AIBU to have several pairs of glasses for different uses or styles?

[schrodingerstwat]

Despite loving clothes and bright colours, it has never occurred to me to use my glasses as part of any changing look.

Consequently, I've never had more than two pairs at any point in time, and I once I started with varifocals it slipped down to one.

A very fun holiday containing a swirling sea has caused me to reassess that whole attitude as I sit blindly on the sand.

Looking at online places it seems that even my complicated varifocals prescription comes in at around £170 and single use pairs at £50 - £100. Moreover the frames are so colourful and varied, that I have made my choice around different parameters to my usual parameters which are generally based on being poor.

I am now the proud owner of:

1. one pair of varifocals with a gradient tint suitable for indoors or outdoors
2. one pair of distance with a sunglasses tint
3. one pair of reading with an anti blue light tint
4. one pair of prescription googles (but designed to be worn not just in the water but for other very active things where glasses could fall off - rock climbing, kayaking etc.)

four pairs coming in at approx £400 total.

So the next time the ocean tries to fuck me, I am going to be fully prepared.

Interested to find out what other speccies do:
do you have several pairs based on style or on activities?

I’m with you on this, I’ve always loved my glasses and using them as a way of expressing myself. Have three different styles of my regular glasses, plus two different pairs of prescription sunglasses. Also means that if I lose a pair (which has happened) I’m not left in a difficult position!

Not at all, I've got 5 pairs in my current prescription (all varies) - two metal framed, two plastic framed and a pair of sunglasses. I used 2 x two-for-one offers and a 50% off offer so total cost was equivalent to 2.5 pairs.

My penultimate prescription is also still wearable, but I don't use those glasses if I'm going to be using a screen because it takes my brain time to adjust between the two prescriptions, but I'll wear them on a day or night out if they go better with what I'm wearing than the current ones.

I view it that your face is the first thing people see and notice, and your glasses are part of your face, so if you can justify having multiple outfits for different occasions, you can justify having glasses in different styles, as long as you can afford them.

@RatsCatsandPuppies spot on.... I was completely fucked on the flight home; couldn't see Jack 😞😂🫣🫣!

I do just have one pair, but that’s due to cost. A bit daft because I’m always either losing them or sitting on them and I can’t read without them. Eventually the arm will be held on with sticky tape.

I’ve been looking at a couple of companies that do more colours and styles at around £50 for the frames, but it’s all done online and I’d feel sick if I paid a fortune and looked ridiculous in them. I know you can upload your photo and see if the glasses suit, but I did that with Specsavers and hated them in person.

I get two but only because of the Specsavers 2 for 1 offer. I have one pair of glasses (always semi-rimless) and one pair of sunglasses at the moment. I do only need mine for distance/TV/cinema/driving though.

It sounds odd but I have had glasses since 2008 and I forget that other people even see them as it's just muscle memory putting them on as I leave the house.

@SwanUpmanship I know right? The more I think about it, the more it seems like a complete no brainer given that I would not wear the same top day in and day out and just change my trousers or skirt to vary up a look?!

(I'm not talking about the smell - I mean let's say I washed it every night)

@OnlyUsername I bloody love rimless though!! I think one of my new pairs is a half rimless....

Where did you get all these glasses from at such a good price?
My new varifocals have just set me back £340 and I thought I was getting a good deal from Costco

@geoger I use Specsavers 2 for 1, and they also do an offer ("Golden Ticket") whereby you can get 50% off an additional pair if you buy them within 6 months of the first pair.

The Golden Ticket offer is transferrable to a friend for 25% off. I had a spare Golden Ticket and I gave it to my sister, and they let her have 50% off hers with it (not the same branch) so if you know anyone who might have a Golden Ticket they don't need, it's worth asking if you can have it.

(Edit for typo)

Some places will send you frames (wirh plain glass in them) to try at home. I've done that and sent them all back, the photo thing didn't look the same at all! Check the measurements of glasses you're currently happy with as well

I have different coloured specs to match different outfits, and of them a few are more 'professional' while a couple are more casual. Not sure how many, maybe 8? I usually wait for a deal from Martin's MSE - they do a lot of SpeckyFourEyes deals (one on atm).

Absolutely! Do it. Have you ever seen vivthecarer on instagram, she is much older than me but I love the way she ties her glasses in with her outfits.
I dread the day my husband needs glasses, because he is already planning on having multiple pairs (knowing him of very expensive frames!)

I wear glasses all the time.

I have 7 everyday pairs plus two occupational pairs for work. I refuse to wear any glasses that don’t match my outfit.

i don’t drink, smoke, go on holiday or buy anything else expensive. Glasses are my thing.

Also worth noting there's nothing to stop you going into any opticians and trying on frames. I often wander in and try some on when I'm in town; you can take a selfie or get someone else to take a picture and then browse the photos at home. A tip is to use 'magic eraser' if your phone has it to erase the price sticker from the lenses when you're trying to see what you look like in them.

By the time I come to order glasses I am usually pretty sure what I want!

I always have regular glasses and prescription sunglasses.

I also keep my old prescriptions once I get new ones, so I can wear sunglasses when swimming in the outdoor pool/the sea and not worry about losing/wrecking my main pair.

I have polka dot ones and quite by coincidence a polka dot swimming costume and it looks like I planned the outfit 😆

My prescription is a straightforward 2.5 in both eyes so I have lots of cheap glasses with varying colour shapes and pattern frames. Love my funky glasses

I have a pair of varifocals, a pair of reading glasses/computer work and varifocal sunglasses.

I am due an eye test and all will need replacement. The normal varifocals - that frame will be reused, all other frames need replacing.

It will be at least around £1k - 1.2k when I am done thanks to my ridiculous prescription and that's even with offers and money off promotions.

@geoger

The place i used was called Specscart 😊 Online vendor but you can try some styles on at home.

I used to get a lot of glasses from Glasses Direct in the heady days of only needing single vision lenses. I've been in varies for the last 8 years but GD were very good, excellent service, very quick, cheap, easy returns if needed. I'd get my 'main' pair from the opticians and use GD for extra pairs in different styles.

GD do do varifocals but since the optician always has to fiddle about measuring my pupils etc. to get the fields in the right place (I get the premium kind with multiple fields) I'm not convinced they'd be any good ordered online. I do recommend GD for single vision, though, or if you were happy to use a combination of single vision and separate reading glasses.

If I could afford it I would do it. My glasses are around £1200.

It worked for Elton John, and he seems to have become very wealthy as a result.