This is not a serious topic, rather just some shopping fun for you to consider – maybe while pushing a bit of focus, while browsing.

I get asked the question frequently, and sometimes it makes me wish I was in the vision retail business.  The profit margins on frames are incredible (or terrible, if you are the consumer), and all the options are staggering.  

shop-online-glasses

The single most budget friendly way is probably to buy glasses online.

But over the long term, this may or may not suit your personal preferences for style.  And if you consider that you will be changing lenses much more frequently than the average consumer, buying a frame that you really like at the local optician, and making a good deal on subsequent lens cutting may make the most sense.

It depends, though.  You may try the online route first, and see how you enjoy that experience.  It is by far and away the cheapest option, so it may make sense to consider first.

Then though, if you decide to give the local option a chance, there are more budget considerations.

The second most budget friendly option is to buy two of the same frames locally.  Here is why:

Your differential prescription will be quite a bit lower than your normalized prescription.  However, a few months of improving your vision down the road, that differential glass will be just right as your new differential.  If the frames are the same, you can just grab those lenses out of the envelope (where you may store them, labeled by prescription strength), and put them in the other frame.

Then again, this being a serious project for you, you might choose to add some reward and entertainment for yourself, and vary what kind of frames you use.

That again, can get expensive quickly.

Which brings us to my favorite frame concept (semi budget friendly).  Again keep in mind, this is just a casual shopping article, not a serious recommendation.  For your entertainment only, as they say.

Vielfalt_kleinThe company EBM (a German frame maker) has come up with “Switch It”, an ingenious way to allow for at-home changing of frames for your existing glasses.  These have become increasingly popular, and you can now find most of their hundreds of frame options in local optic shops, as well as on eBay and many Websites (see here, on eBay Germany).

It works by attaching a small metal piece to each side of the lens, on which you simply slide the bridge (nose piece connecting the lenses) and the side pieces.

There are various other companies with similar models now, though none as popular (to my knowledge), or relatively budget friendly.  

Caveat:  I know you are a very international audience.  This modular frame concept is the case here in Austria and Germany (Spain also has at least one popular manufacturer on the same premise).  We are a bit obsessed with frame fashion, and I don’t know how well this translates to shopping internationally.  

Take a look online, ebay, other sources available to you.  And, back to the topic:

Any optic shop should be able to cut lenses and apply the modular piece to them for you.

This premise opens up a whole new range of how you may deal with glasses.

switch

You can find an optic shop that will gladly cut lenses for you, for frames you bring to them.  So that could be a frame you already have, a frame you may have bought online, or even something like this Switch It concept.  Rather than having to deal with the optic shops entire premise (doing your eye exams, selling you one of their frames, selling you one of their lenses), you can find a shop that will just do the part that you need.

The neat thing about companies like Switch It is that you are free to do your own design, and change it as you see fit.

Disclaimer:  I am in no way associated with the company.  I merely enjoy the freedom that the concept offers.

With the most challenging part, being the front of your face being easily customizable (the lens size and shape can be cut any way you like), most of the difficulty in finding frames for your face are eliminated.  And now you can just get online, find a new design you like, and switch it out at home in a few minutes.

wholesale

If you want to take this premise a step even further …

You don’t even need to buy the lenses from your local shop.  Some of my favorite tricks here, that can save you hundreds of Euros (or dollars), and get you a far higher quality lens, look for an upcoming article on that subject!  If you want to take a moment to learn a bit about what makes for different qualities of lenses, and their (closer to wholesale) prices, I will give you some pointers soon.

I hope you enjoyed this article.  Maybe one day we will have enough participation to have a bit of an eye fashion sub forum, what do you think?

alex cures myopia