Get Better Glasses! - Eyewear Reviews

I'm canning Goggles4u.com

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:16:55 -0400

Since I began this site almost three years ago, I have learned a lot about the different retailers. I am indebted to my readers who submit comments or emails with their experiences. After too many negative reviews about the product from Goggles4U, I am officially canning them from my link list and not recommending your glasses online from them. Therefore, with this post, I hereby, henceforth, and thusly suggest that you buy your eyewear from a retailer that is not this one.

The comments I receive about Goggles4U are that they provide, plain and simply, cheap glasses inferior to what you can buy either at a B&M store or from some of the bigger names online. Since the name of my website is getBETTERglasses.com NO getCHEAPERglasses.com, I just can't recommend these guys anymore.

I ordered my glasses with photochromic coating, and they arrived without it. The company processed a refund since I decided I didn't want it. In the last two months, the glasses have randomly started to turn gray, and not completely across the entire lens. There is also a foggy spot in the center of each lens. The company refuses to replace the lenses, and is even asking me to pay them for the coating since it's on there now. I won't order from them again.
for source and more reviews click here

I like your website a lot, but I was pretty surprised when I saw your recommended top vendors? I have only used two vendors for glasses,the first being Goggles4U, and I had a really bad experience. I thought the glasses looked cheap, and not nearly the quality I was looking for....

I would not recommend Goggles4U -- I ordered a pair of glasses from them and they were ground to the wrong prescription such that I got dizzy. I informed them and they replaced the glasses -- with another pair with the wrong prescription that gave me a headache.... (click for more, source: glassyeyes reader)

Glasses USA (.com): The maker of my everyday eyeglasses

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:56:31 -0400

One of the lesser-known companies out there, GlassesUSA.com (click, new window) claims to deliver a superior quality product at a reasonable (but not dirt cheap) price. I have been impressed with their communication and apparently high level of customer service, but never had experienced their product first-hand.

The folks at GlassesUSA were confident enough with their glasses to provide me with a free pair, knowing that I was in no way obligated to return the favor with a favorable review. I received the glasses several weeks ago and have, to better judge the product, worn them exclusively since. My vision is such that I wear glasses from the second I wake up in the morning until the minute I go to bed. I have strong astigmatism and wear single-vision glasses and don’t require bifocals or trifocals; I have a current prescription (less than 12 months old).

All right, to the brass tacks. The company representative asked me to choose a pair from their website. I quickly navigated the website (good layout, simple search feature) and found the right pair for me. Having wanted to try out rimless eyeglasses for some time, I chose the “Philadelphia” frame (a simple search will find it). I chose this frame because it looked like it had good proportions and it has a 140mm temple length. For whatever reason, many of the online eyewear stores force me into a 135mm temple length. In reality, 135mm is somewhat short on most men’s heads, including my average-sized gourd. It works, but 140mm is more comfortable, so I was pleased that GlassesUSA had several options with the 140mm temple. The price on this pair is $59.95 with no extras and not including shipping. Widely-available coupons knock the price down 10% or so or take care of the shipping. So the actual cost is right around $60 out the door. You also need to fax, scan, or key in your prescription information (make sure to see your optometrist for an updated prescription if you don’t have one already).

About two weeks went by, and the glasses arrived. Excited, I ripped open the envelope and checked out my new specs (all pictures at bottom of this post). I looked over the included case and lens cloth (an appreciated extra, but ultimately destined for my sock drawer) and then went straight to trying on the eyeglasses. I immediately noticed the prescription was dead-on. Great lens grinding with no odd effects at the peripheral vision (it has been commented that some of the cheaper online eyewear stores struggle to grind out a perfect and consistent lens), the frame seems of great quality, and the look and proportions of the eyeglasses are dead on. By all accounts, a very high quality pair of eyeglasses. Certainly there are no noticeable differences in quality between this pair and the pairs I’ve paid $300 or $400 for over the years (naturally, the $300 or $400 pairs were bought at brick and mortar stores, not over the internet). The quality is noticeably better than my $30 pair from zenni optical -- specifically, the alloy frame seems immediately more dense and less fragile.

