Spectacle prices

[JaceLancs]

I see lots of threads on here about designer bags and sometimes shoes can’t recall one on glasses
I have really bad eyesight. As I’ve got older can’t wear contact lenses for any length of time and now need varifocals for reading and other close work
How much do you think is reasonable for eye wear
I normally expect to pay £1k for customised varifocal Nikon lenses (made as thin as they can) and a designer frame
Ordered some new ones yesterday which were £890 so very happy as I will be wearing them every day for next 1-2 years
Forgot to say due to allergies I have to go titanium or stainless - if plastic frames eg raybans for prescription sunnies they have to have hinges etc that are non allergen

How much do you think is reasonable for eye wear

Really depends on the complexity of your prescription. I think many designer frames are over-priced and seem little different from own-branded ones.

I pay for 'elite' varifocal lenses and lens thinning. I think my last lot came in at around £350. Given that I wear them all day, every day, the lenses need to be the best I can afford and the frames have to suit me.

I thought I was spending a lot at £150! It sucks that you can get help to pay for something so essential when an allergy means that you have to get expensive frames.
Glasses are really over priced imo.
I used to go to Asda and get cheap ones all in for about £60 (really thin lenses, anti scratch, anti glare) and tbh I don't think there's any difference quality wise between cheap frames and designer ones, but titanium is probably different.

£900 is about the minimum for mine. If you have very short sight, astigmatism and you need varifocals then the frame price is the least of your worries. Getting frames that can hold the lenses narrows down the choice. With my prescription it’s like Goldilocks: the height of the lenses must be high enough for varifocals but not high enough that they get really thick edges, ditto the width of lenses.

I’ve had my glasses for four years and bought new frames today for £350.
I will need to spend much more than that for the lenses. I need those lenses to be able to work..:

@ClariceQuiff

How much do you think is reasonable for eye wear

Really depends on the complexity of your prescription. I think many designer frames are over-priced and seem little different from own-branded ones.

I pay for 'elite' varifocal lenses and lens thinning. I think my last lot came in at around £350. Given that I wear them all day, every day, the lenses need to be the best I can afford and the frames have to suit me.

If you have allergies or special prescriptions then high end frames are often the only ones that work. £350 for varifocal lenses and glasses is impossible for my prescription, for example. Just my thinned lenses are £650 and I don’t need varifocals yet.

I work in the optical industry and believe me, there is a HUGE difference in quality between cheap frames and lenses and the top-end stuff.

Is there a difference between the £60 Asda and the £150 - £200 spec savers?
I get that if you're paying £600 then hopefully you are getting a better product.

It was about £400 for two pairs from boots in one of their deals. Could have done it a lot cheaper but I was a bit fussy about the frames.

No change from £500 for me with varifocals and a stigmatise it's outrageous

What I find really hard is the way my lenses seem to chop the side of my head off due to my strong "-" prescription and astigmatism. Has anyone found a way around this?

@Aderyn21 I’m not specifically familiar with Asda vs Specsavers but I would imagine there will be a difference. Obviously it depends what you need glasses for, no need to spend much for occasionally-used reading glasses etc. But there is a range of difference quality plastics etc used to make frames, the cheaper ones don’t hold up as well

@Whingasaurus I’m sure you could find cheaper ones elsewhere but they probably wouldn’t look great if you have significant astigmatism. Like almost everything we can buy, there are choices of how much to spend depending on quality

@Hibiscusroses it’s unavoidable to some extent as it is due to the prescription (ie the power of the lenses you need) but thinner lenses and a good frame choice (nothing too wide) can help to hide the effect

@Hibiscusroses

What I find really hard is the way my lenses seem to chop the side of my head off due to my strong "-" prescription and astigmatism. Has anyone found a way around this?

I’m -9.50 both eyes with astigmatism and I have the same issue. It’s why I hate wearing my (£600) varifocals. They are thinned to within an inch of their life but they just make my eyes look tiny. I really hate myself in my glasses - unfortunately as I’m getting older I’ve developed sjorgens syndrome which means my eyes are extremely dry and my much loved contact lenses aren’t comfortable for very long anymore (I have moisturising lenses and prescription eye drops etc).

Minimum £450 for lenses (astigmatism varifocals etc) and then frames on top. Last time I went to an independent and paid around £350 for the frames, but then got and set with 50% of the lenses so I think I paid £1600 for two pairs. And they’re lovely

@Bagelsandbrie You don’t say how old you are but may be worth looking into lens replacement surgery. It’s like having a cataract operation done early, with the bonus being that your prescription would be corrected and you won’t need cataract operations in future.

another off

[quote Alocasia]@Bagelsandbrie You don’t say how old you are but may be worth looking into lens replacement surgery. It’s like having a cataract operation done early, with the bonus being that your prescription would be corrected and you won’t need cataract operations in future.[/quote]
Thank you - yes that’s something I’m considering. I’m 41.

Wow feeling very lucky my prescription is low now (just gone up to -1.75 each eye). I ordered new glasses after an eye test yesterday. Just Karen Millen frames with thinned lenses. Should have been £185 but I’m a contact lens wearer and as part of my scheme I get 50% one pair each year so they only cost me £92.

I just purchased new varifocals transition lenses in a designer frame (couldn’t resist it) and also prescription sunglasses in a much cheaper frame. The bill came to £1000 which is what I earned the first year after I left school. However, I wasn’t just paying for the glasses but for the care and attention of the optician and his state of the art technology. As I have a damaged eye I have to be very careful about who I go to.

While I understand that there may be quality differences between different frames and lenses, my recent experience looking for a second pair of reading glasses suggests that prices vary dramatically for the exact same item.

The exact same pair of Silhouette rimless frames ranged in price from £440 in the local optician to £375 direct from the manufacturers and £175 from an online dispensing optician.

The mark up for the convenience of using a high street opticians is stunning. I can see why they like to obfuscate the actual costs.

Think about the whole package. How much do you pay for your eye test? The optician is a medically trained professional & most charge below the true cost of their expertise & education.

Wow I thought my 216 is specsavers was expensive for two pairs with anti glare / polaroid (sp) sunglasses now I feel I got off lightly!

A lot depends on your prescription. My mum pays a lot more for hers than I do but my prescription is low. I go to a local optician and buy a pair of glasses (around £250 in total for eye test and glasses last year) and then use the prescription to buy a few more own brand frames and sunglasses online from Glasses Direct or similar. My favourite pair is actually from Iolla and they feel amazing quality for the price (£75).

I always think glasses and shoes are worth spending on (compared to bags for example) because they have a direct impact on your health and comfort. I wouldn't spend £££ just because I would worry about breaking them though!

Thank you for your responses
I’m glad to hear I’m not alone
I’d forgotten about the astigmatism as well!
My optician is amazing - great service and does interest free over 12/24 months if you can’t pay outright
I pay an extra £5 a month for insurance and free eye tests including retinal X-rays

I agree re quality - I usually go Zeiss or Nikon
I’ve had unsatisfactory experiences with Boots, Specsavers and Vision Express who do not seem to have the experience in dispensing when the Lenses are complex

@nordica I love that perspective about spending on glasses and shoes! You are so right!

@Hibiscusroses

What I find really hard is the way my lenses seem to chop the side of my head off due to my strong "-" prescription and astigmatism. Has anyone found a way around this?

Get lenses as thin as possible and a frame that is both large but not wide. Alternatively you can get a cheapo pair with your full prescription & split your nice pair between glasses and contacts so your contacts have a higher prescription & your glasses don’t go beyond -2 or -3. That will reduce the problem significantly