Definitely would suggest you buy them in a store. Typically I'm all in favor of buying online. As its typically convinient and is often times cheaper. But glasses are something you have to get exactly right so you should talk to a professional face to face and find the perfect pair.
I don't wear glasses, but my husband does. I have many friends who do wear them, and will shop for designer frames online because it's cheaper that way. I've suggested this to my husband, but he fusses a lot when he first buys glasses and will often have them tweaked and adjusted a few times at the store, before finally deciding they're comfortable enough and suitable for him to keep. This can go on for a few weeks from the point of purchasing them and It becomes a very long drawn out process, so I guess for him it's best to just go in store.
Even though I've heard both good and bad about buying prescription glasses online and think that it may possibly be okay for those who have a fairly weak standard prescription - its not a route I would choose - especially as there are just way to many aspects that can't satisfactorily be dealt with online. In fact one problem that immediately springs to mind is that of trying to make sure that the choice of frames would be comfortable for long time wear - which as adjustments normally need to be made whilst the glasses are being worn - could prove to be somewhat problematic if ordering online - likewise for those with severe or unusual forms of astigmatism that require very precise positioning of the lenses - which as it generally takes quite a lot of tiny adjustments in order to get both the frames and lenses to sit perfectly and also sometimes requires extra adjustment within the first few days of wear - could prove to be even more problematic - especially as - its highly unlikely that those adjustments could be done with any precision without the person actually wearing the glasses. So yes - realistically speaking the most cost effective option - if wanting a pair of prescription glasses that are a comfortable fit and more importantly correctly improve your vision - would be to buy them in person rather than online and especially so if needing to wear them all the time.
I wear eyeglasses and I love shopping online but I have never combined the two. I don't see myself doing so in the future either. The problem for me is not so much the lens but the frames. Eyeglass frames I believe need to be tried in store before you commit. Unless the look and fit don't matter to you at all.
I also wear eyeglasses and have worn them since I was a child. They caught it late though, so my eyesight was pretty bad by the time I got them. I like to shop online because of how convenient it is. But I prefer to shop for eyeglasses in stores, simply because I can see how the frames look. I can touch them and try them on.
You make a very good point, gata montes! My husband also has astigmatism in one eye, and hence the reason he much prefers to buy in store. He's also got very bad vision, not the worst by any means, but enough that I can't see out of his specs. So it's just easier to go in, have his eyes checked, get his prescription and get his glasses at a store as opposed to online.
I have never done it, but I always wanted to try it myself. I really dislike going to the eye doctors, I just really HATE eye drops. I could never get alright with eye drops. So I wanted to escape eye drops, and then just get the glasses. But yeah my glasses always seem to get destroyed by SOMETHING, so maybe online is not a good idea for me. But if you are not as clumsy as I am, you might be able to pull the online glasses off. It also does not hurt to try it one time, it could possibly go well.
I have been wearing glasses for many years. The cost of new glasses have often kept me from getting new glasses when I needed them. My daughter has been purchasing glasses for herself and her two sons online for the last year with no problems. I am making my first purchase online this month. The last glasses I purchased from the store cost me over $500, the lens are over $100 each.
Even though I prefer the option of going into a physical store and picking out my glasses, over the online experience of picking out my glasses, I feel like the overall price of buying glasses online would be better than that of shopping in an opticians. There are certain online deals that cannot be used in stores, vouchers and such that cannot be printed off, but can only be used by entering in the code when you go through the payment transaction.
I think it can work, especially if you have your correct prescription and know exactly what you're getting. I think if you choose a well known and reputable online store, you shouldn't run into any trouble where you may need something tweaked or something doesn't go quite to plan. Like I've said before, I know a few people who prefer to buy online because they get a nice bargain, and that seems to be working for them just fine. I hope it works out for you, too
I think you can only buy eyeglasses online if you don't really have blurry eyes, but if you do then the grade is quite sensitive and it needs to be checked by an optometrist. I recently bought another pair of eyeglasses and the optometrist tested my eyes twice on 2 devices to be sure of my new grade.
