Lens fitting in frame (Spectacles)

If they're not expensive frames, it's usually cheaper to buy an entire new pair.

Unfortunately he died last year.

I've always regarded it as worth visiting an optician, it helps that one of my nephews is a dispenser.

Ah maybe not expensive, but non-standard ...

No help to Tony but my experience of ****savers... They discontinue their frames after 3 years so you are unable to re-use old lens. Their 2 for 1 offer uses cheaper lens material. Presumably thicker with greater light loss. Otherwise, I go back as they do the job:-)

My understanding was that it was easier/cheaper to get new insert frames with lens pre fitted, possibly with compatible sports/cycling glasses at the same time.

All done from Internet/China.

These are inserts into some cycling glasses - you typically buy the inserts and get them glazed, opticians don't stock speciality glasses like that.

I have the same for some safety glasses - I haven't got around to doing them yet, but my list of cheap reglazers based on brief searching is:

As they're going to be used only very rarely I'm not super fussy with the outcome - should probably just try the first one. But interested if anyone has experiences.

Theo

Some sort of time limit is inevitable, unless everyone wants to keep wearing the same hape/size/colour frames forever!

You can choose your own level of "thinness", if you want the second pair to be thin too, you could pay the extra, personally I pay for the absolute thinnest on my main pair, but not the reading(*) pair which rarely get used away from home

When I went to a one-man plus assistant opticians, he would customise frames and lenses within reason.

I once bought some prescription swimming goggles, all the "banzai!" piss-taking meant I never got another pair.

They're well worth it if they enable you to see the pool when you couldn't without them ;-)

Likewise I'd much rather get some 3M safety glasses and get the inserts glazed than buy some ready made Aliexpress 'safety' glasses.

On that note, the wire frame I bought from Goggles4U a year or two ago has just parted company at the join between the wire frame and wire nose piece. Any tips on joining wire glasses frames? I could try stripping them back and soldering but worried the heat will melt the lenses, and not sure if the metal is solderable.

Theo

I remember in one optician I asked for metal framed glasses and they showed me some very expensive German and Italian frames. I said "Don't you have any British ones?" " Oh - you mean sports frames" said in a very dismissive tone. I went elsewhere.

In my experience the on-line suppliers are a lot cheaper than the high street opticians BUT....

If you need/want lenses that are thinner and/or react to light etc. the headline prices quoted on their opening web page soon ramps up from, say, £6 to £60. However still 30 to 50% cheaper than the high street.

Watch out for the frames they offer. Many of the very cheap frames are only suitable for small lenses and/or are the smaller widths between arms and with narrow bridge widths. I've found for my needs I've had to select frames they sell at the £40 price point. Again still cheaper than found at most high street outlet.

The best value is if you buy 2 pairs. One can be distance and one reading. They discount the second pair but again much cheaper than the free pair offered by the high street. Not exactly free because in my experience as it's a second frame for free and the most basic lenses for free on the high street but if you want the ultra thin lens, tinting, or react to light etc. it will be another £100.

Many of the on-line suppliers have regular extra discounts if you use the code on their opening page and/or if you buy more than one pair. It's worth waiting until you find an on-line supplier offering their extra discount.

You will have to wait about 3 weeks for an on-line supplier to supply the glasses.

Wouldn't it need welding? Solder is a bit weak, I would have thought.

It is probably cheap pot metal of some sort. Essentially unrepairable

Having achieved a level of OAP grumpiness, I can respond to that with: Why do they need to change? Faces aren't changing with "fashion" so why the %^&* do specs need to keep changing?

The milder version is: Keep a broad range of standard styles, and throw in a 'trendy' range for them 'as have no sense.

Larg elenses, small lenses. Then there was the fad for wide arms - which was stupid as it interferes with peripheral vision.

It turned out to be enamel coated steel. These frames:

Wrapped a steel (paper) staple around to bind the nose piece and bridge together. That holds everything together while allowing some wiggle room to adjust the angles. Also means the two pieces can't easily part company as the previous tiny weld did.

Soldered it. It's solid and it doesn't look awful - a silvery lump that stands out a bit, but it'll probably be better once I've painted it black.

It is a lesson though - you might spend a good chunk on fancy lenses, but you lose it all if the frame fails. Something to consider when choosing frames.

Theo

ve painted it black.

In general, a frame costing £200+ is probably no better made than a frame costing £10? Made in the same far east sweat shop a brand badge just gives the retailer a few extra 1000% profit.

You are correct if you are considering a thick plastic frame vs a thin metal frame however in all the years of wearing glasses with thin metal frames I've only had one major failure when they were abused by sitting on them. I've had the tiny screws fall out* but easily repaired with a new screw and thread lock of some kind.

I go for the £40/50 metal frames from on line suppliers. A price point where there is more of a choice for my preference of larger lenses and the frames are wide enough for a better fit for me.

• After one time the lens fell out whilst driving and the screw lost I now keep a very cheap backup pair of glasses in the car. These have very "unfashionable" thick plastic frames and the most basic of lenses.

When you're actually in the high street shop, try to get a sneaky glance at the PD number(s) while they're fitting you for the frames, they generally won't give them t you on the prescription ... but will be needed for ordering online

This came in handy when I managed to cip one of my lenses, I could order a new one, then pop-in a few days later to have it fitted in an hour ...

varifocal, thinnest, with coatings, single replacement lens £180 from specsavers, one of the online places linked earlier quotes £135.

But is handy on prescription sunglasses (up to a point).

There are ways to measure it involving a mirror and a ruler:

For some reason they've halved yours on each eye - your total PD would be

(I suppose you might have one eye further from the bridge of your nose than another, which would make for an assymmetric PD. Not sure if that's a thing outside of reconstructive surgery)

Theo

The trick is to avoid sunglasses.