In today’s tougheconomic times, every dollar saved can go a long way. At the same time, youdon’t want to skimp on your vision. So is buying your next pair of framesonline a safe bet? More and more people are turning to online retailers topurchase their frames and lenses. This choice can result in saving hundreds ofdollars without skimping on quality. What many shoppersdon’t realize is that the exact same frames on display at your local visioncenter can be purchased online at a fraction of the cost. Opticians are inbusiness to make money, so when you buy in-store you’ll be paying aconsiderable markup. By purchasing your frames online, you’re simply cuttingout the middleman and pocketing the difference in price.
Start at your visioncenter and be sure your prescription is up-to-date. Take some time to try onframes in the store, and write down the brands and styles you like most. If youfall in love with a specific frame, you can easily search to find them onlineand do a price comparison.
Inside the frames thereshould be three numbers, such as 50-18-140. These numbers determine the shapeof the glasses, representing the width of the lenses, the size of the bridge,and the temple length, respectively. These numbers will give you a good idea ofthe types of lenses that look best on you, and you can refer to them when shoppingonline to make sure your new frames will flatter your face. You can allowfor a little bit of variation: one to two mm in lens width or bridge size andup to five mm for temple length will not usually make in any noticeabledifference.
To place your orderyou’ll need to have some specific information from your doctor in advance. Askyour optician for a copy of your current prescription. This should containseveral different measurements, and the numbers for your left eye could bedifferent from your right eye. You’ll need to be very careful about enteringthese numbers onto your order, or you could fax the prescription to the companyyou’re ordering from just to be safe. The prescription shouldhave two rows: one for OD, which represents your right eye, and one for OS,which represents your left eye. Then you will see several columns that make upthe unique prescription for your lenses:
– SPH (Sphere): Thisrepresents how strong your lenses need to be, and is based on the horizontalcurve of your eye’s lens. It should be a number between -10 and +10.
– CYL (Cylinder): Youwill only have a number in this column if one (or both) of your eyes hasastigmatism. It should be a number between -4 and +4.
– AXIS: There will onlybe a number in this column if you have a number in the CYL column because theyare related. It should be a number between 1 and 180 and further defines theinformation about the astigmatism.
– PRISM: Most people donot have a number in this column. People with a PRISM measurement will requirean optician’s expertise, so if you have a number in this column you should notpurchase your glasses online.
– ADD: You will have anumber in this column between 0 and 5.00 if you wear bifocals or progressivelenses. This number determines the lens magnification.
Once you have yourprescription and frame information, have fun shopping online! It’s likewindow-shopping at many different vision centers in your slippers. You cansearch by your frame size, style or favorite brand to get started. When youfind a frame you like, comparison shop several different online stores to makesure you’re getting the best price possible. Most online retailerswill offer free anti-scratch and UV protection for your new lenses, but justlike at your local optician you can also opt for special coatings and tints. Ifyou currently have insurance coverage for vision, the only drawback is thatyou’ll need to pay out-of-pocket first, then submit an out-of-network purchasereceipt and wait to be reimbursed. But when you’re saving so much money it’sreally a minor hassle, isn’t it?
Online lens retailers will usually have a fastturnaround and ship your new glasses for a reasonable fee. Once you receiveyour new glasses, try them on right away. You might need to take them to yourlocal optician for a fitting just as you would if you purchased them in-store.Rest assured, if you don’t like your new glasses for any reason, most onlineretailers will take them back and provide you with a full refund. With a littlepreparation, purchasing your next set of glasses online is a fun and easy wayto save a lot of money!
Sara Roberts is a content contributor for Just Eyewear, an online glasses retailer. Learn how you can buy glasses online and save hundreds off your next pair.
