Buying your prescription lenses online can sometimes seem like a daunting task for anyone who has never done it before. However, it is actually quite simple and only takes a few minutes to do. Those few minutes can save you hundreds of dollars since most brick and mortar stores like to add ridiculous markups to their lenses. Many people get overwhelmed by the optometrist’s jargon but once you figure out what you need it is as easy as clicking a few buttons.
In this article I’m going to go through the process of ordering prescription lenses from DanielWalters.com and break everything down into a few simple steps.
1) Pick your frames
This is usually the easiest part. Simply choose a set of frames that you think fit your style. There is really no right or wrong answer here as it all comes down to a matter of opinion and your own personal sense of fashion. You can use our virtual mirror to try on just about any pair of glasses.
2) Choose what kind of lenses you’ll need: Single Vision or Bifocal/Progressive
After checking the prescription checkbox, located underneath the size dropdown menu, you will be prompted to choose between single vision lenses or bifocal/progressive lenses. Single vision lenses are for people who have trouble seeing either near or far. For example, if you can read without glasses but struggle to see things at a distance, you would select single vision distance lenses. If you need glasses to read and to see at a distance then you would need lenses that can do both. This is what bifocals and progressive lenses are for. Bifocals are lenses that allow you to see at a distance on the top part of the lens and then have a section at the bottom that you can look through when you need to read. It’s like wearing two different lenses on the same pair of glasses. The only problem is that there is no middle ground and it can occasionally be difficult to use since you have to be very intentional about how you use the glasses. Progressive lenses are the answer to this problem. Instead of having half distance and half reading glasses on one set of lenses, progressive lenses provide a smooth transition between the two from top to bottom. This helps when you are reading from a computer or something that isn’t necessarily far away but can’t be brought properly into focus with your reading lenses. Progressive lenses are more expensive than bifocals but, in my opinion, are always worth the extra money.
3) Provide your prescription
Providing us with your prescription is very simple and can be done in one of two ways. The first way is as simple as snapping a picture with your computer’s camera or your phone and uploading it to our website and BOOM! You’re done!
If you can’t take a picture of your prescription for whatever reason, you can manually enter it in. First, click on “ENTER YOUR PRESCRIPTION”. Then enter in your spherical error for your right eye and then for your left eye. The sphere (SPH) box indicates the power of your lenses. A plus sign (+) indicates farsightedness and a minus sign (-) indicates nearsightedness. For example, my prescription is -2.50 in each eye, so I simply click on the drop-down box and select -2.50 for both eyes and then I’m finished. Some people with an astigmatism will also have to enter in information listed for the cylinder (CYL) and the Axis. Also, if you’re purchasing multifocal lenses, be sure to put the (-) under sphere and the (+) under ADD.
4) Decide on any Lens Add-Ons
At DanielWalters.com we provide polycarbonate lenses, valued at $180, for no extra cost. Polycarbonate lenses are scratch resistant, antiglare, and provide some UV protection as well. In addition to this, you may decide you want hi-index lenses. Hi-index lenses are made in a way that they are more powerful than ordinary lenses and are therefore able to be made with less material. This allows them to be lighter and thinner which can be very helpful to people who have trouble keeping their glasses from falling off their faces. The thinner look is often more stylish and aesthetically pleasing. You can also purchase transition lenses. Transition lenses essentially turn your normal glasses into sunglasses when it is bright to protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. On top of all this, you can choose to add different tints such as a solid color, mirror, gradient, or even polarized.
So there you have it, after picking your frames, ordering your prescription lenses is as easy as 1, 2, 3. If you still need help, don’t worry, you can call in to talk to an optician or you can email any questions you may have to info@danielwalters.com.