If you are VERY nearsighted...

[readyin07]

I need to buy new glasses for the first time in 10 years. I am really nearsighted with an rx of -8 in glasses. I absolutely hate how I look in glasses so I only wear them at home. My last lenses I think were just polycarbonate. I went shopping today and everywhere I go everyone tries to upsell. I am a budget shopper. I was also looking at warby Parker and most of their standard frames are just less than $100 with polycarbonate lenses standard. There are other upgrades of course, but that’s actually cheaper than the discount stores like America’s best that offer bogo glasses once I factor in upgrading their plastic lenses to polycarbonate ones. So I am just curious what others do for the lenses and what upgrades you think are can’t live without!

[FastHands]

I'm -7 I think and I'd never buy anything other than the extra thin with anti-glare and scratch proof. That said, I wear mine all the time, so it's a worthwhile investment to me.

[Queen Dick, Hibernating Bear]

Oh near sighted? What's your take on filleting your pocketbook?

[dock]

I always fool myself into thinking I’m not going to hate how I look in glasses (my contacts are -9, I don’t know what my glasses are), but it’s inevitable. lol

I got a pair of warby parkers a few years ago, and splurged on all the upgrades. They’re bent/crooked and just generally really did not age well, considering how little I wear them.

That’s all I have to add, because I’m inevitably disappointed with glasses. /cry

[Roc A Bee]

My contacts are like -8 or something like that. I pay for the thinner glass or whatever and I still have coke bottle glasses on. I just wear them at home 🤷🏻‍♀️

[VillainV]

Polycarbonate with anti-glare coating are musts for me. My most recent pair is from Warby Parker and I added blue light blocking coating. So far I can’t tell if it makes a difference, but I’ve only had them for a week.

If you get anti-glare coating, realize it shows smidges and scratches much more, so you have to be religious about using the included microfiber cloth for cleaning, and not like the hem of your t-shirt.

[Wines Not Whines]

Mine are -8.5. I wear contacts most of the time, but my glasses are from Warby Parker and I like them a lot. They’re the thinnest lenses.

[readyin07]

Feb 15, 2020 20:10:56 GMT -5 dock said:

I always fool myself into thinking I’m not going to hate how I look in glasses (my contacts are -9, I don’t know what my glasses are), but it’s inevitable. lol

I got a pair of warby parkers a few years ago, and splurged on all day the upgrades. They’re bent/crooked and just generally really did not age well, considering how little I wear them.

That’s all I have to add, because I’m inevitably disappointed with glasses. /cry

Yes I think you understand how I feel lol. I think they were appealing to me bc I don’t have to deal with sales. I’m trying to explain my use and they are like oh you have to get UV blockers and I’m like o wear them in bed for 30 minutes to watch tv and maybe for 30 minutes while I fix my kids’ breakfast. My two local shops were the worst!

[readyin07]

Feb 15, 2020 20:15:23 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Polycarbonate with anti-glare coating are musts for me. My most recent pair is from Warby Parker and I added blue light blocking coating. So far I can’t tell if it makes a difference, but I’ve only had them for a week.

If you get anti-glare coating, realize it shows smidges and scratches much more, so you have to be religious about using the included microfiber cloth for cleaning, and not like the hem of your t-shirt.

[br

That’s very helpful info! Thanks!

[readyin07]

Feb 15, 2020 20:15:23 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Polycarbonate with anti-glare coating are musts for me. My most recent pair is from Warby Parker and I added blue light blocking coating. So far I can’t tell if it makes a difference, but I’ve only had them for a week.

If you get anti-glare coating, realize it shows smidges and scratches much more, so you have to be religious about using the included microfiber cloth for cleaning, and not like the hem of your t-shirt.

[br

That’s very helpful info! Thanks!

[mich1]

I am a -10.75/11, so am very nearsighted. At this point, I have gotten very good at choosing frames that fit the lenses.....THEN me, and it’s a plus if I like them.

I always get high index lenses. It makes my coke bottle glasses just a little thinner. I pay a surcharge for high index, and because of my prescription an additional surcharge. Because my lenses are so substantial, many frames just won’t work.

