zenni Optical

[frank]

I usually get my glasses from sams club or walmart, but I noticed that Zenni optical is considerably cheaper. I have a high -7.50 right eye and-8.50 left eye prescription and wondering if any one here orders from them or any other online optical? also, what are the pros and cons of ordering glasses online in your experience? this question has probably been on here before but I couldn't find the link. thanks

frank

 

[HadEnuff]

I just got off the Zenni sight myself. They are cheap enough that I figured I'd give them a shot. I just had an exam yesterday an my Rx hasn't changed so I am going to get a back up pair from Zenni just to see how they are.

They have a help line and an online chat, so you may be able to get some help there. I get the variable focus, transitional glasses, and my last pair cost over $600. From what I can tell the Zennis will cost about $110. Worth a try for a back up pair IMO. This will be my first pair so I can't give you a review.

 

[target2019]

If you have Rx and PD (pupillary distance) it's worth a try. Most have had a good experience.

 

[workmyfingerstothebone]

I bought eye glasses two years ago.

I think my prescription was around 2.5 for both eyes.
Got transition lens, titanium frames, scratch resistance, etc...
I also asked for some extra nose guards and cleaning cloths.


Total cost was about 169.00 US dollars.
The frames alone at my optometrists office was over 200.00 (maybe 160.00 with insurance), not counting the lens.
I am about to order another pair in January, after my next eye exam.


So, my experience has been good.



Give them a 4 out of 5.

 

[frank]

is that pupillary distance tool they have pretty accurate? my last pair was about 450. and zenni is saying 145. so I am looking for reviews. the price is pretty amazing for high index 1.74, titanium frames and progressive lenses. I checked at costco for a price and they were around 260 plus tax and they weren't very certain of their product when I started to question them about lenses and frame guarantees.

 

[wmc1000]

Both DW and I use zenni with good results. We simply made a black dot on existing glasses for each other to mark the pupil centers and measured the distance between the dots. Worked like a charm.

 

[calmloki]

Been wearing Zenni for ten years or so and have been pleased. Important things - get your pupilary distance for each eye. Plan on tweaking the frames/nose pieces to fit your face - normaly the vision tech does that, but you are your own tech with Zenni. I've done way better with the cheapest Zenni frames as far as breakage goes - maybe I'm more inactive now.

 

[user5027]

Zenni could not fill my Rx in the lenses I wanted. I was able to get them at Payne Glasses.

 

[neihn]

I used Zenni over 10 years. You need to get your PD right, go back to your eyes doctor office and ask for the PD measurement.

 

[frank]

I used Zenni over 10 years. You need to get your PD right, go back to your eyes doctor office and ask for the PD measurement.

doctors office said they do not do pd measurement. any other place to get them measured?

 

[REWahoo]

doctors office said they do not do pd measurement. any other place to get them measured?

Measure your PD yourself using a sheet of paper and a hole punch.

Punch two holes in the paper and hold up to your face. Keep punching holes, varying the distance between them until you can hold the paper to your face and see perfectly between the two holes. Then measure the center to center distance between the holes and that's your PD.

 

[frank]

Measure your PD yourself using a sheet of paper and a hole punch.

Punch two holes in the paper and hold up to your face. Keep punching holes, varying the distance between them until you can hold the paper to your face and see perfectly between the two holes. Then measure the center to center distance between the holes and that's your PD.

I/ll give that a try. sounds reasonable to me.

 

[zinger1457]

I've had good results with Zenni, they also have instructions on their web site on how to self measure your PD.

 

[frank]

I tried to use the paper for the measurement and it worked pretty well. measured the eyes and marked the paper, punched the holes and saw the same from both eyes.

 

[Scrapr]

doctors office said they do not do pd measurement. any other place to get them measured?

Costco. Just go to the counter where they show the frames. I had it done and over for a hot dog in <5 minutes. Drs don't like to do just PD because they know they are not going to sell you a frame.

I use Zenni. My only issue is it is difficult for me to tell how they will look on my face. Those become my do not wear in public frames. Bedroom TV only! (and now I have Zenni ads on my sidebar. I wonder how that happened /s)

 

[OldShooter]

doctors office said they do not do pd measurement. any other place to get them measured?

The reason they don't, most likely, is that they know you will take your glasses business somewhere other than their tied optical shop. It is actually the opticians that usually make this measurement. Sometimes it is one number for normal distance vision and a second, smaller number, for close vision. I suppose the two-number system is better but I have never seen any practical difference.

I have been known to plunk myself down in the tied opticians chair and say "The doctor said you could measure my pd for me." That has worked fine for me.

I have been buying outside the Luxottica monopoly for years. Here is a site that, though no longer maintained, is a good portal to buying glasses economically: GlassyEyes | Find Your Next Affordable Eyeglasses Online I have successfully used goggles4u, jemoptical, lensesrx, and optical4less. Probably others, too.

One of the things I do is to buy single vision reading glasses and mid-distance computer glasses so I have a pair wherever I am sitting. Predominantly black frames for reading and gold/brown for computer so I can easlly tell them apart. Since I don't care about stylish frames, my usual cost is two pair on sale for about $25 plus shipping from China. My last order, six pairs total from goggles4u was $105.34 including shipping.

One thing to watch is that some of these vendors get a bit $ greedy on AR and anti-scratch coatings, neither of which is really necessary IMO.

 

[ransil]

I have been Getting mine there for about 5 years, cost is about $60 i buy cheap, my insurance reinburses me about $10 (vsp).
Eye doctors with insurance were costing me minimum $150 out of pocket before i switched.
I did my PD the first time using the online instructions and was off a little compared to the PD from my eye doc.

