Lens blanks can come pre-coated by the manufacturer on the front, and the prescription ground in the back side by the lab. So it’s easier for a lab to have high quality front UV/Anti-scratch coated lenses since they come that way from the factory. But, I’m not an optician, so I don’t know what other variables could be at play.
Just be honest and tell them you are “showrooming”.
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I believe they just cut them out and that the curvature is set at the factory. The variable is the sourcing of their blanks. I’ve even noticed a slight difference in quality between different indexes.
It just occurred to me that I first learned about ordering glasses online from a post Mark made on the subject back when I was in college. Though I’ve bought some designer frames cheaply through a friends massive manager’s discount. I had them lensed online. I’ve not actually gotten a full set of glasses at a brick and morter since I read that first post right around 10 years ago.
My PD was written on one of my old prescriptions by the optometrist. I can see how opticians will have a problem with giving you a PD, and would like to dispense FUD, since that directly impacts their sales. A copy of this was on display at the optical counter in the local Costco: Page Not Found - The College of Opticians of Ontario - COO
Note the word “illegal”. That said, the same Costco will print your PD on the receipt when you order glasses.
“UNREGULATED SELLING OF PRESCRIPTION
EYEWEAR OVER THE INTERNET IN ONTARIO
IS NOT JUST UNSAFE. IT IS ALSO ILLEGAL.”
Nice FUD. They don’t specify whether regulated selling of prescription eyewear over the internet is legal in Ontario.
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Yup.
Also had to take a pair of sunnys to a mall optrician when, on an extended vacation in sunny so cal, the glasses arived with a lens that slipped out of the frame. Ten bucks and a bit of scolding about the cheap plastic frames, and we were good to go!
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Attention! Do not look into laser with your remaining good eye.
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You miss the nice sales ladies telling you how great you look in those frames.
I use progressives but ordered single vision sunglasses. They accidentally sent me clear lenses, quickly sent the correct product and told me to keep the clear ones. I discovered these are great for watching TV since I don’t have to hold my head upright to to see it.
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Then, read Chuck Tingle’s new thriller, “By The Heat of The Dino Taint”, where horny dinosaurs and lusty cavepeople roam the earth and grind each other’s ass glass for millions of years without stopping to rest. Coming soon to major booksellers near you.
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I’ve used Zenni for years, and have also tried Global Eyewear and a few others. Zenni is the cheapest by far, and the lenses and frames are decent enough. But my most recent order was held up several weeks in customs in China, and the separate pair I ordered from Global came right away. So if you’re ordering from Zenni, know that they are manufactured in China and may get delayed in a shipping container.
As a reference, I have a very difficult prescription. Nearsighted, need progressive lenses now, and severe astigmatism in the right eye but not the left. I’ve had no problems with what I receive, the only negative to online purchasing I can find is not knowing exactly how a frame will feel when its on your face. The “try on” feature is only so good for most of these sites, and you really need to have a clear understanding of the size of the frame you need first, especially the arm length.
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I have a large wide noggin so I get my frames online from a company called (for real): Fatheadz. They don’t do lenses - yet - but the frames are good.
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That’s what Hornbot does? That’s blatant false advertising!
14 years is pretty damn durable. My last pair lasted five, then turned white and literally crumbled.
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While I love Zenni, I wouldn’t call their glasses remotely durable. I’ve been wearing these frames for a few years now, because they’re very comfortable and I think they look good, but the fake horn-rim finish starts peeling off in chunks after about 8 months. I’ve gone through three or four pairs so far. But at about $20 each it’s hard to complain.
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For what it’s worth, I have 2 pairs of glasses from EyeBuyDirect that I’ve been happy with.
My everyday glasses are wire rims from PearleVision. I got those because my insurance theoretically covers a pair of glasses, but if you want anything fancy like non-reflective coating (which suddenly adds $70 or so), you pay for that. So I figured I’d try online glasses and see if it was worth it. I got a pair of Wayfarer-style sunglasses for which I paid about $30 and then the cheapest pair of glasses they had (less than $20) for backup/painting/crawling under the car. I wear the sunglasses regularly and have been plenty happy with them. The other pair feels kinda cheap, but not terribly so. During some house renovation work, I wore them for a couple days straight and they were plenty comfortable and my eyes were happy with them.
It’s gonna be time for an eye checkup soon, and I doubt I’ll need new glasses this time, but next time I do, I’m gonna skip PearleVision and just buy from EyeBuyDirect.
I buy my distance/riding glasses from Zenni, because I thought they were Xeni!!!
true story.
but for my bifocals, i go the costco route, cause every pair i tried from zenni has not really 'worked"
i did. i thought they were Xeni 
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As someone whose lenses are scratched and temple… thingies(?) disintegrating, and with no eye insurance, consider my interest piqued.
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You can also find plenty of online tutorials on doing this yourself
This would probably do it: stand in front of a mirror, nose touching the glass, holding an eraseable sharpie in your hand. Without moving your head, look with your left eye at your left eye and mark that spot on the mirror. Look with your right eye at your right eye and mark that spot. Now measure the distance between them.
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