My last 2 pair of glasses, I have gotten the same way. I buy my frames at Costco, and Costco takes the measurements for me, and I then send frames, measurements and prescription to an optometrist friend to fill the prescription. He charges me around $200 for the lenses alone, I have very basic glasses (which unfortunately, are now bifocals). My frames ar3 $100-150. I would let Costco fill my prescription, but they won’t make my lenses, and going to another shop that would would cost me about $1000.

This is all to wear only about 30 min/day when I take my contacts out.

[pixy0stix]

I was -8.5 and -10, couldn't wear contacts anymore, and hated the coke bottle glasses I had even with the most up to date/techie lenses. I opted for lasik.

[lostlenore]

Mine are about -6. I just recently got new glasses for the first time in 10 years. I love them so much. I even wear them all day instead of my contacts sometimes. I did not price shop around at all. We have a local store that has been so good with my kids (all 3 wear glasse/contacts), I didn’t even consider going anywhere else. I got all the best options (thin lenses, anti-glare, etc) and mid-range frames and ended up spending about $300. I felt bad about spending so much, but it was totally worth it for how much I love my glasses.

[skidunks]

I hate wearing my glasses. My eyes are -8.5 and -9.5. I hate how thick they are and I will pay to have them as thin as possible but am still self conscious whenever I wear them.

[ellipses84]

I have one eye that’s extreme and one that isn’t so I always get the thinner lenses so there’s not such an obvious difference. I don’t mind upgrading even though I only wear my glasses at home, I wear them every evening for a couple hours and I don’t upgrade my glasses prescription as often as my contacts since there’s usually only a slight change. I want them to be as comfortable as possible.

[wanderingback]

I’m not a huge fan of warby parker, so i’d look elsewhere.
My SO who has a super mild prescription like barely needs glasses but he’s fancy and got an upgrade and paid something like $300 and the lens are crap. He got a replacement pair after a month or so and now a year later the lens are horrible. He takes super care of them too.

I didn’t get an upgrade and I’m not sure how to describe it but the lens just seem cheap. I have 3 other pairs from vision works that I think were comparable price and are several years old and the lens are still great.

[sunflower17]

I’m a -6.5 and -7.5 in contacts so around -8 in glasses. I never wear my glasses out of the house—unless I have pink eye or something. I feel like I just don’t see as good with glasses because of lack of peripheral vision in them so I just feel like I’m walking around in a fog for lack of a better explanation.
With that said, I refuse to spend a lot. I got one pair from target optical which were maybe $200 and I ordered from zenni and got the lenses they recommended for my vision and I feel like the glasses ended up being near $100 total. It was over a year ago and I don’t quite remember, but they are good for my needs.

[krystee]

Are you a Costco member? I always get my glasses there instead of my optometrist’s office. It saves lots of money. I also wear them only at home for the most part, so I didn’t buy the extras.

[joenali]

I’m a daily glasses wearer with astigmatism and nearsightedness. I have no idea what my prescription is, blind I guess. I have decent vision insurance but it usually never covers high index lenses. I will pay full price for thin lenses for sure. I usually get the scratch coat but I don’t like the anti glare lenses. Every little smudge shows up on them. It’s annoying.

[jackie011]

Feb 16, 2020 7:37:15 GMT -5 krystee said:

Are you a Costco member? I always get my glasses there instead of my optometrist’s office. It saves lots of money. I also wear them only at home for the most part, so I didn’t buy the extras.

This! I see my optometrist regularly for my contacts and they gave me my prescription at my appointment. Went to Costco and bought some super cheap glasses, plus I had my rebate to put towards the price. I’ve been very pleased with my glasses. I only wear them at night when I’m not wearing my $$$ daily lenses, so I really didn’t want to spend a lot on the glasses.

[Deleted]

Costco is a good option if you’re a member. I’ve had issues buying glasses online for my son with a strong prescription so I avoid it now, they charge so much extra for his stronger prescriptions usually it’s the same price to order local.

[litebright]

I am a -7 in both eyes. I only wear my glasses in the mornings before I put my contacts in and in the evenings after I take them out.

I have a pair of Coach frames that I got from Target that are thick enough that the thicker lenses don't look completely weird in them. When I get my next pair of lenses, I will just replace the lenses rather than the frame + lenses -- so that is one way to stretch your frame dollars, although it's over time rather than upfront. I will probably get blue light reduction for my next pair, given how I use them, but that's about it. ETA: Target Optical has become my default for eye care. I see the optometrist there, and they have regular-but-intermittent deals on frames + lenses. 

