Be upfront about your budget Most opticians make a loss on your eye test, so it’s likely they’ll want to try to keep your custom – including finding you affordable glasses.

Do you have a Power of Attorney? MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis explains how this crucial protection works, why it's more important than a will, and how to get one in the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live. NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank, which are all part of the NatWest Group, will now shut at least 172 of their bank branches in 2023 and 2024. If you’ve got a high prescription you should opt for high index (thinner) lenses when buying online as they’re more likely to work with a range of frames. The ideal varifocal lens design provides sharp vision in the far distance, middle and close up for reading, is comfortable to swap between each zone, is easy to get used to and has few distortions at the edges. It’s not necessarily easy when shopping online to know which frames will suit your prescription (as above), or fit properly.Find attractive and effective reading glasses in a range of styles - from rimless looks to super light and metal supra designs. Our high quality reading glasses will complement your wardrobe whilst helping you to focus on text of all different sizes. Reading Glasses for Women NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank to close at least 172 branches in 2023/24 – here's the full list, plus alternatives Best practice is for stores to request an exact PD from the customer – which unfortunately might not always be included on your prescription. But some stores have ways you can do this at home. Others simply let you use an average measurement, which may result in poorly fitted glasses. Opticians aren't required to put all the measurements needed to dispense glasses on your prescription, as some are taken when your glasses are dispensed rather than when your eyes are tested. This means that by buying online you may be missing details such as your PD (pupillary distance).

Table Notes: Based on a survey of 379 people in June 2022. Customer score based on satisfaction with the store on last visit and likelihood of recommending to a friend. The PD helps position your pupils accurately in the centre of the lenses. It’s crucial for higher prescriptions and varifocals to have your exact PD, because a measurement more than a couple of millimetres out could make the glasses unusable. As a rule of thumb, if your prescription is stronger than +/- 3 but less than +/- 5, consider thinner lenses (around 1.67 index). If your prescription is stronger than +/- 5, you may want to go even thinner (around 1.74 index). Getting the right framesIf goods you buy are faulty and don’t do what they're supposed to, or don’t match the description given, you have the same rights under the Consumer Rights Act as you have when buying face-to-face. For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. You can find pairs of reading glasses for men and women - as well as unisex options - from B&M for the best possible price. of our survey respondents who bought glasses online bought single-vision lenses, rather than varifocals. In the past, we’ve found that if you’ve got a relatively simple prescription, you shouldn’t run into too much trouble buying online.

Martin Lewis: Do you have a Power of Attorney? It’s crucial protection – not just for the elderly – and more important than a will Our expert opticians recommend the following when you're deciding where to buy your specs and figuring out what you can afford: Unwanted Food or Drink Products - Once supply conditions are broken, there are a number of factors outside of our control that can affect the quality of a product. Therefore perishable goods such as food and drink cannot be returned. Varifocal design has become very sophisticated over the past 10 years, but there are big differences in quality and variability of lenses. Use our guide to choosing varifocals to make sure you know what level you need and what quality you’re buying. When you buy goods online, you have additional rights to return them. This is because your decision may be based on a brief description or a photograph – so what you receive isn't always quite what you’d expected.

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About 60% of our respondents bought their glasses at the same place they had their eyes tested, which makes sense in terms of getting personalised advice from someone familiar with your prescription. But you can save money by shopping around, including online (see the best brands below). Buying glasses - expert tips Any terms and conditions that say you must cover the cost of returning an item don't apply where the goods being returned are faulty. People tended to buy online for reasons of cost and convenience and we've found this is often a good option for people with simpler prescriptions.

More caution is needed if you have a complex prescription (for example, higher-strength lenses or varifocals), where getting really specific measurements to make sure the frames fit and lenses are positioned correctly in front of your eyes is of paramount importance. Precise fitting measurements – such as the pupillary distance (PD) and the vertical pupil position - are crucial to how well any lens will perform.

Author: John Doe