The Weekly Gripe

Cheaper spectacles and contact lenses

Specs and contact lenses too expensive

Yes, thats what we want!

For those of us not lucky enough to have perfect eyesight, we need to correct our vision with contact lenses and glasses. Where's the cheapest place to get them? Are we being ripped off at the local optician?



Last year in the England and Wales alone there were nearly 11 million eye tests and no doubt many of these individuals required their vision to be corrected using eye glasses or contact lenses.

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Posted Comment Visitor
24-8-2010 I recently had my eyes tested but could not find frames I liked at the same optician. I have found a variafocal lense that I can get on with but on visiting 4 different "glasses shops" found that the exact same lense varied from £213 - £218!!! Surely this should not be allowed on something so important. I can cope with shopping around for my washing machine but my specs - I dont think so!!mollywolly 50
14-5-2010 Sarah, I have a similar prescription to yours, -13.5 in my right eye and -12.00 in my left. I got a pair of glasses with top of the range high index lenses (the thinnest available for my prescription) for £190 from www.thinlenses.co.uk. Like you I used to pay close to £500 each time. Give them a go, I'm really happy with mine.Marc
14-5-2010 I had an eyetest the other day. my prescription is -12, I am severely myopic, and new glasses would cost £450 or more. I can't affford this, if I don't have the lenses thinned then even my own family can't bear to look at me (the experience I had of this at age 14 taught me I was a social leper with these obscenely telescopic lenses that nearly reach the moon. even with an HC2 certificate (I have M.E.) only 70 quid can be shaved off. my prescription has altered, I need new glasses badly, yet no way can I stretch to these prices. it's so unfair.sarah
10-3-2010 specs are tax deductable if used for only specific jobs and nothing else, iobvious example would be a builder using safety specs, though someone who only requires specs for intermediate vision and uses a computer all day should be able to claim against expenses. Your sight test can certainly be put against expenses if you are a vdu user most of the day. If you are employed and require a prescription for vdu use only your employer has to contribute. Remember though that VAT on spectacles is very low 0 on a sight test and betweeen 4 - 6 % on spectacles hope this helps.norman
06-3-2010 are spectacles/eye tests tax deductable in certain jobs? I have to work with a computer most days and need to write reports etcsidge
09-1-2010 I can certainly vouch for Alan of Dennies Spectacle Makers. He does a brilliant job and if you have any problems with your glasses he gives excellent customer care after you have purchased them. I have known Alan for 2 years and have just contacted to order a pair of galsses from him. My former husband had a pair of varifocals for under £100 and a second pair just for driving, not varifocals, for £15Alan's prices may have changed since these prices were paid a year ago. I recommend him to everyone I know who needs glasses.Deborah
20-8-2009 Get on a plane to Taiwan. You can get beautiful pairs of glasses for 20 pounds each. Fancy a spot of acupuncture? 10 pounds per session. Lunch for 90p (pork chop, rice, 3 veg and soup) then take a stroll to the dentist's and have your teeth cleaned and polished for 15 pounds and get a filling and a crown done for just over a hundred pounds. It's worth the airfare and you get a good holiday too.Made up with Taiwan
18-7-2009Hi, For people in the UK, I think the best value place for glasses is iWearGlasses: http://www.iwearglasses.co.uk Prescription glasses start at £9.99 including single vision lenses. Has anyone tried them, or does anyone know anywhere cheaper? :)Hamster
30-6-2009wat would you rather be £100 out of pocket or blindsimon xmas
07-11-2008why not buy eyeglasses online? I have try opticalchic.com and 39dollarglasses.com Both are greatRobert
04-11-2008I bought two pairs of glasses from Moorfields four years ago, for £25 each. Now I need some new ones, and I find - GASP! - that VisionExpress want over £500 for two pairs, incorporating their cheapest frames ! I guess there's a rip-off going on....Robin Clay
24-10-2008I ordered a pair of glasses one of the links on this page, Optishop, this link takes you to www.opticalmailorder.co.uk and is a very simple site to use. I needed some advice before I ordered my specs so I called the number on the site. The chap was very helpful and even explained some disadvantages to ordering on the web (he told me it was not a good idea to order vary focals over the internet as they should be fitted by a trained optician). He could have lost my order, but I did order a pair of their Carducci designer glasses and got them within the week. I am very pleased with my new glasses and have recommended Optical mail order to all my friends and family.NHSKev

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