Spectacular sticker shock. What prices are glasses in Bangalore?

July 11, 2012 8:49 AM

How much should glasses cost in Bangalore? Progressive lenses, with auto-darkening? I'm primarily interested in the price for the lenses. I got a price today of INR 26,500 which is about the same as the US, whereas I had read it was significantly cheaper. I am here for a week so I had thought to take advantage of the prices, but now I'm wondering if it's worthwhile.
posted by blue_wardrobe to health & fitness (8 answers total)

Did you visit a store in a mall? They will be overpriced. I know someone who got what you want from a chain optician's outlet on a main market road in Mumbai for just under 10K including the frame. I can't give recommendations for Bangalore, but avoid outlets of foreign firms or those located in premium locations.
posted by Gyan at 9:20 AM on July 11, 2012

I was similarly surprised at the prices of glasses in Bangladesh. Maybe it's something that just doesn't correspond with general local cost of living? Might explain why eyeglass drives are general seen as a net good vs. say, shoe drives, which are not super helpful for anyone (least of all cobblers in local markets).
posted by charmcityblues at 9:22 AM on July 11, 2012

Well, if it's anything like the Indian shops in Chicago, they are giving you a price based on 1) the fact that you look like a tourist, and 2) the expectation of haggling. If you don't know how to shop in those areas, you won't get a good deal.
posted by chundo at 9:40 AM on July 11, 2012

Price in the U.S. depends almost entirely on 1) the brand of the frames, and 2) from whom you're purchasing the glasses.

Per Google, INR 26,500 is about $468 U.S.

I bought two pairs of prescription glasses last year. Neither have progressive lenses or auto-darkening. I'm in Los Angeles.

Pair #1 was purchased at a fancy store in a fancy mall and is a fancy-schmancy hand-made boutique brand frame. It cost substantially more than $468, which fortunately was mostly covered by my insurance or there's no way I would have paid what they cost.

Pair #2 was ordered from Zenni Optical for like $20 plus shipping.

Both are nice pairs of glasses, both do the job just fine, both have the prescription done right and have similarly high-quality lenses as far as I can tell. And I get nice comments about both pairs. The fancy-schmancy ones are a lot more solid better made - obviously better frame materials and craftsmanship, etc. But knowing how good the Zenni Optical cheapies are, there's no way I'd pay more than their price for anything short of super high-end hand-made frames (which I still wouldn't have if they were not covered by insurance).
posted by The World Famous at 9:43 AM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]

That seems a little high to me, by maybe a couple hundred dollars. I paid around $300 in Delhi for glasses from Carl Zeiss in Khan Market in 2010. (I'm still wearing them two years later, and still pleased with them.) Keep in mind that I'm severely astigmatic so it's expensive to get thin lenses made for my prescription. If you don't have severe astigmatism, you should pay even less.

You may want to randomly stop some people at the mall who are wearing glasses and ask if they have any recommendations for wear to buy yours. I'll wager you make a couple of new friends and get very detailed directions to their favorite glasses store.
posted by artemisia at 9:57 AM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Vasan Eye care is a well-respected chain of Eye Care hospitals with fantastic doctors and services. In most of their clinics, they also offer glasses in both branded and non-branded versions.

Here is a list of their locations in Bangalore (now called Bengaluru).

In India, there are many independent optical shops - don't be afraid to go into a small one with a local friend. You may be surprised at the quality you get for a low cost.
posted by theobserver at 12:45 PM on July 11, 2012

That's high! I'd also like to know where you were looking. If you feel comfortable buying them (both physically--is it a cushy place?--and in terms of what you're getting and how the process works) my guess is that you're in the wrong place. :P I bought glasses in a smaller city last year for Rs 700, or $14. Mine didn't have tinted lenses but I could have gotten those for a few hundred more. The store was a little cubby off the side of a street, next to other cubbies with candy, cold drinks, etc.

What you need to do is find the alleys where Indians shop, where hair clips are Rs 5 and 10 and scarves are Rs 50. If I were in Delhi, I would be thinking Old Delhi vs Connaught Place. I don't know a lot about Bangalore but I would be surprised if they didn't have an old school alley/market somewhere.

To defray your tourist effect, maybe learn some Hindi so you can ask Indians "Where are the cheap glasses?" (I am not kidding.)
posted by ramenopres at 4:43 PM on July 11, 2012

Also, if it's not worthwhile to you, then it's not worthwhile and you're not getting a deal--that is rule 1 of bargaining.

I would check out the IndiaMike or Lonely Planet forums to see if someone else has gone on an eyeglass hunt in Bangalore.
posted by ramenopres at 4:45 PM on July 11, 2012