Bloobloom varifocals - very high prescription!

[3Bird]

I am SO shortsighted (-8.5 in both eyes) and so buying glasses is really expensive, and I recently broke my regular frames. Thankfully I have a spare pair, and anyway, I generally wear contact lenses.
When I went to replace them at my local lovely opticians, the frames I like cost £260 and my lenses are a whopping additional £340!! This is because they need to be super thinned, or I look like I wearing actual milk bottles. I found Bloobloom, and the glasses here would cost me £195 which includes the super thin lenses at my mega high prescription. They can also be varifocal for no additional cost. My optician is all doom and gloom and told me she endlessly gets asked to help sort out problems that people experience when they buy online varifocals, and I can see that it might be tricky as they don't get properly fitted. ANYWAY... has anyone bought the varifocal lenses from Bloobloom, and what was the experience/outcome? Thanks!

I bought varifocals online, but from Glasses Direct rather than BlooBloom. They are great. My Specsavers varifocals cost over £200 (with a discount code). The glasses direct ones cost £67 and are as good, if not better. The thinning/anti glare etc all cost a pittance compared with local optician.

Thanks! And did you have to go to an opticians to get them fitted, or were they OK?

You send a photo holding a credit card or similar against your head and they work out dimensions from that at Glasses Direct. Had fab varifocals from there and have been so impressed have ordered several other pairs such as sunglasses/computer glasses etc.

Don't do it. I'm the same prescription.

Varifocals need properly fitting, particularly if you are a high prescription. A mm on your prescription won't make much difference at a lower strength, but really does at your strength.

Your own optician won't fit glasses bought online as they then need to 'problem solve' when not right.
A qualified dispensing optician (not the person who tests your eyes but the dispenser) takes 3 years to complete their course and exams and the cost is taking this into account.
As with all things what looks effortless actually isn't but the result of skill and experience . They will know the nuances of what will work for your eyes and what needs to change if it isn't.

Varifocals are really expensive if you're a high prescription and you'll have been quoted for a top quality lens by your own independent optician, because of your prescription strength. The online designs won't compare.

It really is absolutely worth spending the extra on a good lens - look for a cheaper frame.

Asda is a high street alternative where they will give you thinner lenses at no extra cost if your prescription needs it and at least they are properly measured and fitted. But if your independent is good you should stick with them as they have the benefit of the full information on your eyes. If you get quotes make sure you're comparing the same lens design/manufacturer (I have Zeiss which is one of the best).
At your prescription I'd make sure wherever you go have a qualified dispensing optician -not an optical assistant -to dispense and fit your varifocals.
Ultimately Asda is Walmart and your independent opticians won't be there in the future for testing your eyes if people buy online.

They fitted fine. I took advantage of the four free pairs to try on, so could try before buying. Also, Glasses Direct tell you how to use measurements found on your current glasses to get a new pair that fits well. Your current glasses will have numbers on the arms Glasses Direct explanation here!, so you should be able to find a good match. They also explain how you can adjust the fit, using hair dryer to warm the plastic arms etc.
I'm sure BlooBloom will have similar.
The credit card thing that Kindle mentions above is to measure distance between pupils, as this info is not usually included in your prescription. Again, info is on GD's website.

Thanks all- this is really helpful. The cost of £340 for my lenses does not include the varifocal aspect, so the cost would of course be even higher and that is without any frames at all. I might try a single vision pair from Bloobloom. I will keep using the local guys for contact lenses, although I could definitely find them cheaper online as well. I get that if you don't use them they will go, BUT at 2 or 3 times the price, I also need to be mindful of what I can actually afford right now.

If you're looking for discounted contact lenses, my daughter uses Daysoft. She has an unusual prescription and they were the only online supplier that could help. She pays £12/month compared with Specsavers' £35/month.

My husband is really short sighted and had to try a few opticians until he found one that could do his lenses correctly first time. I'd avoid buying on the internet too because it is so easy to get wrong. My varifocals from Specsavers are slightly out but I can manage it. I suspect this would not be the case of my sight was worse.

On the off chance you’re in Scotland, there’s a brilliant Scottish brand called Iolla who sell a complete price for single vision lenses - £75 including frames, lenses and thinning/ coating. I’m about your prescription plus severe astigmatism and would have normally been circa £400 for glasses. Their designs are gorgeous, I was normally a designer glass snob but have been converted.
I think varifiocals are an extra £100.

I've had delivery of a pair of varifocal sunglasses from Glasses Direct today. I simply wasn't prepared to pay the opticians' price "just" for sunglasses and they have a 90day refund policy if you can't get on with them, so I thought I'd give them a go.

I didn't even pay the extra for the better varifocals and honestly I can't tell the difference from my much more expensive opticians specs.

My prescription isn't as high as yours but as you can send them back, I'd recommend trying them.