Spectacles with progressive lens - what have you purchased?

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

1 | 2 | 3

1547 posts

Uber Geek

#3051355 17-Mar-2023 22:51

Zenni premium progressives.
They'll smash anything you get at Specsavers at a fraction of the price.
Premium vs standard progressive have a 40% wider view

geekIT

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#3051483 18-Mar-2023 13:12

Folks, thanks for your comments. I figured I couldn't be the only spectacle wearer in NZ who thought that spectacle prices were so high as to almost deserve governmental intervention.

I've been wearing progressives for around 35 years, not 20 as I'd previously thought. Back then, IIRC, they weren't quite as expensive. Maybe that was only because I had a reasonable income and could afford the higher cost. But now, with around $150 fortnightly disposable income to split between my wife and I, $1000 is totally out of the question.

BTW, did you know that you can get a perfectly serviceable pair of specs for computer use, for $10 from the Warehouse? (No, my last name isn't Tindall) There are probably other places, too, with similar prices, but I happen to know my local Red Shed has such a $10 item because I've purchased several pairs over the last few years. Just try on pairs until you find something that focuses at the same distance as your computer screen. The frame's overall width might not be as wide as you're used to, because they're built to be 'one size fits girls and guys', but you can easily bend the arms (sidepieces) to suit. And if you mess it up, buy another pair and try again.

Getting back to gold-plated progressives, I recently obtained quotes from:

1) Specsavers - around $1150 for two pairs of hi-spec progressives (wide field of view, coated lenses) using Specsaver's own 'bottom of the range' $169 frames. Or, around $750 for one pair if I insist on providing my own, comfortable, tried-and-tested frame.

2) A Southland optician, whom it would be mean-spirited to name, cos he's not a bad bloke, even though he has expensive tastes in shoes, wanted around $1100 for one pair, using my own frame.

3) Another anonymous Southland optician from whom I've purchased progressives in the past, will charge me around $550 for one pair - my own frame. This price broke down to $215 per lens, plus incidentals which included a $60 fee for using my own frame.

At the other end of the scale is an online Christchurch-based outfit\guy that\who quotes "from $177" to re-glaze my own frame, but who doesn't inspire my confidence because he appears to lack basic knowledge of optics and prescriptions. It wouldn't surprise me if he's just ordering from Zenni and picking up a commission along the way.

Here's another thing that bugs me about progressives: The lenses are basically just a plastic disk which is machined to the customer's prescription then fitted to a frame. So why is there a price difference between one type of progessive lens - like 'basic' - and the super duper, all weather, singing and dancing type, which should have been able, IMHO, to have been produced with much the same amount of machining? Coated lenses, anti-blue light (whatever that is), okay, I can understand these to be a reasonable add-on charge, but paying more for a wide-field progressive than a basic, presumably narrow-field progressive is just taking advantage of people who can't be expected to know any better. It's a racket.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

qwertee

701 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3051491 18-Mar-2023 13:34

Geektastic: My wife speaks well of Specsavers for hers.

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

@geektastic
Sorry this is hijacking someone's thread about progressive glasses.
I also wear progressive contact lenses. They are OK but not the very best.
Initially I tried mono vision contacts too and found them very difficult to adjust.

Is your differential LASIK similar to monovision and LASIK being a very permanent solution, how do you find your vision?
Do you ever wear glasses now? For watching TV, driving or reading.

Towards the end of the day I am keen to remove my contacts and wear the progressive glasses.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3051492 18-Mar-2023 13:36

geekIT:
Personally, I think the cost of specs is, and always has been, nothing less than daylight robbery.

That's because of the Luxxotica monopoly, they've systematically either assimilated or when that wasn't possible destroyed any competition in the market. Go ahead and buy Chinese ones, they're every bit as good as the 1,000%-markup Luxxotica stuff.

Edited to add: Just in case that's perceived as snark, they actually do put a one thousand percent markup on some of their stuff.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3051494 18-Mar-2023 13:43

jonathan18: What is it about this thread attracting replies from Palmerstonians?!

Proximity to Mt.Cleese causing vision degeneration.

neb

11294 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3051498 18-Mar-2023 13:50

geekIT:
Here's another thing that bugs me about progressives: The lenses are basically just a plastic disk which is machined to the customer's prescription then fitted to a frame. So why is there a price difference between one type of progessive lens - like 'basic' - and the super duper, all weather, singing and dancing type, which should have been able, IMHO, to have been produced with much the same amount of machining?

See "Luxxotica" above.

One possible solution, see if you can find a China-trained optician who will provide Chinese-made glasses at non-Luxxotica prices. Alternatively, what's the cheapest air fare to China? If you get several pairs at once it could be cheaper than getting them locally.

(Years ago this used to be the cheapest way to get Mac computers, the air fare to the US was less than the markup the local monopoly importer put on them).

geekIT

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#3051503 18-Mar-2023 14:05

neb:
geekIT:

Here's another thing that bugs me about progressives: The lenses are basically just a plastic disk which is machined to the customer's prescription then fitted to a frame. So why is there a price difference between one type of progessive lens - like 'basic' - and the super duper, all weather, singing and dancing type, which should have been able, IMHO, to have been produced with much the same amount of machining?

