Need a good optician,Any recommendations

[ariel]

I have not had my eyes tested for ages, and am in dire need of new glasses, ive seen a tele ad for lenses that automatically tint to sunglasses in the sun, i think there called reaction lenses or something like that, does anyone know which opticians sell these or can you get them in all opticians, and are they expensive, thanks for any replys

You can get them at any opticians - I wear them myself. My last glasses were £160 but it depends what frames you pick etc. as to what the price is.

I had a pair once but didn't like them - the tint was far too light.

The type that were actually called "reactions" were by Specialeyes I think. I got them and like NQWWW, they didn't go dark enough (and they don't change whilst your driving unless you have a soft top with the roof down)

I have reactions and they do change reasonably quickly - one thing I don't like though is that they are never completely clear - they always have a slight brown tint to them. I also think they don't go quite dark enough for me - I'm still squinting in bright sunlight. Not sure I'd have them again, although it is nice not to have to keep swapping glasses over when it's sunny.

Wear contacts with sunglasses on top

ariel - I got a pair of glasses with this inbuilt tint thing (want to call them 'Reactolites', but thats very 70's!) last Sept, and they're brill - don't think they're called 'Reaction' lenses tho'. Anyway, I got them in Vision Express, and cost about £170. they have a grey tint, rather than brown, and are totally clear when inside, but go really quite dark when out. they change quickly too. Best thing, as others pointed out, is not having to swap glasses for sunglasses when you're in and out of buildings.

I think mine must be the same as Georgina's - a faint yellowy-brown tint all the time, which I don't like (it looks sort of foreign!) and they don't go very dark, and they don't cut glare at all which I think should be crucial - I wish now I'd had clear glass and clip-ons. (Mind you mine only cost an extra £20 so maybe they're not the reactions ones. Clip-ons would have been the same.)

They don't work at all in the car because they have to be exposed to ultra-violet - so tinted car windows stop it coming through, not sure about plain glass windows? I used to use contact lenses and keep singlasses in the car (don't wear them otherwise) but have had eye surgery and now have varifocal specs which complicate matters! My best compromise for driving is proper sunglasses at top of nose plus OTC reading glasses on end of nose - looks very very odd, I get some looks.

ariel, if it were me I'd do what prufrock suggests, use contacts and sunglasses, unless you can't use contacts, in which case get clear glass and proper anti-glare clip-ons (maybe 2 pairs, one for the car and one for everywhere else).

Thanks every one , i was amazed at the price of these lenses, i rang around a few opticians yesterday, just the lenses range in price from £85 to £150 , although i didnt ring vision express, that price seems reasonable for the frames and lenses.