Two weeks later, I haven’t experienced any problems or noticed any manufacturing defects whatsoever. The glasses are comfortable, lightweight, and not leaving any pressure marks or sores around my ears or on the sides of my nose. I’ve actually received compliments on my eyes since wearing these glasses. Usually, I would receive comments on the glasses themselves when I would buy a new pair, but with a rimless pair, people seem to be noticing my eyes underneath! I don’t see switching back to one of my other pairs any time soon (other options include what’s left of my zenni optical pair (the nose paid mount broke off) and a nice-quality designer Izod frame (which retails for about $200 for the frame alone)). So yes, the eyeglasses at GlassesUSA.com are high quality and I would recommend them to anyone. What’s more, they are 50 to 70% cheaper than what you can buy from your optometrist. No, GlassesUSA isn’t as cheap as eyebuydirect, goggles4u, or some of the other china-based online eyewear companies, but the initial quality of product does seems superior. What was meant to be a sample pair has ended up as my 18-hour-a-day daily wearer. I’ll probably still go with the other guys for a dirt cheap pair of RX sunglasses, but I will definitely stick with GlassesUSA for my daily pair that will log the most use.

Click here to visit GlassesUSA

Some current coupons (see right panel if these have expired)
Celebrate independence with GlassesUSA! Take 20% off your final order of eyeglasses or sunglasses. Use Code: July20
Celebrate independence with GlassesUSA and enjoy free shipping on any order over $50! Use code:USASHIP

What comes in the mail (this is inside a non-pictured envelope)

The complete product -- glasses, the nicest case I've seen, and a cleaning cloth.

Another view -- I ordered the "Philadelphia" frame

Me, wearing the glasses.

Comparison of top discount online eyewear retailers

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:38:00 -0400

In this post, I will explore some of the differences between the following four major discount prescription eyewear retailers: Note that I am not including the discounted designer eyewear sites. I am also not including every possible configuration as this becomes prohibitive with half a dozen lens types plus half a dozen lens options for each type. This table provides a first look into the most common options with which you will be presented.

	Goggles4U.com	EyeBuyDirect.com	39DollarGlasses.com	Optical4Less.com
Base price §	$13	$15	$39	$15 ^
Thin lens (1.6)	+$12	+$42	NA	+$35
Thinner lens (1.67)	+$27	NA	+$50	+$35
Anti UV Coating	+$0	+$5	+$0	+$0
Anti Reflective Coating	+$0	+$7	+$25	+$0
Anti Scratch Coating	+$0	+$0	+$0	+$0
Photochromatic Lens %	+$8	+$36	+$50	+$59
Sunglass tinting	+$0	+$5	+$10	+$8
Bad eye penalty #	+$10	+$0	+$0	+$59
Priciest standard config @	$50	$74	$114	$109

§ For this exercise, I chose the cheapest frame available. Typically a basic alloy frame.
^ This low-cost frame is from their overstock section
% Photochromatic lenses are "transition" lenses -- they automatically darken in the sunlight
# Some retailers have a surcharge if your prescription is > +2.75 or < -2.75
@ Does not include photochromatic or sunglass tint options.

Conclusions? Goggles4U is the cheapest. EyeBuyDirect nickles and dimes the price up but has the best selection. 39DollarGlasses and EyeBuyDirect are good options if you have very bad eyes because they don't charge for extras. Your mileage may vary depending particularly on the type of frame you choose. I always recommend titanium. Another note, I recently posted a link at fark and one user commented that his glasses from 39DollarGlasses were a little wonky, so I don't enthusiastically recommend that company at the moment.

Trend-setting: Save money by buying your designer eyewear online

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:36:00 -0400

Designer eyewear is pricey. Though a pair of nice frames with lenses can cost well under $60 on sites like EyeBuyDirect.com or Goggles4u Eyeglasses, a pair of designer frames with lenses bought online will cost you three or four times this. In stores, designer frames with lenses tend to cost about twice what they cost online. Generally, someone shopping for designer frames isn't what might be called a bargain shopper. Despite this, why pay double for literally the exact same pair of glasses?

Choosing designer over regular eyewear gives you cutting-edge eyewear fashion. Or, if you bought designer frames in the past, you can probably find the exact same frame online for a portion of what you paid for the glasses you are wearing now. This is a good opportunity if your glasses have broken and you are looking for an identical replacement.

