I spent nearly $600 on the last pair of glasses and lenses-that was after the vision insurance came into effect. My story is not uncommon. When you buy from eyewear chains, designer boutiques or even optometrists, the price increase for most brand-name glasses and prescription lenses is usually as high as 1,000%. The good news is that, at least for some people, today there are many direct-to-consumer online options, well-made, stylish frames and prescription lenses for only $7 (plus shipping), even though the price is between $100 and US$200 is more common.
Although going to the optometrist for eye exams and prescriptions is still essential, there is no law that requires you to wear glasses there. In addition to the high price, since my first pair of glasses in junior high school, my style, eyesight and fit experience in the optometrist’s office are excellent and very good. After many years of hearing about Zenni Optical from various friends who seem to wear different frames every day, I decided to give it a try to see if it can solve my dilemma of expensive prescription lenses. This is what I found.
Although this may shock people who spend thousands of dollars on new glasses every two years, Zenni Optical has been designing, manufacturing and selling prescription frames and lenses directly to consumers through its website since 2003. Today, Zenni. com offers more than 3,000 different frames and styles, from traditional glasses with single power and progressive blue-blocking lenses to polarized sunglasses and goggles. The price of the frame ranges from $7 to $46. Basic lenses for single vision prescriptions are provided free of charge, but the price of progressive, high index (thinner) and blue-blocking work lenses in the workplace ranges from US$17 to US$99. Other additional components include tinted and transition lenses, as well as various protective coatings and materials. Ultraviolet protection is the standard configuration of all sunglasses, they are similar in price, and provide polarized and mirrored lenses as well as colored lenses. Any of Zenni’s clear optical frames can also be ordered as single-lens or progressive sunglasses; the only sunglasses that do not offer progressive lenses are sunglasses in the premium sunglasses series (due to the frame size being too large).
Like Warby Parker, Pixel Eyewear, EyeBuyDirect, MessyWeekend, and an increasing number of independent, direct-to-consumer eyewear manufacturers and online retailers, Zenni saves money by reducing administrative costs-namely, optical shops, ophthalmologists, insurance And other intermediary companies-and sell directly to consumers online. It is also cheaper because it is not owned by the Italian-French conglomerate Essinor Luxottica, which is said to control more than 80% of glasses and lenses by owning and licensing most designers and iconic brands (Oliver Peoples, Ray-Ban, Ralph) Market Lauren), retailers (LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut), vision insurance company (EyeMed) and lens manufacturer (Essinor). This vertically integrated influence gives the company great power and influence in pricing, which is why even a pair of Gucci over-the-counter sunglasses costs far more than $300, while the true manufacturing cost of the basic frame 15 dollars. Again, this is before considering the price of exams, retail locations, and prescription lenses, all of which will drive up prices. At the same time, Zenni offers over-the-counter or prescription sunglasses with polarized lenses for as low as $40.
Although my friends continue to praise Warby Parker, Zenni and their likes, this is my first time browsing and buying prescription frames and lenses online. The Zenni website can be overwhelming, and even for browsing, there are several entry points. You can shop by gender or age group, frame style (aviator, cat’s eye, frameless, round), material (metal, titanium), new and best sellers, price range, and many other categories-it’s all up to you You can even get prescriptions (single vision, progressive, prism correction), lens index, materials and treatments. Fortunately, there are many text tutorials, infographics, and videos that explain everything about the process, from the type of lens that fits your prescription to the frame that fits your face shape, and some introductory knowledge about choosing the right lens color.
Most importantly, although it is not required, you should prepare the following specifications before starting to browse: your pupillary distance (PD) and your prescription. There is a step-by-step infographic tutorial to measure your PD yourself, but ideally, this is what you want during an eye exam. The prescription is important from the beginning, because it will first tell you what kind of frames you can use.
Since you can’t try on frames in the store in person—not to mention any real-time feedback from eyewear professionals and friends—you need to collect some additional statistics to get the size that fits your face and PD. The easiest way is to use the size of your current pair of glasses. The width of the lens, the width of the bridge of the nose, and the length of the temples are usually listed on the inside of the temples, but you must measure the frame width and lens height yourself in millimeters (don’t worry, there are also online tutorials and printable metric rulers). These measurements can then be used to help reduce the size of the frame that may fit your face and work with your prescription.