On a related note, I wish I could get rid of contacts and glasses altogether, but I did a lasik consult and my corneas are so thin that my only corrective option is the same surgery that they do for cataracts (replacing the lens of the eye), and it costs like 3x what lasik does and would be OOP. Sads.

[cottoncandy]

I’m mildly nearsighted, but had to say I think my warby Parker glasses are fine, but my favorite ones are actually from Walmart. My Walmart ones have held so well. I’m super impressed. Costco is a good suggestion as well.

[spwspw]

I have a very similar prescription and just ordered a pair from Warby Parker. If you're not happy, you can return them up to 30 days after purchase, so that's reassuring. My previous pair was also from there and I was happy with them, but only really wore them at night. This time I opted into the highest index lenses (1.74 vs 1.67) so they would be as thin as possible. Unfortunately at they don't have the blue light filtering option available in the 1.74 high index, but since the benefits of blue light filtering lenses hasn't been definitively proven, and I KNOW that my glasses in the 1.67 started feel heavy after a few hours, I decided the 1.74 would be better for me. (FYI - the 1.74 isn't shown as an option during checkout, but you can email them and request it).

[mich1]

Feb 16, 2020 10:52:43 GMT -5 litebright said:

On a related note, I wish I could get rid of contacts and glasses altogether, but I did a lasik consult and my corneas are so thin that my only corrective option is the same surgery that they do for cataracts (replacing the lens of the eye), and it costs like 3x what lasik does and would be OOP. Sads

 My husband just had cataract surgery, where he had cataracts (he had a damaged retina and the surgery to repair it causes cataracts).  He got both of his lenses replaced with corrective lenses, but his prescription was around a -7.  The corrective lenses ran about $3000 for each eye, that he had to pay OOP.  To him, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread.....he has worn glasses since he was 7.

He has suggested I get mine done too even if we have to pa6 for the whole thing OOP, but I have been wearing hard contacts since I was 12 (I’m 60) and I think it would take forever for my eyes to conform back to an original shape in order to get an accurate prescription measurement for intraocular lenses.  I am no where near getting even just the surgery covered under insurance.   

[mountaingirl]

I’m -9 with contacts, -10 for glasses. I will be bookmarking this to read later. I need glasses as well

[mountaingirl]

On a related note, I wish I could get rid of contacts and glasses altogether, but I did a lasik consult and my corneas are so thin that my only corrective option is the same surgery that they do for cataracts (replacing the lens of the eye), and it costs like 3x what lasik does and would be OOP. Sads. [/quote]


Same! I feel you, I really do. My corneas are average. That is good if you have “normal” bad vision and do not need such severe correction.
I cried for a brief moment when they said I could not have the surgery. The asshole Dr was like “Really?, you’re crying about this? “
I’m very much NOT A person that cries either. I was so pissed at him. It would be huge for me if I could wake up and see every morning. He obviously has good vision.

[Shreddingbetty]

Feb 15, 2020 20:07:58 GMT -5 FastHands said:

I'm -7 I think and I'd never buy anything other than the extra thin with anti-glare and scratch proof. That said, I wear mine all the time, so it's a worthwhile investment to me.

This, and I get mine at Costco and they are super reasonable 

[picksthemusic]

I am extremely nearsighted (-6/-8) but also have strabismus and esotropia. I need prisms or I see double all the time and have poor depth perception.

All that to say I have very expensive lenses and usually end up paying about $200 OOP every year.

That and my eyesight is not stable, so I'm not a good Lasik candidate.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Feb 16, 2020 10:52:43 GMT -5 litebright said:

On a related note, I wish I could get rid of contacts and glasses altogether, but I did a lasik consult and my corneas are so thin that my only corrective option is the same surgery that they do for cataracts (replacing the lens of the eye), and it costs like 3x what lasik does and would be OOP. Sads.

I'm in the same boat. I'm hoping the price will drop like Lasik has in a few years, but I'm also not all that jazzed about having my eyes operated on. 

I'm -9.5 and even high index still come out as Coke bottles for me. Zenni is a lower price point than Warby Parker, so you could get all the various lens treatments and come out ahead of what WP would cost. They just don't do at-home try-ons.