OT: Prescription glasses

[slidey]

I have a myopic vision (i.e. shortsighted, cannot see things at a distance without glases),
and I need to get some everyday use (wear all day, including on rides)
glasses (lenses + frame)
for myself. Could someone suggest a good place to start to kick-off this process? Are there any reputable online stores or nation-wide optical lens shops? I'm looking to find run-of-the-mill yet durable frames, i.e. no desire to have the best/most durable/hand-crafted frames, unless they're for free. :banana:

This is my first time, doing this in the US and hence the request for some direction. Thanks in advance!

[Hank Scorpio]

Price and stylewise I don't think you can beat WarbyParker.com. I don't know how good their lenses are though I only bought frames.

[J.Greene]

Sports optical in Denver is the first and last stop many people make for performance eyewear. I didn't think the price was that bad either. I'm also shortsighted and they were able to custom grind a curved lense to fit my favorite Rudy Project frame.

http://www.sportsoptical.com/

[DRZRM]

+1 for www.sportsoptical.com. They are great to work with and likely have a fair number of choices at the upper and lower end of scale. I've had them fill Oakley's, so the lenses are produced by Oakley as well, but folks who have had them do in house Rx glasses have been very positive. Give a call and talk to them about your needs.

Sports optical in Denver is the first and last stop many people make for performance eyewear. I didn't think the price was that bad either. I'm also shortsighted and they were able to custom grind a curved lense to fit my favorite Rudy Project frame.

http://www.sportsoptical.com/

[Ken Robb]

The stronger a person's prescription is the more important it is that the optical center of the lens be exactly in front of the pupil of the eye. This requires a professional measurement of the patient's face and pupil spacing. I have always had this done by the optician who was selling me the frame and lenses.
My optometrist or opthamologist (I can't spell this) provided a prescription on how the lenses are to be ground but centering the lens on my face is up to an optician.

Once the optician is done he provides a worksheet with the prescription PLUS the fitting measurements. I can use this to order frames and lenses from out-of-town providers and be reasonably sure the frames will fit with only minor adjustments.

Since you seem to be a first-timer with glasses I think you should go to a good local M.D. or O.D. for testing and prescription. Then consider getting the glasses and frames from them or an independent optician they recommend. You really need your first pair to be perfect so you know how good your vision and comfort can be.
FWIW lots of people get all or most of these services and products from COSTCO. I have a complicated prescription and COSTCO failed to make glasses that satisfied my expectations. There was no charge and they could not have been nicer so it only cost me some time.

Once you have a little experience with regular glasses you may do well ordering sunglasses or sports glasses from out-of-town suppliers.

[cnighbor1]

$38

the problem i have is prescription is so strong changing glasses doesn't work

if they don't fit exactly the same i get big headaches

somi use clip on sunglasses when outside

[slidey]

Thanks for the responses.

I just looked into sportsoptical.com and it seems geared towards ride-specific glasses. I was looking more for one glass does it all kind of thing, so need to see if this fits the bill.

Ken Robb: I'm not a first-time optics user :P I've been wearing glasses for more than 15 years now, just that my present set is scratched up and I need a new pair...but, thanks for pointing me to CostCo! :banana:

Charles: There's no Walmart where I live, so CostCo it has to be.

Also looked at warbyparker.com, and the prices seem something I can afford (don't have any basis for comparison).

[choke]

Zenni Optical (http://www.zennioptical.com/) or Goggles4u (http://www.goggles4u.com/). I've purchased from both and have been very happy with the glasses I received.

[93legendti]

My son and I had our glasses made by Costco last spring. Seemed to work out as well as our Dr.'s office had in the past, only substantially cheaper.

[kramnnim]

Zenni Optical (http://www.zennioptical.com/) or Goggles4u (http://www.goggles4u.com/). I've purchased from both and have been very happy with the glasses I received.

Yes, the online glasses sellers are surprisingly good. Coastalcontacts, too.

That said, LASIK has been well worth the cost for me.

[Louis]

I was looking more for one glass does it all kind of thing, so need to see if this fits the bill.

If you really want a pair that does both, then 1) you'll be greatly limiting your choice of options, and 2) there's a decent chance that what you end up getting will have be be a significant compromise in at least one application, maybe both.

