Med-Psych.com

So, I've written my few reviews on Lenscrafters eye exams and posted some of my research on anti-reflective lenses. Now I'm going to try to put some information together on places that sell eyeglasses cheaply. Most of these places will be online, but I'll also review the prices in brick and mortar stores as well.

What got me interesting in wanting to put together these threads is that my insurance only covers new glasses every 2 years. While it seemed like a got a great deal at Lenscrafters last year, when I was considering a new pair this year (to get the anti-reflective coating recommended by the optometrist), I was shocked to see the price of the lenses alone were several hundred dollars.

I will update this thread as I get the information about each company. I am thinking I may start a new thread for each eye store in order to keep the discussions more focused on experiences people have had with the specific eyeglass shops.

Here's my first review of lens costs and comparisons, for Lenscrafters.

In summary:

Plastic $125
Polycarbonate $190
Polycarbonate with scratch resistant coating $220
Polycarbonate with anti-reflective coating $325

These are the prices just for lenses. Expect frames to be around $100 and up. See the above link for more details.

Here's my next review for Costco Optical.

Highlights:
Eye exam: $49
Frames: $40 - $140
Plastic Lenses: $50 (unknown if includes all coatings)
Polycarbonate with all coatings (Anti-reflective, UV, and scratch resistant): $74

Clearly a much better deal than Lenscrafters, but you will have to wait for your glasses.

Here's my review for Walmart Vision Center.

Briefly:

Eye exam: $49
Frames: $18 - $140
Plastic Lenses: $30 (no coating). UV Protection add $10. Anti-reflective coating add $35.
Polycarbonate Lenses with UV, scratch resistant, and anti-reflective coatings: $118.

Here's my review of Zenni Optical.

I've ordered glasses and am now waiting (I expect it'll be a while). They are definitely the cheapest I've found. Here's a brief price breakdown:

Many frames offered starting at $8 (including lenses) up to around $40.
Polycarbonate composite lenses 1.57 index included in price with anti-scratch and UV protection
Antireflective coating - $4.95
Tinting, polychromatic, and multifocal options available.
Shipping: $4.95 no matter how many pairs of glasses are ordered.

Here's my comments on 39dollarglasses.com.

Overall, decent prices relative to regular retailers, but more than most online retailers. You can get lenses and a basic frame for $39. Add anti-reflective coating for $24.95. They do offer many choices of frames and lens upgrades including high-index and tinting.

In brief, people said if the product came properly it was of decent quality. However, it seemed that there was a high rate of mistakes with orders and the customer service is horrible.

Here's my initial review of Eyeglass Lens Direct. It's a different set-up from the other places in that they don't sell frames, just lenses. You mail in your frames and they replace the lenses. The reason I bothered reviewing them is they are the only online store I've seen thus far that sells name brand high quality lenses and lens treatments at discount prices. If you want to get the best anti-reflective coatings at a discount, this is the only option I've found so far. The basic prices aren't going to be close to Zenni, but you can get the highest quality options at a discount. You can also choose middle of the road options at prices that are probably competitive with my other top choice - Costco.

I've added a review for Goggles4u.com which is another deep discount online eyeglass shop.

There are mixed reviews on the company, but they are currently offering special deals for as low as under $10 for eyeglasses with lenses delivered, including:

Basic frames
Middle index 1.56 plastic lenses (will be slightly thinner than the standard 1.50 plastic lenses)
Anti-reflective coating
Anti-scratch coating
UV filter coating
Hard case

Overall, it may be the lowest price for all of that.