Here we have the Ray-Ban RX 5095 at BestBuyEyeglasses.com. An undeniably slick frame, this will cost $131 with basic lenses or $198 with polycarbonate lenses. $200 seems a lot for a pair of glasses, but this same frame runs well over $400 at any retail optometrist. It is available in three colors and in two frame sizes. The frame sizes are almost identical, though it can be configured with an extra two millimeters of width per lens. If you're confused about sizing your frame, check out this link.

Next up is a woman's frame, the Burberry BE 1003. A perfectly fashionable and lovely frame, fully configured it costs $174 with basic lenses or $242 with premium polycarbonate lenses. You can find it in two colors and two frame sizes. If you have a smaller face, go with the 52 - 17 - 31 - 135 sized frame, if you have a slightly larger face, go with the other. This frame is designed to have a large field of vision and is fairly large.

Happy surfing! If you find designer eyewear just isn't for you, or if you just can't afford it right now, check out EyeBuyDirect.com or Goggles4u to find great frames including lenses for well under $60, often for less than $30!

Glasses online in the UK: Nuglasses.co.uk

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:54:58 -0500

In my continuing effort to find great UK-based online eyeglasses merchants, I have found NuGlasses.co.uk

Their website is quite attractive and offers a fully integrated virtual try-on service, which I haven't seen at any other retailer. What I mean by "fully integrated" is that the page for any particular frame allows you to click "nuYou - Try Online" and you can virtually fit the frame to a self-portrait that you upload. The closest I have seen at any US-based online eyewear retailer is the virtual try on at EyeBuyDirect.com

Another premium service at NuGlasses.co.uk is the "Try at home service." For £2.50, you'll get a pair delivered to your door with a prepaid return-post envelope. While I was happy ordering my glasses sight-unseen, many people need the true look and feel provided by actually trying on the frames in person.

All told, a typically configured frame runs at about £70 - £100 on average. You're paying for quality glasses, no doubt, but you also pay for the premium service offered by NuGlasses.co.uk, which even includes UK-based phone support.

[Technorati Tags: Glasses Online, , Discount Eyewear, UK Glasses, , Eyewear, Eyeglasses]

Retailer Review: Safety Glasses USA

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:33:17 -0500

Safety Reading Glasses with Bifocals. From $7.15

Don't poke your eye out! Ensuring that never happens seems to be the mission of Safety Glasses USA. Every pair of eyewear available serves one purpose: to protect your eyes. This isn't about seeing, prescriptions, or anything of that nature. It's all about keeping those precious little eyeballs inside your head. Simply the range of safety glasses available at the site is astounding. Here is a short list of some of the safety eyewear they specialize in: Anti-Fog, Bifocal & Reading, CE Certified - Europe, CSA Certified - Canada, Driving Glasses, Economy Safety Glasses, Fit Over Rx, and Imprinting Safety Glasses.

That's far less than half of the product categories on their website. And then if, for example, you click on sports eyewear, you'll see they have safety eyewear for every sport around, even fishing and field hockey.

Flight Deck Military Goggles. $50.

Safety Glasses USA has protective goggles for people working in manufacturing or construction, they have goggles for skiiers, they have shooting glasses, welding goggles, military-approved goggles and eyewear, I could go on--honestly they have everything--to the point of almost being comical.

A fair chunk of their business involves bulk orders. It is a great website if you are looking for employee goggles or eye-protecting helmets for an entire softball, baseball, or hockey team. Need anti-fog goggles or some other esoteric eyewear? This is your place.

Yellow Over-Glasses Goggles. From $8.50

Prices range dramatically. Simple goggles start at $2-$5, while brand-name special use glasses and sunglasses range beyond $100. They do not fill prescriptions (that is, you can't get rx prescription goggles here), but they do provide lenses that can given a prescription by your local optometrist and then fitted directly into a given product.

Do any of my readers use any of this exotic eyewear on a regular basis? I'm extremely curious to hear about people's experience with, or the importance of, say, non-fogging shooting glasses. Honestly, I have no idea. I can, of course, understand regular safety goggles, and those that fit over my glasses would be useful for woodworking and the like.

Based on the sheer range of and specificality of many of their products, I give Safety Glasses USA a rating of, "Who knew?"

