8 dollar eyeglasses are best choice for those who on a tight budget and need to get rid of their old eyeglasses. Then the question is how to order such eyeglasses online? Here are steps for doing so!
The first thing to do is to figure out what kind of glasses you want. If you’re happy with the pair that you have, then you can stay at home, but if you want to shop around, hit up your local mall and check out what kind of glasses they have. Try on a few pairs, find something you like, and then bust out your measuring tape.
When you order glasses online, you can’t try them on, but you can compare them to what you have in hand. So if you find out what looks good on you, you can order a similar shape, and size, and be relatively confident that your new glasses will also look good on you. Measure the lenses width and height, as well as the the width of the bridge. Those three measurements will be the most important. You can also look at the entire frame width, and the length of the temple arms as well. All good online glasses retailers will provide the measurements of their products.
Second, you’re going to need an updated prescription. Sadly, that can’t be outsourced online, so you’re going to have to go to an optometrist. I’ve had excellent luck at our local Costco, but if you have a family eye doctor, or a wonderful local small business, feel free to support them.
Make sure that they do more than measure your prescription, as you’ll want to be sure that your eyes are in a healthy condition. Your new prescription will give you all the information you need to order new prescription lenses online. Well, all accept one thing. Your papillary distance.
So the third thing you have to do is figure out what your papillary distance is. This is the distance between your pupils. It will affect how the lenses fit to your eyes. If the measurement is completely off, then you might experience headaches, and the world you see might not be exactly how it is. But don’t worry, it is very easy to calculate – as long as you have a friend. Get a ruler, and have your friend/spouse/co-worker hold it up in front of your eyes while you stare into the distance. Don’t look at the ruler, and don’t look at your friend. That will bring your eyes closer together. Measure, in millimeters, how far from the center of one pupil to the other. The average is 62mm, but it can range from 50-70+. Mine was 61, my wife’s was 55.
Fourth, go shopping! The website we used was zennioptical.com. If you want more options, the go to resource for online glasses shopping is glassyeyes.blogspot.com. He’s been blogging about buying glasses online for years, and as such, has the best links/resources for shopping for glasses online. Each website has its own positives and negatives. Some provide more information, but are harder to navigate, and others are cheaper, but less user friendly. Find one that you’re comfortable with, and get to ordering!
Fifth, once you found the frames that you like, fill out your lens information using your prescription. It is all pretty straightforward, as you just copy and paste. You’ll also need to input your pupillary distance here as well. Most websites will also offer you additional options. For example, at Zenni Optical you have your choice of tinting the lens, adding an anti reflective coating, or changing the thickness of the lens.
If you’re ordering a backup pair of glasses, then don’t bother with any fancy additional options, but once you’re comfortable ordering online, you might consider getting a thinner lens, especially if you have a high prescription. This is the “index” option. The standard seems to be about 1.50, and it gets thinner as the number gets higher (1.61, 1.67, etc). The $8 pair that I got were 1.50, and since I have a high prescription (think -6 in each eye), they are really quite thick. Almost embarrassingly. But my others are 1.61, and they aren’t even noticeable.
Sixth, place your order, and wait! Mine have come in the mail within a week or two. Mine came in their own case, wrapped in a microfiber cloth for cleaning them.
Have you ordered 8 dollar eyeglasses online?
