Declining eyesight..

[Ming the Merciless]

Can you read this eye chart all the way to the bottom?

 

[Psamathe]

I've been having eye tests every year for many many years (glaucoma in family). Through that time I've been to a wide range of opticians.

I suspect the chain vs independent is much more a question of the individuals working at any particular store. One nationwide chain I tried only once and not again, one independent I used twice and both times felt they were not being thorough so switched to elsewhere.

Getting eye correction can be straightforward or complex depending on what needs correcting and how much is needed. More complex corrections can be harder to get right.

On the "plus" for chains: I've worn reading glasses for 20 years.and a couple of years ago needed new glasses as the old pair lenses kept falling out, old and unreliable. Went to a medium sized chain who updated my prescription, spend 30 mins taking measurements for glasses (non-prescription) where I wear them, pupil separation, etc. Got them made and compared to existing pair horrible distortions on looking at regulst shapes (eg laptop screen sides tapered in rather than being parallel. So they repeated the non-prescription measurements, remade the glasses and 2nd pair suffered the same though not quite as bad. As I was heading off travelling I didn't have time for a 3rd pair so got a full refund. I don't think this was the "fault" of the company, just that I have some corrections that are harder to correct and need to be more precise. I suspect a chain would be more prepared to take the "hit" of a full refund where their solution doesn't work.

I'd been considering contact lenses for years but every year every opticians said "possible but you wont like them" (probably because my distance vision is fine and just need correction for close stuff). But decided on contact lenses and went to same company as failed to get glasses correct and they are brilliant. I had some pre-conceived ideas about the nature of lenses I wanted in that there are different ways to correct (I wanted variable focus rather than one eye reading all the time, other eye distance all the time). Optician recommended the one eye distance, one eye reading and fortunately I decided that they are experts so best try their proposal (can always change later). and ... brilliant. Only downside for me is they are fasirly expensive (one eye needs astigmatism correction which adds to the cost of the lenses.

Costs are difficult though as much depends on how fast your eyes are changing (so how long a pair of glasses lasts) and how expensive your frames are (I'm on the "expensive" range as I can't tolerate heavy frames nor frames that pressure behind my ears so only titanium).

Ian

 

[fossyant]

Whilst my prescription has remained more or less the same now for some years (started wearing glasses at 18, then got worse over 10-15 years), I really need varifocals. I'm short sighted, but anything closer than two feet now get's blurred, and I have to take off my glasses to see the phone screen properly. It's ago.

SIL managed without glasses until very recently - early 60's. She went to the opticians as she was having difficulty seeing at night, found cataracts in both eyes that needed doing ASAP. She's had them done, but one hasn't healed great and she has double vision in it.

 

[Electric_Andy]

It's very common to start needing reading glasses at 40+. Both parents and my partner have had cheapo reading glasses but have also gone to Specsavers for a proper test and prescription. It's best to do that rather than buying off the shelf, although more expensive. But we've found the care, service and prices are excellent. They are a "dirty" big chain but they always feel like an old-fashioned store but I suppose that depends on what area you live in. The suburbian one near to us is much nicer than the big one in the city centre.

Well worth going, beacause they check eye health in addition to just your sight. I've been short sighted since 14 and used specsavers for 30 years, never had a problem or lack of service. Plus there's always cheap frames going if you don't need designer ones

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I attend an independent outfit less than half a mile away. Very professional with excellent bedside manner. My day to day specs are triple focus varifocals with scratch resistant lenses. Cost a hell of a lot. I suspect specsavers wouldn't be much cheaper tho'. I also have dedicated reading glasses as the close up thing with the varifocals is at the bottom of the lens so very tricky if doing DiY things "upwards". The reading glasses are cheap.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Remember that you don’t need to buy glasses from where you get tested. Ask for a copy of your prescription. They are legally obliged to provide it. Single vision is cheaper than varifocal. Buy separate glasses for reading if you need them.

