How Much Would You Pay For Glasses?

[Lolly505]

I had my first opticians appointment in far too long yesterday and because my eyes have gotten so bad, I had to pay a grand total of £139 for one pair of specs (£89 frames - that weren't even the ones I'd wanted - plus complex lenses) The receipt even had the cheek to say I'd saved £55 by getting a 'free' lens thinning (which the staff insisted I'd need with my lenses). Bit of shock because I'd been hoping to pay about half that for two pairs with Specsavers' 2-for-1 deal.

So I'm curious - what's the most you've paid for glasses? Or any other awful optician experiences to make me feel a bit better?

 

[Casperron]

£20 from Specsavers. They were the only ones I liked to be honest. I would of paid up to £50
I’m now getting contacts though which are a bit pricier

 

[Fenella]

That sounds about usual for my husbands specs- I dread him saying that it’s opticians time. Obviously I know he needs to see and it’s important but it’s always a lot. He never likes the cheap frames (fair play I suppose as they are right on his face every day) and by the time thé coatings etc have been put on it’s a fair chunk of cash.

 

[Lolly505]

£20 from Specsavers. They were the only ones I liked to be honest. I would of paid up to £50
I’m now getting contacts though which are a bit pricier

Yeah, my sister was shocked that I was planning to pay £90 for glasses because she was happy with cheap frames she occasionally uses. Hearing how much I was forced to pay has actually made her wear her glasses more apparently

I really wanted metal frames (ideally purple omes) and there was even a cheap £19 bronze pair I liked that I'd have gotten if I hadn't been saving money for glasses - but because my lenses are so thick, I apparently can't get metal ones because they won't physically be able to hold my prescription (even after being 'thinned') Dreading to think how much contacts would set be back, given the fact I apparently need bloody Coke bottle lenses to see

 

[Yel]

Seeing as I wear them every day for most of the day, I'd pay hundreds. I've got just Specsavers £129 ones atm along side cheap online ones. But people speak of fancy lenses and glasses costing upwards of £400 for all kinds of filters that help with things like light sensitivity. I keep meaning to see an independent opticians to see if it's actually worth it.

 

[Oohthedrama]

I have Inexpensive frames so when I got my last eye test in January I just put the new lenses in my own frame.
I paid extra for anti glare and whatever else they pretend they’re adding on
But I didn’t like any of their frames so I stick with what I know suits me

When I do want to change il just buy a frame I like online and get them to fit it.
Buy one get one free doesn’t work for me,
I have one face. (many would say I have two )

Edit: inexpensive

@Yel is this blue ray/blue light stuff a scam to sell fake glasses to the zoe sugg type of influencer

 

[Warrend]

I got mine from Specsavers on the 2-for-1 deal so £89 in total. I'm very happy with them, nice tortoiseshell ones that the assistant found in the back as I didn't like what they had on display haha.

 

[Lauren1994]

I had my first opticians appointment in far too long yesterday and because my eyes have gotten so bad, I had to pay a grand total of £139 for one pair of specs (£89 frames - that weren't even the ones I'd wanted - plus complex lenses) The receipt even had the cheek to say I'd saved £55 by getting a 'free' lens thinning (which the staff insisted I'd need with my lenses). Bit of shock because I'd been hoping to pay about half that for two pairs with Specsavers' 2-for-1 deal.

So I'm curious - what's the most you've paid for glasses? Or any other awful optician experiences to make me feel a bit better?

i think I got a similar deal!! I had my eyes tested at specsavers last week and I never wore the first pair of glasses I bought. I decided to get some anyway. In total I paid £164? I think (it was £160 something). In that deal I got two “designer” pair of glasses. One was for driving and the other pair were sun glasses. I also paid an extra £35 for the anti sun glare thing for the lenses. I think I got a lot for my money but I doubt I’ll ever use them I don’t really like wearing glasses

 

[idk2]

I'm on Specsavers contact lens scheme so every two years, I qualify for a free pair of glasses (up to £79) and pay the difference if I want an expensive pair. Because I only ever wear my glasses at home, I dont pay much and have only used the scheme once last year.
I got quoted £220 for Balmain frames with all the stuff added (which is the worst part!) anti glare, thinning down lens etc. The actual glasses themselves only came to like £70 after the scheme discount. I couldn't believe my ears and told her I'd take the frames by themselves and get the prescription put in elsewhere which I did, for £60. So still paid £130 in total but not the bloody £220 they quoted!!

