Let's talk glasses frames with Specsavers: you could win £250 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The team at Specsavers would love to know what you think about glasses frames these days - there are hundred's to choose from - but do you always go for the same type of frame? Or do you have more than one on the go to co-ordinate with your clothes? What about your DP/DH if they wear specs - do you help to choose them, do they like a particular style? How long do you tend to keep your frames? And do you take advantage of 2for1 offers to get something a bit different? How do you pick the frame which suits you best?

Specsavers say "Whatever your style, we can help you find frames that suit you best. Our collection of women's glasses includes a range of styles from classic chic to bold and contemporary. With stylish frames starting from just £25 a pair and designer frames priced from £99 to £149, there’s something to suit all tastes and pockets. All glasses come with PENTAX single vision lenses and a scratch-resistant treatment".

"Vibrant purples, reds, pinks and rich tortoiseshells are emerging trends in eyewear. We have a gorgeous collection of ladies glasses to help you add a pop of colour to your wardrobe. Our women’s glasses are made in a range of materials, including plastic, metal, stainless steel and titanium. If you have a preference for what your frames are made of, search by materials to find the perfect pair".

Share your thoughts and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 voucher from here

Please note Specsavers may use your comments - anon of course - on their pages on MN, on their social media or possibly elsewhere - please only post if you're happy with this.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

I usually vary my frames just because I like a change but have, in the past kept the same frames because I couldn't find ones I liked. I tend to have two pairs, on a 2 for 1 offer, but I have one made into sunglasses. In fact as I needed varifocals recently I had one as vari and one just for distance and tinted sunglasses. I'm happy with the way I can choose at specsavers and have found the staff to be very helpful.

My DH tends to know exactly what he wants and usually finds them quite easily. He does tend to stick with similar frames to all his previous ones. He needs 2 pairs (one tinted for driving) so always buys 2 pairs regardless if there is an offer on.
My DS recently started wearing glasses and being able to have 2 pairs(completely different styles) has certainly helped him to feel more positively about wearing glasses.

I had two fabulous pairs from Supersavers, one designer, one from the cheaper range and love them both. I just wear the designer ones when I'm going out. However I need the lenses changing in them.. thanks for reminding me!

As previously mentioned, frames for small adult faces are very limited. I also have tried kids/teen frames but struggle to find the right fit let alone style, colour and shape. Big frames look silly on me. My DS has new glasses last summer, he's 12 - none of the kids or young teen styles fit his face but most of the adult range were too large. He still ended up with a style that's a bit large for his face but suits him. So a wider ranger of small adult frames please!

I also found the pricing confusing - which frames were included in the kids 2 for 1 deal and the free frame deal? Very few adults frames were included so limited choices further for ds.

More info on sports glasses and prescription goggles would be helpful. Ds would like prescription goggles, the optician said they could do them but I couldn't get a price off him - he had my son's prescription but couldn't give me a rough idea of price.

On the plus side, I did find the staff really helpful when I was choosing my glasses - I've had a bad experience with a different optician and choosing frames - so was really pleased when the staff at my local Specsavers were so helpful and informative about which frames for which faces. If only I'd had a better choices of frames to choose from!

Oh and I totally agree with Older - I don't need nor want brand named frames - I just want good looking frames! I don't buy brand names clothes so why would I want brand named frames for my glasses?!

I used to have very poor eyesight (-11) and finding frames that could accomodate those lenses and looked good was always a problem. I guess thicker plastic frames are more in fashion these days but it was a big problem when I was younger.

Now I have much better eyesight I feel spoiled for choice when picking glasses. If I have one complaint it's that the choice of sunglasses frames in Specsavers isn't very good. I normally end up picking the least worst, rather than finding a pair I love.

I collected my new glasses from specsavers this afternoon, so funny to see this today!

As for 100s of frames to chose from, well yes there might be, but actual choice was fairly poor to be honest. I'm not bothered about them looking totally on trend and designer and didn't want anything that was overly blingy on the arms. Some of the colours were lovely, but not in the shape I wanted.

I ended up picking two that were the least worst and the optician assistant advised one was not a good choice for my lenses. So just one frame that wasn't too huge, not too bright and blingy. As it happens it's the same frame I got last time! I don't love it, but it's the least worst choice.

