My last optometrist visit resulted in a new prescription that cost me $290 for a new pair of designer frames, ""because your prescription is a bit unutual"". So my left eye is legally blind and my right eye is almost 20/20, big deal! Sigh. While wearing my $290 frames, I googled ""cheap designer glasses"" - and that's how I found Zenni Optical.\r
\r
I must had browsed their website for several days before I narrowed down my choices to 3 frames. SO MANY DIFFERENT FRAMES TO CHOOSE FROM!! The photos all looked beautiful, sturdy, and EXACTLY like the ""designer frames"" that cost me $290. My final decision varied between $8 - 12 for the frames and lenses, plus $5/pair for anti-glare coating (I stare at the computer screen for about 10 hours a day). Shipping was about $7.\r
\r
I paid a little over $50 for 3 pairs of glasses.\r
\r
Turn-around time for production and shipping is 2-3 weeks. I emailed and asked them where exactly do they make their glasses? They replied a day later, ""China"". Makes perfect sense - my friends in China pays about $15 a pair there. Their problem is that they're never really sure about the prescription, since ANY optometrist in China will tell you that your prescription is wrong, just to get you to buy a new pair of glasses. Makes me a bit weary...\r
\r
...3 weeks later, my order from Zenni Optical arrived - from their address in California. There was some Chinese scribbling on the envelope - so it DID came from China!\r
\r
The glasses feel absolutely fantastic. They fit well, the prescription feels EXACTLY like my $290 glasses, and they're just look SO COOL!!! But I'm still not convinced, so I took them to LensCrafters along with my $290 glasses and a copy of my prescription. ""They're exactly the same, miss"", the clerk told me.\r
\r
So I did just pay $50 for 3 pairs of glasses that would otherwise cost me $870. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
Pros: QUALITY and selection, and the price just CANNOT be beat
Cons: turn-around time takes a little longer than the promised 2-3 weeks
more