Awww:( I feel for you guys. That was about the age my son had to get glasses. Broke my heart. But I wasn’t surprised because my husband and I both have worn glasses since we were little so I figured it was coming.
Since we went where the insurance would pay, we did Eye Mart for several years for our kids. Then insurance changes and we went to an Optometrist for a couple years. Now we’re with Sears.
My point: no matter which company we went with or brand of frames, if conditions are right, they’ll break or bend, etc. Check to see if you can get the extra warranty protection for the frames; I’m glad we did! It was worth it with my son!!! We also have a great repair shop close by, so that helped too when it was just something minor.
Also, I would suggest the plastic lenses - a lot lighter on the nose!!!
Get the prescription from the optometrist. Find one of those pupil measuring devices. Go to Zenni Optical and order 10 pairs of glasses for the same price as one from the optometrist.
My daughter busted her glasses in two months after getting them from the optometrist. Go cheap. They’ll either be broken or lost, glasses case be damned.
Ahh…he shouldn’t think it’s the worst day of his life.
Lots of kids who don’t need glasses wear fake ones because they think it’s “cool”.
No one I know buys their glasses from the optometrist. They go to Costco or WalMart. Even people who can afford to spend a lot of money on glasses. I know some women who have several different pairs to coordinate with different outfits in their wardrobes. I’ve never heard one complain about a lack of “quality”.
When I first got glasses, right out the gate I broke a pair by forgetting where I’d put them and sat on them. For a first pair of glasses, I think it would maybe be best to get the less expensive ones until your son is used to having to keep track of them and be careful with them, etc.
Another vote for Walmart. Our son needed Rec-Specs for soccer. We went to a private opthomologist and he said it would take six weeks because it was a special order and they would cost $240.00.
Walmart had them ready in three days and they were $70.00. This was not some “off” brand, they were Rec-Specs, brand name.
We have been sold ever since. (That was nearly five years ago.) I also like that no matter where we are, if something happens to their glasses, we just show up at a Walmart and they fix them at no charge, and they normally have my contact lenses in stock so I can get replacements no matter wherever I am in this country because my prescription is in their “system”.
They have a great selection and both of my kids have had wonderful people help them select and fit their glasses. I know people like to bash Walmart, but they have really saved us hundreds (literally, hundreds) of dollars in glasses.
Good luck and tell your little guy that he will rock the glasses!
Have you compaired the prices @ the Optometrists office vs Walmart Target and other places??I would go cheap and buy an extra or 2 just incaseGlasses are glasses yes and no you get what you paid for but it also depends on how they will be treated.Good Luck in your findings…He will be fine in his new frames.
We got my daughter’s first pair of glasses from the optometrist’s office and they were piece of junk. Every time I turned around the screws were falling out and we had to send them in to be fixed. ( You can’t get those eyeglass fix kits for little glasses.) At one point they told me that my daughter would have to be without her glasses for 2 weeks while they sent them to be fixed. I got fed up and went to LensCrafters and bought her 2 pairs. I wouldn’t recommend LensCrafters… though they were quick and the glasses held up great, their buy on get one deal is a rip off.
Anyway… the last time we got glasses for her we went to Costco and got great glasses at a great price. So my point is… yes probably Wal-Mart would be the better place when given the choice between the office or someplace else.
Another thing I’ll add is to get 2 pairs… that way you always have a back-up if they get lost or misplaced. And make sure that you establish a place where your son always puts them when he takes them off. Ours is the bathroom counter… so she can put them there before bed and then see them first thing in the morning.
Tell your son to chin up. They have lots and lots of cool styles now and glasses are almost an accessory. I hope he finds some that he likes!
Walmart or Costco are good.
I get glasses from EyeBuyDirect.com and I paid $7.95 for the pair I am wearing right now.
For that kind of money I can have a pair for every room in the house and STILL not pay $400 like one pair would cost from the optometrist.
Definitely get a backup pair of glasses.
My son is 6 and has been wearing glasses since he was 2yrs old. I have always bought the $10 frames from walmart and have never had a problem with them falling apart on their own. Honestly, a child is going to be rough on them and they are going to fall apart and break just the same. They also have a decent policy for replacing scratched lenses too which I have used in the past with no problem. At that time we didn’t have insurance that covered the frames or lenses but now we do so I might consider getting nicer frames if I really thought they would last longer than the 2 yrs he is going on his current 10 dollar frames. But if the expensive ones broke, I’d have to pay out of pocked if it was less than a year and then he would end up with the cheap frames! lol
We just bought my 6 year old glasses. We had his prescription from the eye specialist and bought him 2 pairs at Eye Masters for $240. They have a deal of 2 pairs for $99 but the frames have to be under $69 or you pay the difference. One pair was $69 but the other pair was more expensive. We wanted to get him a pair of sports glasses for when he plays flag football. One pair we got him the transitional lense where they will be more like sunglasses. We also bought the insurance so that if he breaks them we can get a new pair for $25.
He got glasses when he was 5 and we bought from Lenscrafters. That pair was $199 but it included the insurance. During the first year we replaced thoses glasses multiple times. That insurance was awesome.
My kiddos don’t wear glasses yet but I work in the eyeglass industry. Please do not buy your son’s glasses online. While it may be cost effective it is not the best thing for a first time wearer, especially a child. Not only does his PD need to measured accurately but he needs to get the right fit on the frames. While many online merchants allow you to upload a picture to see what the frames look like, you can’t see and feel the fit. This will impact his compliance. Kid’s already struggle with compliance for obvious reasons but if they don’t fit right, it will really be a struggle.
Also, while you want him to get decent frames (which might help him comply), you’ll want to make sure you get good lenses. No, not all lenses are created equal. I strongly recommend polycarbonate material (safest for kids because they are shatterproof), scratch resistance (minimizes chance of scratching), and anti-reflective coating (reduces glare which creates better vision). Yes these things will cost but they are all important. I would say spend the money on the lenses and stay within the frame budget for your insurance.
Many places offer back to school deals around this time which include 2 pairs. These deals may not nclude the features I mentioned above but I would strongly encourage you to pay the extra money to get those features. Some retailers won’t even sell glasses without these features, I think Walkart and Costco, because it is that important. No matter where you go, just don’t skimp on your son’s vision. Good luck to you and if you have any questions, please feel free to send me a private message.
P.S. I purposely didn’t include where I work because I don’t want you to think I’m biased but I can assure you that I don’t work for any of the optical retailers or for a ophthalmologist… I’m just passionate about vision and Eyecare
Hi Erica, my son has worn glasses since he was 3. At first we went the expensive route, buying the no break, no scratch frames/lenses from the dr. After spending a ton of money on them and him breaking them anyway, we started doing the 2 pairs for $99 at vision works. He still goes through a couple pairs a year and he is 9! They aren’t any less quality than the ones from the dr. Kids are just really tough on glasses!!
