Glasses... a love hate relationship

[olbriar]

I've worn glasses for over fifty years. I have never liked wearing them but it is very nice to see. I have a bifocal prescription and for years they have been no line or progressive lenses. Up until my last checkup and new prescription, I wore glass glasses. In this new age, my prescription is no longer available in glass and are made of a plastic of some sort. Albeit, they are light weight and do their job just fine.... UNTIL, you mar or scratch the magic coating that's on the lens. I hadn't owned my present pair of glasses a month before I either caught a tree branch while mowing or something abrasive that left one eye trying to see through a worthless marred corrective lens. I took my prescription online and bought two more pair at a substantial savings and have taken great care not to harm the coatings but I now have three pairs of glasses that are worthless. I want glass glasses! I need glass glasses! (end of rant) I'm way beyond the time my optometrist wanted to see me again, so I finally broke down and called to schedule an appointment. It seems the vision in my left eye has significantly changed. It's time to part with big bucks and get a current correction for my vision.

Do you like and dislike wearing glasses? Are you gentle enough with your glasses to enjoy the non glass glasses? How often do you see your optometrist? Are you a fan of photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight? Do you enjoy making a fashion statement with your glasses or are they a utility item for you? I'd like to hear your wearing glasses journey. I hope I'm not the only one that love and hate them.

 

[AugieTN]

Do you like and dislike wearing glasses?
Dislike

Are you gentle enough with your glasses to enjoy the non glass glasses?
I'm better now that I'm retired. While I was working I was always scratching and breaking them.

How often do you see your optometrist?
Once a year. That's what the insurance allows.

Are you a fan of photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight?
No I always get prescription sunglasses with their darkest glass

Do you enjoy making a fashion statement with your glasses or are they a utility item for you?
LOL! no fashion statement. I wear glasses because I need them. I started wearing glasses at 40

 

[olbriar]

Do you like and dislike wearing glasses?
Dislike

Are you gentle enough with your glasses to enjoy the non glass glasses?
I'm better now that I'm retired. While I was working I was always scratching and breaking them.

How often do you see your optometrist?
Once a year. That's what the insurance allows.

Are you a fan of photochromic lenses that darken in sunlight?
No I always get prescription sunglasses with their darkest glass

Do you enjoy making a fashion statement with your glasses or are they a utility item for you?
LOL! no fashion statement. I wear glasses because I need them. I started wearing glasses at 40

The darkest sunglasses... I have to laugh and tell on myself. While buying glasses on the internet ( Zenni ) though there are other vendors, I ordered the darkest prescription glasses I could. I mow commercially and I'm always fighting the sun and sun glare and desired a darker lens than I could get with a photogray or similar transitional lens. I ended up with welding glasses. They are so dark that I could not begin to see where I had been with the mower. The plus side is I have not scratched the magic coating with them sitting in their case.

 

[Clementine_3]

I go for an exam when I notice a need, every other year pretty much. I have always been careful with my glasses but the darn dogs do me in all the time haha, my current new pair have already taken a few good hits, multiple adjustments per pair. I'm very careful cleaning them and do get all the extra coatings, sure there are tiny scratches but not so many that they affect anything really. I find that polarized lenses work nicely for me, they cut down on glare and reflections which crisp things up, they aren't super dark but still make s huge difference. I'm not a fashion diva but have gone out of my comfort zone lately, nothing wrong with having fun! I actually prefer glasses over contacts, my eyes are always dry and contacts just feel like shards of glass, it's awful. And I too have been using Zenni, no complaints at all.

 

[jhtalisman]

Have you looked into polycarbonate lenses, Olbriar? I have them for my prescription safety glasses (for work) and so far so good though it's only been a little more than a month. Another option would be safety glasses that are made to wear over prescription glasses.

I have had glasses for several years, I just recently started actually wearing them regularly. My vision in my left eye has gotten worse. I'm nearsighted so I can't wear them all the time but need them for driving, TV watching, etc.

Fashion? I find frames that are comfortable and as expensive as my vision insurance will pay for (up to $250, with a $15 copay for the frames and lenses combined).
My most recent pairs have the blue light filtering which don't benefit me really because I can't wear them when using a screen close up.

 

[olbriar]

Have you looked into polycarbonate lenses, Olbriar? I have them for my prescription safety glasses (for work) and so far so good though it's only been a little more than a month. Another option would be safety glasses that are made to wear over prescription glasses.

I have had glasses for several years, I just recently started actually wearing them regularly. My vision in my left eye has gotten worse. I'm nearsighted so I can't wear them all the time but need them for driving, TV watching, etc.

