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[Liberty4all]

I have insurance through work I normally use for regular glasses. My prescription this time has not changed and my frame (mikli) has held up amazing.

So I'm sold on the idea of buying quality. With that in mind I went to look at prescription sunglasses. I have a pair of non prescription Oakley's since 2011 I like so I was looking at Oakley or Maui Jim frames. Thought my insurance of $350 would be more than enough to cover most of the cost ...

Nope I was terribly mistaken. Frames will run $300 - $350 and lenses $450 - $500 (Canadian currency).

It's that similar to the US price wise? Good prescription sunglasses worth buying?

 

[Straight Edge]

Those lens prices are ridiculous.

 

[Machine]

Brand names are overpriced. Buy your prescription sunglasses online through someplace like Zenni or Warby Parker.

 

[TheBryanJZX90]

There is little to no difference in quality, you are paying for the name alone.

 

[NealMcCauley]

I was thinking about getting some last year (because of work insurance) and balked at the store price too. I just found a fancy clip-on at walmart that works fine.

 

[Liberty4all]

Those lens prices are ridiculous.

It was for the top lens (evolution made in house at Maui Jim, a blend of glass and polycarbonate).

 

[ghostofsparta]

Brand names are overpriced. Buy your prescription sunglasses online through someplace like Zenni or Warby Parker.

Woah, never heard of this site, are they legit? There's gotta be a catch right? I mean, $20 for some prescription glasses?

 

[Breakfast at Noon]

Was it college humour that did that video based on glasses?
Oakley all day everyday.

 

[TheBryanJZX90]

Honestly with cheap places like warby parker etc I dunno if vision insurance is even worth the paycheck deduction.

 

[Akuun]

Those prices sound crazy.

What about clip-ons for your current frame? You could get pretty decent looking clip-ons for your existing glasses for much less than that.

 

[Liberty4all]

There is little to no difference in quality, you are paying for the name alone.

Are you sure? My non prescription polarized Oakley's is a huge difference compared to cheap sunglasses. I'm just not sure about prescription sunglasses. The lenses are crazy expensive.

 

[-griffy-]

Prescription sunglasses are worth it if you need glasses. I can't say a name brand at that price would be worth it, but it all depends on what value you place on that. I have a couple pairs of prescription Ray-Ban's but they were nowhere near that expensive.

Also I'm pretty sure you can get sunglasses lenses put into any frames these days, so you could make any pair of glasses sunglasses.

 

[dohdough]

Brand names don't necessarily translate into better quality. Beyond finding a style I like, I would get glass lenses with glare protection and without polarization since I have tinted windows on my car. Fit and function are more important than the name stamped on the frames...especially since it's really just one company that makes a vast majority of the frames in the world.

 

[Machine]

Woah, never heard of this site, are they legit? There's gotta be a catch right? I mean, $20 for some prescription glasses?

I bought my current glasses thru Zenni and they are completely legit. As far as I know, Warby Parker is legit too. There have been a few threads in the past about these sites. The price can go up if you want coated lenses or high refraction lenses.

 

[Liberty4all]

Prescription sunglasses are worth it if you need glasses. I can't say a name brand at that price would be worth it, but it all depends on what value you place on that. I have a couple pairs of prescription Ray-Ban's but they were nowhere near that expensive.

Also I'm pretty sure you can get sunglasses lenses put into any frames these days, so you could make any pair of glasses sunglasses.

Yeah I'm thinking of taking my non prescription Oakley frame in to see if they can put the prescription in that one instead. Problem is if the model is discontinued oakley won't do it.

 

[rtcn63]

I've been wearing $30 frames for almost ten years. Invest in good lenses though.

 

[Anion]

Yeah with glasses you just pay the name. I read somewhere the main manufacturer for glasses is located in Italy and they basically make all the name brands and generics in one building lol.

That being said, I'm a sucker and only buy Ray Bans 😂

 

[Mesoian]

Pfft no.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

Ray-Ban or GTFO

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

Wtf, I bought prescription sunglasses and regular glasses for less than that. I mean, if you're rich and can afford to spend that much money on glasses, go for it.

 

[Tender Joe]

I can recommend Warby Parker, both regular and sunglass lenses, wholeheartedly.

I have bought my last two pairs of regular lenses and a pair of sunglasses through them and they are all stylish, affordable, and well-crafted. Their customer service is top notch as well.

Best of all, you can order 5 pairs to try-on for free before you purchase.

 

[Machine]

I read somewhere the main manufacturer for glasses is located in Italy and they basically make all the name brands and generics in one building lol.

Luxottica owns a huge portfolio of brands including Oakley and Ray-Ban as well as many retail outlets and optical departments in stores like Target and Sears. They basically have a monopoly because they control such a huge share of the market and they use that power to keep prices artificially high. There was a good segment about them on 60 Minutes a few years ago.

 

[loaf of bread]

300-350 dollars for fucking Oakleys? At that price you should just buy Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada, etc.

What kind of Oakleys cost, let alone are worth, 300-350 dollars?

Please buy literally any other brand besides Oakleys, they are so ugly and trashy. Sorry.

 

[M52B28]

I get a 60% discount on Oakley prescription frames and lenses, so I'm inclined to say they're worth it, but at that price, you'd be better off just getting some contacts under insurance and some sunglasses of your own.

Oakley stuff in general is kind of overpriced and expensive, but if I were to say their stuff is bad, I'd be lying. The pair I bought are $200 and oh my god, I can't even go outside on sunny days without wearing them.

 

[mm04]

Hell yes. I'm near sighted and I don't wear glasses all the time indoors. But outdoors while driving etc? I can't imagine not having them on. That said, I wouldn't allow myself to get priced gouged, though.

 

[DJ_Lae]

Warby Parker gets a lot of recommendations but I don't think any of their convenient services are applicable in Canada.

I've tried a handful of Chinese sites (Zenni, Glassesshop, Goggles4u, etc) and they're okay. They're better for beater glasses that you don't care too much about as the quality generally isn't great. But they're filthy cheap.

I've had the best experience with clearly.ca here, and they sit somewhere in the middle in terms of costs. But either way, if you're paying more than $100CDN or so for lenses, you're getting ripped off.

 

[Liberty4all]

Oakley's are like 200 - 250 here (Canada). The Maui Jim frame was 330.

 

[thechristoph]

Honestly with cheap places like warby parker etc I dunno if vision insurance is even worth the paycheck deduction.

Well you still have to get your prescription.

 

[BolognaOni]

300-350 dollars for fucking Oakleys? At that price you should just buy Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada, etc.

What kind of Oakleys cost, let alone are worth, 300-350 dollars?

Please buy literally any other brand besides Oakleys, they are so ugly and trashy. Sorry.

Almost all designer glasses are the same company- Luxottica. Personally, I would recommend avoiding them altogether, but that may require buying online since they have a tendency to complete dominate (or outright own) retail shops.

OP, your insurance is probably run though these monopolistic a-holes as well. Just use it for your eye exam and then buy online.