Where do you buy your contacts?

After a couple of years of wearing glasses, I'm finally fed up and switching to contact lenses. My optometrist gave me a pair to take home from the routine appointment, and I like them very much so far. I have a follow-up appointment to pick up a six pack of disposable monthly ones here next week, and the price tag is flat out offensive.

I know I can get them cheaper online, I did that the last time I wore contacts several years ago, but that was in Sweden. I don't know anything about the available online contact vendors in the US, so I thought I'd come to MG's and ask for help, since the geeks here know everything.

What's a good online vendor to buy my contacts from? If they have crazy theater/Halloween lenses as a part of their regular inventory, that's a definite plus.

 

Check out warehouse clubs (Sam's, Costco, BJ's) - they usually have the best prices on glasses and contacts. You should easily make up the $40 or so per year membership fee in just one or two purchases.

 

I get mine from visiondirect.com, they always send me emails with coupons for either 10% off my order or free shipping. I've been ordering from then for at least 6 years (maybe longer). They ship fast, have good quality and pretty much every brand and are the cheapest I found online (stores too). I buy the Focus Night & Day (cuz I sleep in mine) and I get my for about $45 to $50 a box.

Also, if you are a person who is vary about using credit cards on the internet, they also accept PayPal (there is also this option called Bill Me Later which can be connected to you PayPal so you don't have to pay right away, I use this option currently).

I highly recommend this place.

 

I wanted to add that if you aren't sure what lenses you wanted to pick and you are interested in monthly disposables, I'd recommend the Night & Day (which I incorrectly named them, they are actually called Air Optix Night & Day but I still them Focus LOL ). I've been wearing them for as long as I have been wearing contacts. I briefly switched to the Focus Soft Colors (which I really like but the only lasted two weeks and I'd have to keep taking them out). I asked my optometrist which ones he recommended for easy long time wear and he recommended these. The N&D are really comfortable, I wear mine for an entire month (sometimes longer if I forget when I changed them lol) and don't take them out until I do change them. Just a few drops my eye, in the morning, when I wake up of the rewetting drops (I usually use the Visine brand, they work good and are cheaper than the other brands but I just tried the Alcon Pure Moist rewetting drops and I like them better) and I'm good to go for the day.

I agree about the price when I got them from the office they were $75. That's crazy. My insurance paid for the the first time but I myself knew I wouldn't pay much which started my search online.

Just my 2 cents.

 

In California, you can join some Vision Insurance plans for $185 per year, covering eye exam and allowance for the glasses or contacts. I think I had found 2 including VSP by searching.

 

My current insurance allows for an eye exam every year and a new pair of glasses or box of contacts (for free) every two years.


Ugh, I just noticed my numerous typos in my last posts. Maybe this will teach me not to post long messages from my phone. :-D

 

Costco.

 

That or you need new glasses!

LOL:neenerroflmao

 

This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Thank you!

I checked out Visiondirect since both you an Tim recommend that site, and I like it so far. Prices look much less insulting than what the optometrist wants to charge me, and I much prefer the convenience of online ordering to driving to a store somewhere. Thanks again.

 

You try typing on tiny phone keys while your walking in the rain, in the dark, behind your friend who is walking a dog. :-D

 

Mimsy, what are the RX requirements for ordering them?

 

Your dedication to helping me is much appreciated. :neener

Fred,

I've misplaced the paper that has my glasses prescription info, but I'll be getting my first load of contacts from the optometrist this Wednesday, so I'll be able to tell you by then. I'll get back to you.

 

I know this thread is a bit old, but I thought you guys might find this interesting: After getting the insurance-covered contacts from the optometrist office, the doctor took me to the receptionist, told her I needed to get my lenses and all other stuff she needed to know, and then added, "and show her how to order on the website, so she won't have to pay as much when her insurance stops covering them"

Turns out my optometrist has a small inventory of contacts in the store for pick-up, but makes most of their contact lense sales through a website they run together with an online provider of contact lenses, who makes it way cheaper for their customers. They set me up with a log-in, and told me all about how to order, so I went there to get my prescription before ordering on VisionDirect.com. Turns out the optometrist website will charge me $25 for a 6-pack of the contacts I need... which is cheaper than Visiondirect's exact same brand and model.

I'm kind of happy about this. I just have to click on "place order", enter my PayPal info, and the lenses go in the mail.

Still, thank you all of you. I've bookmarked visiondirect.com for future reference, and for price comparison.

 

Nice, mine still sells them by the months. I need to got get new glasses. :-D

Awesome deal on the web setup!

 

If you are looking for a new pair of glasses and have your prescription handy, Coastal will give you your first pair free (you pay S&H). They only have a certain selection to choose from that you can get for free but for the most part they are really nice looking. Both my sister and I have ordered from this place and we both got really nice, strong, study glasses. Ours are both made of metal not plastic and they even have some brand name ones. Every time I wear mine, I get compliments as does my sister.

Like I said, you have to pay for shipping but we only paid maybe $12-$14 each. So not bad for a decent pair of glasses. Shipping is super fast and if you don't like them, they don't fit right, etc.. You can send them back for free (after you contact them, they will send you a prepaid mailing label) and you can either exchange or get a refund. It's a seriously good deal if you are looking for a new pair of glasses. (I so sound like a commercial :-D )

Oh, and if you want extras (scratch coating, bifocals, etc) you will have to pay for that (still a good deal) but if you just need a standard pair of seeing glasses (single vision) or reading glasses then all you will pay for is S &H.

 

Sweet! I will have to get a new prescription, but like to see the eye doc once a year or so, just to make sure no problems looming. I will try that for one pair. Kinda leary of buying them and not being able to have them fitted... but for the $, would make a great back up pair if they don't fit just right.

Thanks!

 

You're welcome! I was leary too but they have the measurements of each part of the frame on the page. So you can always measure an old pair and get a pair with the same measurement. Since I didn't have an old pair, I just measured my face :-D and the ones I picked me fit perfectly.

 

I got new glasses just last week and the price was really painful, $800 for the lenses (they are multi focus)and $350 for the frames, and our medicare insurance only pays 20%.
I did try contacts a couple of years ago but my eyes would not stop watering so i went back to standard glasses.