I have two pairs, one for "regular living" and one for cycling. If you have a very mild prescription (I do not) then your plan has a better chance of working out.

Good Luck

[slidey]

I'm in the same group as you i.e. blind for all practical purposes without glasses. However, until now I've been riding with my everyday glasses (which are photochromatic/transitions equipped) with just one problem. The problem being, the coating near the nose bridge area of my lenses has started diluting, making vision from that specific region near-impossible and affecting the overall quality of vision as well. I didn't have any CRIZAL A2 (for Essilor lenses) coating on this pair, but wish to opt for it this time as I assume this problem was the result of sweat, dust accumulating and then drying up around that region on the lenses.

Moreover, since my riding habits are on a steady decline (work isn't getting done by itself any more) I'm focusing on a good pair of regular glasses for now. :cool:

If you really want a pair that does both, then 1) you'll be greatly limiting your choice of options, and 2) there's a decent chance that what you end up getting will have be be a significant compromise in at least one application, maybe both.

I have two pairs, one for "regular living" and one for cycling. If you have a very mild prescription (I do not) then your plan has a better chance of working out.

Good Luck

[Louis]

blind for all practical purposes without glasses.

Yeah, I'm -11.25 in one eye and -10.5 in the other... I have some sort of Crizal coating on the non-cycling glasses and it really helps with the lights when driving at night.

(I went with the Sports Optical guys and some Rudy Project frames for the cycling glasses and that worked out well.)

[slidey]

Wow, you're quite powerful there Louis! I average -5.5 for both the eyes with a difference of -0.5 between the individual powers.

Out of curiosity, how thick are your riding glasses then?

Yeah, I'm -11.25 in one eye and -10.5 in the other... I have some sort of Crizal coating on the non-cycling glasses and it really helps with the lights when driving at night.

(I went with the Sports Optical guys and some Rudy Project frames for the cycling glasses and that worked out well.)

[Louis]

Out of curiosity, how thick are your riding glasses then?

I just measured: ~3mm in the center of the lens, and ~6mm at the outboard edge. It's thinner than 6 at the inner edge.

[slidey]

Very interesting, and I presume since its riding glasses some amt of thickness is due to the polarization coating as well?

My backup pair, clear lenses with polarization measure ~1.5mm (< 2mm), and 4mm correspondingly.

I just measured: ~3mm in the center of the lens, and ~6mm at the outboard edge. It's thinner than 6 at the inner edge.

I'll tell you what this exercise revealed to me though...having two pairs of glasses makes scrutinizing one pair of glasses easier :cool:

[Louis]

Very interesting, and I presume since its riding glasses some amt of thickness is due to the polarization coating as well?

I think any coatings are very very thin compared to the lens itself.

My cycling glasses have two pairs of lenses, a prescription insert and the tinted lenses in front of them:

http://www.sporteyes.com/rpperception1.jpg

http://www.sporteyes.com/rprb3op.jpg

[jh_on_the_cape]

I have had good luck at 39dollarglasses.com

I just cannot drop serious money on glasses when I will scratch or lose them or sit on them.

I went to an excellent dr. for the Rx. then went online.
the glasses are noticeably lower quality than my wife's oakleys, but I do not have a fit when I cannot find them.

I am going to try these next from that site. again, def. not rudy projects.
I think expensive glasses are a serious ripoff.

you can find coupons for these all the time.

http://www.39dollarglasses.com/store/images/items_large/700/1786_GUN.jpg

[tiretrax]

I second WarbyParker. They have a bus and are touring the country. See if they're coming to a city near you.

[eddief]

Rudy doesn't make them anymore. There is a model with flip up sunglass that is the replacement, but I have no experience with it yet. The Rudy Project Exception:

http://www.rudyprojectusa.com/index_inner_detail.php?group_id=1&cat_id=&item_id=SN968692

I think any coatings are very very thin compared to the lens itself.

My cycling glasses have two pairs of lenses, a prescription insert and the tinted lenses in front of them:

http://www.sporteyes.com/rpperception1.jpg

http://www.sporteyes.com/rprb3op.jpg