See "Luxxotica" above. One possible solution, see if you can find a China-trained optician who will provide Chinese-made glasses at non-Luxxotica prices. Alternatively, what's the cheapest air fare to China? If you get several pairs at once it could be cheaper than getting them locally. (Years ago this used to be the cheapest way to get Mac computers, the air fare to the US was less than the markup the local monopoly importer put on them).

Yeah, but I might come back with the latest breed of Chinese Flu as well 🙄

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

Tradepub

Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

FineWine

2979 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Nurse (R)

Lifetime subscriber

#3051508 18-Mar-2023 14:48

Having worn progressives for 27yrs and purchased frames and lens both in NZ & AU, I can say that there really is no difference in prices and I have always gone for the "whole hog" in lens. Approx $1000 each time over the years.

Now during this time we have gone 21 times to Bali, and friends and pub talk have stated they take their script over and either buy frame and lenses or just lenses. All done and fitted in 5 days. Apparently this is done in Java somewhere. For a fraction of the at home cost and no complaints that we have heard of.

Anybody here had this experience ??

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

Geektastic

17935 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3051515 18-Mar-2023 15:25

qwertee:
Geektastic: My wife speaks well of Specsavers for hers.

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

@geektastic
Sorry this is hijacking someone's thread about progressive glasses.
I also wear progressive contact lenses. They are OK but not the very best.
Initially I tried mono vision contacts too and found them very difficult to adjust.

Is your differential LASIK similar to monovision and LASIK being a very permanent solution, how do you find your vision?
Do you ever wear glasses now? For watching TV, driving or reading.

Towards the end of the day I am keen to remove my contacts and wear the progressive glasses.

I have one eye that sees well close and one that sees well far away following LASIK. The brain melds the two images do I can see clearly from about 8 inches to infinity without glasses.

I wear non prescription sunglasses and I have one pair of glasses that correct the small remaining astigmatism which sometimes presents as (for example) less than pinpoint headlights. I leave those in the car in case of prolonged night driving.

Other than that one rare use case I don’t wear corrective glasses for anything.

It cost from memory around $6,000 to do the surgery in Wellington (about 5 pairs of glasses!) and it’s quite simply the best thing I ever did.

Being freed from glasses is a blessing. Being able to buy non-prescription sunglasses is a delight too.

geekIT

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#3051518 18-Mar-2023 15:47

Just received a reply to my Zenni enquiry about their lab location and if they would reglaze.

"We are sorry to tell you that we do not offer a lens replacement service. We only sell lenses with new frames that are purchased from the website at the same time. Thank you for your understanding.

In addition, our office is in US and our *oversea lab is in China."

*Which probably explains the reasonably priced lenses.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

farcus

1547 posts

Uber Geek

#3051533 18-Mar-2023 16:38

geekIT:

Just received a reply to my Zenni enquiry about their lab location and if they would reglaze.

"We are sorry to tell you that we do not offer a lens replacement service. We only sell lenses with new frames that are purchased from the website at the same time. Thank you for your understanding.

In addition, our office is in US and our *oversea lab is in China."

*Which probably explains the reasonably priced lenses.

yep - they keep things simple by only selling the whole package.
Don't let the 'made in China" part put you off. The lenses are as good or better than what you would get in NZ.

Most shipping these days comes out of Australia via landmark global. About two to three weeks to receive your glasses once ordered.

By comparison - (depending on frame selected) - premium progressives from specsavers might set you back $750 or thereabouts. You'll get better quality frames with premium lenses from Zenni for less than $150

qwertee

701 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3051534 18-Mar-2023 16:48

Thanks @Geektastic

geekIT

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#3052320 20-Mar-2023 13:02

yep - they keep things simple by only selling the whole package.
Don't let the 'made in China" part put you off. The lenses are as good or better than what you would get in NZ.

Most shipping these days comes out of Australia via landmark global. About two to three weeks to receive your glasses once ordered.

By comparison - (depending on frame selected) - premium progressives from specsavers might set you back $750 or thereabouts. You'll get better quality frames with premium lenses from Zenni for less than $150

OK. I've replied to Zenni, saying I'll go ahead so it'll be interesting to see what results.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

Kyanar

4089 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#3053786 23-Mar-2023 13:52

Please for the love of all that's holy, don't buy from OPSM, Sunglass Hut or Clearly. They're all owned by Luxottica, a company so evil that if a supplier challenges their prices they will stop selling that supplier's products in any of their stores until the supplier goes bankrupt or their share price collapses, at which point they buy it on the cheap. Just ask Oakley, the last victim of this practice.

geekIT

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#3054642 25-Mar-2023 23:20

According to Wikipedia, the share price (one share) is currently EU162.10

EssilorLuxottica SA is a French vertically integrated multinational corporation based in Paris and founded on 1 October 2018 from the merger of the Italian Luxottica with the French Essilor.

'Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.' Voltaire

'A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.' Edward Abbey

1 | 2 | 3