buying kids glasses - help!

[munchies]

DS is in the market for new frames. He is 7 and has worn his current glasses about 18 months. We previously purchased his glasses from our eye doctor, but we've looked there and he hasn't found any frames he likes. We've looked at Wal-mart, Target and LensCrafters. Each place had a pair or two that he liked and would work.

I'm concerned about the quality of the glasses. I've done a little reading about Wal-mart's lenses not being made correctly. Obviously, that's what I'm trying to avoid.

Any personal experience with this would be helpful. We're not looking to buy the cheapest thing here - we're looking for correct lenses and well-fitting frames. Cheaper is nicer, but it's not priority #1.

Thanks!
Heather

[ChristieinMB]

I've never bought at Costco, but I've heard other people praise their quality and price for glasses.

[clairea]

I have bought my kids' glasses at LensCrafters for many years and have not had any problems. They have an insurance/protection plan available that I used to get when the kids were younger that covered (IIRC) loss, breakage, etc.

[funniegrrl]

Consider online. I bought three pair from zennioptical.com a few months ago and am happy with them. They're obviously not quite the same sturdiness/quality I'd get from my doctor's office, but they are also a fraction of the price. You can upload a photo and "try on" the frames before ordering. For simple single-vision with no extras, you COULD get a pair for under $10. The most you'd pay for single-vision with no extras for a kid would probably be $30.

[karen w]

I have bought glasses for both myself and DS#1 at Costco and have been extremely satisfied with selection, quality, surface, and prices. And especially for kids, if anything happens to them they will fix/replace them at no cost.

Karen

[JustD2Me]

You could always buy the frame at whatever place he likes and then have your dr. office do the lenses.

[munchies]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I don't live very close to a Costco - the nearest one is probably an hour+ away, so that isn't a great option for us. But I had also ready great things about them..

I didn't realize I could simply buy frames one place and have the dr.'s office do the lenses. This may be the ideal solution if the dr's office doesn't have any that he likes.

DS is the only one in our family with eye issues, so it's hard for me to even know what options we have. I really appreciate everyone's input on this!

[clairea]

I didn't realize I could simply buy frames one place and have the dr.'s office do the lenses. This may be the ideal solution if the dr's office doesn't have any that he likes.
s!

Be sure you check carefully on the pricing of doing this. Most of the chain places offer "package" prices which provide a significant discount when you buy frames and lenses together. If you buy either component separately, it will be much more.

Not to say you can't do this, but I'm not sure what the advantage would be. The lens quality at places like Costco and LensCrafters has, in my experience, improved a lot in the last 10-15 years. DH has a very complicated prescription that has to be custom ground. We used to have to get it from a dr's office to get it right, but have been getting it from LC for about 5 years with no problems.

[munchies]

I guess my concern specifically is that DS's prescription is right. Since he's only 7, I can't know for sure that it is, I guess, and that makes it difficult. His favorite frames were at Wal-mart, but I did some online reading that made it sound as though many people have had problems getting the right prescription from them. I just don't trust that if his lens was wrong, DS would tell me. Or how would I figure that out?

Maybe these are unreasonable and every glasses place is fine. My other concern is that Wal-mart's price difference is HUGE compared to other places. Is this a case of "you get what you pay for?"

Claire - thanks for pointing out the "package" deal. We're off to the eye dr today so I'll do some asking there about doing pieces separately vs. together.

[patt]

DH has taken his prescription from the optometrist to Walmart to get the glasses and frames at the lower price. He's not confident that the quality of the lenses is as good as he would get elsewhere but feels that the price makes it okay.

For a grown man to make do because he's hard on glasses is one thing. I'm not sure I'd go that route if it were a child.Good vision is pretty darned critical.

Patt

[AngelaM]

Hi,
I have worn glasses since I was probably about that age as well. I WELL remember getting stuck with glasses I didn't like, mostly because my parents had poor taste. As someone was made fun of at that age, I do think its important for him to have glasses he likes.

Also, at that age, being able to see correctly is SO important to learning, so its great that you want to make sure its done right.

That said, kids eyes change so much that he will probably need a new pair once a year. Keep that in mind when you are deciding how much to plunk down. When I was younger, most of my glasses came from Lenscrafters and they seemed fine..they have a AAA discount. Now that I am older, I see an opthamologist because I'm practically blind (-10 on contacts).

DH and I both have poor vision and our eye doc says if we have kids, they will be in glasses by kindergarden.

[AvrilH]

My son's current glasses are from Costco. The quality is excellent as was the price.

HOWEVER - I can offer this advice: I used my optometrist's office optician until my son was 10. They had the best warranty policy anywhere. My son started wearing his glasses at age 3, and he roughed them up CONSTANTLY. Quite frankly I abused their warranty policy. BUt the office kept on fixing and replacing as needed without cost to me. It was really worth it.

NOw that he is older and more responsible, I took him to Costco, knowing they have no replacement/repair warranty. The $200 was really worth saving.

[cminmd]

Their is a risk bringing a frame to another office to get the lenses inserted. They will put them in, but if they break them while they are putting them in (which does happen occasionally) then you are simply out the frames. Definitely ask about their policy because a certain amount of manhandling goes on to get the lenses in a frame.

[munchies]

Thanks to everyone for their feedback.

We ended up going back to the eye dr. to look at frames one last time and found a pair that he loved! We were able to order everything at one place, and DS got the transitions lenses he's been waiting for

Thanks again to everyone. DS is happy with the new selection and so are we.

Heather