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So yesterday, I went to the LensCrafters on 45th and 5th Avenue and had a lovely experience. First, I saw an optician, who took my latest prescription. She had a few fun new tricks up her sleeve, including a way of seeing my eyeball without dilating my eye.* She actually showed it to me on the screen to show me healthy blood vessels and nerves (I didn't think to take a picture of it — it looked kind of pretty, though, a bit like the Aurora Borealis or something). All in all the fitting went by really quickly.
After I selected about a bazillion frames and whittled them down to the one I wanted, it was time to fit my prescription into the lenses. This is where the AccuFit system comes in — it's a brand new digital system that is about 5 times more precise than the manual method (which you may remember because it looks like binoculars or some such thing). It measures your pupil distance, the spacing between your eyes, and the shape of glasses, all to ensure that the actual glasses fit the best in the frame. (I've actually tried to measure my husband's pupil distance when we ordered glasses online once — let's just say it's a lot trickier than it sounds, so I appreciated the digital accuracy.) Apparently, less than 5% of American stores use this system, and so LensCrafters is going to be the first retail network to bring digital measurements to the U.S. (I snapped a picture with my camera of the screen after they'd done my AccuFit-ing — it's definitely cool.)
One of the fun things about the experience was that I bumped into some of my fellow fabulous bloggers who are ambassadors, including peeps from StyleMom, Gala Darling, Beauty Blogging Junkie, and SugarLaws — you can check out some of their experiences at their websites once they're up.
Stay tuned later this week when I reveal my new frames! (I was at the store right before they closed, so I'm picking them up later — normally you can get them the same day.) As I mentioned on Friday, LensCrafters is having their best sale of the season — 50% off the lenses with any frames purchase, which for me is always the expensive part. The sale goes on until September 12.
* Am I the only one who hates to have my eyes dilated? I'll never forget going for an eye doctor's appointment or something right before an office holiday party, which was held in the ballroom at a local hotel — it was dark and there were like strobe lights, which added to the surreal-ness (surreality? hmmn) of it all. Good times.
Disclosure: In addition to receiving a new pair of glasses, I am also receiving monetary compensation for this ambassadorship.
SF Bay Associate
Google Reader misses nothing :). I liked the bottom pair of frames best… started with a V?
In-House
Seems like a true “ad” rather than a Kat post. If I recall correctly, you are not supposed to get new lenses/glasses while you are pregnant-the pregnancy distorts your vision slighly so it’s a complete waste of money. From BabyCenter.com: Pregnancy isn’t a great time to invest in a new pair of glasses, though. In most cases, these changes are temporary and will reverse themselves within several months of delivery.
Noner
Unless pregnancy distorts your vision enough that you can’t see without new glasses? If you do a lot of reading, it might be worth it to have a new prescription during pregnancy. And who know if you will or will not need a different prescription (diff from pre-pregnancy or during pregnancy) afterwards?
My understanding has been that a pregnant woman might need to switch from contacts to eyeglasses during pregnancy given that the eyes can have the same issues with changing shapes that rest of the body can, but that it doesn’t always result in an actual change in prescription, just a comfort issue with contacts.
stc
Also if someone offers to pay for a fitting/new glasses in exchange for publicity, it doesn’t matter if it’s a wash!
ht
I am really not loving these sponsored posts … they just seem really forced and I find it really detracts from the overall credibility of the site. Can these guys not just purchase banner ads and leave the posts for true content?
b23
This one doesn’t seem forced to me at all. She is talking about things that really distinguish Lens Crafters from other glasses stores. I’m not sure if I’ll go to LC, but I need new glasses, and I will at least consider it.
AJ
Not to mention this is Kat’s job now. If we want all the content we do enjoy, and Corporette to succeed as a website, we need to learn how to deal with the revenue-generating parts, from the ads to the sponsored posts. She’s not making money off of us commenting. :)
ht
I also find it funny that in my feed there’s a Clearly Contacts ad right under this post.
anon
lolz
Mary
Well, my husband and I just purchased new glasses from Lens Crafters and they were so expensive it was crazy! At 40% off the lens we both paid well over 400 dollars for our new glaasses! Hubby had to go back because they did not measure his line-of-sight properly. I am taking mine back because I asked for anti-reflective coating and you can see everything in my lens. Oh, and I had to go and pick up my new contacts, and waited FOREVER for someone to help me. What is a reasonable price to pay for new glasses: transition lens, progressives, and ant-reflective coating?
Ann
Lenses can be crazy expensive, especially if you have a strong prescription and for those upgraded features. Strong prescriptions require high-index lenses, which are holy crap pricey. Also, you might have gotten sucked into buying more expensive frames than you expected? “Designer” frames can be way more than you expect, like $200+, and it sucks double if they’re not included in the discount.