I'd like to ask specsavers why they don't offer more colour choices? yes there are red / purple / black / brown ones, but not all the styles come in all the colours.

I keep my frames for approx 2 years. The last pair slightly less as the antiglare coating has come off and I'm having trouble driving at night.

I don't use the 2 for 1 offer as I'm -7 and need the thinnest lenses, so would be expensive to pay for twice.

I've got two dds who also have glasses from specsavers and they've been disappointed with the limited choice in frames too.

We're very happy with the service from the opticians and you're so much cheaper than the independent optician, so we keep going back.

I would to love more than one pair at a time but my lenses are so expensive there is no way I can afford it ( and dh's are even worse than mine).

The new frames styles all seem to be getting bigger and bigger again which look ridiculous on my fairly petite face!

On a plus for spec savers when dd had a problem with her frames they changed them without any fuss!

I agree with previous posters who have asked you to please remember that some of us need very strong lenses , and to design nice frames that can accommodate these

I always seem to look at frames that suit me and am sadly drawn to the most expensive. Luckily, I only have one pair!

I encouraged Dh to go for a buy one get another free offer as I think when you really need glasses a back up pair is always good. He's forever misplacing them.

I really want some tortoiseshell glasses. I like quite thick frames and have had burgundy and black frames recently. Now I think the black are slightly too heavy.
I'd also like some in taupe or caramel or maybe a dark purple.

I do ask DH opinion but it needs to be online with mine. I think he'd go more trendy whilst I think I suit classic styles.

I'd love to have 2 or even 3 pairs in circulation. Specsavers glasses are so affordable that maybe once I up my hours I can have this!

I only wear glasses for reading so I buy one pair each year and then get spare ones with the same prescription from the "supermarket". I really want some green frames but can't get them anywhere.

Dh has a complex prescription which costs a fortune but he needs glasses all the time so he has to have them.

Ds2 (17) is quite fussy and although he could have a free pair I often have to pay to get something he likes.

Ds3 (8) gets free childrens glasses and goes by the feel rather than how they look. I often feel he doesn't have a lot of choice.

I wish someone could give me proper advice to find a style that really suited me. I always find myself picking the frames that I think make me look the least odd, rather than choosing a pair that suits my face. I also feel self conscious trying them on in the middle of the shop, so any decision is made within about 2 seconds. No wonder I never like my glasses.
DH always goes for the same style of frame. The one time he went for something different, he ended up regretting it and never wearing them and going back to his mangled old pair instead.

I don't wear my glasses (got them at uni). Part of the reason I think is that I could not find what suited me (lack of confidence). I was borderline and seem fine now. I must get another eye test though so thanks for the reminder. I do worry that I won't find what looks okay on me if I do need them again though.

I have a large head and so often end up choosing from the "mens" range to find frames that fit comfortably. Dh has a large head too, and finds it extremely difficult to find glasses that fit. Would there be a way of displaying the frames by size rather than brand? (which, quite frankly I couldn't care less about). That would help a lot when trying on as I would know which section were likely to be comfortable.

i find choosing frames stressfull. I find the sales staff often just hover and don't really provide honest guidance. They just seem to want you to make up your mind quickly. I'd like to see a 'Personal Shopper' service for glasses.

I wear contact lenses most of the time, but need a decent-ish pair of glasses so I can drive/ get by at work when I need to. So I go for the cheaper ones and last time found little choice. I like the 2 for 1 offers as it lets me have a spare pair/pair at work that is still correct prescription (I find my prescription changes most years, though I don't get new glasses every year)

I'm also very shortsighted (-9 in each eye). I've been wearing glasses for 45 years.

When I first started wearing them the independent optician in my home town had a video camera and recorded me trying on different frames because even then I was too short-sighted to see myself in the mirror without proper glasses on.

That was 45 years ago - why can't they do that now?

And I hate the 2for1 adverts. My prescription is far too high ever to qualify for those offers, and it would benefit me as I pay for high index lenses so my specs cost a fortune!

