Friday Favorites: Zenni Optical
Hello and Happy Friday!!! Today I want to start off a new series where I share ALLLL of my favorites…one Friday at a time. So I decided to start off with something that I know A LOT about AND that I get asked about EVERY DAY!! My glasses. I have worn glasses since the 8th grade, so they are basically a part of me at this point. My glasses are the FIRST thing I put on in the morning and the LAST thing I take off at night. So if I am going to wear something EVERY day, I want variety, style, and of course a good deal. That is why I order my glasses from ZENNI OPTICAL. Zenni is an online optical website that allows you to order awesome affordable frames RIGHT from your own home…and when I say affordable, I am NOT kidding!!!
Some things to know before you order from Zenni Optical…
- You must have a current prescription before you can order. For me, this means that I still see my eye doctor regularly for my yearly exam. After my exam, I ask for my glasses prescription INSTEAD of ordering directly from the doctor’s office. They send me home with a print out of my prescription containing ALL of the information I will need to order my new glasses from Zenni Optical.
- You should have a basic understanding of glasses and how they work. There are LOTS of great tutorials on the Zenni website telling you how to measure your face and use your prescription to get glasses that will work for you. For example, if you need extra thick lenses, only certain frames will work for you OR if you have a super small face, some frames will be WAY too wide (these are both problems I run into). If you have had glasses before, the process will be MUCH easier.
- You will need a current picture of yourself. You can then upload the picture and digitally TRY ON the glasses that you are interested in. THIS IS THE DEAL BREAKER!!! You can see EXACTLY what the frames will look like on your face shape. I have ordered multiple times, and the glasses always fit VERY similar to the digital try on.
- I do not have vision insurance, so I pay for eyewear out of pocket. If you have a good vision plan, it might be just as affordable for you to order straight from your doctor.
What I Love about Zenni…
- These glasses are MORE THAN affordable. The last time I ordered from Zenni Optical, I picked out two pairs of frames, one for $12.95 and one for $9.95. I have VERY bad eyesight and had to add high index lenses to each pair so that I would not have “Coke bottle” glasses. That added close to $30 per pair. So for 2 pairs of high index glasses, I paid around $90 after shipping. If I was a “normal” person and didn’t need high index lenses, my total would have been closer to $30. FOR TWO PAIRS OF GLASSES!!!
- I can get multiple pairs of glasses to fit my personality and style. Because each pair of glasses is so affordable, I can purchase as many pairs of glasses as I want. I do not feel “married” to my glasses for years to come because they were an investment.
- There are SOOO many options. I have only ordered regular glasses, but they also have transitions, sunglasses, bifocals, etc. Prescription sunglasses are next on my wishlist. Even though I have had glasses most of my life, I have NEVER owned a pair of prescription sunglasses. Crazy I know.
- You can see EXACTLY what each pair will look like before you purchase. The try-on feature is the deal-breaker for me. Because I see EACH pair of frames before ordering, I feel VERY confident in my choices. When I am at the doctor’s office, I have to try on frames WITHOUT my glasses on. For someone as blind as I am, that is NOT helpful.
- Never having to deal with annoying salespeople. There is NOTHING more stressful than trying to find a pair of glasses with a complete stranger standing next to you every step of the way. PLUS, they try to be helpful by handing you multiple pairs to try on…all of which cost a small fortune and make you look like Sally Jessy Raphael or your Grandma Betty. Also, I have a tiny head…it’s the truth. I have ALWAYS purchased children’s frames because they fit better. Trying to explain this to a salesperson EVERY time is like trying to explain to a toddler that fruit snacks are NOT a fruit. By ordering online while in my jammies and watching THE GOOD PLACE, I do not have to deal with ALL of the annoyance of people…and the public…haha.
- Shipping. My glasses arrived right at my door within 2 weeks…easy peasy.
To be honest, it took me a while to jump into ordering my glasses online. I was scared at first, BUT because I had paid a lot of money for my current glasses and didn’t want to spend a fortune on new ones, I was wearing glasses that were LITERALLY hot glued together FOR MONTHS. I am not even making that up. Then my sister, who had previously worked as an optician for YEARS, told me about Zenni. She had been ordering her glasses from Zenni unbeknownst to me. I figured if SHE was suggesting it, why not?? I AM SOOOOO GLAD I DID!! Besides getting rid of my hot glued glasses, I was able to get multiple pairs and feel SOOO confident in my new frames. I am SOOO happy I decided to listen to my sister…in this instance that is:) I have been 100% happy with my new glasses and plan to continue using Zenni.
And there you have it…my FIRST Friday Favorites!! I will be back next Friday to share more of my favorite things. Have a Happy weekend!! Jessica
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