Glasses - soooo expensive!

[Pennyplant19]

Someone please make me feel better - just been to Specsavers and spent £500 on 2 pairs of glasses (with the 241 frame offer!)
one pair of varifocals, 1 pair occupational
is that about right?
I’ve bought online before with varying success, so decided to be properly fitted. I just need to that this is about right these days, and I’m just behind the times!
My prescription is -4.50 and I have astigmatism.

I think you maybe able to get it done for long-sightedness when the time comes!

They’re extortionate. It really irritates me as well how they pretend bottle lenses are the standard, with normal size lenses an expensive optional extra. Yeah right, I’m sure everyone’s going round looking like this. Disingenuous crap.

They don’t ’pretend’ anything.

Lenses come in different indexes. The lower the index the thicker the lens will be. Higher index is more expensive. Standard lenses 1.35 will be thicker, there is no ‘pretending’ about it.

Standard lenses are made from a different material that will be thicker. It’s like making a dress. If you made it from basic calico it would be different if you made it from silk. Same dress, same pattern different material but more expensive.

It's not the frames that cost.

lol I understand the mechanics of the different sizes, but the point is they create a false middle point and ‘starting from’ price. These lenses are obsolete as no-one wants or buys them. It’s a pricing strategy.

No they aren’t. It’s not size, it index. If you just need basic readers then the base lens is fine. If your prescription is below -2 or so it’s fine. It’s not fake or obsolete.

size/index, (the opticians themselves call it size when you’re there, and we both know I’m talking about the thickness of the lenses!)

Size will have an effect on the thickness too, in a different way. The higher index is what costs more. The bigger the frame the thicker the lens will be. Size and index will both make a difference, but they are not interchangeable terms.

Either way, there is a place for standard index lenses. It’s not a con.

It's not no-one. I have moderate to severe astigmatism but the numbers for that are such that it doesn't call for a highly curved lens and the extra thickness is only at two points on the edge and not all round, as for myopia or in the middle - Ds2's lenses are like pebbles without thinning.

The higher index lenses aren't thinner overall, they just curve less. This does get conveniently glossed over by some opticians, admittedly. I had Boots upsell them to me about 25 years ago but then I went to Specsavers and was told in no uncertain terms that I didn't need them. I have been into and walked out of a different Boots more recently after overhearing them trying to do the same upsell to someone with a low prescription.

Does anyone know if you can get your frames made up for you if you give them the prescription AND frames bought from elsewhere?

Yes you can, but they will probably charge you a reglaze fee.

I spent £89 on varifocal lenses (also astigmatic) which went into a pair of designer frames that cost me £120 5 years ago. (Went for a reglaze as couldn’t find any frames I liked.)

Asda’s lenses are fixed price and include thinning and coatings.

See above @LadeOde . I used a prescription from specsavers and existing frames.

I reckon Asda is so cheap as it doesn't have to rent/buy city-centre premises, but just has a little bit of a pre-existing superstore. So the mark-up on frames and lenses doesn't have to be as eye-watering as independent opticians, or even Spec Savers.

It’s the varifocals and the astigmatism bit that is sending the price through the roof. Yes, glasses are criminally expensive!

That astigmatism does nothing to the price unless it is very very high. Almost everyone has an astigmatism

Specsaver can't do my prescription they always make a right hash of it. I have varificals. I had to pay £700 for my last ones, horrendous.

I think laser surgery would be the cheaper option, than paying out these extortionate prices! Designer frames are a right rip off, and made of the same materials as non designer ones. As someone who has been wearing specs since the age of 9 and contact lenses /specs since 40, It was the only advantage of getting old, having my cataracts done. Now, I get away with cheap reading specs for a fiver! My distance vision isn’t perfect, and I still have an astigmatism though less so after the op.
I do have specs if I want the best distance vision, but can manage well without.
I made a bad decision having varifocal specs after the op when just distance vision ones were sufficient-the assistant didn’t advise me not to have the varifocals though, not surprisingly, at £350!

I got fed up with the last pair from Specsavers - so this time I tried Vooglam - just for a pair of prescription sun glasses (bigger frames than I would normally wear) , reactolight, verifocal, thin lenses, coating - the full works and £81.00. They were so good I got another pair at £91.00 - love them.

I don’t wear vari focal but shortsightedness mine were £30 from spec savers

After a recent eye test at spec savers I told them I wouldn’t be paying £450 for new glasses (complex prescription varifocals , thinning needed etc). I also complained about a rude unhelpful member of the staff. A week later I received a voucher for 50% off the whole cost of the glasses (only valid for a month). I’m still not buying, but I might try Asda and see what their pricing is like

@ChompandaGrazia & @AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti Thanks. What is reglazing?? I'll look it up.

Reglazing is when you use existing frames but put new lenses in. High street chains price it to be nearly as expensive as just getting new glasses. Which makes you wonder just how cheap the frames are for them!

I use specsavers, last pair were about £120 and then I got the 50% off voucher for a second pair so they came down to £90
shortsighted with astigmatism

@herbaceous Isn't this what happens normally as in you buy a pair of frames then they take the lenses out and put in the prescription ones? have i had it wrong all these yrs? everytime I've bought frames from Specsavers they always warn that it'll look slightly different after they put the prescription lenses in.