New to wearing glasses UK

[crawlingovertheline]

Forgive my very idiotic question but I’m just wondering how I manage the purchasing of glasses. I’ve been to Specsavers and have new glasses, two pairs for £250.

I’ve already bent one pair and I frequently lose the other. Surely people don’t spend this much money on replacement glasses?

Ive got no idea what my prescription is but is it possible to get that from Specsavers and buy them cheaper elsewhere?

Yes you can use your prescription to buy glasses from anywhere you want.

If you pop in to Specsavers, they'll have a go at straightening the bent pair for you.

I go to an independent opticians for my eye examinations and get my contact lenses through them. But I've always gone to Specsavers for my glasses.

I usually get the 2 for one offer because I'm always forgetting where I've put them. and even though I don't go for massively expensive frames the total price is generally a lot more than £ 250. Varifocals, lens thinning, scratch resistant coating, reactalite lens: a blooming fortune with all the extras.

I know there are on line outlets which are probably much cheaper but I've never tried them.

I only ever buy on 2 for 1. A friend gets a prescription and orders them cheap online

I buy used Specsavers frames off eBay for about £15 then get the lenses replaced online for another £15.

You can go to your branch of specsavers and ask for another copy of your most recent prescription.

2 for 1 offer makes it cheaper. Try online stores as well such as glasses direct. Going forward, I always keep my previous prescription glasses as emergency pairs in case I lose or break the current pair. At least then I can continue daily life whilst waiting for a new pair or a repair to be done.
Depending on how you damaged them, a glasses cord to wear them around you neck may be an idea, or getting used to having a dedicated place / glasses case you put them in each night - although this didn’t save the pair I was using to read and then fell asleep wearing and rolled over and basically flattened them….

I find Asda Opticians are the cheapest.
I wear varifocals and I wear them full time. I can’t loose them or break them if I have them on!

I got four pairs of glasses for £240 from Asda yesterday. A pair for laptop work, two pairs for driving/watching tv and a pair of sunglasses. They had their £80 frames on offer - 2 for £120 including lenses. Think I paid more than that for one pair of varifocals a few years ago that made me feel sick and ended up being put in the drawer in disgrace.

I use a local optician - walking distance from my house. I doubt I save money but they will fix our glasses (my eldest has worn nearly all her life) for free. And, when I asked for my prescription as I wanted to order some sunglasses, they sort free prescription (varifocal) sunglasses for me. So, don't discount local opticians.

Asda opticians are so cheap compared to Specsavers. You don't pay extra for thin lenses or varifocals. The price on the frames is the price you pay.

I love my local independent opticians, and use them for all our eye tests, contacts and DD’s glasses. Since I’ve worn varifocals though, I’ve had little change from £500 for my glasses, if not more, even with cheap frames. Asda Opticians work out at about 20% of that per pair.

You can get glasses fixed for a lot less than the cost of a replacement. Specsavers may unbend yours for free, they have excellent drop in aftercare.

Sounds as though you need to use a decent hard case to store them in? Did you get one supplied?

I've worn glasses for 59 years and have never lost.or broken a paor. Stron, complex prescription though so I don't take them.off or put them down. I usually buy a qualoty frame - currently LK Bennet.

-7.25 and 7.75, astigmatism in both eyes, have to be thinned, have to have good qualoty varifocal lenses. This pair cost about £900 and I got sunglasses half price, so about £1200 in total.

I hope they last for three years so ot worls out at less than £1 a day.

My local independent optician closed so this time I went to Boots. I wouldn't trust a budget oitlet with my prescription.

I despair at what hard up people are supposed to do.

I pay a bit less at specsavers and TBH they’re usually fairly cheap for glasses, boots was extortionate
I’ve never bent or lost a pair though as I need them all the time

I always get tested at Specsavers and get the prescription from them. I then use that prescription online at Goggles4U.co.uk

Been using them for years now and they've been great and an absolute fraction of the price. I normally pay about £80 for two pairs of varifocal with Reactolite lenses.

I agree. I go to an independant opticians for my eye test and then i get my glasses from an online retailer. They're always great quality and a fraction of the price even with all the add ons.

Yes - the optician who did your eye test should give you a print out of your prescription, which you can take anywhere.

Minor damage such as bending, a lens coming loose etc. can be repaired at the opticians. I get mine from Specsavers and I take them in if they need something like that, and they'll do it in the back room there and then.

In terms of cheaper glasses, the cheapest options are online - e.g. Glasses Direct but whether online is suitable depends on the complexity of your prescription. I would always suggest getting at least one pair face-to-face, and using online ones as spares for short-term wear. I used to buy from Glasses Direct and found them very good, but since I've needed varifocals I don't any more because varies really need to be fitted very specifically to the position of your pupils.

this is somewhat true. you need the exact PD and height fitting if you are buying varifocals online. Varifocal lenses are so convenient once you get used to them, if you have the correct measurements they can be bought from any online retailer as long as their quality is good and theyre fitted by experts. Always check returns policy before buying, some off er 30 days returns if youre not happy with them

if you’re losing them all the time are they just for reading (longsightedness) rather than anything more complicated? If so you might be fine with off the shelf readers. I have about half a dozen pairs - one in my handbag and the others in various rooms of the house plus a weaker pair for using with the computer.

I use Zenni .com for mine and my kids glasses. I’m in the USA but they may deliver to the UK or there’s something similar. I pay under $20 for each pair.

Try Sapphire Optics. They’re UK based and very reasonably priced 💖

I got two pairs from Specsavers for £120. They are also covered by warranty for a year after purchase

Were they the standard ones?

Yep they were. My son regularly breaks his but they repaired them. He was one day away from the warranty expiry....phew!