I went in a few weeks later and asked for another quote - same glasses, same extras and somehow it was now £180. So Idk how they work out their pricing but I dont trust it. Thanks to Covid, I've had too much time to research and have also tried and tested a new cheaper contact lens supplier so will be cancelling with Specsavers after this month!

 

[JodieGreen123]

I paid over £200 last time but they’re fancy frames and I got the extra thin anti glare lenses as I hated driving at night with my old ones.

As I wear them on my face all day every day I consider it money very well spent!

 

[Whatsallthis]

My last pair were the best part of £300. I need them thinned right down and always get the anti-glare/scratch resistant coating. I do tend to go for decent frames too.
I think of it as cost per wear - everyday for around 2years - doesn’t seem that expensive that way.

 

[Trixabellee9393]

Independant opticians are ridiculously over priced. So beware. I worked in one for three years and they were selling frames at £500 thats NOT including lenses by claiming they were bespoke. Even tho I can find them second hand and in the same conditions from eBay for £50! RIP of! You can get the same quality for cheaper by just buying their bespoke stuff online and getting them glazed wherever (glazed meaning when they order and put your lenses/ prescription in) and if they say they don’t do that it’s because they want you to buy there own frames!

 

[Lolly505]

i think I got a similar deal!! I had my eyes tested at specsavers last week and I never wore the first pair of glasses I bought. I decided to get some anyway. In total I paid £164? I think (it was £160 something). In that deal I got two “designer” pair of glasses. One was for driving and the other pair were sun glasses. I also paid an extra £35 for the anti sun glare thing for the lenses. I think I got a lot for my money but I doubt I’ll ever use them I don’t really like wearing glasses

The staff at the Specsavers I went to did offer me sunglasses if I really wanted but I did say I don't really wear sunglasses anyway (I'd probably wear prescription ones more but in Scotland, they're not exactly a vital purchase ). But the supervisor there - who basically had to take over because the staff were that boggled by my mega-strength prescription - said that while she normally insists on everyone taking the 2-for-1 deal ("even just for having then as a spare pair in a drawer, it's worth it"), she didn't think it'd be good for me because I'd likely need to pay to get both lenses thinned (because if I didn't, "I can almost guarantee you won't wear your glasses"... even though I have no option but to wear them, heavy or not ).

So I would politely advise wearing your glasses or you might end up paying out the wazoo if your sight ends up as bad as mine (And that's just from wearing glasses at too low a prescription for years).

I'm on Specsavers contact lens scheme so every two years, I qualify for a free pair of glasses (up to £79) and pay the difference if I want an expensive pair. Because I only ever wear my glasses at home, I dont pay much and have only used the scheme once last year.
I got quoted £220 for Balmain frames with all the stuff added (which is the worst part!) anti glare, thinning down lens etc. The actual glasses themselves only came to like £70 after the scheme discount. I couldn't believe my ears and told her I'd take the frames by themselves and get the prescription put in elsewhere which I did, for £60. So still paid £130 in total but not the bloody £220 they quoted!!

I went in a few weeks later and asked for another quote - same glasses, same extras and somehow it was now £180. So Idk how they work out their pricing but I dont trust it. Thanks to Covid, I've had too much time to research and have also tried and tested a new cheaper contact lens supplier so will be cancelling with Specsavers after this month!

