Watching the world shift a little...

It's easier with new glasses, sort of.

I have a great optician and visit him when I need new [multi-focal, very super expensive] glasses. The non-name-brand I'm currently wearing cost, no exaggeration, $600. A little of that cost is the photochromic lens that makes these work as sunglasses too, but it means I can see in all light, anywhere.

But those of you who wear progressives [aka invisible bifocals] know that working on computer or reading for an extensive period of time is a super-huge pain in the butt with the tiny reading area progressives give you. Lots of head-turning to follow a sentence or to see all of my laptop's 15" screen in focus. The only option is single-vision glasses that are set with a focal distance that matches where my computer screen sits in relation to my face. But they aren't cheap, especially if you like a nice-looking frame. And I do. Not surprisingly, I don't have $150 [and up!!] to spend right now.

So when I heard about GlassyEyes, I checked it out. Summary: if you wear single-vision glasses and don't need a brand name, you can have new glasses for $30 a pair. Including delivery. This is not a misprint. The GlassyEyes blog is all about just this thing and is very informative.

I found the frame above [I picked #16 -- black with turquoise] for $19. The anti-glare coating and delivery brought the total to $30.

I have heard good and bad about ordering online eyeglasses [mostly from Stefanie, who's had mixed results with the glasses she ordered], so I went into this knowing what came in the mail might be crap.

They came yesterday. They are absolutely perfect. The RX is right on [it helped that at my latest eye exam, I asked the doc for a detailed RX for single-vision glasses for computer, because there are fussy measurements she took for me that made the difference, I'm sure]. There was no duty or tax on the package.

That same eye doc warned me VERY STERNLY about ordering progressives from online companies. She said the measurements required are so specific to every frame that it's unlikely they'll be even close to what I would need. And yet, I just might take that $100 gamble, if I find myself with a spare c-note in my pocket at some time in the future.

But I did want to urge you to take a look at this as an option if you wear single-vision glasses. Zenni supposedly has a mixed reputation. However, in two transactions with them, I've been very pleased, and would go back to them again.

Nothing will ever replace the service and precise result you get from visiting an optician. But if you can't afford to see one, at least this way you're not walking into doors or getting headaches.