How do I find good quality eyeglasses?

There are several ways to find high quality eyeglasses that you may not have realized before.  There are several online websites that list a variety of independent and high quality eyewear brands that offer tons of styles and benefits. Privately owned eye boutiques that offer premium eyeglasses can be hard to find but with a few resources and a little research you may be surprised how many sources you can find. 

Before searching you should ask yourself a few questions to narrow your search. 

The list of websites that host a range of optical boutiques and high quality eyeglasses is listed at the end of this article. 

What makes a pair of eyeglasses high quality?

What makes a pair of eyeglasses higher in quality will depend on the materials used, and the careful attention to details during construction.  Eyewear is like art, and each piece is created very differently.  Some eyeglasses are made from high grade titanium, while others use more basic materials such as stainless steel.  There are a wide range of plastics available on the market now and understanding the durability of each one makes a big difference in the final quality of your eyewear purchase.  Once you find a brand you like, reach out to a local distributor and learn more about the brand. 

 What eyeglasses will work best for you?

Finding out what eyeglasses will work best for you will depend on your lifestyle, work, likes, and dislikes.  For example, if you are a Delivery driver and work both days and nights all year round your needs are different than that of an IT professional who uses his or her eyes all day long, indoors, and on a computer.  If you find that you can benefit from wearing your eyeglasses longer, look for a more comfortable pair of glasses that you can wear longer.  An uncomfortable pair of frames is likely to be a bad investment, if you can only stand to wear them for a short amount of time.  However, a pair of glasses that is comfortable and can take a lot of mileage might be the better route for your lifestyle.  Make a list of how you use your eyes and what benefits would improve your quality of life.  If in doubt, ask an expert!  Your local Optician (not sales associate) or Optometrist can help guide you in the right direction. 

 How much do good eyeglasses cost?

A good pair of eyeglasses for a single vision wearer can range anywhere from $295 to $995, depending on what you would like the glasses to do.  If you like photochromic lenses that change clear to dark outdoors, that is generally a little more than $295.  Additional features add up in cost, but they can also improve your vision and lifestyle.  Many patients are actively searching for lenses that block blue UV rays and higher tech lenses that relax the eyes when working all day.  Just like the newest iPhone, new lenses and new tech will generally cost more money.  A pair of eyeglasses with progressive lenses can start around $395 and go up to $1495 for a single pair.  These range in costs for glasses and lenses is due to the high demand in better progressive lens technology.  Lens companies such as Hoya, Shamir, Essilor, & Zeiss spend millions if not billions a year on research alone to offer a wide range of lens technology.   The technology and design for new eyeglasses are not much different.  Eyewear designers have much more competition to set themselves apart and become more innovative.  More complex eyeglasses and artistic details give us more and more benefits from cosmetics to comfort. 

Lists of Eyewear Brands

Luxury Eyewear Forum

https://luxuryeyewearforum.com/luxury-eyewear/

 List of Luxury Eyewear Boutiques

EyeStylist https://www.eyestylist.com/category/boutiques/

Gazal Eyewear Distributors https://www.gazaleyewear.com/gazal-eyewear-locations

Lindberg Eyewear https://lindberg.com/en/dealers#/ 

Eye-book.com http://www.eye-book.com/category/network/stores-and-opticians/

Optical Journal https://opticaljournal.com/category/eyewear/