Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry • Hacker News Board

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#341

Post by mr_custard » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC

pugworthy wrote: post #19

You want to know what's outrageously expensive, yet equally important for basic ability to function in the workplace and other situations? Hearing aids. Hearing aids are glasses for your ears. But compared to them, glasses are unbelievably dirt cheap, and basically fully covered by a lot of decent company insurance plans. Hearing aids? Not the case. Imagine if glasses cost $2-3000 per lens. PER LENS. And your company…

This. The prices are unbelievable! And $3000 is for the "cheap" ones! I was about to post the same thing and then found your post.

I will add, that getting access to the frequency curve adjustment software for each device is difficult (everybody needs a different adjustment curve and other params tweaked), prohibited and also expensive. They are often set incorrectly in the first instance and require repeat visits to an audiologist and tweaking.

So much so that I've been considering at all sorts of dodgy routes to getting control of this myself, including reverse engineering and ordering device-coupling hardware from shady non-western web sites, so that I can program them myself.

I'm really really hoping that this market will be disrupted soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#342

Post by IWeldMelons » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC

pkaye wrote: post #197

mmosta wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Decent hearing aides are quite expensive, complex devices with a substantial amount of R&D and non-trivial silicon. For those who are interested, The Amp Hour has a great episode with Jørgen Jakobsen who talks about his experience in the industry and its quirks. https://theamphour.com/338-an-interview-with-jorgen-jakobsen...

How are hearing aids priced in other countries compared to the US?

I live in the former USSR, in a very poor country. Hearing aids here are primitive, no fancy schmancy DSP bad really cheap. $10-20 or smth.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#343

Post by Notorious_BLT » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:44 PM UTC

outworlder wrote: post #280

Aunche wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Needing a prescription for glasses is a bit absurd to begin with. The worst case of wearing the wrong prescription is that you'll get a headache. I suppose it could be a bit dangerous if some drivers were slightly disoriented, but I can't imagine glasses being more dangerous than something like Tylenol.

I... can't form a coherent response. How do you even know which prescription to get? Do you have astigmatism? How do you measure that? It's not a scam. It's just overpriced in the US, because they can't get their stuff together in the health department.

If I need a new pair of glasses with the same prescription I have now (Say, for example, I fall and break my glasses), I shouldn't be required to go get examined to get a new pair simply because it has been more than a year. I want the same thing I've been wearing, and the worst possible outcome from me getting them is that (if my prescription has worsened, which it hasn't in 4+ years) I can't see quite as clearly at long range as I ought to.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#344

Post by fyfy18 » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:44 PM UTC

beering wrote: post #224

wsc981 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe in The Netherlands glasses are also very expensive (unless prices have changed in the last 5 years or so, which I very much doubt). Usually my glasses and frames had costs a total of around ~400 EUR in The Netherlands. Recently I bought new glasses in Thailand and there (to my surprise) they weren't much differently prices compared to The Netherlands, which didn't make sense to me, because that would make g…

You could probably order glasses from Zenni and have them shipped internationally. Even if you had to go through a reshipper, it should be a fraction of what you're paying.

I've used Glasses Direct (based in the UK, but ship across Europe) before and I really liked the lenses. They seem to last longer than the ones I get from high street costs (maybe because they are polycarbonate?). My only complaint is the selection of frames they do are a bit on the small side for me.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#345

Post by hourislate » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:45 PM UTC

This is an area where I feel like AI could one day give you a comprehensive eye exam and even measure your face and head displaying a number of frames that would suit you. Once you decide on color and style, they would then be 3D Printed and the Lens could be ground while you wait. Perhaps just a tech to assemble would be all that is required.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#346

Post by O1111OOO » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:45 PM UTC

jawns wrote: post #15

Reminder, if you're in the US, the FTC says your eye doctor must give you your prescription after your exam. If a doctor refuses to do so, they can face legal action and penalties. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2016/05/buying-prescriptio... That said, I don't think the FTC stipulates what information must appear on the prescription. Many docs leave off your PD (pupillary distance), which is a necessary measuremen…

> your eye doctor must give you your prescription after your exam

In regard to the above quote, I wonder how effective or if anyone is familiar with: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/eyeque-visioncheck-world-...

