It's hard to go wrong with any of the "Big 5" listed on the main glassyeyes page. Ira (list owner) is able to intervene with 4 of the big 5, in case of a problem...Zenni is the only one of the retailers with which Ira doesn't have a personal contact. Having said that, though, Zenni (despite some recent bad press) usually does a pretty good job, too. My glasses have all come from Zenni...5 pairs, last year.
The bottom line is, just order something. I know it sounds silly, simplistic, and even a bit flippant...but it's true. You can be paralyzed by the sheer number of options available online, and especially if you lack the experience with glasses that some of our members have. Be sure to pay attention to the frame/lens dimensions, and the general shape/fit...but that's true for anyone buying *anything* online. My best advice is to just bite the bullet, and try it. The cheapest online sites start around $8 per pair...skip a latte' and order a pair or two from one of the big 5. If they turn out well, then GREAT. If you completely screw up the order, the Lion's club gets a donation. There's remarkably little to lose. Now, about styles and fit... There is an optician in England named Robert Roope, who goes through all the steps to choosing a flattering pair of glasses. Quite illuminating, and very well done. Here's a link to the first of his videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVSjFZy0Rug He also touches on the options, like antireflection coatings. At the online prices, I always get AR coatings. They work great, and make the lenses look WAY less obvious. Now, if you are anything like me, your first pair is going to be traumatic...the AR helps them "go away" in terms of appearance. Some people love AR...some hate it. If you buy 2 pairs, try one with, and one without. And, if you need glasses for driving, consider some prescription sunglasses -- very cool to have, but prohibitively expensive if not buying them online. As you become more comfortable wearing glasses, you'll quickly learn what you like, what you really hate, and be able to make a *much* more informed decision. Maybe, then, you can go for something more pronounced...maybe even something that makes a personal statement! Good luck! -- Chuck Knight P.S. Do you have a style of frame in mind? Maybe someone, here, could point you in the right direction...where to get it the cheapest, etc? On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 6:49 PM, TenmaNeko <[email protected]> wrote: > > Well, it looks like I'm going to be getting glasses for the first > time. I've gone about 30 years without them, but I've noticed things > far away starting to get blurry and such. Stupid getting older > stuff. So, I'm getting an eye exam soon. I've been looking around at > some of the online shops. What are some of your favorites? It seems > the Zenni has had many complaints but about equal complements. I've > seen some bad things about googles4u, but I do like their selection > and price. EyeBuyDirect seems like a solid place, but nothing they > have really grabs me. > > Well, any tips or comments for a newb are appreciated. > > I am glad I found out about all this before coughing up $400 for > glasses. It seems shocking how expensive they are. > > Oh well, thanks! > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Check us out at the oft-updated http://www.glassyeyes.com! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GlassyEyes" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/glassyeyes?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
