You people out there with glasses.

For the last 5 years I've managed to get away with 'reading glasses' from 'Poundland' as my eyes have deteriorated the same figure left and right with long sight unaffected, but recently noticed a slight 'blurring' in the right eye at long and short distance and the eye test yesterday confirmed it.

The local optician quoted me £120 for frames and tried to push me to have 'varifocals' with the lens made by 'Canon' for £410

Is this the right price to pay or do I go to someone like 'Boots' and buy one get one free for about £150 (fixed lens, one for driving and one for reading).

Do you get what you pay for or is the small optical shop just trying to make a living against the big boys

All answers in bigger text please

Be careful when you go to the large high street chains of opticians. Often the free pair of glasses is with single vision lenses, no coatings or varifocal/bifocal. Varifocal and reactolite along with the various coatings that stop reflection and add antiscratch can really add a lot to the basic price of any glasses.
Don't forget that reactolite lenses require UV to work so you might still need some kind of sunglasses to go in front of your driving glasses.

Spex4less, had loads of pairs and only one issue that was resolved quickly and without fuss.

I'd much rather go to a dispensing shop rather than an online one, because for me having a first pair of glasses for more than reading I want to try on various frames.

I accept there will be a price premium to pay for this.

Has anyone had good/bad dealings with the big players, like Boots, Tesco, Vision Express

I wear glasses all the time, and I have always bought them through boots. Often friendly in there and have competitive prices. Good range in there too, go and try some on before you decide.

Just reminded me, need to have another eye test.

Dave,
Of all people I used 'Specsavers' for my varifocals. I went for the best quality lens and have no complaints. Antiglare is a must.
Be aware that varifocals can take some getting used to, some people can't get on with them at all. You need to persevere with them and get into the habit of never taking them off unlike reading glasses. Took me several months.
I went for the Elite lens with Ultraclear. Cost me £185.

 Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

+1for spec savers, others can be very expensive when you get to added stuff like anti glare etc. I have used them for years, been to others but always end up back with spec savers.

As for varifocals, they are a bit more expensive than 2 seperate pairs but well worth it, I'll wager you will always have on the wrong pair at some time and you will not have the others with you! Having said that, as previously noted, not everyone can get on with them, me, I found that lowering my head to answer SHMBO came natural   MY2014 SD4 XS
Ipanema Sand

MY10 TD4-e GS Manual
Lago Grey Now retired after 8 trouble free years

Greg, the thing is my day is spent mostly without glasses, are Varifocals meant for eyesight that has deteriorated more than my 'one slightly blurry' eye
This will be the first time of driving with glasses and if I am not reading (even watching TV is OK without them) then my sight is quite adequate while also mooching around like walking in the country, in town etc. So I feel single lens glasses might be more suitable for me

scrimple wrote:

I found that lowering my head to answer SHMBO came natural

Is that to put her out of focus

If I look through the lenses, I can see all the wrinkles!   MY2014 SD4 XS
Ipanema Sand

MY10 TD4-e GS Manual
Lago Grey Now retired after 8 trouble free years

hi

you will have the prescription of what you need so all you have to do is walk into any shop that sells glasses and ask for a price 1995 P38 now dead
2012 FL2 GS Fuji White
winter pack
arm rest pack

I did in my local town and was quoted £530 for one pair this made me think as a first time buyer that others much cheaper were crap

I feel I walked out from the test straight into a sales pitch where what would suit me came second to what they could screw out of me.

I need to know if I am looking at this correctly (excuse the pun)
1) Are varifocals primarily meant for someone who's eyesight is inadequate for short/mid/long distance where wearing them is for most part of the day .... or
2) Single lens(one pair reading/one pair driving) best for like me where for the best part of the day my sight is quite adequate in the mid range.

Last edited by EYorkshire on 22nd Sep 2013 4:09 pm. Edited 1 time in total

I normal use Specsavers, buy one get one free, the second pair as sunglasses, just had mine tested as I haven't been for nearly three years, was advised that I didn't really need to change the prescription but as I had a few scratches on one of the lenses I just had one pair, varifocals with all the coatings and the higher spec lens to give a wider viewing without distortion £225 all in. I had discount as I wasn't having the BOGOF but it would have been £500 for the pair to £400 for the lower spec varifocal lens. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

But do you wear glasses at all times Andy

If you do then I can see the advantage of varifocals and also a good chance of getting use to them whereas 70% of my day I wouldn't wear glasses.

I'll go into Specsavers tomorrow and see what they have and hear their advice.

Yes, don't need them for distance, but without them driving is a pain for things such as Display, Sat Nav gauges etc.
Make sure you tell your optician that you use a PC, the private optician I first went with asked, the second time two years later asked if my circumstances had changed, to which I said no, they prescribed two one pairs, couldn't see the PC with them, went back, they said I should have told them that I used a PC and then wanted to charge me for two new pairs of lenses

Went to Specsavers and never had a problem since. Even when I broke them in Scarborough, went in to the local branch, they looked at them said yes they were supplied by us and repaired them FOC.

Specsavers have always supplied me like for like, they don't charge extra for one pair being sunglasses, same lens in both pairs, same frame. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Last edited by ad210358 on 22nd Sep 2013 4:22 pm. Edited 1 time in total