Bring your online purchase of progressive lenses into focus for me

January 22, 2021 9:34 AM

Are you happy with your online purchases of durable thin frames with *progressive* lenses? From which seller? Searching MF asks and posts doesn't speak to my questions; the most recent ask for online retailer suggestions was for progressives was 2015.

I have my new prescription, including pupillary distance. My current year-old glasses have Kodak progressive lenses with their "Clean'N'CleAR™" antireflective coating. The lenses have held up very well - the least-scratched lenses I've probably ever had.

Also, advice about durable stylish frames welcome. These Zenni frames resemble the ones I have and really like. Mostly positive reviews but the negatives are *really* negative: breakable, paint (!) comes off easily, and so on.

Thanks all.

posted by conscious matter to Shopping (12 answers total)

I have been buying frames and progressive lenses from Eyebuydirect for a long time and never had a problem. Once I didn't like the frames and they promptly sent me another pair. The old pair gets sent to a charity. Excellent customer service.
posted by Ferrari328 at 10:11 AM on January 22, 2021

This is an extremely vanilla answer but I've been very happy with my glasses with progressive lenses from Warby Parker.
posted by adgnyc at 10:31 AM on January 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

very happy with my new boomerang glasses. Progressive and transition lenses.
posted by manageyourexpectations at 11:43 AM on January 22, 2021

forgot to add that they were roughly 1/3 of my Lenscrafters previous buys of the same lenses.
posted by manageyourexpectations at 11:44 AM on January 22, 2021

i've gotten glasses from zenni and goggles4u.com many times, all progressives, all worked great.
posted by tristeza at 1:02 PM on January 22, 2021

I buy progressives from EyeBuyDirect, Goggles4u, GlassesUSA, Zenni Optical, and Firmoo. I haven't had problems with any of them; I'm not sure what the people writing reviews are doing with their glasses, but I always see people saying their glasses have broken or fallen apart and I haven't experienced that with any of them. They've lasted just as long as my Warby Parker glasses and are cheaper, though they take way longer to arrive.

One pair from Firmoo are black with a white stripe detail and I will say it's not totally crisp at the edges, but it's not painted on, it's a different color of acetate and just looks like it bled a bit. Not noticeable when wearing them and if anyone is that close to my glasses they can keep their opinion to themselves.

I will say the "virtual try on" for all these sites tends to be terrible and not actually representative of the frame size at all. It's really important to look at the dimensions that are given, and at photos other people have posted of themselves in the frames.
posted by assenav at 1:57 PM on January 22, 2021

I use Zenni and I always order line-less bifocals aka progressives (my eyes aren't what they used to be) and they work fine for me. Getting a measure of your face and relative frame size is a bit of hit and miss though, as I have VERY big head and I need either hinged arms or flexible frames like metal that are adjustable.
posted by kschang at 5:06 PM on January 22, 2021 [1 favorite]

The 2-3 pair of progressives I've ordered from Zenni have been just fine. Same as or better than the ones I'd get from my optometrist's office at 1/4 the cost.
posted by flug at 7:03 PM on January 22, 2021

Ha, that 2015 ask was probably mine. I’ve gotten my progressives annually from Zenni since 2016. Honestly I think that on average they are not quite as nice as the ones I used to get at the eye dr, but they are more than good enough and about 1/4 the price - and that’s with insurance on the ones from the dr compared to actual paid price at Zenni. If I submit separately for the Zennis, insurance has paid around 40% of the cost if I remember correctly.

I have gotten both metal and plastic frames. The metal ones have all seemed quite good and the plastic ones have been mixed. (I am not particularly careful with my glasses, but I am also not particularly hard on them.) They are all strong enough and the hardware/construction is good, but some of the plastic ones look kind of cheap, and one (near range, see below) that I have used for a couple of years now has had its color coating start to chip off at the ears. But you’re looking at metal anyway. I think the ones you linked will probably be fine.

I got one pair of progressives from them whose lenses I didn’t like - I found that the middle range was just too small, and I just could not get used to them even after 2-3 weeks. I got another pair with like 3 mm taller lenses and that was fine. If you want more specifics on the sizes memail me and I will look up the details.

Btw I also got a pair of their “near range” progressives to use at the computer and like them enough that I got a second pair so I could leave one at work and have one at home. Now that I work at home they are my “upstairs” and “downstairs” computer/reading glasses.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 7:02 AM on January 23, 2021

So as to not abuse the edit window - I just looked at my current pair (just over a year old since I skipped my eye appointment this year due to the pandemic) and I see only one tiny scratch on the lenses, which I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t looking for it for purposes of this comment.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 7:05 AM on January 23, 2021

I own seven pairs of progressive lensed glasses from Zenni and they've all been great. You do have to pay attention to the shape/size of the frames you're ordering though. Lenses that are wider than they are tall will of course condense the progression and give you less area to view through in each area of the lense. And yes, some of the frame feel plasticky, but that's what you're getting when you buy frames for $15. That being said, none of mine have broken, nor has the color flaked or anything like that. And the one time that a pair arrived with a damaged bow, Zenni said to just keep them and they quickly shipped me a new pair.
posted by lpsguy at 9:19 AM on January 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

+whatever for Zenni; never had a problem, loved every pair, great service and great price. HIGHLY recommend. Also second what @lpsguy said in that you do have to pay attention to the size of the lenses.
posted by Bill Watches Movies Podcast at 3:03 PM on January 23, 2021