Ever think eyeglasses cost too much? With discounters hawking two-for-one deals as low as $39.99, why pay more than 10 times that for a single pair?
The temptation to spend less becomes even greater when multiple purchases are in order. And since many of the so-called value-enhancing features of eyeglasses aren’t visible to the untrained eye, it’s tough to see why anyone would be willing to pay the difference.
That is, unless you’ve had an experience similar to Sharon Wright’s, a Barrington homemaker who needed to buy glasses for her family of four. “We were looking at getting eight pairs of glasses,” says Wright, thinking she could economize by shopping at one of the discount chains. However, her financial coup was more than offset by wasted time and aggravation.
“Every week it seemed I was going back because the nosepads were falling off, or the temples were falling apart, or the lenses were popping out of my children’s glasses,” recalls Wright, who tolerated the irritating inconvenience until her spouse’s spectacles underwent a worse ordeal.
“It took them three months to get my husband’s prescription correct. At first, we were notified that the lab had made an error,” she says. “Then when my husband finally got the glasses and put them on, he couldn’t see. So we sent them back again and they scratched the frame. This time we got another notice that the lab had made yet another mistake with the prescription. That’s when we quit going there. It was just ludicrous to put a consumer through that.”
But with eyewear, as with any product, incompetence and inferior craftsmanship aren’t limited to discount retailers. Nor does paying a premium price guarantee high quality. So how do you know if you’re getting the most for your money?
“It’s a matter of trust. There’s so little a consumer can look at to know if a frame is worth $20 or $200,” says Dr. Chet Steinmetz, an optometrist and owner of Visual Effects Optical, 1953 N. Clybourn Ave.
Corrosion is one factor that’s hard to gauge. “That’s not something that shows up immediately,” says Sandra Likes, director of general merchandising and buying for LensCrafters, a national optical chain based in Cincinnati. “It usually takes 6 to 12 months of wear before a customer says, `Oh, this frame is wearing well,’ or `No, it isn’t.’ “
As Likes points out, the majority of metal frames in the U.S. are made of Monel, an alloy made of nickel, copper, iron and manganese that corrodes when it comes in contact with skin. The nickel content also can cause an allergic reaction unless the frame is treated with a clear-coat or painted finish. The clear coat, the most common of the two, is indistinguishable to the eye, yet adds value to the frame.
Evaluating eyewear is difficult for other reasons, too, says Marge Axelrad, editor in chief of 20/20 and Vision Monday, two industry publications. “People don’t buy glasses often enough to know what to ask for,” she says.
Furthermore, “it’s hard to do comparative pricing because it’s not just the frame you’re considering. For example, you might find a frame you love, but if they don’t measure the pupilary distance between your eyes and fulfill your prescription exactly, your glasses are not going to be comfortable when they put the lenses in. You’re going to get a headache, and you’ll be wondering what’s wrong with these glasses.”
When looking at frames, however, a consumer should realize that metal frames tend to cost more than plastic. Metals that won’t corrode, such as stainless steel or titanium, will increase the price of eyeglasses. “Titanium is lighter in weight and extremely strong, but it probably will add at least 25 percent to the cost of the frame,” Steinmetz says.
Spring hinges, which reinforce the temples and give the frame added flexibility, are an extra that can increase the cost of a frame by as much as 10 percent, says Likes.
Likewise, lenses can escalate in price, depending on which options you choose and where you buy your glasses. Newer materials such as high-index plastic, which cuts down on the thickness of the lens for strong prescriptions, can add anywhere from $50 to $100 to the price, Steinmetz says.
Polycarbonate, a virtually unbreakable, lightweight plastic, will increase the cost of the lenses from $30 to $50, he adds. Multifocal lenses, bifocals or progressives with invisible lines can cost 40 to 120 percent more than the standard lens.
Protective and cosmetic coating options also will increase the cost of a pair of glasses. Anti-scratch coatings average $20, tints run between $15 and $20, ultraviolet guards typically cost $20, and antireflective coatings range from $40 to $65.
Nonetheless, these factors don’t entirely explain the extremes in eyeglass pricing. How can some retailers afford to sell their product so cheaply?
“It’s the way people decide to run their business,” says Philip Wolman, president of For Eyes Optical, who claims his nationwide chain generally sells eyewear for 40 to 60 percent less than competitors. He says part of his strategy is to buy in volume from the manufacturers.
“We’re free to set our own prices,” Steinmetz says. “Some places will price according to what the market will bear and others will price just on their own formula.”
So if buying eyeglasses is a matter of trust, whom do you trust? Opticians, technicians who make and fit eyeglasses; optometrists, who are doctors of optometry; and ophthalmologists, who are medical doctors, are all valid choices. Although the last two need to be board certified, opticians do not require licensing. Yet, there are no guarantees.
“Licensing has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the service or product, or the price that one pays,” says Frank Rozak, vice president of the National Association of Optometrists and Opticians, who says that Illinois is one of 31 states that don’t require that opticians be licensed.
Instead, consumers need to rely on referrals and their own good judgment when selecting where they buy their glasses. Here are some guidelines:
– “Look for small details in a frame,” Steinmetz says. “The manufacturers that pay attention to detail do a better job.” For example, “where the temple meets the front of the frame, it should be flush, smooth, with a minimal break, so you almost can’t tell that the temple bends at that point.”
– Although hinges should be secure with some resistance, “the hinge movement should move smoothly when you flex it,” Likes says. “Sometimes you’ll hear a squeaky noise, meaning that it’s adjusted too tightly.”
– The finish should be smooth and uniform, Steinmetz says. There shouldn’t be any bubbling, scratches or excess solder at the joints.
– “Ask to see a good, better and best version of a frame,” Axelrad says. “There are stepups they should be able to talk to you about.”
– “Have your prescription in hand and be able to make sure that you’re making a lens choice at the same time that you’re making a frame choice,” Axelrad adds.
