zenni Optical

[travelover]

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

I don't know either.

 

[harllee]

I have to wear prescription reading glasses (one eye had lasic surgery, other eye did not). I have been getting prescription reading glasses from Zenni for years. I love them, costs $8 each. The first time I bought them I bought 3 different pairs. I figured out which one I like best and then ordered 8 pairs of those. I now have glasses everywhere I need them, all over the house and car. I highly recommend Zenni.

 

[MBAustin]

I also use Zenni for my reading glasses. Because my contact lens prescription is for monovision correction (one eye for close, the other for distance), I can't use drugstore readers since I only need a prescription for the distance eye. My optometrist's office used to carry inexpensive custom readers for this but doesn't anymore and she said that Zenni is fine for simple prescriptions.

 

[frank]

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.

on the no. 3 above I didn't see any place on zenni to add those nos. did you call them to do that? I stopped at sams club today and ask about pd measurement and they told me the only time they measure for that is when they are actually fitting for a new order of glasses. I guess I will have to try somewhere else. I ask what it cost for my last pair in 2017 and she said it was 402. compared to 145. at zenni.

 

[zinger1457]

on the no. 3 above I didn't see any place on zenni to add those nos. did you call them to do that?

When you click on each frame on Zenni it will list those numbers in the details section. First find a frame you like then make sure it's the right size. You can also use filters to show frames in a size range.

 

[38Chevy454]

I've used 39dollarglasses.com and it is similar to Zenni.

 

[tmm99]

Has anybody made progressive using Zenni?

 

[Katsmeow]

I just bought new reading glasses at Costco today. I noticed that on the receipt they printed my pupilary distance measurement. I haven't bought online before but did think about Zenni. If I do it in future, I would use the P.D. I got from Costco. One nice thing I liked about Zenni is that I could upload a photo of me and look at how the glasses looked on me using that photo.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I've also been "window shopping" at Zenni since my last gouging...er, retail pair of glasses. Also Warby Parker, has anyone used them, or better yet, both them and Zenni? I actually will be getting an updated prescription on Monday, and I've gotten them used to the fact that "I keep copies of all my medical records at home, so I need my prescription and PD printed out". (That part is true, though, I do keep copies of everything!)

 

[aja8888]

Has anybody made progressive using Zenni?

Yes, me, for years now.

Plus, I've used 39dollarglasses.com and Replacealens.com.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Has anybody made progressive using Zenni?

My everyday glasses are progressives as are my computer/work glasses. My wife's glasses are progressives and also gets them from Zenni. I even buy sunglasses as progressives, and why not at their prices? All have worked just fine for us.

Zenni does have a minimum lens height of 32 mm for progressive prescriptions. (Might be 34 mm, can't remember.) This means you can't get frames with short lens heights in a progressive frame. This has not been a factor for me when I order.

 

[tmm99]

My everyday glasses are progressives as are my computer/work glasses. My wife's glasses are progressives and also gets them from Zenni. I even buy sunglasses as progressives, and why not at their prices? All have worked just fine for us.

Zenni does have a minimum lens height of 32 mm for progressive prescriptions. (Might be 34 mm, can't remember.) This means you can't get frames with short lens heights in a progressive frame. This has not been a factor for me when I order.

Thanks. I see that if you put a progressive filter for the search of frames, it seems to drop frames with insufficient height, so I guess that's good.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Thanks. I see that if you put a progressive filter for the search of frames, it seems to drop frames with insufficient height, so I guess that's good.

Yes. Also, when you are ready to order and you put in your progressives prescription, if the frame won't accept a progressive lens you will get an error message.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

A good optician will also strongly discourage you from putting progressives in an especially narrow height frame.

I called my optician and told him the truth - I needed a spare pair to wear skiing because I had already broken my spare pair skiing! I asked him his price for a cheap spare pair, and it was much more than Zenni. He gave me my PD.

The pair I bought serve well for skiing. In addition to temple length and face width, I have to attend to the width of the bridge. Unfortunately, I spent a lot of money years ago at LensCrafters for a pair that were beautiful, but never fit right. Glasses with a narrow bridge. Pathetic.

I haven’t ventured into progressives yet. I should try it. Must schedule the eye exam.

 

[triangle]

I have ordered a few pairs from Zenni with good results. The most frustrating thing I have found when trying to order online or in person is figuring out which subset of frames will fit well before even bothering to consider them. Just like PD (pupil distance) why isn't frame width (face width), bridge width (nose size), temple length (ear location) part of the measurements that the Optician will make and provide to the client?? Which will then directly map to a frame size much like buying a pair or shoes or clothes, where a given frame style will come in different sizes that can be selected.

