My quest for cheap, good-quality glasses
Opinion: I’d love to change my glasses as often as my outfits, but who can afford to do that, writes Susan Edmunds.
Doesn’t it seem odd that we change our outfits every day, switching up the colours and styles depending on the season or the occasion, but those of us who wear glasses stick with the same frames for, sometimes, many years – right smack where anyone who meets us looks first (hopefully)?
It’s a frivolous question, I concede. I probably have more important things to ponder.
But as an increasingly frequent glasses-wearer, and not a fan of contact lenses, it’s something I’ve been thinking about in recent years.
However, although I dream of an eyewear wardrobe, I haven’t been able to bring myself to spend the money on multiple pairs of pricey glasses.
So began my quest for a goodquality cheap option. There have been mixed results.
To start with, I updated my prescription at my local optometrist and had an eye health check. My prescription is pretty standard – a bit long-sighted with one eye a little worse than the other. I don’t wear progressive lenses.
First up I tried Clearly
Clearly describes itself as New Zealand’s number one online eyewear store.
It sells glasses and contact lenses. Glasses start at $9 and delivery is free if you buy more than $50 worth.
I chose a pair of purple frames that my husband said looked like something Dame Edna might wear. I really liked them, though, so I was a bit upset that I’d mucked up the pupillary distance (PD) and they weren’t quite right – wearing them was a bit like being slightly dizzy all the time.
But Clearly offers free returns in the first 14 days so I got my money back and learnt how to measure my PD more effectively for my next purchase.
Then Dresden …
I was a bit sceptical about Dresden’s claim that their standard frame shape suits everyone. But then I complimented someone on her glasses and she told me they were $60 from Dresden, so I thought it might be worth giving them a shot.
I ordered one pair for $63 plus $10 shipping. The cute thing about Dresden is that because the frames are all the same, you can buy more arms and frames for $25 and then pop the lenses out and switch them whenever you feel like it. I ended up with three pairs.
The frames are really light. I found them comfortable but have heard that other optometrists find it hard to adjust the frames because of the material used – potentially an issue if you live somewhere without a Dresden outlet.
I chose a pair of purple frames that my husband said looked like something Dame Edna might wear.
Now I’ve met Zenni
I recently received two pairs ordered from Zenni, and paid $39.56 including postage.
They fit really well and I like the range of frame options available. You can sort through the 2500 styles by face shape, colour and even things like ‘‘glow in the dark’’.
The website also offers an easy virtual try-on option, where you can put the frames on an image of yourself to get an idea of what they look like.
It took about two weeks for the package to get to me from Zenni’s manufacturing facility in China.
So will I go back to my normal optometrist?
I will need to keep going back for my eye checks. I expect that as I get older and my prescription (presumably) becomes more complicated, it may not be as feasible for me to order cheapies online. But for now, I’m making the most of being able to have a range of glasses to choose from. When you can get a pair for less than a round of coffees, there’s little to lose.