I have to get super high-index glass/composite/whatever for my lenses because my prescription is so bad (-13.00). I also get shaping around the edge of the lens to minimize “edge effects” and the anti-reflective coating (which is $40-50 extra). Never got Transitions ($50-100 extra) or progressive lenses (about $100 extra?), and I never walked out of an eyeglass place for less than $400. Even if you price it out at online discount eyewear and lens places, I think you’re in the ballpark.
Ru
For transition + progressive + anti-reflective coating with lenses, $400 is a BARGAIN. I paid $550ish for transition + anti-reflective coating on higher index lens and frames ($200ish). Now I really want to go to Lens Crafters.
If you’re comfortable with your prescription and know your pupilary distance, I’d suggest purchasing your glasses online. I really like 39dollarglasses, zenni optical and glasses4u.
anon
LensCrafters is really expensive. Online is good, or if you’re a Costco member, they have good deals. I got my last pair of frames online and then had Costco do the lenses, which worked out well.
Mary
This makes me feel better. If that is the going rate, then I am okay. I was feeling a bit ripped off. Guess getting older is taking its toll on the cost of my glasses, as well.
Terrible@aol.com
Lens Crafters is terrible. They underpay their employees and have lower quality frames and glasses at a high price.
I would prefer (and do) shop for eyewhere at a local optician who I trust. After all my eyes are the main way I earn money, and I won’t trust them to just anyone.
When will Americans stop Walmart-izing every purchase and buy quality.
Kat, you show $1,000 dollar designer suits here and go to a chain store for cheapo eyewhere? Are you that desperate for money?
Mary
That was mean!
Corporette Shill
Is this what this blog has become – a site where reviews of items are sold to the highest bidder? I think I will start a competing site that doesn’t contain so many endorsements of products that are paid.
How can we differentiate between stuff you like and stuff you are just complimenting over a sense of obligation because you are paid?
Assist
The “Sponsored Post” in the title of the post didn’t tip you off?
No one’s going to stop you from starting your own site. Blogging is a job, especially considering she posts a new article every day, on her own. If she wants to accept money for doing something that is a HUGE time sink, so be it. You’re welcome to not read.
Accountress
What Assist said….
Also, Kat’s pretty upfront with what’s sponsored and what’s not. “So-and-so reached out to me about trying their product…” “Disclosure: In addition to receiving a new pair of glasses, I am also receiving monetary compensation for this ambassadorship.” She even puts in how many affiliated links are on a post! If I don’t see something about someone approaching her to blog about something, I feel confident that it’s her opinion.
TheTruth
I work at Lenscrafters and while the Accufit is 10 times more precise the end product you receive is not. Yes Lenscrafters appears to be technically advanced from the outside but if you ever took a tour of there lab in the back you will see a different side of LC. The equipment is dated back to the early 80’s. The picture accufit takes is 10 times more accurate cause it measures in 1/10 of a mm however the outdated lab equipment can only process your eyewear in 1mm increments so the accufit system is useless. Figured I would throw this out there. This is a marketing gimmick. Looks good but does not benefit the customer whatsoever.
Mike
Nice job subtlely calling out your fellow corporate shills.
Anyway, this AccuFit can’t be more than just bunch of marketing hype. I bought some glasses online, using the pupillary distance I got from my optician (61mm) and they’re just fine. Then I wanted some prescription sunglasses in really big frames, but the website wouldn’t let me order them because the lenses are set too far apart in the frames to get a 61mm pupillary distance. It would, however, let me order them if I said the pupillary distance is 64mm. They were only $15 so I decided to give it a shot with a 64mm PD. I got ’em and they work just fine.
This “measures to one tenth of a mm” thing is just silly. Bear in mind that the “pupillary distance” is the distance between the centers of your eyes (when your eyes are relaxed, like staring off into space). It’s important so that the lenses are located properly right in front of your pupils. But do your really think your glasses are sitting on your nose/ears with an accuracy of a tenth of a millimeter — or even a whole millimeter? For reference, the thickness of a penny is 1.5mm.
Greg
Word to the wise, first decide what is most important about your eyewear purchase. Quality, accuracy, service? Yes, I am an independant optician. I always tell my patients you need to know if price is the most important factor. Then go to costco, walmart or where have you. DO NOT go online. As far as someone posting on here well I got a pair online and they were just fine. Well in the same token you can play russian roulette and pull the trigger 5 times and be just fine. After 26 years of dispensing I can tell you all the downsides of buying eyewear from someone who doesn’t measure you, adjust the eyewear, determine the proper fit for you face and prescription. Just a word to the wise. Do what you will with this professional opinion.
none
First of all the optician does not ever dilate your eyes,only the optometrist does,opticians only sale glasses.Second ,if you go in with a script for your glasses there is no need for retinal photos,this to is done by a doctor’s office ,this accufit system only does pupil distance bifocal placement and may figure how to decenenterthe lenses.The main reason for this instrumenti think is so they don’t have to hire people who don’t have to understandthe skill behinda pair or glasses and they can pay them less.I expect this story wasa plant by lenscrafters