There is also a virtual try-on tool that can give you a rough idea of what the frame looks like on your body. Use the laptop webcam to scan your face in all directions. This tool can not only determine whether your face is oval, round or square, etc., but also create a 3D profile that you can use repeatedly to try different frames or even share Make various appearances with others via email to get feedback. (You can create as many of these configuration files as you need.)
Once you have identified your favorite pair (and also checked various frames and face sizes), you can enter your prescription and lens type, such as single vision, bifocal, progressive, frame only, or over-the-counter-these The options vary depending on the frame you choose. Next, you select the lens index (thickness), material, any special coatings, duplicate frames and accessories (sunglass clips, upgrade kits, lens wipes), and then send your order, after which you can look forward to your new frames Arrived in the plastic box after 14 to 21 days.
Prices and options are at the top of the list. The oval face shape I specified opened up many styles for me—rectangular, square, eyebrow line—but I browsed the always suitable pilots, and Zenni provided countless classic and modern colors and iterations. No matter which style you choose, it is difficult to buy the most expensive pair of glasses for more than $200 here. Although the price of the basic framework is as low as US$7, the price of most frameworks is between US$15 and US$25, with the highest being US$46. Any frame contains single vision prescription lenses with lower index, higher index (1.61 and above), “Blokz” blue light blocking and photochromic (transition) lenses ranging in price from US$17 to US$169. Although I hope to get a pair of prescription glasses for $7, my demand for progressive, high index, and prescription lenses makes my pricing choice between $100 and $120.
For sunglasses, there are many additional options, such as polarized or mirrored and light colors. However, UV protection and scratch-resistant coatings are standard on all sunglasses. Even if you purchase an over-the-counter pair to be used with contact lenses, this makes them a bargain in the field of tones.
At these prices, I am happy to take advantage of some additional options, such as ordering duplicate pairs of the same frame at checkout, each with a different single vision lens for reading or mid-range work in front of a computer. I have myopia , But also need reading glasses, so I usually wear progressive frames. Although those two problems can be corrected with only a “non-bifocal” lens, it is necessary to constantly move the head positioning back and forth to maintain focus at different differences. For specific tasks with dedicated single-view reading or workplace prescriptions, the focus is usually better, and I bundled it into my first order for $50 and $40, respectively. (After discovering that I had entered a plus sign instead of a minus sign on the prescription, I eventually had to replace them.)
Another advantage: customer service, especially through real-time chat, is fast and useful, not only can guide shoppers to understand various terms, sizes and frame styles, but also handle returns. If the glasses are not to your liking, the fit is inappropriate or the prescription is invalid, you have up to 30 days to change the glasses. If it is Zenni’s fault, you can get a full refund. If it’s the customer’s fault—just like my prescription is messed up—then Zenni provides full store credit, minus return shipping costs—to get a new pair of shoes (or 50% cash back). Any further exchange of this order will result in 50% store credit. One thing to note: You can update your order for free within 24 hours-for example, if you entered the wrong prescription. Finally, the final receipt includes a special printout for submission to a vision insurance or flexible spending account.
Zenni.com provides 3,000 frames and multiple ways to call the results of eye frames, which requires some effort to navigate. Partly because so many options are a double-edged sword, and partly because of the various frame sizes to prescription parameters, the process can also take hours and hours.
I did not find the 3D virtual try-on tool to be particularly accurate or consistent-a big benefit is that the frame size and fit of each profile I create is very different-but upload a still image and try it in 2D The glasses work better. Although it is easier to organize the measurements using your existing pair of glasses, it is still a arduous and error-prone process.
