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I recently read an article in the journal of the American Optometric Association discussing the upswing in glasses being ordered from online vendors. The idea behind the article was to explore whether patients using these supply avenues were receiving glasses that would both fulfill their visual requirements and provide them with adequate safety.
In the interest of both time and my desire to avoid regurgitating the monotonous details of a scientific survey, let me skip to the results:
With a sample size of more than 150 pairs of glasses, nearly one half failed to meet the nationally accepted standards for vision and/or safety! One point from the study that I find significant is how these failures in vision and safety were independent of lens price, meaning that you are apparently just as likely to get a crummy pair of expensive online glasses as you are to get a crummy pair of cheap online glasses. Yikes!
Bottom line? If you choose to order glasses online, proceed at your own risk. There is currently no defined body to regulate these types of orders, and there appears to be a 25-50% chance that your vision and/or safety will be compromised. Obviously you will also be on your own regarding having the glasses adjusted to fit your face correctly. And don’t get me started on ordering bifocals or progressive lenses online – the measurements required to ensure these lenses will work appropriately make the very idea of ordering them online completely unfathomable to me!
If you’re looking to save a few bucks on your glasses, I recommend Costco Optical. They have been ranked #1 by Consumer Reports for overall patient satisfaction, and I have been extremely impressed since taking over the office here at the Thornton Costco.
Related articles
- Warby Parker Raises Money to Sell Prescription Glasses Online (bits.blogs.nytimes.com)
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