Spectacle Wearers Unite!

neil9313

mishkanorman wrote: »

Glasses are something you need not want, and although they ARE expensive you shouldnt cut corners with such a high prescription. Even if you did find an on-line retailer who supplies such a high prescription you should always buy your glasses from a practice you can visit. For many many reasons.


The NHS optical voucher scheme mentioned above applies to those on a low in-come claiming the appropriate benefit, however there is a smaller amount taken off for complex prescriptions automatically.


mishka

Now are you connected with glasses in any manner? :cool:

swake

shewhoguards wrote: »

Unfortunately, having investigated this for my own glasses lately, the OP's eyes aren't quite bad ENOUGH to count as 'complex lenses' for the NHS. Gotta be -10 or above for that.

I think if i remember correctly my left eye is -14 and right is -11.

The last pair i purchased were a bit of a flashy name but i think the reason they are quite dear was due to the fact i had the lenses thinned. If batty info is correct it looks like ill be getting 2 pieces of glass glued to my head if thats all they give me towards the cost.:D

nedmundo

As an Optometrist, I have to say that the help given from a Complex Voucher is offensive and I get quite embarassed explaining that it all the extra help the NHS affords them. It doesn't even cover the cost of a decent anti-reflective coating - which is really an essential when dealing with high prescriptions.

mishkanorman

neil9313 wrote: »

Now are you connected with glasses in any manner? :cool:

yes, why

mishka

twinklefish

I agree with the OP that the price some of us are expected to pay for optical lenses is ridiculous. However, I've worn glasses, and latterly contacts, since primary school and I have a prescription for glasses of -10 but I dont think I have ever paid over £250 for glasses!! If any opticians tried to tell me glasses would cost £400 I'd take my business elsewhere. That's a ridiculous amount of money but I do know someone at my work who paid that for reading glasses!!! :rotfl: I do take the thinnest lenses which cost more but the savings can definitely be made on the frames. Once I got a pair of frames in Boots for £10! I wear contacts most of the time but would not buy glasses I would not be happy wearing out of the house 'in public'. And it's not like I wear Deirdre Barlow specs either, I just avoid the over priced designer frames!

I'm all for saving money by shopping online but is this a good idea with glasses? I thought that at the opticians they measured the distance between your pupil and the frames so they should shape or position the centre of the lens. Or something like that. How can you do this if your buying online? Surely the more complex the prescription the more important this is?

Tx

swake

It sounds strange i know but i found a nice pair of Gucci frames in my cupboard that had no lenses in. I dont remember buying them but my OH said we picked them up on holiday. I contacted specsavers regarding my appointment on tuesday and they said it would be no problem for me to bring them in and they would use them for my new specs.

They did add however it was at my own risk.

I have seen like the poster above some very reasonable looking frames around £10-20 in other stores so that looks like a way of reducing your bill perhaps.

jstyles

twinklefish wrote: »

I'm all for saving money by shopping online but is this a good idea with glasses? I thought that at the opticians they measured the distance between your pupil and the frames so they should shape or position the centre of the lens. Or something like that. How can you do this if your buying online? Surely the more complex the prescription the more important this is?

Tx

Twinklefish - you're right. The distance between the pupils (the Pupillary Distance or PD, as it's known) is indeed important. And, as you say, the more complex the prescription, the more important it becomes.

The typical pupillary distance for adults is around 54-68 mm, while measurements generally fall between 48 and 73 mm. For children the measurement usually ranges from 41 to 55 mm.

However, it is pretty easy to meaure it yourself using a ruler and a mirror. Here's how we suggest you do it.

nedmundo

With the very thinnest designs (and not just materials), other measurements such as vertical heights, tilt of the frames and curvature of the front can also be important. Even more important when dealing with high prescriptions is distance from the back surface of the lens to the eye - how can these possibly be dealt with online?

o2brich

nedmundo wrote: »

With the very thinnest designs (and not just materials), other measurements such as vertical heights, tilt of the frames and curvature of the front can also be important. Even more important when dealing with high prescriptions is distance from the back surface of the lens to the eye - how can these possibly be dealt with online?

But not all high street opticians seem to take those kind of measurements either nor do you always end up being satisfied.

My prescription is really high and I did use to have a really good optician who also had a qualified person to find the right frames and lens etc for my high prescription. However he moved on and since then I am struggling to find a high street opticians who have staff qualified to help the high prescription user. The last few opticians I have tried, their staff have either offered me frames which even I know would be totally unsuitable for my high prescription in that they would would be too big and heavy for the lens or have said the only frames I could have is the 'old fashioned' type. It's even worse now I need varifocals. I have to pay such a high price for my glasses that I am desperate to find an opticians who could really help in selecting the best I can have for my prescription.

My current pair of glasses cost me an absolute fortune and I don't mind paying if I am satisfied but one of the lens has been fitted more forward in the frame than the other lens and when I went back with them, the girl who measured for the frames etc just said "well what can you expect with your prescription". Doesn't give you much confidence and it becomes even more of a nightmare then when the time comes round for having to find new glasses again.

Having said all that, with my prescription, I definitely would not order online - I will just keep searching for an opticians I feel confident with again.

AlphaCore

o2brich wrote: »

But not all high street opticians seem to take those kind of measurements either nor do you always end up being satisfied. .........
Having said all that, with my prescription, I definitely would not order online - I will just keep searching for an opticians I feel confident with again.

I totally agree. The normal high street chain optometrists only seem able to cater for 'simple' prescriptions. I'm -9.5 & -10 and have now tried 2 of these only to be sent packing with a refund after many failed attempts to get the lenses right. My advice is to ask around and find a reputable independent who you can trust. By the way, I have to get the 1.9 index glass lenses by Zeiss - these are the only ones which consistently get it right for me. Just been quoted £400 for the lenses alone!:eek: