Buying optical glasses on line

Sterlingtimes · 10 December at 8:20AM

Another age-related problem is the need for various glasses for different purposes.

I have ordered a pair of single-vision Reactolight glasses from Aliexpress for £28.

Now, if I order varifocals online, what do I do to obtain the following measurement? Is a measurement against the existing frame good enough?

Fitting height / segment height – Vertical distance from the bottom of the lens to the center of your pupil. This positions the progressive zones properly.

born_again · 10 December at 8:32AM

Measurements need to be from the new frame.

Or you will suffer problems.

I would never order anything like this from a site such as that. Any problems & you are in a world of pain sorting it out.

Organgrinder · 10 December at 8:44AM

Honestly I concur with @born_again.

Asda will do two pairs of varifocals (including high index) for £120.

I've used them twice in the past three years. No problems at all.

I think a single pair is £80.

Exodi · 10 December at 9:43AM

Oh wow, buying prescription glasses from Aliexpress - words I never thought would be in the same sentence.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that the prices opticians charge in branch for branded prescription glasses can be bonkers (I paid over £400 about 5 years ago for a branded pair before I woke up to online glasses suppliers - my last branded pair I paid about a quarter of that, but you can get them for far less, less than you paid even).

If you don't care about brand names (good for you) you can pick up prescription glasses for the same price you paid (or less) online or in branch.

vacheron · 10 December at 11:02AM

Pay for an appointment with a UK optician (£25-30) and get your up to date prescription and all these measurements done professionally. Then order from a certified UK online retailer if you want to save money.

There are things I would order from Aliexpress, but glasses would never be one of them. There is no way they are making you genuine Reactolight varifocals to your prescription at their prices, and you have zero comeback against some backstreet operation in China if (when) something isn't right with whatever glasses you actually end up recieving.