AIBU not to get lenses on glasses coated.

[Rowan10]

I’ve been walking around with a plaster holding one side of my glasses together (think Jack Duckworth) for 3 months after being a bit over enthusiastic about ripping my face mask off when leaving a shop and breaking one arm off. It’s a good look.

Money is very tight due to furlough so I’ve put off getting them replaced but the other arm is now loose, they keep falling off and driving me bonkers so I’m off to the opticians tomorrow.

I’ve always had to pay extra for thinner lenses because my eyesight is pretty bad and otherwise they look like bottle tops. And then I’ve always also just paid extra without questioning it for the recommended coatings (anti scratch / glare etc). Probably around £50 coating / £80 thinner lenses each. So on two pairs of glasses (at should have gone to....) that’s over £250 extra. No way I can afford both at the moment so it’s one or the other.
If I can I’d like to get the buy one get one free frames because I’m always breaking / losing them and a spare pair is invaluable to a disorganised idiot like me.

Never had glasses without the coating before so don’t know how much difference not having it makes. Being vain I would prefer to still pay for the thinner lenses and not look like Mr Magoo. But not sure if this is a good idea or not. Does everyone get the coating ? How much difference does it make to looking at screens / night driving etc ? I’ve never really had to think about it before !!!

Would really appreciate some advice. I have to wear them all the time if that helps.

AIBU - get the coating
YANBU - coating makes no difference

I'm not sure where you are going for your test but Asda do thinning and scratch resistant as standard and I think it's usually one pair for £100 or less depending on style obviously.

I always go there as like you I need mine thinned

I think they also have offers on for two pairs for £120 or less sometimes, just reread that you like two pairs

Have u looked at glasses direct? Last time I ordered specs from my optician, they were gonna take some time. I ordered a cheap pair from glasses direct too. Turns out the super cheap glasses direct ones were well comfier and were the ones I ended up wearing every day. I didn't get any coatings or anything special. Now, a couple of years later, when my prescription changed, I thought I'm not buying glasses from optician again. I ordered ones from glasses direct again. Went for the fancier package this time with the coatings.
You can try before you buy too...

Go to Asda opticians. You will get thin lenses and coatings as standard for £80. Check out the website. I used to spend £500 on a new pair because of my high index lenses until someone put me on to Asda

You need the coating. Without it when people look at you they can’t see your eyes just all the reflections. If you look after glasses can make them last 4 years +
It annoys me when I see presenters on tv and they’ve not got the coating, doesn’t look professional in my opinion.

Seconded for glasses direct, zelool and goggles 4 u

Oh Thank you - never thought of Asda ! Are their opticians open at the moment do you know ? I guess I can get the eye test done tomorrow and not actually buy the glasses there (SPecsavers).

It’s four years since I last got new glasses so the 2 pairs have lasted well (I lost and one now broken !)

I got a backup pair with no anti reflection coating. Not much use for the TV or anywhere with lights - lesson learned!

If you wear them every day, most of the day, it's definitely worth getting the coating. I've got terrible eyesight (-5 in both eyes) and find it reduces glare when I'm driving or using the laptop. I have prescription safety glasses to wear when I'm working in the factory and they aren't coated, so I can compare the two.

I bought two pairs of v.expensive glasses last year, no idea why but I wasn't offered the coating and now they are scratched beyond belief.

Yes I believe they are open, the one local to me is. The only difference is that when trying on glasses I had to put all of the ones I had touched into a basket so they could be sanitised after I had finished.

I feel ya, my eyes are -9 and the thinning is a must for me. And as other have said, the coating is important too. Can you conpromise by getting a cheap frame or going on a payment plan?
Haven’t tried Asda myself but sounds like a good ide!