 

[Freedom56]

I have a light prescription -1.50L and -1.00R and only use my glasses for driving. I have ordered from both Zenni and Glasses USA and in the past Costco. Costco is the most expensive of the three even though they process my VSP benefits directly. Zenni is the least expensive but have the lowest quality frames. Glasses USA has better frames but is slightly more expensive than Zenni. I would recommend Zenni.

 

[nancyfrank232]

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

I order from Zenni. No downsides. I have over a dozen pairs of glasses because they’re so inexpensive

I get more compliments about my $15 frames than friends who have fancy expensive $800 frames

 

[SOKYguy]

My wife and I have probably bought 30 pair of progressives from Zenni. We like them more than the $300 glasses we used to get at the mall.

 

[frank]

on zenni every time it comes up with a frame and try to add my prescrition it gives me an error that the ph is not right for those frames. kind of frustrating. do they have a filter to put in the prescription first and select frames after that?

 

[W2R]

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

I got a pair of prescription sunglasses for driving from 39dollarglasses dot com back in 2013. Because of the tinting (and tax?), they cost me $53 total even though they were just for distance vision and not my usual trifocals. They were absolute perfection and I made up my mind to never go back to Lenscrafters.

However, since my cataract surgery in 2015, I haven't needed anything but cheap readers. So, I never got around to trying Zenni.

 

[Qs Laptop]

on zenni every time it comes up with a frame and try to add my prescrition it gives me an error that the ph is not right for those frames. kind of frustrating. do they have a filter to put in the prescription first and select frames after that?

I think there is a way to do that but can't remember how. You have high correction lenses. I'd open up a chat session and ask how to filter for frames with high correction lenses.

 

[frank]

as it turns out I was shopping at glassesusa and zennie. I like the glassesusa website better and they had a cash back guarantee with free shipping and free returns. the glasses were 197. with the 1.67 high index lenses. The wife wanted to go to town today and we stopped at sams club. I thought just for the heck of it I would get a price and see if I could get them to measure the pd. their price for the same glasses and lenses was 244. and if a plus member it was 198.20 with the 60 day unconditional return and the one year replacement guarantee. the guarantee means they would replace the lenses once and the frames once in a years time and for 39. I could get an extra year of the same warranty. I got talking to the person waiting on me and they changed their lenses and frame pricing structure a year or so ago. so for me this price and local shop is a win. just wanted to keep you folks updated on the ongoing eyeglass dilemma. thanks for all your recommendations.

 

[Qs Laptop]

as it turns out I was shopping at glassesusa and zennie. I like the glassesusa website better and they had a cash back guarantee with free shipping and free returns. the glasses were 197. with the 1.67 high index lenses. The wife wanted to go to town today and we stopped at sams club. I thought just for the heck of it I would get a price and see if I could get them to measure the pd. their price for the same glasses and lenses was 244. and if a plus member it was 198.20 with the 60 day unconditional return and the one year replacement guarantee. the guarantee means they would replace the lenses once and the frames once in a years time and for 39. I could get an extra year of the same warranty. I got talking to the person waiting on me and they changed their lenses and frame pricing structure a year or so ago. so for me this price and local shop is a win. just wanted to keep you folks updated on the ongoing eyeglass dilemma. thanks for all your recommendations.

That's a great outcome. Nice job.

 

[HadEnuff]

on zenni every time it comes up with a frame and try to add my prescrition it gives me an error that the ph is not right for those frames. kind of frustrating. do they have a filter to put in the prescription first and select frames after that?

I don't know if this is exactly what you ran into on the site, but what I ran into is an error message that said they couldn't use my PD for that frame, when I entered the PD as a "right" and a "left" PD, but when I entered it as a single PD (combining the individual numbers) it worked fine.

INW, if I entered Left PD=30, right PD= 31, I got the error, but if I entered PD=61, it was accepted.

Mine is 61, wife's is 59. I did the trick where I punched two small holes in a piece of paper at 61, and my wife could see just fine through them, and I did two at 59, and I could see just fine though those.
Any experts out there who could expound on just how critically accurate one needs to be with those numbers. I'm sure my glasses move around on my nose at least a mm or two.

 

[tmm99]

After reading this thread, I went to my eyewear shop to pick up my new progressive ($680 CAD) and asked my guy there to measure my PD. I told him I was going to get a spare pair of glasses from a cheap shop online. He already had my PD number on file but measured it again anyway (which came out the same.) I came home and created a 3-D video on zennioptical.com. It was kind of fun to do and the videos turned out quite funny. I showed 6 different pairs on my videoed face to DH, and he said none of them looked good. So I created a new 3-D video and changed the expression on my face from grumpy to smiley and DH now says all the pairs look good on me LOL.

I have just placed an order for a progressive - I skipped the usual transitional lens and went with something more basic, and the total cost including shipping to Canada was $62 USD. I wonder if Canada will charge import taxes on this...

I will see how this will play out...