For most of us, glasses are expensive, poorly reimbursed and have to be replaced regularly. However, there is a wide choice of eyeglasses or sunglasses at very affordable prices at many opticians and not only on the Internet. To get better value for money and buy your glasses cheaper,
Follow our 7-point advice!
1. Know your needs
It is essential and yet often overlooked! If you determine your needs well before buying your glasses, you will be less inclined to pay more than you need, or to leave your pair in a drawer… If you have a big nose, you would need glasses for big nose, for example.
For the treatment of glasses (anti-scratch, anti-reflective, polarizing glasses, anti-UV anti-fog, etc…) we will often tend to offer you some automatically, however they are not all essential and they can increase the bill by several tens of dollars. If you want coatings on the lenses, you should know that some coatings are included in the type of lenses. For example, polycarbonate lenses still provide protection against harmful UV rays. Make sure you don’t pay twice…!
Manufacturers have invested a lot in recent years to improve the quality of vision and the quality of lenses or treatments: if you do not wear glasses regularly or your correction is weak, it may not be necessary to buy latest-generation “tailor-made” lenses.
2. Choose the right brand
For a pair of glasses of the same quality, the prices differ from one store to another, and sometimes even for the same brand. Don’t hesitate to enter the shops to try on frames and assess the quality of professional advice. If you want to buy your glasses on the Internet, know that they will often be cheaper than at the traditional optician.
3. Choose quality
Yes, that’s good math: buying a quality frame today can save you from having to replace it next year. Some cheap glasses may be pretty but not very functional and may even harm your health. Conversely, a first price frame at 30 dollars is not necessarily of worse quality than a frame at 200 dollars, it is necessary to take into account the materials used, but also the design and the brand which alone can justify such a price difference. You should also know that you can fit new lenses on your old frame.
4. Choose a brand or not?
As we have seen, a brand is not necessarily synonymous with quality. Just know that between a classic frame and a designer-branded frame, prices can vary from 1 to 10! Check the eyeglasses trends 2022!
5. Ask for quotes
Ask for an optical quote in due form, all opticians are required to give it to you, but sometimes (often!) you have to ask for it.
Do not hesitate to ask for several quotes and to refuse certain useless options. Prices may also differ from place to place for the same brand. Play the competition and compare like with like… When buying your glasses, it is important to compare not only the price but the overall value, including the quality of the frames and lenses, the care taken during the fitting, professional know-how, services offered and warranty.
6. Choose a mutual insurance company that works with a health network
Many optical mutuals have called on health platforms that work with approved partner opticians. Even with a “basic” contract, it is possible to obtain discounts of 20 to 40% on lenses and frames.
7. The offer of the second pair, a bargain?
Almost all opticians offer a second pair of glasses for free, even those that don’t advertise them, but be aware that they will often be of lower quality in terms of frame and lenses. The choice of frames is also often more limited. If you don’t need them, you can ask for a discount on your pair of reads instead.
Also read: What is a Quality Management System And Why Does It Matter?
