I just bought a pair of glasses on the internet. It was a good experience.
My situation was the simplest possible. I sent them a pair of old scratched-up glasses and said, “Replace the lenses with identical new lenses but make them photo-active.”
There was a little more to it than that, but not much. They cost less than half as much as they would have at a “normal” optician, and even cost less than they would at Costco.
I opted for the Transitions XTRActive lenses, which darken with exposure to light. They are a new version that gets darker with less light than before– they darken a little even while driving in the car, and darken quite a bit even when I wear a hat that shades them. Regular Transition lenses are a lot less active in those circumstances. The downside is that they take longer to clear up and never become completely clear, but close enough. I tried Transitions before and was disappointed on the limited darkness in many situations. So far I am very happy with these.
After some research, I used ReplaceALens. There are a lot of other reputable companies, but they had the best set of options and had very good BBB and user reviews. I sent them a question by email before I bought and they were very responsive. And while making my glasses they called me with a question to clarify something. All in all I liked working with them and the glasses they sent me were perfect.
I always thought transition sunglasses were really cool. I guess the only drawback that people complain about is literally being in the dark for awhile when you come into a dark room. Do the lenses lighten faster now?
Comment by Dale — May 28, 2014 @ 3:49 pm
The normal transitions do lighten up quite a bit faster. But the XTRActive version I got is still pretty slow.
Comment by Daryl — May 28, 2014 @ 6:20 pm
Did you get both lenses like that or only 1? I guess it would look a bit silly if only one but it might be cheaper. 😉
Comment by Don — May 28, 2014 @ 8:03 pm
Silly trumps cheap! I mean, I would rather spend a little more than look that silly.
Comment by Daryl — May 28, 2014 @ 8:21 pm
Do you have vision insurance? Mine pays for a new pair of glasses every calendar year.
Comment by Donna — May 28, 2014 @ 9:55 pm
I have an appt. with the Ophthalmologist on Friday. The last time she changed them, she said that was probably the last time she would try, because my eyes are getting so bad. If she does try to improve my vision, would it be smart for me to send where you got yours? I don’t know what extra active lenses are, but all I need is the ability to see. (and more cheaply!)
Comment by Mom — June 10, 2014 @ 12:31 pm