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Progressive no line glasses are not inexpensive. In fact, all eyeglasses are expensive! Even more so if you have the no line progressive lenses like I have. The last pair of glasses I bought cost me $580 – with a 20% discount! Even with my insurance it would have cost me the same amount. Unfortunately, after 6 months, they stopped working for me.
Short Term Wear – High Cost Problem
In fact, this was primarily because I paid extra to do the eye photo imaging; a process where they photograph your eyes with the frames on. This is supposed to help craft the lenses especially for you. The problem is, the glasses don’t always sit exactly the same way as they did in the picture. Eventually, I started getting headaches, and wasn’t seeing as well as I should be. Long story short, I might as well have just thrown the money away!
I was so upset! It takes me a long time to get to the point to spend that kind of money – especially on myself. And, I had finally given in and got the glasses and it was all for nothing! Additionally, I was now going to have to order yet another pair of expensive glasses.
Expensive, but Necessary
I mean, really, who can afford to buy new glasses when they are so expensive? The pair before these lasted me seven years, and I got them for $400. And when I say they “lasted” me, I mean I put up with them for that long because I didn’t want to spend so much money on myself. Plus, I should have had two or three pairs during that time! Those glasses were from JC Penney, and that was on their half price sale!
Ordering glasses online is another option, but which company is good? Who do you ask? How do you know? And, more importantly, how do you go about doing it?
Being nervous about this whole process had me mentally paralyzed for a few months. Although, I was able to wear my old glasses (now going on 8 years old), they were in bad shape and the prescription wasn’t right. Not a very good thing for your eyes!
Zenni Optical – an Excellent Alternative
One afternoon, I was talking with my daughter about my dilemma. She told me that one of her friends ordered all of his glasses from Zenni Optical. She said he loved his glasses and that they were also progressive like the ones I needed. Looking through their site, they had several frame and lens options. The frames are priced as low as $6.95 for women and the lenses have varying prices depending on what you order.
However, once again, I found myself struggling. You have to figure out some measurements, and upload a photo. They also recommend you have a prescription that is less than two years old, which I did have. Although, you can still order and your actual eyeglass prescription is not a requirement.
Measuring Your Pupillary Distance Is Easier than You Think
The hardest thing to figure out was how to measure my PD. This stands for Pupilary Distance. This is the distance from the center of your pupil in one eye to the center of your pupil in your other eye. If you are getting no line progressives, you need to actually measure the distance from the center of the pupil to the nose for both eyes. This combined would also equal the PD. For example, my PD is 63, my left is 31 and my right is 32.
So, how do you go about doing this? Well, I simply printed off the ruler provided on the site. And had my daughter draw a line with eyeliner in the center of my nose, and measured using the ruler to the line. In the end, it turned out to be pretty darn easy! I also measured my existing lenses and frames – this really helps for sizing purposes. A must!
Upload a Photo to Try On the Frames
The fun part came next. Uploading the photo was easy, but I struggled a little when it came to getting it ready to try on glasses. Here are some steps you need to go thru. First, upload a headshot by simply cropping the photo making a headshot is pretty easy. Here’s a picture of my headshot; before and after.
Once you upload your headshot, you need to put the + over the center of each pupil. Simply click on the + and move it so that the center of your pupil is where the + crosses. Do this for each pupil.
Now, you are ready to start trying on glasses. It is absolutely amazing how this process works. I think it is even better than trying them on in person! Look at these two different styles I tried on using their process. You can really see what will look good on me, like these:
And what does not look good on me, like these:
At any rate, I got my first pair for $123.62 delivered and the 2ndpair, sunglasses, for $92.04. Both no line progressive lenses! Also, the total cost can be submitted to your Flex Spending Account for your healthcare. So, with all that said, what do you think of these?
I am very happy with my Zenni Eyeglasses and I think you will be happy too! As a side note, I accidentally dropped my glasses and they replaced them for no charge. You cannot beat that! Great company, great customer service, and excellent product! I am looking forward to buying a few more glasses, now that I can easily afford them!
Enjoy,
Sherri
