Just thought I'd share my most recent shopping experience, since I see glasses come up pretty frequently here.
I have a fairly strong but otherwise uncomplicated prescription (-3.75 and -4.25). I called 4 places for lens estimates, all 1.67 high index, all with scratch and anti reflective coating. These are the estimates I received for lenses only (in CAD)
Optometrist: $260
B&M glasses store: $260
Sears Optical: $230
Costco: $130
Quite the difference! I went with Costco (chose these frames, which, incidentally, were $97 at Costco vs $139 online). I mentioned to the optician that the lenses were more than $100 less expensive than most other places I checked out, and he shared that their markup on lenses is 6%.
Just as an aside, I know that online is generally recommended here, but I have never been happy with glasses that I've ordered online (I've tried Clearly, Firmoo, and Zenni). The lenses are always a bit "off", and I'm pretty uncompromising for something that's on my face 18 hours a day. Sometimes I'll order frames online and have lenses put in by an optician, which has saved me money in the past.
Anyhow, hope this helps a bespectacled redditor someday!
ETA: Just to clarify, I'm having non-tinted lenses put in the frames (the link shows tinted lenses)
January 14, 2017 at 05:57PM
