More and more people are drawn to buying their glasses online. The main reasons people tend to quote are convenience and price. BUT, convenience and low prices come at a cost of their own. Here are the top reasons to beware of purchasing glasses online and why you should buy your glasses with your local optometrist.
Inaccurate or Shoddy Lenses Online
The most important part of your glasses isn't the frames. It's the lenses that allow you to go about your daily life. Because of all the different uses we put our eyes to, lenses need to be perfectly crafted in laboratory conditions in order to ensure that they deliver exactly the focus and power your eyes need to see properly. This is especially true if you wear multi-focal or progressive lenses, or if you need adjustments for astigmatism. Lenses need to exactly conform to the measurement of sphere power, cylinder power and axis, add power (if specified), separation of the distance of optical centers and center thickness. What's more, lenses today are required to pass a minimum impact safety rating. When you buy online, you simply have no way to make certain of the actual lens quality you are receiving. All too often, lenses purchased online failed to live up to these standards. In a recent study conducted by the American Optometric Association, nearly 45% percent of all lenses purchased online had inaccurate prescriptions or failed basic safety requirements.
Coatings are also an important choice when purchasing glasses. You need to get the correct coating to suit your lifestyle. The basics include anti-glare and anti-scratch. More and more, people are choosing to protect their eyes from harmful blue light we are exposed to by prolonged use of digital devices. While most online vendors will offer these coatings, you have no way of knowing if they are of high-quality, or applied to the lens in a controlled environment. If the coating quickly flakes or peels off, you will find yourself vulnerable to scratches, glare, UV, and general discomfort.
Lens prescription, manufacture, and coating make all the difference in how we see.
When you buy your glasses and frames at Oakbrook Optical Eyecare, you can be absolutely sure of the quality of the lenses you're buying. We have our own laboratory for making lenses, and our opticians personally confirm the prescription before setting the lenses, as well as before the glasses are delivered. Likewise, our coatings are premium-sourced and applied only under the strictest of controlled conditions.
Frame Fit and Quality: Cheap is Expensive
There are many discount frames available online, with price point being a major selling point. However, all too often cheap is really expensive in the long run. A tinny or easily broken pair of frames will not last all that long. Many online discount frames tend to be of subpar manufacturing.
It's also important that frames suit your face, something our opticians carefully walk you through. True, online vendors have various apps and tips for matching the right frame style to your face. However, how it looks is only part of it. How glasses FEEL is perhaps even MORE important. Frames that are too heavy or otherwise uncomfortable defeat any savings you may have scraped in price. What's more, you can even experience headaches or other vision problems―assuming the prescription is even correct!―if you are not looking through the right part of the lens because of a poor fit.
At Oakbrook Optical Eyecare, our designer and basic frames alike are professionally fitted to your face for maximal comfort. They are guaranteed to survive normal wear and tear for at least the first year, and you can always just walk in for an adjustment, or if you are having any problems.
We are open 2 Saturdays per month