Hello all. Well, several months ago there some discussion of Zenni Online optical, and I recently got around to trying them out. About two weeks ago I broke the bow off the left side of my only pair of glasses. Yeah, that's right- even after admitting I only had one pair and needed new ones I still waited til they broke on me. At any rate, went to the opto-doc and got my exam. I dropped $550 but walked out with six pairs of contacts and two very nice pair of glasses. For the first time I ever I remembered to ask for my PD! The lady momentarily had a look on her face as though no one had ever asked before but she readily accommodated [the law does require you be given your entire prescription if you ask, plus I did just drop almost six large!].

So a day or two after getting my scrip I decided to give Zenni a try. Their web site is a bit quirky but they have a crapload of different frames. Since I didn't know how good their stuff would be I opted to get a pretty cheap pair. I chose some rectangular plastic frames, and with the upgrade to polycarbonate and anti-glare coating the price was $30. Shipping brought the grand total to $35.

They actually showed up today. Pretty fast service overall. They came packed in a very plain but quite sturdy plastic storage case. Overall I'm very pleased with them. First off, the optics are dead-on, every bit as accurate as the ones that cost me $400. The edges aren't quite as neat but the scrip is perfect. The PD is also correct, or so it seems. I don't think I'd want them as a daily wear pair since in an effort to get them cheap I picked frames that have no nose pads (like cheap sunglasses). Again, I knew what I was getting so it wasn't a surprise or anything. In the kitchen at work it's usually around 90 F or so, so I'm sure they'd want to slide off. But they'll be perfect as a backup. I may leave them in the glove box of my truck so I always have spares.

This purchase has definitely allayed any concerns I had about their low prices, or of ordering online. I plan to pick up a couple more pairs- I have my eyes on some safety glasses and a nice set of titanium ones.

Again, no affiliation or anything. Just decided to try them on the recommendations of a couple of ETS'ers. I think they were well worth the $35!