It essentially promises to not only cut out the doctor's exam visit but actually improve the prescription (since measurements are taken throughout the day).

note: not affiliated but seems like an interesting product (if not now then certainly as the field of self-testing improves, example: https://tricorder.xprize.org/prizes/tricorder)

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#347

Post by NeedMoreTea » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

bergesenha wrote: post #130

sftwds wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't hurt to ask! The last time I got my eyes examined was at some cheap lenscrafters-type store which had a promotion for 2 pairs of glasses and an eye exam for ~$60. The PD wasn't on the prescription, but the doctor made the measurement after I asked about it. There was a very limited selection of glasses that were available for the 2-for-$60 promotion, and they really tried to upsell me to more expensive fra…

Around here the store has some cheap frames they use for advertizing. The problem is they look like something a crazy old aunt would wear, with wild coloring. If you want anything like normal glasses you have to pay for the expensive brands. It’s really sad seeing institutionalized and less fortunate people wearing those cheap glasses...

I actually really miss the old basic NHS frames because of this. Perfectly fine to wear every day, even if you're Michael Caine, and simply not bother with anything more expensive. They were also great for ordering a cheap second pair for manual dirty work, decorating, spare for the car, and to tide you over when the expensive pair inevitably breaks (funny that) etc. A HUGE thanks to Thatcher for removing opticians from proper NHS coverage in the mid 80s. After the demise of NHS frames, even cheap glasses were expensive.

Decades later those NHS 524 frames became all the hipster (and Morrisey) rage. For hundreds a pair. Sometimes using original repolished frames as apparently they were well enough made to last forever.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#348

Post by mr_custard » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

patentatt wrote: post #120

munk-a wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hearing aides are also insanely cheap to produce, they are not complicated devices and that market is only surviving due to the medical device status of them causing a high barrier to entry.

I’d take issue with “not complicated.” They are very tiny, have to be very low power, and they run a surprising amount of real-time DSP. Then the whole electronics package has to be integrated with an acoustics package including multiple microphones and transducers. And the higher quality all of those acoustical components are, the more transparent the end product. And it all has to be durable enough for continuous w…

This is true - the modern devices with real-time DSP _are_ amazing. I strongly suspect that the eye-watering prices are still massively overblown, though.

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#349

Post by yungbeto » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:46 PM UTC

dreamcompiler wrote: post #116

blackbrokkoli wrote: post #40

Title correction: Why are glasses so expensive in the US? The American eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry. Please stop using the US as the "that's how it is"-standard. In Germany, you pay a very reasonable (from my layman perspective) price for the lenses, maybe about 40$ plus another 30$ if you want to have non-reflective glasses or product from big name producers and stuff like that. Like every fashion pr…

They're very reasonable in Japan too. If you visit Japan, bring your eyeglass prescription. There are lots of stores in Tokyo that grind their own glass that are not owned by Luxottica. This is how I got the best (and cheapest) pair of glasses I've ever owned.

At some stores you don't even need your prescription. I recently purchased my best (and cheapest) pair while visiting Japan and an eye exam was part of the transaction - at no extra cost! As an American I was shocked at how seamless and quick I was able to walk out with a new pair of glasses

Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry

#350

Post by koiz » Wed, Jan 23, 2019, 9:47 PM UTC

jawns wrote: post #15

Reminder, if you're in the US, the FTC says your eye doctor must give you your prescription after your exam. If a doctor refuses to do so, they can face legal action and penalties. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2016/05/buying-prescriptio... That said, I don't think the FTC stipulates what information must appear on the prescription. Many docs leave off your PD (pupillary distance), which is a necessary measuremen…

About 6-7 months after an exam I went back to get my prescription/PD measurement because I wanted to order something online instead from local shop because of their insane prices and they outright would not give me the measurement. Likely knowing I didn't want to buy frames from them.

They've been closed for years.