I have ordered four pairs of -4 glasses from aliexpress ranging from 1 to 7 US dollars, from four various sellers, some have arrived already and are surprisingly good, lenses are great really. Maybe I'm lucky to have standard distance between my eyes, but these super cheap glasses are just as good as those I used to buy in a local clinic for 50-100 USD.
Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
461–470 of 610 posts
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#462you can buy a flight to Asia, buy your glasses and come back. it would still be cheaper than going to a store in USA.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#463The reason glasses cost so much is because one company owns: (1) nearly all brand name frames including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada eyewear, Armani eyewear and so on, (2) nearly all retail stores such as LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical and Target Optical and (3) EyeMed, one of the largest vision insurance companies. See this eye-opening 60 Minutes story on Luxottica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDdq2rIqAlM…
Why does that make the glasses so expensive though? The frames from my glasses were about 100 EUR and the glasses were a lot more expensive. If I ask my parents or other people, they are paying 1000 EUR or more for the glasses by themselves (not the frames). I'm about to get new glasses next month because my current glasses are 6 years old now, I'm looking forward to some new glasses.
A lot of it just comes down to lack of competition. They own pretty much every major eyewear brand.
I got a pair of $100 Warby Parker frames w/ lenses last week that are every bit as nice as any good designer pair I've seen in an optical shop.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#464Earlier quoted context omitted.
Another satisfied Zenni customer. The lenses are not always perfect and the frames are not always the best. Sizing is hit or miss. What I do is buy the frame with cheap lenses to check fit, then I buy it with nice lenses if I like it. They are so cheap there is no reason not to do it this way. Even ordering multiples it ends up being inexpensive.
I want to like Zenni, and I have ordered from them, but I am frustrated every time. I have a very, very large head. I need glasses at least 155mm wide, if not 165mm wide to fit around my temples. Yet finding data on the width of their frames is next to impossible. Even their sales people I reach via chat do not have the data. Sometimes I will see frames with some measurements, but not all, and its just inconsistent.…
There’s nothing wrong with going slightly upscale to Warby Parker with accurate measurements and some QC, especially if you have a more “demanding” Rx.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#465Is the glasses industry heavily regulated? because if not, this is evidence that free market forces tends towards monopolies and wealth inequality.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#466Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#467Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ah, but no it isn't! See kazinator's dead accurate, no-friend-required method here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13092902
it won't work if the mirror is tilted or bent, so make sure you get a flat mirror on a flat surface (e.g. use a level)
If the mirror is bent, a level will not help. A level is useful if orientation relative to gravity is important (something has to be horizontal or vertical, like a cabinet, counter, or picture). That isn't even remotely relevant here. You could do this measurement while staying at the International Space Station.
Even cheap mirrors from a dollar store are more than good enough for this, as long as they are glass. Most plate glass glass is made by floating melted glass on a bath of molten metal (which is heavier). The molten metal, if undisturbed, provides a perfectly level surface.
Just don't use a plastic mirror, or a cheap polished metal one, not to mention a magnifying mirror.
Even fairly noticeable distortion will not matter at the distances involved in this measurement. Let's say that your mirror is so horribly warped over the tiny ~65 mm pupillary distance that the pupil-to-ruler lines of sight are an entire degree away from being parallel. The measurement will then be off by about 1.7% of the distance from your pupils to the ruler. If you get your eyes within 15 mm of the ruler, the error is only about 0.25 mm; below what you can resolve with that ruler.
If the mirror is fair, but tilted, the effect is negligible because the lines of sight remain parallel. The measurement is diminished according to the cosine of the tilt angle. For a rather significant five degree tilt, it will be only around 0.25 mm short.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#468Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Why aren't people using them? I've converted several people, but not being able to touch them and try them on first appears to be a significant problem.
Actually, you need to be able to try them on to ensure that you get your OC (optical center) correct. This isn't a problem for people with relatively low prescriptions, but the stronger your prescription, the more important it is to get this right. Some online stores will try to get it from a photo, but your OC actually changes by how/where you wear your glasses along the bridge of your nose, and that in turn changes…
Lens and coating options are very poor at a local pharmacy. The styles will be extremely limited compared to the selection that the online retailers carry.
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#469You 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…
Free Market! Free market anyone!?
Re: Why are glasses so expensive? The eyewear industry prefers to keep that blurry
#470Earlier quoted context omitted.
Does that include the high-index material? Anti-scratch coating? Frames that don't look pathetic? Progressive lenses? Those are the things that really bring up the costs in the US.
At Topology Eyewear, we DON'T charge extra for super-high index (1.74) lenses, and all lenses come equipped with the best anti-reflective AND superhydrophobic coating. Because one shouldn't be forced to cut corners to deliver the best and most comfortable vision possible. Happy to answer any questions. Check it out at http://www.topologyeyewear.com
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