Spectacles with progressive lens - what have you purchased?

Forums › Health and fitness › Spectacles with progressive lens - what have you purchased?

geekIT

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#303884 17-Mar-2023 10:48

I ask because I'm about to order a replacement for my previous progressives (I've been using this type of lens for around 20 years) and I now have to be more careful about costs. Have you bought specs with progressive lenses recently? How much did they cost? Have you found a reasonably priced source? Personally, I think the cost of specs is, and always has been, nothing less than daylight robbery. Especially when you consider that the cost of Chinese-sourced\made frames (which I'm sure are the most common type on the market) come into NZ at as low as $1. Even the 'flash' ones don't seem to cost more than $10-$15, so someone is making a colossal profit. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

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#3051149 17-Mar-2023 12:07

I've purchased ~~five~~ six pairs from Zenni, with an ~~80%~~ 83% success rate. My first pair came via https://ezyglasses.co.nz, and there was an error with the lens, so I was grateful to have purchased from a local Zenni reseller who could sort it out. Ezy Glasses didn't offer the colour tint I wanted, so I purchased the second pair from Zenni directly and they've since changed their provider, so now everything comes directly from Zenni.

wally22

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#3051165 17-Mar-2023 12:21

Very interested in this as I am looking to replace my progressive spectacles soon. Also wanting photochromic OR permanently tinted.

qwertee

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#3051171 17-Mar-2023 12:33

About $1200 for 2 pairs from Specsavers when I broke mine.
Rimless, thin lenses that also go dark in the sunshine. (Reaction is what they call it).

Cost me less than above as I had AA contents insurance eyewear cover with an excess of $100.

Often its the add-ons that cost more. Thinner lenses, special coatings, polarising etc.

frankv

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#3051196 17-Mar-2023 13:31

In October I bought one pair of progressives with photochromic for general wear and a pair of single-distance untinted glasses for computer work, new frames for both. I'm very pleased with the result, although I do think that the $1325 total was a bit steep. Bought from the local "Vision Experience" franchise. I went Specsavers once a few years ago, and abhor the misleading price advertising and continual up-selling attempts. "Yes, you could buy glasses at the advertised price, but they'll be ugly, uncomfortable, heavy, and probably unusable (which won't be our fault under the CGA because you chose them despite my warning, so it's completely your risk), OR you could just buy these upgrades to make them adequate (and incidentally about the same price as your local optometrist charges). Or how about these super-duper enhancements? And we really should do some more eye tests 'for your piece of mind' and only another $20 each?".

I'm wary of buying progressives online.

a) Inter-ocular distance is critical.

b) There seem to be at least 3 grades of progressives, I assume relating the width of the near-sight section. I'm told that the cheap ones are much harder to get used to than the more expensive ones.

c) Possibly also more expensive is due to thinner lenses due to different glass composition, leading to lighter weight.

d) Frames are a big part of the cost, and also vary a lot in the materials, quality of the hinges, bridge, etc.

I expect that the cheap online glasses are the cheapest and therefore worst of all of those options, so likely to be uncomfortable, heavy, hard to use (so pretty much equivalent to the Specsavers cheap-and-nasty offering), and with zero quality control.

Geektastic

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#3051200 17-Mar-2023 13:39

My wife speaks well of Specsavers for hers.

I just gave up and has differential LASIK in the end.

jonathan18

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#3051242 17-Mar-2023 16:00

I replaced my progressives earlier this year - those had been my first pair of progressives, and I had ordered those from a UK online retailer (Select Specs). While they were surprisingly fine, I don’t think I’d risk buying progressives online again, simply because I’d like the absolute assurance the lenses are set up properly for my eyes and, if it isn’t right, it’s relatively easy and quick to have them re-made.

I ordered this new pair from SpecSavers (a shout-out to the PN store - the two opticians I saw were fantastic, and the other staff super-helpful and well trained). First attempt I went with the mid-range lenses but, man, even after a month or so I just couldn’t get used to them. Anyone who’s tried progressives for the first time will know that feeling of learning to adapt - I had that response permanently, feeling slightly drunk the whole time! This issue may have been exacerbated by needing a stronger magnification for close-up work, but in the end I had to fork out an extra $150 (I think) for the top-spec lenses and they’ve been fantastic.

Total cost for two pairs (one full progressives, the other ‘occupational’ which provide for the initial two zones, so great for reading and computer work) was about $1,100, but I could have kept that down by going with a cheaper frame and not thinning the lenses. All up, though, I don’t think that’s bad value for money.

I get why you’d want to look to save money on glasses - they are incredibly expensive in NZ (and from an ‘independent’ optician it’s not uncommon to pay well over $1k for a single pair), and it’s certainly tempting to buy o/s. If my eyes were less complex and I didn’t need progressives I’d definitely still be buying from o/s (as I did for about 10 years), but I reckon eyesight is too important and, personally, I’d choose wait for a good deal from a retailer like SpecSavers and look for savings elsewhere.