Retailer Link: Safety Glasses USA

[Technorati Tags: Safety Goggles, , Protective Eyewear, Eyewear, , Glasses Online, Discount Goggles]

discount goggles, eyewear, glasses online, Protective Eyewear, safety goggles

New Eyewear Site: BestBuyEyeglasses.com

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:18:58 -0500

Are you looking exclusively for designer frames or sunglasses, either with or without a prescription? I haven't been exactly thrilled with the selection of designer prescription frames online, but then today I found BestBuyEyeglasses.com, which claims you can "save 40% on designer eyeglasses." Their claim rings true, if the benchmark is the suggested retail price. I'm not gonna list all the brands, but they have Prada and Shuron, which are two of my favorite designer eyewear makers.

Shuron Revolution. $86.

DKNY DY 4002. $59.

I'm a huge fan of the Shuron frames, such as the one shown on the far right. I haven't seen a similar non-designer offering anywhere. This site is definitely the place for designer eyeglasses or sunglasses, which are available with or without a prescription. I found that most fully configured glasses with all the needed coatings (UV, anti-scratch, etc.) ranged between $130-$200. This is about the same as a non-designer pair at your local optometrist (maybe somewhat less) and about half off what you'd expect to pay for designer eyewear. If you're looking for more typical low-cost glasses under $50, go with any of the other sites listed on the right column of the page.

[Technorati Tags:EyeGlasses,Designer ,Eyewear,Glasses Online]

designer, eyeglasses, eyewear, glasses online

Retailer Review: EyeBuyDirect.com

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:30:45 -0400

The first in a series of reviews I'll be doing is for the online retailer EyeBuyDirect.com. EyeBuyDirect's website is very easy to navigate and, for the most part, a pleasure to use. Their product offering is strong, with well over 100 frames to choose from--in fact, five new frames are added each Monday. Perhaps my favorite feature on the website is the "virtual try-on" (I talk about and try that service in this earlier posting) service. Using this service, you can upload a self-portrait and then place images of some available frames over your face. While the service isn't perfect, it will give you a good idea of whether or not a particular frame works with your face shape. Like most retailers, EyeBuyDirect offers Plastic, Metal, Titanium, and Rimless Frames. They also have several unique offerings, such as prescription sport goggles ("RecSpecs") and "Grandma and Grandpa" glasses. EyeBuyDirect is also one of a few online retailers offering discount designer frames. First, the plastic frames. These range in price from $14.95 - $29.95, including a basic prescription and an anti-scratch lens coating. The least expensive plastic frame is the "Patch" model while the"Trader" model is one of several at the $29.95 price point. With a total of 33 frames, the retailer's selection in this category is admirable.

EyeBuyDirect.com's "Shore" frame. $39.95

Next are the metal frames. This basically means stainless steel. There are only a few offerings in this category and they are basic, if a little bland. The price range in this category is narrow, from $14.95-$17.95. The "Scent" frame is an example of a frame at the lower price point and the "Sting" is an example of a frame at the higher price. Third, and this is the category from which I suspect most will order, are the titanium frames. Twenty frames are offered within the $34.95-$39.95 price range. Oval, rectangle, squarish, and half-rimmed versions are available in gold, silver, black, and even pink! I'm a fan of the "Shore" frame, which looks just like the glasses I am wearing right now.

EyeBuyDirect.com also has a separate "rimless" category. Honestly, these probably belong in the titanium category because each frame has titanium bows (the part from the lens to the ear). Each of the thirteen rimless frames are $49.95. The black "Hyde" frame is your basic rimless. It is a distinguished look and similar to what Stephen Colbert wears. For those looking for more fashion-forward frames, EyeBuyDirect offers 80 fashion frames priced at $39.95 or $49.95 and 40 designer frames, which are priced at $79.95 or $99.95. In the fashion category, I really like the "Kitsch" frame. I'm not crazy about any of their designer looks, but this Christian Dior Frame would look really great on the ladies. Other designer names to choose from are Morgan, DKNY, Calvin Klein, Gant, and Dolce and Gabana.

