Has anyone bought spectacles online?

I know a woman who has. She has fab glasses. BUT opticians are VERY reluctant to give out pupil distance measurements. It prevents on-line ordering.

Not yet but considering doing so. Shall be very interested to hear from those who have,

My son does, and has been happy with them, but he has straightforward single vision lenses.
Mine are varifocal so more complex. I go to Boots and have one pair clear and one pair tinted for sunglasses.

GagaJo

I know a woman who has. She has fab glasses. BUT opticians are VERY reluctant to give out pupil distance measurements. It prevents on-line ordering.

That's the bit that concerns me, the 'vanishing point' so to speak, where the varifocal changes.

My son, who is 50 buys all his specs on line and says it is a very good way to do so. However he did say that if you have a special prescription, very short sighted, astigmatism etc perhaps you ought not to consider it.

I have and so has my son but only single vision. My varifocals I buy in store. Although the prescription has been okay we have both found that the frames are perhaps not what we would have purchased had we tried them first. That said some online retailers do allow you to try before you buy.

I have done for years, always been happy with them.

I use contact lenses , left eye has astigmatism. After getting prescription and one months supply from opticians I have always ordered online , no problems ,can wear them on 12hr work shift and still forget I have them in, late into evening .
I think most glasses and lenses online stores are quite reputable.

My daughter has been buying them online for years. I'm thinking she pays something like £10 a pair. She's never had a problem with them and they always look very nice.

Thanks for all your very helpful replies. Has anyone experience of buying varifocal prescription glasses rather than single sight lenses?

GillT57 i gave up with online when I needed varifocals, I have an astigmatism too.
I use Asda opticians, my last were 1 pair, that have a tint, they darken in the sun and 1 pair of sun glasses, £212 pounds for both. This was about two years ago, I’ve always been happy with their glasses at a good price, not as cheap as on line, but not too bad.

Glasses Direct are fantastic.

Thank you everyone. I think as I need varifocal I am better sticking with an optician. Thankfully I can afford nice ones as I have to wear them all the time.

GillT57

Thank you everyone. I think as I need varifocal I am better sticking with an optician. Thankfully I can afford nice ones as I have to wear them all the time.

I very much agree with this. I have very expensive glasses, they are varifocals, and a high prescription.
The glasses I bought are very light, and stylish and I wear them all the time. I realise I am fortunate like you to be able to afford them.
I do not do online glasses, as with my prescription I feel the glasses would be too thick and heavy.

I have a strong prescription for severe long sightedness.. Sph 8.5 & 9.5... single vision the only online spec provider I've found who will dispense this high of a prescription is select specs. .

All the others go no further than +7

I bought specs online this last year from select specs but by the time I paid to have them thinned .. and all the added extras it cost me almost as much as It would for 2 pairs at Specsavers..

I have, very successfully too! I wear varifocals and have ordered from glasses direct, and also had an old pair of designer frames re glazed through ‘Lenses in Glasses’ recently for a fraction of the cost of getting new glasses. They all have money back no quibble guarantees (which I used once when I disliked the frames after they were made) so what’s to lose?!

When I lived overseas I found a place which sold the equivilent of online glasses. Really great frames and a fraction of the UK price. The frames weren't the best quality, so needed replacing more frequently but at £10 per pair, it wasn't an issue. I just bought several pairs at a time.

I did try to, but made a real hash of making sure the lenses were correct as the prescription said. But then, I am fairly inept.

Yep but my reading glasses online as do all the family

Buy

I have, not sure if i can say who though. I sent for 3 frames and paid to send 2 back. I knew the style number I wanted though. Sent for another couple of styles too. My optician st the time didnt stock that make but happily glazed the frame I bought. The frame was less than half the price of the same Id previously had in large dispensing chemist.

I see no problem buying a spare pair online but please visit an optician regularly because it was he who diagnosed my Macular degeneration and I have visited a clinic for many years since.

I have in the past - no problem. I insisted the optician give me the PD - they did not argue - they cannot - they have to give it to you.

I have a strong prescription and had high index varifocal lenses and had no problem buying online.

I bought some last year online. They were £20. I wear contact lenses so only wear my glasses in the house. My optician wanted to charge a fortune for my glasses. I am extremely short sighted.
I was very dubious ordering online, measuring etc but they are fantastic.
Myself and my husband get our reading glasses from Poundland!