flexible glasses in the UK?

[MommyUpNorth]

I've looked through some older threads about flexible glasses and a couple people had solo bambini, and I've seen another type called Miraflex... does anyone know how to actually get some in the UK? Can I get them mail order with my son's current frame size and prescription?

He's had to wear glasses since just before he turned 2, and now at 4.5 has started finally keeping them on for enough time to make a difference! Trouble is that we're on the north coast of Scotland, have only the one optician and his new prescription with wire frames have spent more time broken than on him! The first time he "only had them off for 2 seconds" at school and managed to twist the entire frame... optician ordered another frame. Now he's come back from respite with both ends chewed through to the metal, so they're too sharp to put on! Grrrr! I know he's heavy handed with them, but our optician said they can't order flexible frames, and now I'm lost as to how to get some!

Help, please!

[TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission]

have pmed you

[drivemecrazy63]

www.mylocaloptician.co.uk/subcontent.asp?id=46&subid=290

i used to work as an optical assistant hth

[MommyUpNorth]

Thank you both! :) Drivemecrazy, that was the page I had seen with the Miraflex info, so I know it's out there... just need to find it.

[drivemecrazy63]

any opticians should be able to show you a catologue and order a few in for you to view try a different optician as he doesnt sound very helpful vision express do them but it wouldnt be a good idea to buy online without trying the frames as they need to measure where his pupil is to get the px right and he made need different length sides as they vary

[MommyUpNorth]

I went in to our optician with pictures & stockists of the 2 pairs I wanted to try. The solo bambini they said they would have to order at least 10 pairs, and they didn't want to do that. I asked to see the flexible titanium frames (which I think are a little bit easier to get a hold of. I think it's been about a month since they said they'll get some in for me to look at...

Vision Express, Boots, Specsavers, etc are all at least a 2.5/3 hour trip south. I would do it for a fitting, but when I rang them they didn't have any in and equally didn't say that they would be able to source them. Incredibly frustrating.

Are you saying that Vision Express do the solo bambini range, or another one? Perhaps I should try a branch further south and see if they carry them? I think I would travel to get them fitted if I knew they had a few of the frames actually on site... then I'm guessing I could post them if they needed a repair...

Trouble is the longer he doesn't have the glasses on, the harder it is to start all over with getting him to wear them, and we were actually making progress.

[drivemecrazy63]

i do find the smaller opticians better at their service than the bigger companies vision express do the miraflex at my local branch but as you say its too far , what a pain there is a service where the opticians come to your home im wondering if they can advise and get some in the company that do the frames is called norville im wondering if you give them the prescription for the lenses they could make them up for you heres there scotland office email

[email protected]

[drivemecrazy63]

just found this im also wondering if you should go straight to the horses mouth iyswim try this link

www.miraflex-eyewear.co.uk/

[JoMaman]

hi. my son wears the como baby ones from the solo bambini range and I rang this company, who distribute them in the UK www.inland.co.uk to ask where to buy them. If you give your postcode they can give you the nearest stockists. Our local optician was able to order only one pair at a time as far as i know. hth

[MommyUpNorth]

Thank you all so much for the replies... really helpful! I've contacted a couple of opticians who stock the como frames, and they should be in touch by tomorrow... and with these new links hopefully I'll be able to sort something out! Again, many thanks! :)

BTW, our optician is a very small independent place, but they couldn't be further from helpful. I really want to go through them as if they need any tweaking then it will be far easier to bring them in to a local shop. My ds is actually seen by a hospital optician and they just gave us the prescription to fill wherever. His very first glasses were from vision express and they were very helpful with getting the fit and everything just right... but he wouldn't tolerate the glasses at all. :( If all else fails, then I may just take him back there and buy a few pairs so I can rotate them as they need to go back for repair! :o