Does it Matter Where You Buy Your Glasses? Aren’t Glasses All The Same?
FALL 2019 FARRAGUT LIFE 35
Millions of people are shopping
on-line for items ranging from
simple things like groceries to big
purchases such as automobiles. We all are
looking for a bargain but don’t want to get
burned on quality. Eyeglasses have become
available on-line and is a big business.
Unfortunately, saving money isn’t always
going to provide you with the best pair
of glasses.
Why does it matter where you buy your
glasses? On the surface, most glasses are
distinguished by the frame style. The lenses
are in many cases an afterthought since the
lenses are clear and they all look the same.
What you don’t see when looking at the
lenses, you will see by looking through the
lenses. Most people who have ever shopped
for camera lenses, rifle scopes, binoculars, or
telescopes can tell you that the price varies
greatly depending on the quality of the
optics. Lens materials and designs are very
technical and can vary greatly.
Make no mistake, if you want to find glasses
at the cheapest price available, you will find
them on-line or in the big box stores. If price
is your main concern, then you may be happy
getting your glasses there. In some cases,
these glasses will serve their purpose and you
can save some money. However, if you have
an advanced prescription, astigmatism, need
help seeing both near and far, or you just want
to see the best through your glasses, then
you may want to consider a few things before
making your next eyeglasses purchase:
•Who is fitting your glasses and making
sure they are made correctly according to
the prescription from your doctor and the
specific measurements needed to make your
glasses custom to your face, prescription
and lifestyle? If you buy them on-line,
you will need to provide this information
yourself. If you buy them in the big box
stores, you are relying on the salesperson
to take care of this for you. More times
than not, this salesperson is not a licensed
optician and has very little training in optics
and opticianry science. In order to get the
most accurate and advanced pair of glasses
available, you should rely on a licensed
optician. These professionals are formally
educated, trained, and licensed in opticianry
science and provide you with an invaluable
service. Their job is to take your prescription
and turn it into advanced optical lenses that
provides you with clear, comfortable vision
while making a statement with a frame
that complements your face. Why settle for
anything less? Isn’t your vision important
enough to invest in a great pair of glasses?
•The lenses are the most important part of
your eyeglasses. Why, you ask? Because the
lenses are what you are looking through to
enhance your vision. The frame is there to
hold the lenses in place, and also to look
great, but we’ll get to that in a minute. The
more complex your prescription, the more
important it is to get high quality lenses. If
you have ever tried a cheap progressive, you
will surely see the difference once you try
a highly advanced design using the latest,
free-form digital technology.
•Everyone claims to offer “fashionable”
frames. The frame is what people see when
you are wearing glasses. For many of us,
fashion is high on the list, but fit, comfort,
and durability should also rank high in
priority. Many “designer” frames are made
from cheap materials and manufactured in
mass to provide a low price. Unfortunately,
you get what you pay for. The only way to
truly tell the difference is to try on several
frames and decide for yourself what meets
your needs. If you shop on-line or only try
on cheap frames, then you will miss out on
experiencing a great frame. Frames vary
greatly in price and this is due to many
factors. Materials, manufacturing, and
designer name brands all play a significant
role in price. There is a reason that some
companies can offer two pair of eyeglasses
for less than what you would pay for dinner
at a nice restaurant.
With all of the choices available to you to buy
your next pair of eyeglasses, we hope that we
have given you some valuable information
to consider. We would love to have the
chance to show you around our brand
new optical showroom at Premier Eyecare
located in Farragut. We have 4 licensed
opticians on staff with nearly 50 years of
combined experience. We proudly feature
Hoya lenses and have over 1,000 frames on
display. We have a range of styles and many
top-of-the-line designer frames available to
meet most budgets. Come check us out and
see why our motto is “Focused for Life.”
By Brent B. Fry, OD and Mary Crabtree, LDO