

Mummy in the foothills

LOL we are all loosing our sight. I'm due for glasses this summer.
You don't need a referral, if you have Optical insurance make sure the office you go to takes it.
We go to the local optician, nice office nice people, and we've been very happy with the glasses and eye exams so far.
Good luck

Michael

If you don't have insurance, go to some place like Lens Crafter. They'll test your eyes and make and have the glasses available within an hour after you order them. If you don't like them, they'll replace them for you with different frames and/or lenses at no extra charge.

Steerpike

Costco do a good service. Even if you get your prescription elsewhere, having your glasses done at Costco can be cheaper than having them done anywhere else, even though Costco don't take any insurance. Be sure to get a copy of your prescription if you go to a 'local' optician; they are obligated to do so, but seem reluctant to without a request or two.

Octang Frye

Caveat emptor.

I wish that I could go to crappy places like Costco or Lenscrafters to get my glasses. I don't have that strange of a prescription, but it's hard to find decent optometrists and opticians.

My glasses typically cost 700-800 dollars. It's worth it though because a) I can see through them, and b) they last. My current primary pair were made in 2000.

If you buy shit, don't expect them to last.

I have wasted $$$ going to cheap places. I've learned a good bell-weather in gauging competency in spectacles is to ask about ABBE values. If the person looks like you're talking a foreign language, go elsewhere.

Currently wearing Spectralite lenses with a high ABBE value. There's a hint.

PS, Steerpike, you're right. Coming out wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Your experiences served me well, and for that I am grateful.

Lorna at Vicenza

When choosing a first pair of frames note that stainless steel frames are lighter than plastic ones. Flexible hinges are good as frames do take a bit of wear and tear putting them on and off every day and silicone nose pads are much softer on the skin than the harder pvc ones.

Don't be conned into buying expensive lense cleansers or wipes either. A quick wash under a running tap with a little mild detergent is enough and a soft cloth to dry lenses.

Octang Frye

Meh. Titanium is the only way to go for frames.

Lorna at Vicenza

True - but much more expensive.

Steerpike

My eyesight has been deteriorating steadily for the past 20 years or so, and my prescription has changed each year - so new glasses each year for me, sadly. The thought of one pair of glasses since 2000 - chance would be a fine thing!

I've gone to the most expensive places, and to Costco. The glasses from Costco have been every bit as good as those from the more expensive places. But I do try to give my local opticians the business. This last go around, I paid over $300, AFTER insurance, by the time I got done with high index, anti-scratch, anti-reflection, blah blah blah. And I've taken them back 3 times, and I'm still not happy ... I'm just trying to find the time to go back again.

The latest issue seems to be something to do with 'base curve'. The first two attempts at my lenses resulted in glasses that only gave me clear vision 'straight ahead' - if I looked through them 'off center', the image was blurred (and these are NOT progressives). On the third attempt, they modified the 'base curve' and magically the problem went away. I don't think my prescription is particularly strange, though I do have some astigmatism.

This is the third optician I've been to in the past 5 years. I tend to go to Costco every other year, and am generally moderately pleased by their performance.

?

Michael

My current pair is titanium and I don't like them. They are so light that they don't seem to rest on my nose correctly, always seem crocked, and don't feel confortable. Unfortunately this was the only time in the last 10 years that I didn't get my glasses from Lens Crafter so I can't replace the frames without paying for both new frames and lens.

Steerpike

The BEST technique I've found is to use warm water, mild detergent, and then - a careful 'rinse' with a very low-flow of water so that no beads of water are left on the surface* - and thus, no need to wipe dry at all! This results in a much, much clearer surface than any chemical. The only issue seems to be, the chemicals do provide some level of anti-static dust-repellant.

Octang Frye

It's a two stage process, obfuscated by the British experience.
An optician is not the person who tests your eyes. That's the optometrist.
The optician is the person who fits your glasses.

The most important thing is to have them measure the distance between pupils, and to mark the optical center on your spectacles. I too have strabismus and astigmatism. In my experience, it's rare to find a place where they have both a good eye doctor and, more importantly, a really good optician. When you find one, stick with them. I commute a good distance to see mine (no pun intended).

As for the coming out reference - come on SP, you don't have to pretend about your partner any more. =
You're posts have helped me come to terms with cravings to live in San Fran.

Cape Blue

Steerpike! you never said, I could have sworn you had previous posts mentioning a girlfriend.

Octang Frye

Well, in the 'scene', we often refer to our as SOs as girlfriends, due to the hostility of evil Weepublican conservatives.

The more you know!