If you live in the US, you are subject to
insane markups on these products. When I went to a chain store (Pearle Vision, Sears, LensCrafters) with my prescription I was charged $340 for a pair of eyeglasses, - my insurance only covering 40% of cost, most of the cost was in the lenses - not in the frames.
Most eyeglass frames in the US are made by Luxxotica, (Italy) all those brands you see are lisenced names, they all come from the same place, Luxxotica also owns LensCrafters, so they control manufacturing and distribution, do you think the customer would get a price break? No, LensCrafters is typically the most expensive place to buy eyeglasses, while quality is high, you pay through the nose, for pieces of plastic and wire that cost a few dollars to make.
Have you tried shopping online? All you need is a current prescription, online shops such as
Zenni Optical even allow you to upload a picture of yourself to try on glasses - and what is most important to me -
you can make returns! I just got my prescription no-line bifocals yesterday, with some great leopard print frames and non reflective coating for $74. They are sturdy, with crystal clear lenses, and I can still claim out-0f-network on my insurance to pay for them.
Zenni Optical is located in China (but I have no problem with that considering that most items are made there) if you need single-vision prescription lenses, there are some cool American online shops, including Warby Parker, (see more brands
here) and some shops will even send you frames for free to try out, (send back free shipping) before ordering. I’m really happy with what I got, and never going back to a chain store again!