For people like me who have a strong prescription for correcting myopia, mild astigmatism and presbyopia (hyperopia/reading problems) and a preference for progressive lenses, this is where it gets complicated. After filtering out the progressive lenses and inputting my size measurements and the correct prescription into Zenni’s shopping tool, I have only a few frames to choose from. As far as my current frame measurements are concerned, even those that do not fully check all the recommended parameters, but I chose the updated blue metal pilot frame ($30), which looks very cool in the picture. I chose the recommended 1.67 high refractive index Blok progressive lens ($94), with a standard anti-reflective coating in the close-up configuration, optimized to achieve a clear line of sight of three feet. These are designed for specific workplace scenarios, such as staring at a computer screen all day. Not only did my new glasses come in handy when I wrote this article, but almost no one would see them in case my face was wrong.
The glasses that arrived two weeks later are indeed as sturdy and stylish as promised, but they are a bit high on my nose and the frames are a bit small for my face. As far as vanity or comfort is concerned, I have no problems with the appearance or fit of these home office-only glasses, but I have some problems with my eyesight. They are true close range, because anything more than three feet away starts to blur, but because they are progressive, I still need to focus my eyes on a specific part of the lens to get the laptop screen super sharp.
I consulted a Zenni customer service representative, and he told me that Zenni uses free-form progressive lenses, which can reduce costs because the manufacturing cost is lower than Varilux lenses. The disadvantage is that compared with the quite expensive Varilux lenses, free-form progressive lenses provide a narrower vision for the middle distance and reading distance. The result is that you have to focus your gaze directly on a specific level to get a clear focus, so far this feels more work than the fancy Varilux progressive I already have, even though the sharpness, although it’s narrow may Yes, it is better to optimize the lens at close range.
For work, I have used a pair of single-vision prescription computer glasses from Pixel Eyewear, which can be up to 14 feet in the middle distance. I find that they work well in front of a computer with a larger field of view (including reading), and I don’t have to worry about focusing my eyes on the correct “dual focus.” For a picky person like me, the close-up options in progressive lenses of three feet or less may not make much sense, so I might try to replace them with medium-distance single vision prescription lenses. The total price is US$127, and I should have enough credit to work.
In many cases, frame measurements can be used as a suitable representative for personal fitting, but prescription glasses are not always solved in a one-size-fits-all manner, especially for stronger and more complex prescriptions. The size of my face and head may not allow my eyes to be perfectly synchronized with my prescription in this particular lens thickness and this particular frame. This is why people go to see ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists to get their prescription glasses. Even if I go to see an ophthalmologist and buy glasses there, my options are always limited due to my prescription and I always have to pay extra to make the lenses thinner (high index). If it was so easy and fast for me to get the same results on Zenni, I would spend more money.
It would be great if Zenni had a more generous trial and return policy. For example, Warby Parker allows you to try on up to 5 pairs at home for 30 days to see which pair is the most suitable and effective, but Zenni’s price is much lower and contains more add-ons. Warby Parker’s cheapest frame (including lenses) is $95. Even if the return policy is more generous, the current turnaround time is 14 to 21 days due to shipping delays related to COVID-19, so don’t throw away old glasses for now.
The jury is still inconclusive, at least for the critic with myopia and slight astigmatism, he spends hours in front of the computer and needs glasses to help him read more easily. Even so, this does not prevent me from purchasing Zenni’s over-the-counter glasses to use with my contact lenses.
If unlike me, your prescriptions are simple, mild and single vision, then you may never have to pay more for glasses because these prescriptions are more forgiving. For more complex prescriptions, “the process is more complicated”, as a representative of Zenni explained to me after I encountered some obstacles in the ordering process. When it comes to these types of requirements, she recommends working more closely with Zenni’s customer service team. I am eager to order my second pair with the correct prescription, but I plan to negotiate with them several times in the next round to see if I can get the third pair correctly. Fortunately, since these are separate new purchases, I can exchange them and apply the full credit to the slightly larger pair, and we will see if this makes a difference. If necessary, I will continue to exchange them until there is no credit.
I’m not sure whether Zenni glasses will completely replace the overpriced, traditionally purchased prescription frames I bought from optometrists. I haven’t found a perfect pair of prescription glasses on the Internet, but at these prices, I will definitely continue to try.
Post time: Jul-30-2021