Any other veterans of the "eyeglasses" wars?

I just have to say "Oy". I am very nearsighted (-6.25 left eye, -8.0 right eye) and now I need a little help in the reading direction, so I got progressive glasses last year. Reading addition is only + 1.50. I've worn glasses since I was eight and spent a good bit of my youth in every type of contacts except extended. Finally, after I had my baby, I was too tired for all of the contacts prep. My son is special needs and gets into things, so I am glad I don't have those to worry about.

But, everytime I get a new -or extra - pair of glasses, I have such a time adjusting or getting the right thing from the optical shops. I think I have tried them all! The pair I have now is great visually, but the AR coat has smeared from the beginning which makes them difficult to clean and detracts from how they look. All kinds of things happened before these were right. They used plain plastic not high-index and they catapulted down my nose! Now, I thought I would get an extra pair. After I got them, I saw they chose to make them up in polycarbonate rather than high index and I feel like I am riding Space Mountain. My near and far are also not as sharp. So, I have to go back again and be that customer.

Has anyone been through this? I am glad I can see and I have co-worker who is almost twice as nearsighted, but I wish I could get a pair that was good to go from pick-up. I don't think that has happened for decades!!

Well, I'm shuffling a bit here, but I bought my last pair over the internet from 39dollarglasses The prescription I got from my opthamologist. My husband bought there first and his glasses were about 1/2 the cost he paid at Pearl Vision. (It's a long story. He bought glasses to compensate for developing cataracts and needed to have them operated on about 6 months later and needed another set of glases,and just did want to pay that much again.).

Here's a review:

http://www.eyeglassretailerreviews.com/39dollar.htm

I'm very happy with the fit, the frame & the lenses although not as much with the coating-but then I haven't had transitions coating before and am not sure what to expect.

Wow! Doris, that is really interesting. I looked at the internet sites and really thought about it. But, I was a little worried about getting the progressive ones there. But, that may be my next frontier. I haven't gone back yet because the shop was closed Monday. It is pretty small which I thought was good. My mom is going with me for moral support. Usually, I end up with glasses I am OK with, but it never seems to be a simple two trip process. I win my family's prize for most visually compromised thus far, so she has been the designated person to help choose. ( I would be choosing between the wire blur and the plastic blur!)

I haven't used the transitions coating, but my husband has it. His prescription is super minimal and he really mainly uses them for reading. ( It is very sickening. I try not to look at his RX when he has an exam!) He likes it.

Thanks for the tip. I looked on that site as well as zenni optical and optical4less ( I think). It does make you wonder about the retail cost of them here even at a place like America's Best where I went last time! They were finally right in about a month and a half ! But, I bought there several times before with little problem. Go figure! It might just be luck.....

We've also used eyeglassdirect.com with good results.

I would recommend having an opthamologist do your prescription, though. If you're getting progressives, the 'script has to be right. I had been to the opthamologist because I was having floaters in one eye and wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything else wrong there. As it happens, it was fine, but I ended up with the opportunity to get a prescription without buying glasses. Also have him measure the distance between your pupils. This is where the fit comes in. If you have your prescription, but not the distance, take your glasses off, get close to a mirror with a metric ruler, and measure the distance yourself.

(I have progressives with transitions coating that I bought).

I am almost legally blind myself. I can make out the big E on the chart and the rest look like tiny ants. I wear progressive glasses and have great success with them. I wore hard contacts for a about 20 years and after having a tear duct problem had to give them up and return to glasses. I really hate glasses and have been considering trying contacts again. However, I would need bi-focal contacts to the tune of about $500.00! My work benefits would cover part of it and my husbands as well, but I also have to have the glasses for back up so it's a two edge sword. I feel your pain. It's no fun. Good luck.