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Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

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Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#91

Post by AdamGibbins »

frereubu wrote: post #88
AdamGibbins wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you find places with specific lenses? Basically nowhere in the UK seems to call out their lense quality from what I've seen - perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong places. Are you ringing each optician up individually and asking them?

I don't know unfortunately - I just happen to have used an optician for years since buying my first set of glasses (Schuller Opticians in London) with just two branches, who uses Zeiss.

Good to know thanks, I'm in London so might give them a go sometime.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#92

Post by more_corn »

guywithahat wrote: post #81

I know this isn't a popular opinion on the internet but I don't think Luxottica is a "scam", I think this is just what most people want to spend on glasses. Your glasses sit on your face, are an integral part of your look, and need to last for a long time while being as clear as possible. People don't want $30 glasses because they're a piece of junk and will break on you when you most need them. You can make mass mar…

I have $30 zenni glasses. I love them. I got some prescription sunglasses too. Best sunglasses I’ve ever owned. I was so mad when I lost them. Then I was like. Bitch, $30 and bought another pair. I’m all in for less than a hundred (glasses, sunglasses and replacement) and could not be happier. My sister needs bifocals and couldn’t afford them. She literally was just going without. I just had her send me her prescription and bought her a pair. You need glasses to see, to live. Making them retarded expensive is a crime. Offering them at an affordable price should be praised and supported.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#94

Post by tjansen »

In the last >10 years, I have ordered all my glasses from brille24.de and mrspex.de. Pricing usually starts at around 30 EUR for no-name frames, and even the no-name options are really good. Never had any problems. I am usually buying the more expensive photochromic lenses, but I also had the cheapest ones and they are fine, too.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#95

Post by [deleted] »

1983054105 wrote: post #74
sparsely wrote: post #11

I've been to Lunettes pour Tous stores https://lunettespourtous.com/ in the past. It felt revolutionary, because you could walk in, get an eye test, and have your glasses made within 30 minutes at the same store, at a very reasonable price. It looks like they deliver as well. Hard to describe their price range as they have a million options you can pick as part of the ordering process - easy to end up with something…

I haven't tried "Lunettes pour tous" yet but I usually go to "Générale d'Optique" [1] where the basic glasses cost 25€. Your advice has less shops in France but it seems very interesting and I'll definitely buy from them in the future if I have to. Générale d'Optique has a very restricted choice of frames which is why your link seems better. [1]: https://www.generale-optique.com/

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#96

Post by benibela »

In Germany, I bought mine from lensbest

Not sure if they are high quality. When I compared sites a few years ago, they were the cheapest

I am really troubled with the cylinder for my astigmatism. Many sites only sell glasses with 2.5 cylinder. Lensbest sold 3 diopter cylinders. The eye scanner at the optometrist said I need a 3.75 diopter cylinder. Although the optometrist said, I still get full vision with 3 diopter.

I wanted to buy cylinder-only glasses for computer work. Because my normal glasses also have spherical component against nearsightedness, but the screen is near enough that I can see everything without that and the correction is only causing eyestrain. But I cannot buy them. The cylinder is too high for the sites, and the local optician said I do not need such glasses

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#97

Post by moooo99 »

ce4 wrote: post #71
Ao7bei3s wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More expensive lenses get you: * A material with a higher refractive index (-> thinner glasses) and higher Abbe number (-> less dispersion). Scroll down to the "Optical Glass Selection" in this article for a diagram: https://www.edmundoptics.com/knowledge-center/application-no... - the stronger the prescription, the more it matters, but generally the step up from the cheapest material is much more significant than fr…

Yep, seconded. Some more anecdata: The lenses' coating from my cheap unbranded glasses (plastic lenses) have begun to disintegrate/separate from the glass. My other glasses' Zeiss lenses are fine still (both being 8 and 6 years old). Other than that, to the OP: get what you like, if you need the super thin lenses (depends on your level of myopia), go with the expensive stuff, else the cheaper lenses will also work. T…

> if you need the super thin lenses (depends on your level of myopia), go with the expensive stuff, else the cheaper lenses will also work.

This also depends on the frame OP wants to go for. With thicker frames, thicker glasses tend to be less of an aesthetic issue than with very light, transparent of frameless designs.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#98

Post by pipodeclown »

Depends on where you are of course but I swear by Ace and Tate. About 100 euros for personalised high refractive index coated glasses, price includes a frame. Glasses seem higher quality than my previous expensive Zeiss lenses. In my opinion the frames are some of the most beautifull on the market, I get compliments on the sophisticated look all the time.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#99

Post by pipodeclown »

guywithahat wrote: post #81

I know this isn't a popular opinion on the internet but I don't think Luxottica is a "scam", I think this is just what most people want to spend on glasses. Your glasses sit on your face, are an integral part of your look, and need to last for a long time while being as clear as possible. People don't want $30 glasses because they're a piece of junk and will break on you when you most need them. You can make mass mar…

The thing is, the quality is not that high and the look not that great. It's just extremely well known and you people know what they are getting. If you know where to look and especially if you are willing to go online, you can het the same quality and look for half or a third of the price.

Re: Ask HN: Where to buy cheap but good quality glasses in Europe?

#100

Post by frereubu »

AdamGibbins wrote: post #91
frereubu wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know unfortunately - I just happen to have used an optician for years since buying my first set of glasses (Schuller Opticians in London) with just two branches, who uses Zeiss.

Good to know thanks, I'm in London so might give them a go sometime.

They're not cheap, but it wasn't until I tried other options that I realised how lucky I'd been to stumble across them.
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