I'm trying to order glasses online, but I'm confused.

December 1, 2007 12:12 PM

I'm trying to order glasses online, but I'm confused.

This is the prescription I got today. I'm trying to order some glasses from Zenni based on recommendations here. But, there's four columns on the Zenni site and I don't know what to put in each column.

Can someone just tell me what numbers to put in each column on their site based on my script? I don't want to fuck it up....

yeah, i know this is a waste of my question.

posted by misanthropicsarah to health & fitness (14 comments total)

It looks like you're missing information. Under both OD and OS, you should have four numbers. Sphere, Cylinder, Axis and Add.
I would call your optometrist and ask for someone to clarify your numbers, as they should have them in their optical super-computer or something.
If they have a hissy fit about you ordering glasses online, tell them to stuff it and just give with the numbers.
You already have your pupilary distance, so you're good to go there.
posted by willmize at 12:26 PM on December 1, 2007

My prescription from Lenscrafters had a little chart with with spaces for Sphere, Cylinder, Axis, Prism, and Add for OD and OS. They left the Prism and Add spots blank on my prescription, because those numbers were 0 for me. I'm guessing that something similar is going on in your case.

I agree, you should call your optometrist and ask them to explain.
posted by beandip at 12:36 PM on December 1, 2007

I just ordered some glasses from Zenni, and called them to ask some questions. They were extraordinarily knowledgeable and helpful. The fourth parameter - ADD - is only if you need reading glasses, so if it's n ot on the script, you don't. The only question is the squiggle next to OS 225, which I might assume means the rest is the same as OD. If your optometrist won't help, try calling the Zenni customer service - it might be a common notation that they can decipher for you.
posted by ljshapiro at 12:47 PM on December 1, 2007

The last column is ADD, which is for bifocals. Your prescription is just for single-vision glasses, so you can leave that at zero. Your prescription is written SPH, CYL, AXIS, so you (for OD) put the first number (-2.00) in for SPH, the second number (-0.25) in for CYL and the last number in for AXIS (100). For OS, you have only a SPH value (-2.25) and you leave CYL and AXIS at zero (meaning there is no correction for astigmatism).
posted by ssg at 12:48 PM on December 1, 2007

ssg has it. I'm the same as you, only have astigmatism in OS. And I bought a pair on Zenni and they're great (wearing them right now)! Yay cheap specs.
posted by birdie birdington at 1:17 PM on December 1, 2007

By the way, if this were my prescription, which it isn't, I'd use 1.61 high index, otherwise I would expect to have lenses that are quite thick (7-8 mm).
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:48 PM on December 1, 2007

Ack. Let's go through the Zenni form (and not make any dumb mistakes this time):

OD: Sph -2.00, Cyl -0.25, Axis 100, ADD 0

OS: Sph: -2.25, Cyl 0, Axis 0, ADD 0

You follow this advice at your own risk. I expressly disclaim any and all liability for your interpretation of this eyeglass prescription. Especially if you follow my first post, which was all kinds of messed up. I think I got it right this time.
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:51 PM on December 1, 2007

(I got jess to delete the one I messed up. Sorry for the confusion.)
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:54 PM on December 1, 2007

If under OS they won't take a Cyl as 0, you can put pl which stands for plano, which means no astigmatism. And like others have said, if you don't have a cyl, you don't have an axis measurement either.
posted by mabelcolby at 2:14 PM on December 1, 2007

I just emailed a jpg of my prescription to goggles4u and they emailed me back exactly how to format it.
posted by mhz at 2:36 PM on December 1, 2007

You probably already know this, but the "PD" number at the bottom is your pupilary distance.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 2:39 PM on December 1, 2007

This might not help you now that others have already set you straight, but our very own Mathowie has been slutting around over at 43folders and wrote a great article that seems to cover nearly everything.
posted by a_green_man at 6:20 PM on December 1, 2007

thanks everyone--i really appreciate your help!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 11:12 AM on December 2, 2007

Sorry to derail, but while we're on the subject...I recently got a new eyeglass Rx and bought my glasses (one regular, one reading) right at the opthalmologist's office because I figured it would save me time going from place to place pricing spectacles. Probably the only "unique" part of my prescription is that I require prisms in both lenses due to an eye muscle/alignment problem. Can glasses with prisms be successfully ordered from an online source? I'm definitely in the market for a lower-cost alternative, because my most recent two pairs of specs cost me just over $700 (no designer frames or fancy extras included).
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:27 PM on December 2, 2007