Fashion? I find frames that are comfortable and as expensive as my vision insurance will pay for (up to $250, with a $15 copay for the frames and lenses combined).
My most recent pairs have the blue light filtering which don't benefit me really because I can't wear them when using a screen close up.

I always wore safety glasses at work and they saved me from injury a number of times. I did not know that they are still an option. I was simply told that I could no longer get glass lenses. I will check on the availability of the polycarbonate lens you speak of and I appreciate the information. It's obvious to me that I'm entirely too rough on plastic glasses for them to survive long. I definitely need a more durable lens.

Insurance... what's that? I've always been without coverage for glasses and hearing. I was so poor that I only had health insurance for my wife and children for most of my married life. I now have medicare but I don't think there is any coverage there either. I've paid out of pocket for every pair of glasses I've ever owned. They have always seemed a bit pricy so I shop cheap frames.

 

[AugieTN]

The prices for frames is insane or should I say ripoff. The first time i got glasses, they told me to pick a pair of frames that I like. I picked a pair and they were $160 for that little piece of plastic. I wonder how frame pricing is in Europe. They normally have better ripoff protection for consumers.

I always say yes to all the optional coatings. I always wonder how legitimate the coating and cost are.

 

[rootabaga]

I started wearing glasses in my thirties and quickly migrated to contacts, though of course you still have to wear glasses.
Something in my eye chemistry changed, though, and after several years I found I could wear contacts for fewer and fewer hours before having to remove them. So I went back to glasses pretty much full time, although they weren’t quite as clear as contacts.

Then I moved to a place that was really rainy and misty and I was having to clean my glasses constantly. After a while I had LASIK to correct my vision and that was outstanding. About twelve years after that, though, as my eyes got older I had to start wearing reading glasses. Nothing is perfect, but I prefer only needing glasses for close-up vision instead of needing them all the time.

I go in for an annual eye exam and although my vision is okay, I do have a pair of prescription driving glasses that clarify a little bit for distance.

That’s kind of my vision history in a nutshell.

Plus ten on the polycarbonate recommendation. I am pretty hard on glasses and those held their own.

Also: check into Zenni. Their prices are amazing and the quality is very good, and service is fast.

Good luck, Olbriar.

 

[ocnbrze]

i am in my 40's and i just started wearing glasses. i switched eye doctors cuz my insurance got switched from my work (basically my work decided not to offer it anymore since i am the only one that needed coverage). when i switched i got new glasses. i decided to get the photochromic lenses as well a progressive prescription. the mistake was the photochromic. i have to go in and out of people's houses or office a lot. and it takes forever for the glasses to switch to clear. i usually have to take the glasses off sometimes. it is really annoying. it is nice though when i drive.

so it is truly a love and hate thing with my glasses.

 

[AugieTN]

Everyone I know who have tried photochromic glasses say the same thing and never get them again.

 

[olbriar]

My glasses seem to change quickly but I may just be accustomed to them changing. I broke my first set of glasses in a bar fight. I thought I was okay because I had also purchased sunglasses and I could just wear them... wrong. I had the same trouble you site. They were just too dark for seeing well indoors. I had to buy another set of glasses.

I honestly haven't a problem with transitional glasses. They definitely darken quicker than they clear up. As I stated... perhaps I'm just accustomed to them changing.

As much as I dogged the plastic glasses, I have noticed they do have a perk. Coming in from the cold to a warm environment they are far quicker to warm up and produce condensation for a less amount of time.

 

[rootabaga]

My glasses seem to change quickly but I may just be accustomed to them changing. I broke my first set of glasses in a bar fight. I thought I was okay because I had also purchased sunglasses and I could just wear them... wrong. I had the same trouble you site. They were just too dark for seeing well indoors. I had to buy another set of glasses.

I honestly haven't a problem with transitional glasses. They definitely darken quicker than they clear up. As I stated... perhaps I'm just accustomed to them changing.

As much as I dogged the plastic glasses, I have noticed they do have a perk. Coming in from the cold to a warm environment they are far quicker to warm up and produce condensation for a less amount of time.

The polycarbonate should as well. One of the added benefits of the polycarbonate lenses is they have a better refraction rate and thus are quite a bit thinner than the plastic counterpart, with the result that they weigh significantly less. Of course that depends on how bad your eyes are.

Side story because the fogging reference reminded me of it…many years back I worked in a large supermarket/department store (the entity no longer exists, but picture a super Walmart). We had a huge walk-in freezer (it was about 20’x30’ and the ambient temp was usually about zero F, but there were blowers so it felt much colder) and we’d periodically have to work in there. One day one of the meat department guys had been in there about 30 minutes and when he came out his hard contacts fogged over!!