Hi index (thinner) lenses come with anti-reflective lenses as standard.
Specsavers offer 1 pair of specs from £69 upwards with a 1.6 index lens included instead of their 2-4-1 offer.
Asda supply hi-index lenses as standard if deemed appropriate for the prescription, though I don't know what their prices start from.
Alternatively, if it's just the side broken off your current frame, you might be able to replace just the side or if parts aren't available maybe a whole frame. You may even be able to have the lenses edged down into a new frame if your current one is a discontinued model. Ask your optician for help and advice, they'll be happy to.
Buying specs online often isn't successful with higher prescriptions as the measurements need to be more exact, so it's a bit hit and miss.

You'll regret not having the antiglare. I tried not having it once and ended up going back and paying again to have them sent off and done. Every time I looked at a screen I could see it reflect back at me, gave me a banging headache.

It made a huge difference for me. I got the anti blue light, anti glare and reactions coatings and I've gone from constant headaches to headache free.

I've been wearing glasses for about 15 years and have always said no to every coating! I've never had any problems and I'm just careful with my glasses, not putting them lens down etc. I do get some glare if driving at night but I honestly think that's normal and nothing to do with glasses.

You can use your prescription elsewhere after the eye test - glasses direct usually have good deals and you can order frames to try on.

I’m daft - I hadn’t even thought of going elsewhere because I’ve been to the same opticians for 20 odd years.

Probably sounds vain (and I have bugger all to be vain about) but I’ve always worried about buying them on line and not trying them on. My last pair of glasses were the first pair in my life that I’ve ever felt halfway attractive in and that suited me. I spent a ridiculous amount of time choosing them.

But by the sounds of it I would be stupid to not get the coating so maybe I could buy one pair from Asda (and try them on) and one pair online. Still sounds as though it will work out a lot cheaper !

Thank you everyone.

I am sure that specsavers have started doing the free coating on glasses.
They didn’t when they 1st started offering it but then changed in the last 2 years.

I hated the coating on my glasses feels like I can never keep them clean and went to vision express for my most recent ones and never got the coating on them and I am so glad that I never if I am honest.

Get the coating. I didnt do it once and honestly within 2 weeks my lenses were scratched to pieces and every light glared horribly off them.

Id question the thinning actually. My dh always had his thinned - he has bottle end prescriptions - but the last couple of pairs he hasn't bothered. Can't say they look any different. It is a case of getting the right frames.

You are under NO obligation to buy your lenses/glasses or contacts from the same optician you get a test done at! They should provide your prescription without question, so you can choose where to buy!!! I'm always dubious of places that dont offer your prescription as standard without having to ask (specsavers, I'm talking about you!!!)

There are multiple options to buy glasses online, although I've never tried this route. I'm planning on going with asda now, after appauling and overpriced experience at specsavers.

I agree with always getting the glare thing, otherwise when people see you, your glasses are shiny and no one can see your eyes.

Specsavers or Asda; Specsavers often have special offers on, so ask them what the best current deal is. I've never gone to Asda but have heard pretty good reports of them in general. (Boots are by far the most expensive of the high street opticians and our local branch has one particular member of staff who is very snotty about the fact I only ever chose basic frames. Er, yes, that's because my glasses typically cost upwards of £400 if I was daft enough to get them at Boots...just for fun once I got comparisons from every high street optician and Boots was over twice the price of anywhere else. Plus they tried to pressurise me into buying the frames there as that's where I'd had the test done. If I'd been younger and dafter I wouldn't have known any better.)

I did get a pair of glasses online once, and only once; I had dreadful headaches, the Pupillary Distance was not accurate. (I've never understood why you have to ask for this in the UK and it isn't given as standard.) I have a very high (-10) complex prescription, astigmatism, and a lazy eye which was diagnosed when I was 8. You can imagine how joyous going to the optician is and how much it's cost over the years!

My first specs had the coating and I hated it. I can’t remember why but I’ve never had coatings since and not had any problems.

Op, with glasses direct, you can try frames on (up to 4 at a time). I've bought glasses a few times from here. When you're not flash with the cash, it's a god send. Just ask the optician for your prescription and say you're not buying today (I always feel a bit bad, like there's an expectation to buy!). But you're well within your rights to just take your prescription elsewhere.