Specsavers Glasses. Real difference in quality v price?
- Thread starter Drake5
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Soldato
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Got my 2 year eye test coming up soon. Decided to ditch boots and go for a local independent optician. In boots i see a different optometrist every time and it feels rushed.
After that the staff who assist with sales of new glasses feel like moody teenagers who aren’t that interested. Not ideal when paying out 400+ for glasses.
After that the staff who assist with sales of new glasses feel like moody teenagers who aren’t that interested. Not ideal when paying out 400+ for glasses.
I got an eye test in boots, then walked around 5 different high street opticians until I found a pair of frames I really liked. Ted Baker ones. They seemed to fit my face really well, looked nice, and felt lovely and light.
Then I found the exact model of frames on an online optician called designer glasses boutique (somewhere in yorkshire I think), submitted my prescription, and got frames with top notch thin lenses with that UV coating for 50% of the price the high street shops wanted. They felt amazing as soon as I put them on, and everything was in UHD which I was really pleased with.
I've had a £10 pair from glasses direct a couple of times, and both times the frames have felt heavy and keep sliding down the bridge of my nose despite being the same style as my Ted Baker ones. I also find the lenses highly reflective, constantly putting little reflections in front of my eyes when I look at screens, or am driving in sunlight. Bit annoying.
Recently I got another eye test from Vision Express (it was free on a deal), and found that my left eye has improved slightly apparently. I submitted my prescription to glasses direct and got another cheap pair of frames that are similar to my Ted Baker ones. I have them now, and despite taking a couple of weeks to get used to them, they still make me feel a bit ill when I first put them on, and make me feel a bit cross-eyed when I'm using them. They also feel heavy, and are always sliding down my nose.
By the end of the day I'm just about used to them, and then the process starts again the following day. Either my eyes are taking ages to get used to the lenses, the prescription they've done for the lenses is wrong, or my eye test was wrong.
Then I found the exact model of frames on an online optician called designer glasses boutique (somewhere in yorkshire I think), submitted my prescription, and got frames with top notch thin lenses with that UV coating for 50% of the price the high street shops wanted. They felt amazing as soon as I put them on, and everything was in UHD which I was really pleased with.
I've had a £10 pair from glasses direct a couple of times, and both times the frames have felt heavy and keep sliding down the bridge of my nose despite being the same style as my Ted Baker ones. I also find the lenses highly reflective, constantly putting little reflections in front of my eyes when I look at screens, or am driving in sunlight. Bit annoying.
Recently I got another eye test from Vision Express (it was free on a deal), and found that my left eye has improved slightly apparently. I submitted my prescription to glasses direct and got another cheap pair of frames that are similar to my Ted Baker ones. I have them now, and despite taking a couple of weeks to get used to them, they still make me feel a bit ill when I first put them on, and make me feel a bit cross-eyed when I'm using them. They also feel heavy, and are always sliding down my nose.
By the end of the day I'm just about used to them, and then the process starts again the following day. Either my eyes are taking ages to get used to the lenses, the prescription they've done for the lenses is wrong, or my eye test was wrong.
Sadly, my readings go off the chart for online glasses sellers 
Iirc, one figure is -8.5 and the sites only go to -6.5; so it seems that there are no cheap online deals for me - though my recent trip to Specsavers was only ~£200 for a new pair with thinned lenses.
Iirc, one figure is -8.5 and the sites only go to -6.5; so it seems that there are no cheap online deals for me - though my recent trip to Specsavers was only ~£200 for a new pair with thinned lenses.
Soldato
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- 22 Nov 2007
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Sadly, my readings go off the chart for online glasses sellers
really??!? My prescription is -5 and -7. With thinned lenses in boots i paid about £450!
this site does up to -8 fyi.
https://www.framesdirect.com/lens_s...with_or_without_prescription.aspx?i=0&ii=True
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had my eye test couple of weeks ago at boots slight change in the prescription the optometrist said ,i was then told by the saleswoman buy these £50 frames err no that's not happening i said why can't you just put new lenses in the expensive frames i have ?
it would cost 90 quid just to send off plus the lens charge she reckoned sounded like nonsense too me so i just walked out.
anyone had there specs fitted with new lenses surely it can be done cheaper than that for just for reading glasses ?
it would cost 90 quid just to send off plus the lens charge she reckoned sounded like nonsense too me so i just walked out.
anyone had there specs fitted with new lenses surely it can be done cheaper than that for just for reading glasses ?
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Thanks @Citizenn
Wouldn't take too much from their post.
Joined yesterday and made 3 posts all slamming opticians.
... but don't all the online places allow returns if they don't suit, or, is there some misleading smallprint ?
I've not yet bought online, and although I could calculate pupillary distance/pd, obtaining the correct vertical position of the lense in the frame, is something I don't understand. (even for single focus lenses, although, I use progressives)
Yeah, as do glasses direct. I haven't done anything about it yet, as the frames were £26 and I'm still trying to get used to them, but think I might pop in to an optician and see if I can get them to measure the prescription of the lenses, and see if they've done it right or not.
Yep, Specsavers are pretty good for prices - mine you, I have a small head (in crash helmet size - 56 cm), so have children's specs, which was a pain this time around, as they only had a bunch of colorful ones with characters on; they had to root around in a cupboard to find me a plain pair.
I get an NHS contribution (£15) towoards lenses too, as my eyes are on some critical level or something - free eye tests as well.
I'll give that website a look, and see how close I can get it to my prescription, as I'm not 100% happy with this new pair.
You shouldn't really need to 'get used' to new lenses or if you do, it only takes a few minutes. From what you've described, something is way off. Don't struggle to get used to them, get them fixed.
Soldato
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Lol same here. Vision Express. The frames are titanium though (very flexible you can bend the arms right over, and very lightweight which is main thing I liked).
In other news bloody specsavers sent me more advertising spam in the post today its been at least 5 years since I set foot in there, they really are mightily persistent.
Not just prescription its the pupillary distance and the other missing stuff thats not on the prescription thats the problem with buying online, get that wrong and its very uncomfortable at the very least and may even harm your sight or so I've heard. Some people are campaigning to get prescriptions changed to add those things to it as well. Remember when the sales guy took all sorts of measurements afterwards of your face and eyes that wasn't part of the test? Thats whats missing.
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Soldato
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Bought a pair of Hugo Boss frames with ultralight reactive lenses from Specsavers back in the Summer and haven't had a problem. Cost me about £120 or so.
do you have any link to support that .. my similar comment was just personal opinion ... it's a non sequitur - if the online services, even for basic (single focus) glasses produced inferior fittings, the high street shops would probably advertise that, and equally some online services would acknowledge it, and provide better methods....
maybe the onliners in other countries are on top of this.