 

[aaronc879]

I have gotten my last 2 pairs of glasses of Zenni and plan to use them for a long time. Before Zenni I was paying well over $300 for a single pair of glasses. Now I spend around $60 and have never had a problem with Zenni. The last time I got glasses from a retail location they broke in under a year. No issues with Zenni frames or lenses and so much less expensive.

 

[CRLLS]

Been using Zenni for some time now. Finally talked DW into trying them. Being an avid DIY'er, I am comfortable measuring PD and adjusting the frames to fit. If you are even slightly hesitant, purchase the cheapest pair as a trial. What have you got to loose?

The downsides are, 1) you have to wait about 2 weeks for delivery. 2) You don't know what brand lenses you will get. I have gotten some Zenni lenses that state a royalty has been paid for the technology used in making the lenses. Some name-brands boast about a wider field of vision. You don't know how to compare them against the competition. 3)If you ever need to change lenses, they don't do that. You have to buy the lenses with frames. Not true the opposite. You can buy replacement frames w/o lenses and they give you instructions and the tools to put in your lenses. Go figure.

And don't forget to order the clip-on sunglasses. Unlike drugstore clip-ons, they are made / cut for your glasses/ frames.

 

[Chuckanut]

Another one to try is Goggles4U. Rather than buy the cheap reading glasses at the drug store, for just a few bucks more I get a pair of $10 glasses from them. And they include a correction for my astigmatism.

 

[OldShooter]

... 3)If you ever need to change lenses, they don't do that. You have to buy the lenses with frames. ...

This is not universally true of the low-cost vendors. A web search will find alternatives. I have used replacementlensexpress.com successfully.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I've been buying from Zenni since 2008. Here are the things I've learned over the years.

1. Get your eyes examined. Get your current prescription. Very Important. Don't assume your vision has not changed. One eye exam per year is free according to the law. Take advantage of it.

While at the optometrist,

2. Get your pupillary distance measured. Use the tool that looks somewhat like a set of binoculars. Ask the sales people to measure your PD (pupillary distance). Write it down. There is usually an optical shop attached to the optometrists office where you can get this done the same day as your exam. Yes, you can measure your PD yourself and get decent results, but you can also mis-measure and not get it right.

3. Find a frame that correctly fits you. Go to an optical shop and browse frames (like the one attached to the opticians office while you are waiting for your exam.) I also like to go to a Wal Mart since you don't get attacked by sales people and they are also quite accommodating if you need to get your PD measured. Try on a bunch of frames to find a style you like, then zero in on the proper size. There are numbers stamped on the temple arm that gives you the frame size. The format is three numbers, like 52-18-135. Those numbers correspond to lens width - nose bridge width - temple arm length.

The most common mistake people make is to get lenses that are too wide. The pupils of your eyes should be centered within the side-to-side width of the lens. You should not have your pupils positioned far off-center in the width of the lens (a millimeter or two is OK.) Another mistake is buying frames that have temple arms that are too short. If they are too short they won't reach behind your ears and your glasses will not be secured to your head. You can always adjust longer temple arms to fit, but you can't make short temple arms fit. Another boo-boo is to get frames that have temple arms that rub against the side of your face.

Naturally if you have a set of glasses that fit you very well you could simply look for frames with the same measurements. But it might be instructive to start fresh.

4. Take a picture of yourself wearing a style that you like and that properly fits you. Immediately after taking each selfie, take a picture of the temple arms showing the frame sizes. Now you have a record for an eyeglass frame you like and its size. If you feel like you are mooching by trying on frames in the store with no intention of buying there, assuage your guilt by buying some lens cleaner and/or a microfiber cleaning cloth. I've found that buying some lens cleaner and immediately asking to have them measure your PD is a good way to get this measurement.

5. Go on the Zenni site and use their search tool to find frames that fit your face. I always start by plugging in the temple arm length, then the lens width. Then I put in the lens style, i.e. rectangular, round, etc. That winnows down the choices quite a bit. Now look for a similar style to the ones you liked in the store.

6. Figure out how to upload a photo of your face without glasses so you can use their frame visualization tool. It's worth the hassle because you can see how the glasses will look on your face.

7. Be aware that many glasses do not have adjustable nose pads. I find adjustable nose pads to be helpful in making the frames fit your face, but once you know what size you wear you can order frames without adjustable nose pads with confidence.

8. Be sure to check the weight of the frames. I prefer lightweight frames so it's an important parameter to me.

There is a slight learning curve to buying glasses online but once you learn the tricks you will save tons of money.

 

[REWahoo]

One eye exam per year is free according to the law.

What law is that?

 

[Qs Laptop]

The reason they don't, most likely, is that they know you will take your glasses business somewhere other than their tied optical shop. It is actually the opticians that usually make this measurement.

Yep, there's a PD reading right on the viewfinder apparatus.

Sometimes it is one number for normal distance vision and a second, smaller number, for close vision. I suppose the two-number system is better but I have never seen any practical difference.

If your correction is somewhat significant it can make a difference when buying reading glasses.

I have been known to plunk myself down in the tied opticians chair and say "The doctor said you could measure my pd for me." That has worked fine for me.

Heh, yes, that's good. I've also sat down at the sales person's desk and said, "I'm supposed to get my PD measured."

I've noticed that they are much more willing to measure PD nowadays than they were several years ago. I'm guessing they've resigned themselves to the reality of people buying glasses online.

 

[Qs Laptop]

What law is that?

Thought it was a part of Obamacare. Maybe it's just a voluntary thing on the insurance company. People should check their policies.