Although there is usually a pretty wide choice, I tend to find that only a small subset suit the shape of my face, so I end up with something not very different to the previous pair - which doesn't bother me very much as I would not have multiple pairs anyway. My lenses are so expensive that I usually end up choosing cheaper frames and as one of my lenses is very thick (and I have it thinned) this rules out another batch of frames (the minimalist type you can hardly see). I usually continue with the same pair of frames long after I should have changed them and that is certainly because of the high cost. It also takes me a long time to choose and trying to do so dragging a number of bored children is a bad idea so reduces the opportunities I have to spend on the task anyway.

I find the idea of pink, red and purple frames genuinely horrifying. Surely most people who wear glasses a lot just want something that is flattering and goes with everything? Pink, red and purple do not fit the bill. Fine for reading glasses, not at all fine for glasses that you wear most of the time!

I got my first ever glasses about 4 years ago and knew I would hate letterbox style ones as I'd keep seeing round them rather than through them. Unfortunately that was all that was on offer (Specsavers wasn't any worse than others) so I got my 2 for 1 and even now can't wear them when walking.

I need an eye test and new glasses now and am putting it off - I always feel sick for the rest of the day after an eye test, and the staff don't seem to know how to advise someone who has never worn glasses - DP told me the other day that mine are sliding way too far down my nose and are crooked, but that's the only way I can use them.

A friend with great style works in an opticians so I think I'll travel to his place - unfortunately it's a really expensive one but it would be better to have one pair of expensive glasses that fit and look good than two that don't.

I'm a relatively recent glasses wearer (nearly two years ago) and first off went for a rimless pair.
Last year I needed a new prescription and went for a "geeky" type frame, in purple and turquoise - sounds gross but lovely.
I tend to have my own ideas around frames but welcome advice from the sales assistants if needed. Don't appreciate being steered towards whatever is "in fashion".
2 for 1 interests me if it includes prescription sunglasses and I prefer the costs to be detailed upfront, none of this "add such and such for this" as it can end up being mega expensive.
I don't like the push towards varifocals, I tried them and felt spaced out, ended up with two separate pairs.
Similarly there always seems to be an insistence that contact lenses be considered, offers of a free trial etc.

Specsavers could do with SN awareness, my daughter had a dreadful eye appointment and we don't use them for her eyecare.

Good timing - I was looking for frames this week! After my sight test in Specsavers, I went to that branch and two other opticians in my town. I probably won't go to the one that begins with V - they hardly acknowledged me. I don't expect people to leap to attention when I walk in, but a "I'll be with you soon" would be good!" Anyway - the customer service was brilliant in Specsavers - the man followed me round, carrying the frames I liked & put some away for me and gave me an opinion. I'm not sure where to go yet, as I'm going to get a second opinion from a friend. The choice was ok, but I don't like frames with blatant labelling/logos, so Karen Millen, Red or Dead & fcuk (yuk) are out. The lovely frames I bought there a year and a half ago are still fine - prescription changed a lot, unfortunately. Wonder whether they could put new lenses in these. I can't really afford £300 on new glasses & the second free pair last time have never been used. I tend to wear one pair to death! I could go for sunglasses, I suppose, but to be honest, I'd prefer a really good deal on one pair to an additional second pair I'll never use. My DS (11) would like more of a choice in the teen range.

I have bought 2 for 1 in the past, but in practice I only really wear one pair and the other sits in a drawer. I struggle to find ones that suit my face, so now when I find a pair that works for me I tend to keep that one going until there's a reason to change, I just update the lenses. My last pair from Specsavers had warped and couldn't be re-used. :(

I'd really like to get "invisible"/rimless frames but my prescription is too strong so even thinned the lenses are too thick.

Just popping up again to remind my fellow high myopes that ASDA opticians will do you extra-thin lenses for free if you need them - in my prescription this means a 1.74 hi-index lens (the highest index you can get without using glass lenses), and I see now that in their cheapie range that means £40 for superthin lensed glasses

The service was very poor.
All the frames are the same, mostly big bold glitzy. A few rimless.

I need very small, practically teenager , slight, minimal glasses.
I've been to four different spec-savers and every other optician in 4 local towns.

So your 2 for 1 question is irrelevant because I couldn't find even one pair I liked!

Eventually I found one pair in my local optician. Thank god.

Not everyone wants the current fashion if huge bold frames you know!!!!