Have you ever had a favorite pair of glasses?   Better yet, have you ever had a least favorite pair of glasses?   If you wore a pair of glasses sometime in the 80’s, that is sure to be the case!   But it is true, most of us have had some glasses that make us look back and cringe.   Perhaps the style didn’t compliment your face like you wanted it to, or they left sore red marks on your nose.   Glasses are a big investment in your style, and more importantly, your sight!   These are things that should never be compromised.   The glasses you wear should be entirely personalized and special to you.   Correct selection of frame and lenses is vital for these and so many other reasons.   In a time when online retailers are able to bring you a low cost, low quality product, we are here to tell you why sticking with an authorized professional for selection of your frames and lenses is to your advantage in the long run.

Recently the American Optometric Association (AOA) conducted a study of glasses purchased online.   In the study they found that 44.8% of glasses that were ordered online failed impact resistance testing or were made with incorrect prescriptions.  That is a staggering statistic! This means that there is almost a 50/50 chance that there will be something wrong with your glasses. If your glasses fail to meet impact resistance requirements, they can literally do more harm than good!

Also in this study, the AOA ordered 200 pairs of glasses from various online retailers and only 154 of those orders were actually completed and received. This begs the question, are you willing to take these risks with your sight and your money?

There are so many things to take into account when selecting frames and lenses. This is the reason that a certified optician is essential in your glasses buying process. Of course a spouse, or significant other, or family member is helpful as well, but the optician is there to help you with the technical aspects of buying glasses that you might not be taking into account. For example, if you have a high prescription, the optician will guide you on a frame and lens selection that will give you optimal results for edge thickness and aesthetics. This is crucial for your long-term happiness with the glasses. The optician can visualize what a lens will look like IN the frame that you choose.

By doing this, the optician knows which lens will fill that frame properly and to your expectations. There are many problems that people have with glasses that can be easily fixed by picking something that fits you properly at your initial visit.

Lens selection also has an extremely important impact on the way you see out of your glasses. All eyeglass lenses are not created equal!  They are specific to your prescription and your parameters down to the degree. Not to mention that quality and clarity of lenses, depending on the vendor, can be vastly different.

When you purchase online, your needs are not being personally addressed. Have you experienced a fish-bowl effect in your lens previously, had problems with the amount of reading space in your progressive, had complaints about the visual acuity in a certain pair? This could all be due to lens selection. Your optician is there to discern what lens material, type, and brand will give you the best possible vision.  There are literally thousands of lenses and options out there to choose from!  Your optician is educated on all of these options. You should leave knowing about the specs of your lens, and why it is was chosen specifically for you.  Does your online retailer offer them all?  Did they leave you feeling personally educated on why that lens is good for you? The answer is most certainly no.

This one-on-one interaction with your optician can make or break your experience with your glasses. Taking into account these staggering statistics, do you want to shortchange your best possible sight by nixing the professional and ordering online?

When you are selecting frames with OUR certified optician here at Clarity Advanced Eyecare, we take a lot of things into account—your style, your face shape, your prescription, and even your budget. Our selection of over 650 frames is handpicked and took months to curate! The selection of frames is vast but focuses on independent luxury brands. We have all price points to meet patient’s needs, and even satiate your insurance allowances as well. Your initial visit with us is just the beginning of the service that we can provide to you. Did you know that routine adjustments can extend the life of your frame, not to mention, maintain proper vision and comfort? We are happy to see you whenever you need an adjustment, and love to provide you continued support with your purchase of glasses from us. The experience we want you to have at Clarity Advanced Eyecare is a special and personalized one, something that simply cannot be replicated when clicking a button online.

Andrea Peczynski, CPOA

Certified Optician at Clarity Advanced Eyecare