Yeah, I couldn't help but feel a bit fleeced after it, even though I could tell this wasn't the typical custom experience since they were heavy concerned about my eyesight/prescription. I did feel quite pressured to get glasses there and them but again, I don't think I had a lot of options with how complex my prescription apparently is.
Because I was that thrown, I forgot to ask for a copy of my prescription so I'll need to ask when I pick up glasses, just to see if I could possibly get cheaper ones elsewhere

 

[Niamhm]

Last time I spent £149 at specsavers for buy 1 get 1 free designer glasses, I got a normal pair and a pair of sunglasses for the first time ever. I always pay £100+ for ones I really love, I have to wear them all day everyday so it's definitely worth it

 

[PinkandTwinkly]

My heath insurance covers to £300, so I'll normally alternate and get a decent £200 pair one year and some good Glasses Direct deals another.

I paid £50 the other day purely for the optician to tell me I had dry eyes (thought I had scratched my eye but nope just dry)

 

[Pixipoppy]

I only really wear glasses if I’m working for long periods of time or at the cinema. I don’t legally need them to drive or anything - I get them online mostly for about £30/£50 a pair (I also usually opt for ultra clear on top which is about £15). Though before I knew about buying online I would have spent £80ish per pair because high street frames just seem so much pricier. If you need varis or have a really complex needs you have to pay a lot more unfortunately.... I’m a bit confused as to why you ended up with a pair you didn’t want though? What was the reason for that? Sometimes with varis you have to have enough space in the lens for the 3 parts, I can’t think why else you wouldn’t be able to have the style you wanted. Although I think with some of the cheaper pairs they’re not covered in the offers.

 

[Kim Mild]

The staff at the Specsavers I went to did offer me sunglasses if I really wanted but I did say I don't really wear sunglasses anyway (I'd probably wear prescription ones more but in Scotland, they're not exactly a vital purchase ). But the supervisor there - who basically had to take over because the staff were that boggled by my mega-strength prescription - said that while she normally insists on everyone taking the 2-for-1 deal ("even just for having then as a spare pair in a drawer, it's worth it"), she didn't think it'd be good for me because I'd likely need to pay to get both lenses thinned (because if I didn't, "I can almost guarantee you won't wear your glasses"... even though I have no option but to wear them, heavy or not ).

So I would politely advise wearing your glasses or you might end up paying out the wazoo if your sight ends up as bad as mine (And that's just from wearing glasses at too low a prescription for years).


Yeah, I couldn't help but feel a bit fleeced after it, even though I could tell this wasn't the typical custom experience since they were heavy concerned about my eyesight/prescription. I did feel quite pressured to get glasses there and them but again, I don't think I had a lot of options with how complex my prescription apparently is.
Because I was that thrown, I forgot to ask for a copy of my prescription so I'll need to ask when I pick up glasses, just to see if I could possibly get cheaper ones elsewhere

If you take your glasses to another optician they'll be able to find out your prescription from the lenses.

I did that ,when my eye test was due and found out a high street optician had put my previous prescription back in my new lenses, instead of my new one

 

[hnoz]

I’m not a glasses wearer but my husband only wears raybans or cubits so he spends about £200 in a pair. He probably only gets a new pair every other year or so.

 

[Kim Mild]

I've bought glasses online from Selectspecs before and they were about a tenner ( I have a simple prescription). You can click to add all the lense options that bump the prices up , if you need them , they never explain all this in high street optician, they just tell you a huge price at the end.

Also , to buy online you need to know your distance between your pupils and they dont tell you that so you have to try and read their notes upside down haha

 

[Emoji]

I’ve been going to Vision Express for years and usually spend a couple of hundred on new frames and lenses.
The last time I got my eyes tested, they recommended the new prescription. As I was on mat leave and a bit skint I asked them just to put the new lenses in my frames and they refused!
A friend had told me about an online shop called Iolla, you input your prescription and pick the frames. £60 for everything. I think if you needed then thinned down it was an extra £5. I will never buy a pair out of a high street shop again, absolute rip off.