Loismustdye

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#3051261 17-Mar-2023 17:08

jonathan18: I replaced my progressives earlier this year - those had been my first pair of progressives, and I had ordered those from a UK online retailer (Select Specs). While they were surprisingly fine, I don’t think I’d risk buying progressives online again, simply because I’d like the absolute assurance the lenses are set up properly for my eyes and, if it isn’t right, it’s relatively easy and quick to have them re-made.

I ordered this new pair from SpecSavers (a shout-out to the PN store - the two opticians I saw were fantastic, and the other staff super-helpful and well trained). First attempt I went with the mid-range lenses but, man, even after a month or so I just couldn’t get used to them. Anyone who’s tried progressives for the first time will know that feeling of learning to adapt - I had that response permanently, feeling slightly drunk the whole time! This issue may have been exacerbated by needing a stronger magnification for close-up work, but in the end I had to fork out an extra $150 (I think) for the top-spec lenses and they’ve been fantastic.

Total cost for two pairs (one full progressives, the other ‘occupational’ which provide for the initial two zones, so great for reading and computer work) was about $1,100, but I could have kept that down by going with a cheaper frame and not thinning the lenses. All up, though, I don’t think that’s bad value for money.

I get why you’d want to look to save money on glasses - they are incredibly expensive in NZ (and from an ‘independent’ optician it’s not uncommon to pay well over $1k for a single pair), and it’s certainly tempting to buy o/s. If my eyes were less complex and I didn’t need progressives I’d definitely still be buying from o/s (as I did for about 10 years), but I reckon eyesight is too important and, personally, I’d choose wait for a good deal from a retailer like SpecSavers and look for savings elsewhere.

if you don’t mind me asking how bad is your vision? I’m in the same boat and need strong myopic lenses (-5.5 and -6.5) for distance, +1 for the closeup stuff and astigmatism in one eye. My last set from my optometrist in palmy was $1400 for one frame, higher density lenses and progressives. Him going to need new ones this year (and Px sunnies which is likely to run to close to $2500-3k with a discount on getting the sunnies at the same time). Hence keen to hear other’s experiences especially locally in palmy. I would happily try spec savers (tried about 15-20 years ago) and had to continually upgrade to the expensive frames as my head was too big for the others, especially if it’s almost half the price.

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Azzura

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#3051282 17-Mar-2023 18:19

If you can try and check out Costcos prices. They have prices etc etc on the Costco NZ Westgate Community - FB page.

Mehrts

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#3051283 17-Mar-2023 18:22

I can't speak about progressive lenses, but I highly reccomend the service from Clearly.

I purchased two sets of sunglasses from them late last year, total cost including shipping from Sydney was $188. From order placement to having them delivered was 10 days which is certainly on par with the big brand stores such as Specsavers.

The quality of the frames and lenses are great too, nothing different than the options in-store.

I'd use them again in the future for sure. The only thing you'd need is a recent prescription from an optometrist.

sir1963

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#3051300 17-Mar-2023 18:34

$900 for lenses only from OPSM.

Lenses are progressives with gradual tinting + blue blocking

Every "upgrade" adds $150

And then they kept txt spamming me.

My son got some glasses from a Canadian based firm and the blue blocking cost him and extra NZ$20

When the Plaza an Palmy can support 3 chainstore optometrists you just know there is money being made.

I have my prescription so I may see about getting a 2nd pair from this Canadian firm and see how it goes.

jonathan18

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#3051306 17-Mar-2023 18:56

Mehrts:
I can't speak about progressive lenses...

Yep, I've had great service from Clearly too, back when I was wearing single vision glasses, but as per my earlier post I'd be really careful in recommending anyone orders progressives that same way. A decent amount of care needs to go into ensuring the right location of the different zones, and that's relative to the frame itself, how it sits on your face etc. It's so much more complicated than single vision lenses.

Sure, you're basically guaranteed to save a shed load of money, but it's a gamble whether they'll be properly set up for you.

jonathan18

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#3051308 17-Mar-2023 18:57

What is it about this thread attracting replies from Palmerstonians?!

jonathan18

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#3051317 17-Mar-2023 19:28

Loismustdye:

if you don’t mind me asking how bad is your vision? I’m in the same boat and need strong myopic lenses (-5.5 and -6.5) for distance, +1 for the closeup stuff and astigmatism in one eye. My last set from my optometrist in palmy was $1400 for one frame, higher density lenses and progressives. Him going to need new ones this year (and Px sunnies which is likely to run to close to $2500-3k with a discount on getting the sunnies at the same time). Hence keen to hear other’s experiences especially locally in palmy. I would happily try spec savers (tried about 15-20 years ago) and had to continually upgrade to the expensive frames as my head was too big for the others, especially if it’s almost half the price.

@Loismustdye: No problems; I’ll PM you directly!

stocksp

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#3051328 17-Mar-2023 20:46

Geektastic: My wife speaks well of Specsavers for hers.

I just gave up and has differential LASIK in the end.

I had that too - but it's starting to degrade after 9 years. have to see whether I can get a refresh

paulgr

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#3051342 17-Mar-2023 22:06

I use graduated lenses if using a desktop monitor as the keyboard is closer than the monitor to my eyes, which are not as flexible as they used to be.

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