affordable online eyeglasses for bad astigmatism

January 29, 2021 12:51 PM

I have pretty messed up eyes and primarily wear contacts. However, I would like to have a couple pairs of glasses handy for emergencies/times when I just can’t deal with contacts (I’m having a baby this summer and I’m guessing there will be days I will want to nap without shoving things in and out of my eyes every time). Since glasses are not my primary mode of vision correction, I don’t want to spend a lot. I would also like to be able to get 2-3 pairs to keep in various places.

I was browsing on zenni, but when I went to enter my prescription, it looks like the max cyl option is -6.0. My left eye has cyl -7.25. Warby Parker seems to have the same limits, as do eyebuydirect and glassesusa. Any recommendations for where I can find affordable glasses online that can deal with bad astigmatism? I would appreciate any personal experiences people have as opposed to the google searches I have been running.

(Last resort is to go back to my eye doctor and get them from there, but I would prefer not to do this because a) they are super expensive, and b) I’m not crazy about going in and trying on a bunch of glasses during a pandemic. Both because of exposure risk and because I don’t think trying them on over a mask will give me the same sense of fit.)

Note: I know that for a complicated prescription, it’s better to go with your eye doctor than an online retailer. If I were planning on wearing these glasses all the time, I would do that. Since I’m not, I really don’t want to spend several hundred dollars on each pair. Since my insurance covers my med-nec contacts, I don’t think it will also pay for my glasses (I think it’s an either/or situation). Please limit advice to affordable online retailers that can meet bad astigmatism limits.

posted by tan_coul to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

i bet if you emailed or called zenni, they might be able to accomodate! my astigmatism is not that severe, but the service (and price) at zenni has kinda won me over
posted by megan_magnolia at 1:21 PM on January 29, 2021

I'll be honest, I have astigmatism that isn't quite as bad as yours, but I have tried every single online eyeglasses purveyor for cheap(ish) glasses and none of them get it right. Cutting lenses when you're using nonstandard lens blanks is as much art as science. I used to work in wholesale optical and this is really universal and understood by any ethical optical lab. When I've taken glasses from Zenni, WarbyParker, GlassesUSA, eyebuydirect, and others to my eye doctor and they put them in the lensometer, they have all been off. Some by a little, some by a laughably large amount. And the impact of wearing a pair of glasses with a bad cut can be debilitating headaches.

I am breaching your request because I do not think you will find an answer. The reason none of the online places do this is because none of them do it well.

For that high a cylinder plus astigmatism, you really truly do need to go in person. You my be able to minimize your risk by doing a hybrid choice - ordering an inexpensive frame you like from an online retailer, and then going and getting the lenses cut and glasses fitted in person. Be sure to get the largest frame diameters you can, and plastic frames will likely hold your heavy lenses better than string groove (half-frame) or thin metal. My local LensCrafters puts lenses in frames starting at $99, the price goes up a bit for specialty lenses with high base curves like yours. You can balance your expensive lenses with a cheaper frame and a retail lab, you don't need to go back to your eye doctor for this if you have a valid prescription.
posted by juniperesque at 1:24 PM on January 29, 2021 [9 favorites]

I really like my glasses from Jins, and it seems like their max cyl option goes to +/-8.00. They are about Warby Parker prices depending on the frame. I do have astigmatism being corrected, though my cyl isn't that high.
posted by odin53 at 2:21 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

I have had the same negative experiences with cheap glasses as juniperesque, even at lenscrafters. I will only get glasses from the eye doctor. I have had good luck finding nice and relatively inexpensive frames there.
posted by Kalmya at 2:47 PM on January 29, 2021 [2 favorites]

One thing to consider is getting the frames for cheap and taking them to your eye doctor or someone else for lenses. As often the frames are expensive too. I’ve used Replace a Lens but only for non Rx sunglasses. So I can’t speak to the Rx quality but I can speak to the customer service and good pricing. I would consider them for an Rx if I need it in the future. I’ve also had cheap zenni frames replaced with different lenses from a regular optometrist. Otherwise, I too would email and see what some places can do. I’ve also liked Coastal for glasses.

(I have a low Rx but picky eyes and have ordered a lot online)
posted by Crystalinne at 3:59 PM on January 29, 2021

Costco. It's as safe as a store can get during a pandemic. My vision is worse than yours and I have five pairs of glasses from there that I love.
posted by notjustthefish at 5:22 PM on January 29, 2021 [3 favorites]

I can’t remember my scrip offhand but I am very nearsighted and wasn’t happy with the ones I got from Zenni. If Costco is an option for you I highly recommend them - I skip eye insurance because it’s cheaper for me to go to them and pay out of pocket and I’ve been happy with the quality.
posted by brilliantine at 5:47 PM on January 29, 2021

I am currently wearing Zenni glasses with a much higher cylinder than that. -9. It varies a lot by frame size. I also have an astigmatism. I do tend to order a couple at a time, and some have been crap.
posted by advicepig at 6:15 PM on January 29, 2021

Zenni's claims their general max CYL is +/-6, and that seems to be the max at most online glassesmakers, and there may be an upcharge for super-high astigmatism due to needing expensive but high-index lenses. Most places will require you to use the 1.6+ index lenses if your CYL is over +/-2 or 3

WireCutter recommends EyeBuyDirect, then Liigo Eyewear. Zenni is their budget choice.

If you already have frame you like you may want to try Lensabl, where you mail in your frame and they mail you back the result.
posted by kschang at 9:35 PM on January 29, 2021

Hi, I am around - 8.5 with astigmatism in both eyes. I do have an emergency pair of online glasses, but I can also tell they don't really fit/line up properly.

Main cost for my glasses is thin lenses. If you got a cheap pair of frames with basic lenses from opticians would that be cheaper? They will be thicker and maybe heavy, but if you are only wearing them occasionally probably OK. Make sure to get frames with nose pieces - high prescription lenses are less comfortable with plastic only frames,even with thin lenses. You also need an optician who understands high prescription b lenses will not fit all frame types - I generally go for smallish, squared, wire frames. The current fashion for big round dark frames won't work for high short sightedness...
posted by sedimentary_deer at 11:22 PM on January 29, 2021

Response by poster: I am currently wearing Zenni glasses with a much higher cylinder than that. -9. It varies a lot by frame size. I also have an astigmatism. I do tend to order a couple at a time, and some have been crap.

Maybe they’ve changed their policy? The help page I looked at and the support person I chatted with both said they can’t fill prescriptions beyond -6 cyl, regardless of the frame. (Sphere, the near/farsighted number, has a much bigger range, but cylinder, the astigmatism measurement, maxes out at 6. Alas, I am not actually very shortsighted, just super astigmatic.)

Anyway, thanks, all. If these were normal times I would give costco a go, but I don’t think I feel comfortable going in one right now. I will give Jins a look, but otherwise might put this project off for a few months in the hope of decreased anxiety for going places.
posted by tan_coul at 2:52 PM on February 2, 2021