Does The Cost of Lenses for Glasses Vary Much between Stores?

iTaco on 12/12/2019 - 22:40
Last edited 12/12/2019 - 23:27 by 1 other user

Does the price of prescription lenses vary significantly between stores? eg. OPSM, Spec Savers etc

I have had glasses for a few years now, think I am onto my 4th pair over 7ish years. Next month will be two years since I last got new lenses/frames which was covered under my parents health insurance, I just paid whatever the whatever the health insurance claim difference made it.

Usually it was a case of going to the store doing the eye test and getting lenses/frames from the same store, no shopping around. Now this time seems I don't have health insurance and being somewhat cost conscientious because of this. I'm wondering if it is worth shopping around for lenses or do all stores have the same place they go to for sourcing of lenses, meaning its the cost of frames which will be my biggest factor in how much a new pair costs me?

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  pistachio1 on 12/12/2019 - 23:21

  Do you need standard lenses or fancy-pants ones? Specsavers have free standard lenses with all frames. I have no health insurance and that's where I go every few years.

  I got lucky last time when Big W were closing down their optometry department and picked up brand-name frames + standard lenses for dirt cheap. But otherwise, it's Specsavers for me.

  Don't know if other places work out cheaper if you need multi focal lenses or what have you.

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    iTaco on 12/12/2019 - 23:47

    I don;t think I need fancy pants ones, only have them for short sightedness.

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  Stewardo on 12/12/2019 - 23:37

  You get a prescription and buy them online at a place like,
  clearly contacts
  The shops in the shopping centre charge much more.

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    iTaco on 12/12/2019 - 23:48

    I figured as much, but still curious to know whether the same prescription lenses at OPSM would cost the same as lenses from Spec Savers

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  AdosHouse on 12/12/2019 - 23:52

  One end of the extreme, single vision, standard lenses with anti-reflective coating at OPSM, about $400. Same lenses with anti-reflection coating and blue light filter at Costco, $100.

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  YTW on 13/12/2019 - 00:31

  It can do. Depends a lot on what type of lens you want.

  If you wear glasses you might want to look into a basic extras cover - I used to find that I was ahead simply by claiming the optical and for one dental checkup a year. Then if I needed to claim anything else it came in handy (physio for an injury, extra dental work etc). I presume levels of that type of cover still exist.

  Edited to say: having cover can also entitle you to a discount at places like Specsavers sometimes. Which can help you maximise your benefits if you time it right. I think they offer my current fund 20 or 30% off at times during the year.

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  vikvance on 13/12/2019 - 06:34

  Regarding your first question: Yes, there is incredible variation between stores.

  One value-for-money option is buy it online using https://www.visiondirect.com.au/

  For example, I wanted to buy a pair of Oakley vision glasses. For the same set of glasses and similar types of lenses, I got quoted:
  $585 by the Oakley retail shop
  $582 by BUPA Optical
  $452 by OPSM
  and then I bought from VisionDirect & I got charged only $311. So, roughly half of what I would have paid I hadn't shopped around & just bought from the first store I visited (the Oakley store).

  The optometrist industry is like the Aussie retail industry before the arrival of online options like Amazon. The markups & profit margins are just insane.

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  Shadowsfury on 13/12/2019 - 07:16

  I'm new to the glasses world after getting an eye test a couple of months back.

  OPSM is MUCH more expensive than the other places I went to - SS, Oscar Wylee, Bailey Nelson.

  I ended up getting one pair from Oscar Wylee even though their offer was 2 for $199.

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  LuffyTuffyFluffy on 13/12/2019 - 08:35

  Tere are a lot of 'add-on' costs i.e anti-reflective coating, reducing the thickness of the lense to fit into the frame for high prescription etc

  Frames are relatively cheap compared to lenses esp for high prescriptions.

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  Geekomatic on 13/12/2019 - 18:45

  Specsavers.

  I have a astigmatism in my right eye so slightly complicated script. I use these glasses for looking up at a monitor as well as looking down to the paperwork on my desk (differing distance). To avoid bifocals, I have the optometrist "split the difference" for my reading glasses.

  They cost $39 total per pair. Basic black frames for reading & tortoiseshell for driving.

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    iTaco on 13/12/2019 - 23:03

    39$ for frames and lenses?

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  ymmf on 15/12/2019 - 15:23

  I just went to Specsavers for my eye check today. As usual they started selling lenses and glasses but I wasn't interested in any of their style. I asked for my prescription and along with it came a "Think Again" voucher with 50% off above $199. Does that mean I would have paid double had I not elected to go!? That is ludicrous.

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  Bahh1 on 08/01/2020 - 10:32

  Check out Dresden - $59 for Australian made standard glasses (single vision), prices includes both lenses & frames

  https://dresden.vision/au/