Hey Ladies: Christian Dior Designer Frame. $79.95

The fashion-forward "Kitsch" frame (also available in red). $49.95

Another available product category I'll touch on briefly are the Flexlite Frames. There isn't much to say, really. The styling is similar to the metal or titanium frames. The price point is in-between the two at $29.95. Flexlite is a combination metal made of stainless steel and titanium. The most unique offering are the sport eyewear. These specs are great prescription goggles or glasses for skiing, cycling, and, well, sports. They also work great as outdoor safety goggles. The look is rather stylish and the pricing great at just under $50. Finally, let's talk pricing. The prices I mention above are for frames and a basic lens with an anti-scratch coating. The standard laundry-list of options are available, including anti-reflective coating (+ $4.95), UV protective coating (+ $4.95), Brown/Green/Gray color tint (+ $4.95), and photo-chromatic "transition" lenses (+ $35.95). Other available lens upgrades include thin and light ($25) or super-thin lenses($42). Bifocals ($19) and progressive, line-free, bifocals ($39) are also available.

One of four prescription sport/safety goggles. $49.95

So how much will you spend? Of course, it depends. If you are looking for a daily-wearer, you'll probably want titanium or a lightweight plastic. You'll want all the coatings and probably the medium-thickness lens. That combination is what I wear every day. So we're looking at $37 in upgrades. Therefore, if you go for an average titanium frame, your out the door price is about $75. Of course, if you are on a tight budget, you can bring your out-the-door price to as low as $15 for a basic metal or plastic frame with no lens upgrades (use the coupon below for Free Shipping). In fact, I went this route for my prescription sunglasses. I chose a basic aviator frame with no lens upgrades other than the free anti-scratch coating and an 80% gray tint. Out-the-door, a nice pair of prescription aviator sunglasses for right around $25. Overall, EyeBuyDirect has a very competitive product offering. They aren't part of a race-to-the-bottom in terms of pricing, but instead offer a good product at a very good price and many value-added services, such as the virtual try-on application.
Coupons: Available coupons for EyeBuyDirect are as follows: 5% Off: "EyeBuyPromo" Free Shipping: "EyeBuyFreeShipping" Free Gift: "EyeBuyGift" (As always, don't include the ") Direct Link to the EyeBuyDirect.com [Technorati Tags: Reviews, Glasses]

glasses, reviews

Designer Eyeglass Frames

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:35:00 -0400

Several places online offer designer sunglasses or eyeglass frames from Prada, Christian Dior, Gucci, etc. for quite a bit less than retail. However, even half off retail is still a couple hundred dollars. If you are thinking of getting some designer eyeglasses, take a look at these options.

These Prada Frames (Model PR 05IV) look great and retail at $320 (not including lenses). They are available through the link above for "just" $190. Add lenses online and you're looking at a couple hundred bucks. As in, that's still a lot of money to throw around, but if you insist on a name like Prada, you might as well save $150.

The frame shown on the left costs $12.99 at Goggles4U not including lenses. I think they look pretty darn close to the Prada frames that cost more than ten-times as much. They are frame number 18600. Add lenses and you are spending well under $60. Certainly a reasonable alternative for those on a budget or just looking for something a little more practical.

The bottom line is this: designer frames are cheaper online, but those without that kind of money can still get a designer-esque frame for a fraction of the price of a designer frame.

If you're looking for discount designer frames, FramesDirect is a good choice (click for pop-up of that site). If you're not looking to go designer, but still want something that looks fashionable and/or edgy, check out the Fashion Eyeglasses over at EyeBuyDirect.com. I'm partial to the Avon Frame myself (click for a pop-up link). That frame comes in at $40, give or take.

Digging into some forums...

nospam@example.com (Adam Zekmueller) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:48:00 -0400

Often when I'm considering a purchase...be it a video game, a lawnmower, or a new computer, I do a google search for something like "best new lawn mower forum." This seems to be a good way to avoid getting too many ads and ending up with real feedback from real people. Along these lines, a recent google search brought up this thread located on a Mac forum, of all places. Basically the guy wants glasses, thinks lenscrafters is too expensive, ends up buying designer frames online and having the lenses installed at lenscrafters. Or something like that. Honestly, why not just do the whole thing online like some other forum members mentioned? Return and breakage policies for online eyeglass retailers are typically excellent. A final poster reminds us to not stop getting eye exams, because perscriptions will change. I posted a few weeks ago about finding a good price on an eye exam (hint: don't go to a suburban eye clinic).