Buying glasses doesn't have to make you see red
Getting the best deal for eye tests and glasses can be a daunting process. Not only are there loads of opticians on the high street, but their websites are generally unhelpful about the actual prices you will have to pay and so without trawling around them on a Saturday afternoon there is no way to tell where you’ll get the best deal. However, there are loads of online sites where you can get bargain-basement prices for the same frames you’ll get on the high street, and all you need is your optical prescription.
Getting an eyesight test can be pricey (between £20-£25), but there are deals to be had.
- David Clulow does eyesight tests for a standard fee of £10, which is the cheapest on the high street.
- If you don’t have a David Clulow, both Vision Express and Dolland & Aitchison are offering half-price eyesight test vouchers on their websites. All you have to do is fill in your details and they will email you the vouchers which you can then print off and take with you to the appointment.
To buy any glasses online you’ll have to have an up-to-date prescription (not more than two years old). You must make sure that the prescription includes: - Sphere – The strength of the lens (plus for long-sightedness, minus for short-sightedness).
- Pupiliary distance – This is the horizontal distance between your pupils measured in millimetres. You can have a go at measuring this yourself (as a guide, the average is between 60mm and 66mm), but it’s really important that you look through the centre of your lenses and so getting this measurement wrong can mess up the glasses completely.
- Cylinder – This is your astigmatism correction. Not everyone has astigmatism (when the eye is slightly rugby-shaped) so leave this blank if you don’t.
- Axis – This corrects an astigmatism. Again, if you don’t have an astigmatism, you don’t need this measurement.
Whilst you’re getting your eye test, you might as well profit from the chain opticians' free advice on frames. They will tell you which frames would suit your face shape and then will help you pick out ones they recommend. Try on as many as you need to get a good idea of the shape (rectangular/circular) and the style (metal/plastic/rimless) that suit you. This way, when it comes to choosing some on the internet that you can’t actually try, you’ll be able to make a much more informed decision. Sometimes, even though we want them to, frames we like just don’t like us, so it’s good to have an idea before buying. Alternatively, if you want a pair of designer frames, note down the model name and number of any that take your fancy at the opticians and then you can search for them online and probably get them a lot cheaper.
There are actually loads of websites to get cheap glasses from. Here are a few of the best.
- Selectspecs is great as it gives you thin and light lenses, anti-reflection, UV 400 and scratch resistance all for free. That means that you can get a very swish pair of designer glasses for under £80 and a pair of budget but good quality glasses from £10.95. Postage is £1.80, but that shouldn’t break the bank.
- Goggles4u is not for you if you want designer specs, however it really does have some brilliant styles for just £7.50, so if you’re not fussy about brands you could get a great deal. All single vision lenses come with free anti-glare, UV and scratch coating and free postage.
- Spex4less has a good range of designer and other glasses. They don’t give you much for free, but there are pop-up boxes which you have 60 seconds to click on to get free glare resistance and scratch coating when you first click on the site. However the great thing about them is they offer a full refund if you’re not happy with your glasses for any reason. All their glasses also have a 12-month warranty for defects and breakages which also covers the lenses.
- There are others to check out: Designer-specs, Glassesdirect, Site4eyes, Perfectspecs, Lowcostspex, Optical4less, 39dollarglasses, Site4eyes, Perfectspecs, Glasses2you, Myoptics, Designerglasses, Specsonthenet and Wantglasses. Remember to shop around and check out all prices for extra coatings, glasses cases and shipping.
Are there any lenses that you shouldn’t get online?
The only lenses that are really complicated to fit are varifocals. Because of this, some websites do not even offer them, probably because there is a potential for lots of returns. If you do have to get varifocals, a way to save money would be to buy the frames you want online and then just get the lenses fitted at the opticians. Although these kinds of lenses can be expensive, at least you don’t run the risk of paying for a pair of glasses that you cannot return and cannot use.
The best deal for designer glasses
Although there are great deals to be had online, some of the high end designer glasses are in excess of £150 even when discounted. If you are going to spend this much, it will be worthwhile checking that you can’t get the pair you want as part of one of the high street two for one deals. Specsavers offers a two for one deal where you can get two pairs of the same designer glasses (not one pair and then another from the premium own brand range), and your second pair has the same lenses as the first even if you have picked the most expensive lenses and added all extras. This means that you could effectively get the pair of designer glasses you want and then another one on top for the price you pay on the internet. The advantages of getting the glasses on the high street are that they are fitted for you and can be adjusted once they are assembled. However, again you just have to do a quick search on the internet and see whether buying them online, or going for the deal is going to suit you best.
You’ve got to be careful when ordering glasses online as if you make any mistakes with your prescription you often won’t be able to get a refund. If you have any questions about your prescription it’s best to contact the site you want to buy from directly and they should be able to help you out. Check the refund policy of the site before you buy the glasses; some will be happy to give you a refund as long as you return the glasses within the designated time, whereas others will only refund you if they have made a mistake.
To ensure a good fit, check the frame dimensions online and try and get the same dimensions as an old pair of glasses that fitted really well. On the inside arm of your current glasses you should be able to find a pair of two digit numbers, the first number represents the width of the lens and the second the width of the bridge, use these as a guideline. If you want a really good fit, you can always get your glasses online and then take them to a high street optician for the final fitting.
- On the NHS: NHS vouchers also help some people get money off their glasses. If you are under 16, under 19 and in full-time education or over 60 you are eligible for vouchers. You can also get vouchers if you or your partner is on benefits, you have an HC2/HC3 low income certificate, you are entitled to or named on a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate, or you have complex lenses. A lot of the websites are now accepting these vouchers, so you will still be able to get online bargains using them.
- With a health cash plan: If your family suffers from poor sight or you really want a hot-shot pair of designer specs but you just don’t have the money, a health cash plan will give you an annual contribution towards your optical costs. The annual limits won’t pay all the cost of a pair of designer glasses, but it will certainly contribute a big chunk to it and you also get dental care and contributions towards other preventative health care costs for as little as £6 a month.
Useful links
What next?
|
Print this page