 

[lazybloke]

Well worth going, beacause they check eye health in addition to just your sight. I've been short sighted since 14 and used specsavers for 30 years, never had a problem or lack of service. Plus there's always cheap frames going if you don't need designer ones

I had a 'fitness to drive' medical recently from a private occupational health organisation. The eye test was ... cursory.

For my reading glasses, I usually go to specsavers. Their testing is much more thorough.

 

[Dogtrousers]

As an aside, I use Vision Express. No cause for complaint. I started using them because they had a branch next to my office, and I've stuck with them. They are OK.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I said I had used specsavers for 30 years - well i was wrong, there was a brief 2-3 year period when I used the Opticians that were based at the back of a large Tesco store. Today it is vision express, I can't remember if it was the same back then, or it might have been Boots. But I had no problems with them either, very thorough and decent prices

 

[annedonnelly]

I use a local independent. It used to be a single chap on his own but since he retired I think the new people are part of a small group with two or three branches. I've never had any reason to complain. The staff who man the outer part of the shop have been more than happy to spend ages choosing frames for me and they're also happy to clean and refit them anytime I want to pop in.

 

[cyberknight]

Late 40s before i bit the bullet and got an eye test as i was having to hold reading material further away to be able to read it and as i have got older i found although i didnt need stronger lenses i did need them for stuff that was further away than just a book so i do need them for diy/ fettling .

 

[Dadam]

Like most of the family I've needed glasses for short sight since I was at school so had regular eye tests most of my life. Of course having an aunt who was an optician also contributed to that!
I went for varifocals about 5 years ago after realising I was reading books looking over the top or bottom of specs! I normally go to Specsavers for tests and Costco for glasses. I pay for the top spec varifocal lenses. I'm not skimping on something that I wear every waking moment.
I find them great for daily life, including reading driving. Slightly annoying for glancing at sat nav when driving as it's slightly out of the central focus area (however the main controls and the road are sharp)

Using multiple or big screens for work I realised with the varifocals I was moving my head a lot to see text so got some single vision for computer screen distances.

 

[welsh dragon]

I got to 60 before I noticed a difference. I just have bog standard 1.25 reading glasses but if I am doing small stuff or reading particularly small writing then I use 1.5 reading glasses. I am probably going to go to specsavers in the new year to get my eyes tested properly and will use them for the glasses themselves. My granddaughter and 3 grandsons use them as well and haven't had any problems.

We don't have a lot of choice here so specsavers it will be.

 

[PaulSB]

I've used both Boots and Specsavers. I was always very happy with the service at Boots. I changed, with some trepidation, to Specsavers when, oddly, I needed hearing aids!

My first hearing test was at Boots and confirmed I needed aids. I didn't know that Boots doesn't offer NHS aids. Unable to afford Boots aids I went to Specsavers who offer NHS aids. The service was tremendous. I was very pleased and impressed.

After receiving such good hearing aid service I decided to try Specsavers for my glasses. The service was again excellent, the range of frames far wider than Boots and the prices and/or deals far better than those offered by Boots.

I was always very wary of Specsavers but have made a 360⁰ turn and have no hesitation in recommending the business.

 

[raleighnut]

I've used both Boots and Specsavers. I was always very happy with the service at Boots. I changed, with some trepidation, to Specsavers when, oddly, I needed hearing aids!

My first hearing test was at Boots and confirmed I needed aids. I didn't know that Boots doesn't offer NHS aids. Unable to afford Boots aids I went to Specsavers who offer NHS aids. The service was tremendous. I was very pleased and impressed.

After receiving such good hearing aid service I decided to try Specsavers for my glasses. The service was again excellent, the range of frames far wider than Boots and the prices and/or deals far better than those offered by Boots.

I was always very wary of Specsavers but have made a 360⁰ turn and have no hesitation in recommending the business.

I think it's the name 'Specsavers' that does it, just sounds so downmarket to my ears. It doesn't help having the 'Spec' bit as someone who was made to wear glasses from an early age and hated them so took them off as much as I could.