Ordering Prescription Glasses On Line As Low As $9.99

          

 

I've been ordering prescription glasses on line for years and love it. I've ordered from Zennioptical and CoastalContacts and 39DollarGlasses . Zennioptical is my favorite because it's the cheapest and I generally order 4-5 pairs once a year. I pay about $12.99 for the finished product, including frames and prescription lenses. (Ugh -- I once paid over $400 for a pair of prescription glasses from the ophthalmologist's office. Never again.)

I need glasses mainly for reading and the computer, and my prescription is different for each eye. I also have other glasses with a small distance correction for TV and movie theaters. So when I go to the optometrist for my exam once every few years, I ask for two prescriptions. I generally get my exam at Costco, but you can also get it at Walmart, or any of the eye-exam businesses like Lenscrafters. They'll try to sell you glasses after the exam, but a simple no thanks works. I could get bifocals but I hate them. I tried a pair once and could never get used to them. So I have reading glasses all over the house, by the computers, on my nightstand, in the kitchen, etc., and a couple pair of distance glasses that I take to movies and use for tv. That's another reason I like them cheap. I can get a dozen pairs for the same price as a single pair from the expensive brick and mortar stores. Hubby George has bifocals and finally broke down and bought a backup pair from Zennioptical. He opted for nicer frames and some upgrades. He paid $49, compared to almost $300 from Lenscrafters. He says there's no difference in the glasses and wears the one from Zennioptical as often as the more expensive pair.

 

You'll never go back once you see how easy it is to order online. Here are the steps if you've never ordered that way.

Get your exam with a written prescription in hand. Don't worry that it looks like Greek.

Have them also measure your pupillary distance and write it down. It will be a number like 58 or 62. They won't routinely do that unless you ask. It's a very simple measurement that takes 5 seconds. If they won't do it (to force you to buy frames from them), then you can measure it yourself at home. Here's how.

With prescription in hand, go online to a site like Zennioptical or CoastalContacts of 39DollarGlasses. They have a bizillion frames to choose from. You can 'try on' the frames on a picture they have posted, or even upload your own picture so you can see how they'll look. Pay attention to the width of the frames. If your face is very wide or narrow, you'll want to figure that in. If you already have glasses, look on the stem for the width measurement, and that will give you a starting point.

After you choose frames, you'll fill in the numbers from your prescription. It's easy. The on-line order form matches the paper prescription format.

You pay, then wait about 10-14 days and voila, you get your glasses in the mail. They come with a case and soft cloths. I've been known to order 2-3 pairs, each in a different frame. I decide which frame I like best, then 6 months down the road, order several more of that one. I break 'em, lose 'em, step on 'em, drop 'em behind the bed, etc., but it's never a crisis because I long ago got my $12.99 value from them, and there are lots more around the house. I find them in a coat pocket from last winter, or behind the nightstand when cleaning, or under the front seat in the car. They get lost and found all the time, LOL. The important thing to me is availability. I want to reach out and have a pair close by. I don't want to search the entire house for a single pair. I'm lazy.  

 

If you need more help with your order at Zennioptical, notice on the front page, lower right, there are links labeled "Infographics" with great helps.
 

 

CoastalContacts has a first pair free offer. You do pay shipping.