At the age of 39, I’ve been told I should start wearing glasses when working or driving.
On finding out, I suddenly faced a world of decisions – and they all involved a cost.
As well as theeye test, I needed to pay for frames – costing from about £20 to £200 at the optician’s I was in – and decide whether to go for extras such as anti-reflection coatings for the lenses or extra-light frames.
Most people (86%) buy their glasses from the same optician’s where they have an eye test, according to research by UK regulator the General Optical Council (GOC), and only 8% buy online despite the lower costs. But I wanted to know what shopping around could save me – and whether spending more would be better for my eyes.
The eye test
A basic eye test typically costs between £20 and £30, and it is recommended that you have one every two years. An enhanced eye test is also available at most opticians. These allow an optometrist to view the health of the eye in more detail. Costs can really vary. Specsavers says an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan – which takes a 3D image of the back of the eye – may cost up to £10 extra, whereas some Boots outlets charge an extra £60 for an OCT scan and an “optomap” eye scan.
Optometrists recommend having your eye sight checked roughly once every two years. Photograph: Ross Helen/Alamy
Manveer Seyan, a senior lecturer in optometry at the University of Hertfordshire, says a basic eye test is adequate in most cases, but enhanced examinations can help to detect the earliest signs of eye disease, often before symptoms appear.
“The scans are also very useful in monitoring the progression of any retinal conditions,” he says. “If an optometrist recommends an enhanced eye examination, it would be advisable to have one.”
Some people can get free eye tests through the NHS if they are eligible: for example, if they are receiving certain benefits. Anyone using a screen for their work should also be entitled to a free eye test through their employer, while some companies may contribute to the price of glasses if you are required to wear them for your job.
What makes up the price of a pair of glasses?
When you buy a pair of glasses, you are paying for two elements: the frame and the lenses.
Frames: The cost will depend on the materials involved and the design, with the cheapest starting at less than £10, and some top-end designer frames priced at £500 or more. More expensive frames tend to be made from lightweight materials such as stainless steel, while cheaper frames are often made with heavier and less durable materials such as plastic.
top-end designer frames priced at £500 or more. Photograph: MixMedia/Getty Images
Lenses: Often the lenses will be the biggest part of the cost – particularly if you need a strong prescription. Basic single-vision lenses are the cheapest, and those with more complicated elements, such as bifocal and varifocal lenses, are more expensive because they include multiple prescriptions.
Varifocal glasses are available at a variety of prices depending on the design: this refers to how the lens is engineered to accommodate the different prescriptions the wearer needs. Occupational lenses, also known as office lenses, for example, are one variety of varifocals designed for indoor use. They are recommended for anyone who needs clear vision for near and mid-distance.
Upgrading from basic lenses will add to the cost. Here are some examples of upgrades you can add (all the costs quoted here are provided by Specsavers).
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High-index lenses: these are lighter than standard lenses and suited to people with higher prescriptions who would otherwise have a heavy pair of glasses to wear. Generally, the thinner and lighter the lens is, the more expensive it will be. Extra-thin lenses can add £60 to the cost, for example.
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Sun tint and UV: this is a permanent tint to your glasses, in a choice of colours, which can relieve eye strain and soften harsh lighting, and includes UV protection. This is usually about £30 more.
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Hard coating: most glasses already come with a hard coating on the lens to protect against scratches, but you can often choose an enhanced scratch-resistant and anti-reflection coating to reduce reflections. It can cost about £35.
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Photochromic lenses: also known as transition lenses, these are clear when you are indoors and go darker when you are in the sun. These typically cosr an extra £85.
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Mirror lenses: enhanced lenses for sunglasses that reflect light and reduce glare. From £60.
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Polarised tints: you can choose this option for sunglasses and it can help reduce glare. From £70.
You can buy cheap reading glasses on the high street. While they can be useful as a spare set, Seyan warns they have limitations.
“The ‘one size fits all’ nature can mean that the frame doesn’t fit correctly and the wearer doesn’t look through the centre of the lens,” he says. “Ready-made glasses also have the same power lens in both eyes, and unless the wearer has exactly the same prescription, they will not be perfect.”
Online savings
Shopping in-person offers an important array of services, but for simple prescriptions there are cheaper deals online. Photograph: Alamy
While traditional shops such as Specsavers, Vision Express or Boots Opticians provide a face-to-face service, there are also lots of online options for buying frames and lenses once you have your prescription.
For anyone with a simple prescription, prices for both frames and lenses are usually lower online. Research done in 2023 by Glasses Direct, one of the biggest online retailers, claimed its customers spent an average of £109.60 compared with the £212.90 they spent, on average, the last time they bought similar glasses from a high street optician.
Buying online has other benefits, too – you can browse whenever you want to, and comparing costs between retailers is quicker. Online retailers say they provide the same advice as a physical branch, either on the phone or through email, and most have the technology to allow you to try on glasses virtually.
Neil Perry, the operations manager at online retailer Lensology, says prices are often up to 70% cheaper online.
He suggests that in physical shops customers can feel obliged to make quick decisions about frames, lens finishes and other add-ons, which can lead to them spending more on extras that may not “have been fully considered”.
However, you cannot buy all frames online – varifocals and bifocals are only available in branches at Specsavers, for example, and you will miss out on expert help to make sure the glasses fit.
You may also have to factor in delivery costs that may not be included in the headline price.
Seyan says he would advise buying glasses from a physical optician because “choosing a suitable frame involves finding something that not only looks good but is the right size and, most importantly, is suitable for the prescription issued. Dispensing opticians or appropriately trained staff in a practice can make suitable recommendations, and this kind of advice isn’t always available online.”
Specific measurements need to be taken when ordering frames with lenses. Photograph: Zorica Nastasic/Getty Images
Specific measurements need to be taken to ensure the lenses align with the wearer’s pupil, and extra measurements are required for more complex lenses such as bifocals.
“Not taking accurate measurements and having misaligned optical centres can affect a wearer’s vision and give rise to secondary issues such as eye strain and headaches. When ordering spectacles online, these measurements are often estimated and this can cause problems later,” Seyan says.
Bear in mind that there are lots of deals and discounts at online and bricks and mortar outlets – such as money off if you buy two pairs.
Whether you shop online or on the high street, it is important to go to an optician registered with the GOC. These businesses must meet certain standards and, if they breach these, they can be sanctioned.
Anyone can search the public register to see if a business or optician is registered with the GOC.
Help with costs
You may get a free eye test or eye vouchers towards the cost of glasses if you are receiving any of the following benefits: income support, income-based employment and support allowance, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, pension credit guarantee credit or universal credit and you meet the criteria.
Some of the other reasons for qualifying also include being under 16 or over 60, registered as partly sighted or blind, having been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma, or if you have been advised by an eye doctor to have a test (you can find a full list on the NHS website).
Where can I find best value for money?
We compared the costs of a very basic set of frames with single prescription lenses to see where prices start at different retailers. Remember you may be able to get a voucher towards the cost from your employer:
SelectSpecs (online): starts from £6, which includes single vision basic lenses.
Glasses Direct (online): starts from £9, which includes 1.5 index prescription lenses.
Spex4Less (online): starts from £12.95 for frames only. Basic single vision lenses start from £5.
Specsavers (online and branches): starts from £15, which includes basic single vision lenses.
Vision Express (online and branches): Starts from £25, which includes basic single vision lenses.
Boots Opticians (online and branches): starts from £50, which includes basic single vision lenses.
Lensology (online): Starts from £16 for single vision lenses only (aimed at those upgrading an existing pair of glasses).