

If you find better prices as you search, call or visit the store where you originally discovered your favorite frames and ask it to match your lowest price. If you don’t, you can probably find less expensive lenses elsewhere. The same goes for Warby Parker if you have a simple, single-vision prescription. One potential shortcut: If your eye exam was at Costco, Sam’s Club, or Walmart and you find a frame you like at the same store, our survey results suggest that you’ll likely be satisfied if you simply go ahead and order your lenses there. Get the prices on lenses, too, when considering the cost of eyeglasses, so that you can compare. Once you’ve narrowed the frame choices, use a web search to find and price your favorite pairs, which in most cases you’re likely to find online. If you decide to pay for a PD measurement, Warby Parker will reimburse you up to $50 as long as you buy glasses from one of its outlets.

If your doctor won’t provide your PD or charges for it, consider going elsewhere. Some doctors charge extra for this service unless you’re ordering glasses from them. So when you book your exam, verify that your eye doctor will give it to you, advises Gordon. At least five states-Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Massachusetts and New Mexico-require that doctors provide you with your PD. Some eyewear websites give you instructions on how to measure it yourself, but Adam Gordon, O.D., a clinical associate professor of optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, says that a professional will be able to do it more accurately. You’ll need the PD (two for multifocal lenses) if you decide to order lenses online. Or he or she may advise you to avoid frames that can’t properly accommodate your prescription-rimless models that won’t look right with thick lenses, for instance, or frames that are too narrow to handle the multiple vision fields in progressive and other multifocal lenses.Īsk the doctor to measure what’s called your pupillary distance or PD (the distance between the center of each of your pupils) and include it on your prescription.

For example, your ophthalmologist may recommend a certain type of progressive lens or a specific material for your lenses. While at the doctor’s, ask for recommendations about which lenses and frames are right for you. If your prescription is more than a year old, you’ll need a new eye exam, says James Wachter, an optometrist at Clarkson Eyecare in St. Look for advice on choosing lenses, frames, and add-ons, such as anti-reflective coatings. There are many good online resources you can use to find information, including, , and. It’s smart to research your choices, even before you have your eyes examined, so that you will know what to ask, understand your options better, and avoid being oversold on extras you don’t need.