 

[AugieTN]

I just ordered a pair of glasses from Zenni. Pricing was good

 

[olbriar]

The only problem I have with Zenni is my lack of knowledge of the different coating options. The options are many and vary in price and I haven't a clue if I'm wisely spending my money or wasting it. That certainly isn't their fault. I've found that their frames are quality and duplicating my prescription has been spot on. I plan to order another pair once I have my new prescription. One pair for casual and one for work seems a good plan.

Have you ordered from Zenni before @AugieTN ?

 

[AugieTN]

The only problem I have with Zenni is my lack of knowledge of the different coating options. The options are many and vary in price and I haven't a clue if I'm wisely spending my money or wasting it. That certainly isn't their fault. I've found that their frames are quality and duplicating my prescription has been spot on. I plan to order another pair once I have my new prescription. One pair for casual and one for work seems a good plan.

Have you ordered from Zenni before @AugieTN ?

Ditto on the different coating. I just ordered what ever popped up. I don't have a clue either.

I have never ordered glasses online before, so the order through Zenni is a first. It seemed simple enough.

I did order, in person, one extra set of glasses last year through Costco. They had good pricing and were fine.

 

[Dannydet]

I've worn glasses and contacts since 1972. I hate myself in glasses so for the most part I'm 24/7 in contacts.
Just got my new prescription and this time I ordered Bono-type glasses with transition lenses. Can't wait to get them and give my eyes a rest from wearing contacts all the time!

 

[olbriar]

Ditto on the different coating. I just ordered what ever popped up. I don't have clue either.

I have never ordered glasses online before, so the order through Zenni is a first. It seemed simple enough.

I did order, in person, one extra set of glasses last year through Costco. They had good pricing and were fine.

One of my buddies always buys additional glasses for himself and his wife from Costco. I've never tried their optic center. I don't know how trained their staff is but they might be able to spell out the coating options benefits per cost. Are Zenni and Costco competitive in their pricing? I've been happy with Zenni and have not checked out my other options.

 

[olbriar]

I've worn glasses and contacts since 1972. I hate myself in glasses so for the most part I'm 24/7 in contacts.
Just got my new prescription and this time I ordered Bono-type glasses with transition lenses. Can't wait to get them and give my eyes a rest from wearing contacts all the time!

I've never worn contacts. Mostly I've shied away from the option because I always worked in a super dusty environment. The gal I seriously dated prior to meeting my wife wore contacts. She hated glasses but struggled with her contacts. They were glass back then and she struggled to wear them for a long length of time. Between dust and witnessing that struggle I have never considered contacts and know little about them. Do they make your eyes tired or just irritated after wearing them too long?
What are Bono-type glasses?

 

[AugieTN]

The Costco by me had a very knowledgeable woman working in the Optical Dept. There pricing for frames was similar to Zenni, I don't recall the lens pricing.

 

[Dannydet]

The soft lenses are almost like wearing nothing, they're that comfortable. Bono, the singer from U2 has worn glasses that look like wrap-around sunglasses for the most part, so I figured I'd give them a try. If you deal with a lot of dust I can understand why you'd shy away from wearing them.

 

[olbriar]

The soft lenses are almost like wearing nothing, they're that comfortable. Bono, the singer from U2 has worn glasses that look like wrap-around sunglasses for the most part, so I figured I'd give them a try. If you deal with a lot of dust I can understand why you'd shy away from wearing them.

I was a trim carpenter / cabinet maker for 55 years. It was very dusty work. I still mow commercially which isn't as dusty except in the early spring and late fall. Soft lenses sound like they were quite the innovation! I've worn glasses for so long that I would feel weird without them. Nobody would recognize me. It's a bit late in life to make a change now but I can see how contacts are an attractive option.

 

[joe71]

I have needed bifocals since I was a kid, my wife has mocked me over this ever since we got married, guess who recently found out they needed bifocals

 

[olbriar]

I went to bifocals when I was 30 or so. By that time and age, I really didn't stress over it. I just wanted to see. My father suffered greatly from macular degeneration. He was nearly blind by the time he was 80. My sister, four years my senior, is now suffering from the same disease. So far, knock on wood, I have escaped any sign of it and I'm pushing 71. I don't see well at a great distance even with my glasses. I love to play golf but I have to play with someone that can see where I hit the golf ball or I'll spend all day looking for it. I hate glasses but I sure enjoy seeing.

 

[AugieTN]

.....I love to play golf but I have to play with someone that can see where I hit the golf ball or I'll spend all day looking for it.....

 

[olbriar]

I watched the video for I was intrigued. Not quite ready for prime time. The tech has possibilities but it's no way ready for use.