Contact Lenses Discussion Area

MSE_Martin

This discussion relates to the following article. 'A Visible Saving: The Cheapest Way to Buy Contact Lenses' To ask a question or discuss it simply click reply.

If you have spotted a price change or cheaper discounter, please remember to include the cost of delivery.

Martin

mad_cash_cow

Have you done any research into the solutions necessary to maintain non-disposable lenses? I wear gas permeable lenses, and have found that Boots are reluctant to sell solutions for Dolland and Aitchison lenses. I can't imagine that the products are very different, and suspect that they may all be made centrally and sold under various brand names.
Is there a safe way to reduce the ongoing cost of these?
Also, do the discounters which you site make lenses for complex prescriptions? ???

Curious Cow

As a side note, I once took a prescription from my normal optician to a cheaper store for a back up pair of specs. There was an error in the scrip and the glasses were a disaster. As a second retailer was involved the whole mess was very time comsuming to sort out.

MSE_Martin

Hi MCC.

Gas Permable lenses solutions are available with discounters - i didnt do full research on it but from memory Vison Direct and SightCare200 had a good choice. If you do look into these - it'd be great if you reported a little note back on where you found the cheapest ones that you use and the scale of saving.

kookie

I've used spectacles.gb.com for years for daily disposables(although not this year due to some unrelated eye trouble) They were always reliable and cheapest!
They do daysoft @ £47.50 for 3 months up to acuvue @ £95.
They also do discount spectacle frames (usually about half rrp) and make up glasses to prescription, just find a frame you like in the high street.
And no, I'm not related!

http://www.spectacles.gb.com/?OVRAW=spectacles%20gb&OVKEY=spectacle%20gb&OVMTC=standard

is the dailies page

rooo

Not for everyone, but if you are a member, then CostCo is by far the cheapest I have found. I get 3 months supply of BioMedics (apparently the best, and I have only praise for them) for £16.

Be very careful about this next bit, but I have heard many people say that monthly disposables are the same products as 3 monthly disposables, hence you can make a big saving by wearing your cheaper monthly's for 3 months.

Personally, I normally keep mine in for 2 months to be safer, and I have done this for about 2 years now and I have never had the 'tired eyes syndrome' I used to get with other lenses when the lens was nearing the end of its life.

System

I have purchased lenses online before from https://www.ClubOptique.com and they seem to be a bit cheaper than the others. They currently have 360 pairs for £215 including carriage.

In the past their service has been very good and prompt delivery.

System

I can almost gaurantee that no-one will beat their price for Accuvue daily lenses.

They are currently selling them for £11.17 per box of 30. This would make 90 pair only £67.02 which is a pretty good deal for Accuvue.

There are no minimum order quantities and no carriage charges. They also sell many other brands and lens types however as I'll explain I've never actually had to order from them so can't comment on their reliability.

I found them when researching the cost of lenses as I thought my optician (20-20 Opticians in Edinburgh & Glasgow) was getting expensive. When I went back to them to tell them that I was not going to use them anymore they told me that for £2.00 per month they would price match any internet price, give me a full eye check up once per year, give me 10% off the cost of glasses and supply me with up to 3 on demand emergency replacement contact lenses per year. This way I've got the benefit of using a local optician with annual check ups at a bargain price.

This way I've saved myself and my wife £259 EACH per year on what we were paying before!

rooo

Not for everyone, but if you are a member, then CostCo is by far the cheapest I have found. I get 3 months supply of BioMedics (apparently the best, and I have only praise for them) for £16.

Apologies, I got that price wrong - I've just been down to pick some up and they were £14.49 not £16.00!

That excludes solutions by the way - my 6 monthly supply of solutions cost around £17 IIRC.

System

:-[

Ooops, somehow I lost the first part of me message. The company I was refering to was https://www.coastalcontacts.com

piemonster

I am interested in this discussion as i am an Optometrist. I thought i should just clarify one point as i have images of huge numbers of patients storming in demanding their contact lens prescriptions so they can buy them online. The Optometrist/Contact lens Optician has a legal duty to provide the presciption only WHEN THE FITTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

piemonster

Sorry, hit the post button by mistake. I was also going to say that the College of Optometrists recommends that a reasonable period would be 6 months to ensure adequate adaptation. Please bear this in mind. New customers will most likely be refused their written contact lens specification. You are however entitled by law to your Sight Test presciption (for glasses) immediately after an Eye Test- which is different!