And for years, those were the choices: spend a bunch of money on glasses or don’t see. Not too hard to make a choice, even if that means that there is no money to fix the car or go to the dentist. What’s more, most everybody with a job used to have a decent insurance plan. Today, however, those lucky enough to have any insurance find that their insurance covers an embarrassingly small amount of the cost of glasses.

Today, however, the paradigm for purchasing prescription eyewear has changed. There are many more options and certainly the potential to save quite a bit a money. Where there used to be a few places in town that sold glasses for about the same price, today, there are dozens of websites selling prescription glasses for about 1/4 of what anything costs at Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, or even Target and Sam’s Club.

Okay, let’s back up for a second. Prescription glasses aren’t books or coffee pots. Your vision and eye health, or that of your childrens’, is not some commodity that includes free shipping when you spend $25 or more. What this means is that you still have to get your eyes examined, and it really ought to have been in the last twelve months. If you have vision insurance, most plans cover one eye exam a year for a small co-pay. If you don’t have vision insurance, call around until you find an exam that you can afford.

So here’s the awkward part. You want to get your eyes checked, but you don’t want to be sold a pair of glasses. For years, opticians doubled as peddlers of eyeglasses. Today, that is no longer ther role of the optometrist. In fact, the FTC has ruled that eye doctors are required to provide you a copy of your prescription at the end of your exam. Good optometrists do this as a matter of course – I recommend mentioning asking on the phone if they provide a prescription at the end of your exam. And once your there, make sure they check your pupillary distance, or PD. Because this number — required to make glasses — never changes, optometrists do not necessarily measure it as a matter of course.

Once you get your prescription, you’ll find that most of the online eyewear places offer complete glasses for less than $100. Prices vary depending on the thickness of the lens, the coatings needed, etc. Although these are generic, no-brand frames, the quality of the glasses is typically quite good.

If you’ve found a pair of glasses at the eye doctor or the mall that you just love, ask for a complete quote, including any discounts for insurance. After noting the frame, you can visit one of several websites offering the same major-name frames that you find at the mall. I found, for example, that the exact same pair of Versace glasses cost about $500 at Pearle Vision compared with $250 online.

When it’s time for a new pair of glasses, realize that you have options and try to take advantage of the choices available to you. Get your eyes checked, check out a few websites, and get yourself the glasses you’ve always wanted.

Her

Him

Either

You buy these like normal glasses, but then you add a tint to turn them into cheap prescription sunglasses. I like an 80% gray tint.

In 2008, a reader wrote and asked about purchasing trifocal glasses online. I remember doing a bit of research and to my dismay, none of the online discounters offered much in the way of multifocal lenses.

Today, the market has changed. Trifocal lenses are available from one online shop for less than a $100 surcharge. Progressives and bifocals are available at several shops for even less, most surcharges in the $50 range.

	Bifocal	Progressive	Trifocal
Eyebuydirect	$19	$39	$69
GlassesUSA	$70	$90	N/A
39DollarGlasses	$40	$50	N/A

 Multifocal surcharges at various online eyewear shops

	Bifocal	Progressive	Trifocal
	Bifocal	Progressive	Trifocal
Eyebuydirect	$65	$85	$115
GlassesUSA	$110	$114	N/A
39DollarGlasses	$85	$95	N/A

Multifocal estimated total cost per pair. Total cost based on mid-priced frame with typical configuration and generally available discounts.

Secondly, let’s face it — glasses shopping for most people involves boots on the ground, going to a mall or boutique, and finding the perfect pair. The glasses you find there will almost invariably be an off-the-shelf product from one of the dozens of common eyewear designers. At the lower end of the price range you’ll find brands like Elements and Esprit; at the higher end you’ll find names like Prada and Versace. If you look, all the frames will have a  maker and model number printed on a little wrap-around sticker or other tag. You’ll find the same makers and often the same models at Pearle Vision, Lens Crafters, or any of a number of similar stores. You’ll also find all these stores charging almost exactly the MSRP for the frame, and strikingly similar prices for lenses.

My goal here is to compare the price of the exact same pair of prescription eyeglasses at a typical mall glasses store and at an online designer shop selling all of the major brands. Specifically, my price comparison is based on available pricing at Pearle Vision and available pricing at the online store, Frames Direct. To obtain this information, I first visited a retailer at the mall, found a style I liked, and then requested pricing info from the retailer. Next, I jumped online and quoted the same pair with the same specs from one of the more common online shops. I believe this order of comparison (retailer first, online second) was important. Starting with the online shop could have introduced bias — perhaps the website would lead me to their most discounted frame, for example, thereby exaggerating price differences if I compared the website’s most promoted and discounted frame with the same frame, unpromoted and undiscounted at the store in the mall.

Okay, so let’s get right to the numbers, which I think speak for themselves.

	Retail	Online
Frame - Versace VE1190	$225	$182.75
Lens - Standard polycarbonate	$215	$89
Coatings: UV and anti-scratch	$0	$0
Coating: Anti-glare	$100	$44.95
Tax (7%) + delivery / shipping	$37.80	$0
Discounts available at writing	$0	$53.18
Total	$577.80	$263.12

Now, a couple of items worth mentioning: I obtained the prices from the retailer by requesting a custom quote from the Pearle Vision at the mall. These prices are set, to some degree, by the individual franchise.  Second, I assumed a local tax rate of 7%. Finally, at the time of writing, Frames Direct offered 40% off the lenses only if paired with certain frames, of which Versace happened to be one. This discount may or may not be available when you order. This particular online shop advertises their coupon codes very prominently on their front page, so it is super easy to see what coupons are available.

Pros and cons of buying eyeglasses online

Pros:

• Low prices: as much as 70 percent less than in traditional optical stores.
• Convenience: Shop from home and have your glasses delivered to your door.
• Selection: thousands of frames to choose from at the click of a mouse.

Cons:

• Can’t actually try them on.
• Possible return hassles.
• Still may have to have your frames professionally adjusted.

That’s just a portion of a pretty well-done article, really it is a lot like this article that I wrote four years ago. Clearly, the whole saving-a-bunch-of-money thing on prescription eyewear has broad appeal.

Another retailer, Eyewear Online, recommends parasitic shopping: Spend a little shoe-leather looking at shops; when you find a frame you like, make a note of the manufacturer, frame color, and the numbers on the temple arm; then plug that info into the site. But salespeople are hip to this and tend to icily discourage notetaking. Sometimes shops white-out these numbers or replace them with an internal code. Take heart: You can still get the measurements you need with a ruler and a whole lot of moxie. (This page explains how.)