Online Opticians UK : Review

*I was gifted a pair of glasses in exchange for a review

I’ve worn glasses for such a long time now, and as much as I love the way a new pair of glasses can change how I look, I do find it a bit of a chore when I have to get new ones.

I had some I really liked from a big high-street optician but I was really impressed with them. They were a full-frame pair of glasses and the paintwork on them chipped so easily – to the extent that they were replaced after a couple of months. The replacement pair did exactly the same and I sort of put it down to a bad buy and won’t use that optician again.

The last pair I chose was from a new high street optician and I wasn’t sure about them at first, and it took me a while to get used to them, but I do really like them now.

I have a relatively narrow nose and the ideal glasses size is somewhere between a large children’s frame and a small ladies frame – it’s really hard finding glasses that don’t sit too wide on my nose or too big across my face. I tend to just read the numbers on the inside of the arm and that immediately discounts frames as I know that certain measurements are much too big for me.

When Onlineopticiansuk.com asked me if I’d like to try a pair of their glasses I was intrigued as to how easy it would be to get well-fitting glasses online.

Getting the right fit

First up, make a note of the measurements of your current glasses. These are the numbers on the arm of your glasses. The glasses that I ordered have the following numbers: 52 – 19 – 140. The first number (52) is the width of the lenses. The second number (19) is the distance between the lenses (think the bit that goes over your nose) and the third number (140) is the length of the arm. For me the two key numbers are the first two – anything up to these numbers fit ok but the lower the better.

I browsed the website and wanted to look at the rimless glasses and I like how the site is set out so you can easily view the different styles, from sunglasses, rimless, plastic or even by colour. It’s really easy to navigate to a style or colour of interest.

Choosing my glasses

I scrolled through the site and spotted maybe seven of so pairs of glasses that I liked; after some twenty years of glasses wearing I know what suits my face shape and what colours I can get away with (albeit just the arms of the glasses are coloured this time around).

I then looked at the glasses and was able to quickly discount a few pairs because the sizing wasn’t right for me. It’s really easy to see the sizing as it’s so clearly displayed as well as giving small pictures which help you to understand what the numbers mean.

Next I looked at the shape of the lens – I didn’t want anything too round as it’s not a style that suits me so I was then able to narrow it down a little more, and at that stage it just came down to which pair of glasses I thought had the best  measurements to suit me.

Ordering the glasses

Standard lenses are included in the cost of the frames, with additional costs for transition lenses or anti-glare coatings etc. It’s then a case of popping in the information from your prescription into the various fields – always worth double-checking this bit! Then go through the payment and delivery details and wait!

My glasses arrived pretty quickly and were signed delivery via DPD. I’m really pleased with the glasses and would definitely use OnlineOpticiansuk.com again in the future. Their frames are well priced, especially when I consider the prices I’ve paid in the past and the delivery was much quicker than a high street store I used last time (which took two weeks!) plus there is the added convenience of them being delivered right to your door.

I found the website really easy to navigate and there isn’t any pressure from eager sale people, eager to get your sale (I always find I’m offered glasses that I know won’t suit me, but still have to go through the charade of trying them on etc). All in all I’m really pleased with the glasses and the service from Online Opticians UK.