Recommend a national vision center, please

[daisylu]

Just got a call from the sitter telling me that she found my 12yo daughter's glasses crushed in her driveway. She has an astigmatism, so her prescription never really changes - yet. She has a regular optometrist who can see her this week (she is due anyway), but I have never bought from another shop other than the one they run. It is a small local business, and the prices there have skyrocketed lately.

So, I am looking for quality but also value. Any recommendations?

[swasat]

Try Sears Optical. They are usually inside Sears stores i the malls. Quite reasonably priced and they have specials going on at times where you get a full replacement warranty on the glasses.

[Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ]

The Wally-World near me has an optical center.
Had my eyes examined and it cost $69.

In fact, just a week ago I had to replace a set of frames that I broke. Stopped in, and fortunately they had a frame that fit my lenses. Cost me $9.

[illinicheme]

Many Target stores have an optical center. I've also used both LensCrafters and Pearle Vision when growing up and both were fine.

[daisylu]

Because they gave us a 50% children's disount, we used Lenscrafters in the past. Maybe the one in our town is just crappy, but the CS was horrible.

I had not thought of Walmrt. I have never known anyone who bought their glasses there. Worth checking out!


Thanks for the suggestions!

[RoadToRiches]

Lasik!!!!

j/k...12 years old is probably too young for lasik. I had astigmatism too. Got a custom wavefront whatever yada yada mumbo jumbo lasik procedure done. BOOM! Went from 25/200 to 20/15.

But when I DID wear glasses, I was going to Wallie Mart.

[Clever Username]

There's a new chain in my area called Best Choice. They were cheap and efficient for me.
(until my wife's company added a vision perk).

[dragonfly7]

I went to Wal-Mart for my most recent exam. It was okay. I recall there being a sign stating a complete pair of glasses could start at $38.

To add my two cents on value vs. quality, every pair of glasses I have worn since the age of four has either been destroyed, scratched up, or fallen apart (screws falling out) whether I have spent $25 on them or $400. Since I wear contacts more than half the time, I go ahead and buy the cheap glasses. I usually order two pair from ZenniOptical.com and normally spend about $25 per pair including any upgrades and the shipping. It is easy for me because I know what frame styles look good (or good enough) on me by now, but it can be time consuming to hunt through them all to find the right pair.

[Deleted]

I used to work as an optometric technician and astigmatism rx's can change every year, just like the other rx's.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I got my last pair of glasses ~ 2 years ago ~ at Walmart. Love 'em.

[daisylu]

toughtimes, thank you for all that useful information.


I should have said AND her prescription never changes. She still gets annual exams.

I really cannot complain. She has worn glasses for 7 years, and this is the first pair that has ever been lost or damaged.

[TD2K]

Costco also has good prices on their glasses.

[svwashout]

I bought a pair last year online from eyebuydirect-- 8 bucks on special plus shipping. They work but the lenses are kinda small. I don't wear them day to day, they're just for temporary backup in case of accidents like your daughter's.

[bean29]

I have two recomendations.

I agree with everyone else. Walmart is great for kids lenses. They have a very low price package for the high impact lenses/polarized photogrey package for kids lenses. You also can get insurance so if your kids break their glasses you get them replaced. If you lose them though you are SOL. I have usually been ok with the quality of the Optomitrists too.

This past January both my kids needed new contacts/glasses but the Walmart closest to me did not have a Dr. on site. I scheduled the kids in at Steins and they had 50% off on Lenes/Glasses. I bought My DD the best quality high impact lenses they had as it was only like $17 extra and they said it would help her astigmatism vision. As soon as she got her glasses she was wearing them. She really wanted colored contacts. Her natural eye color is grey. The colored contacts come in very limited colors for astigmatism. But she was insistent so we got those too. She does wear them regularly - but the Dr. was a little concered becasue she could have had a much better vision correction with the regular conventional contact lenses.