So I finally received those glasses I ordered from Optical4Less a few weeks ago. Optical4Less is a discount glasses manufacturer based in China. You choose from a pretty wide variety of frames, enter your prescription and buy a brand new pair of glasses for around $50 depending on what kind of lens coating you choose. I love this idea and thought I’d give it a spin. I’m in dire need of a new pair of glasses. I’ve been wearing the same pair for almost ten years and haven’t been able to find a set of frames I actually like.

My glasses arrived this morning complete with a hideous neon green case and a microfiber cloth. Here’s a quick review:

Pros:

• Very cheap - they would have cost upwards of $300 had I bought them locally.
• The lenses are perfect, much clearer than the ones in my current frames.

Cons:

• They don’t feel very well built. They creak when I open them (this may be to over-tightened screws) and feel as if they could break at any moment.
• They are lighter than they should be and made of cheap plastic. My Ray Ban sunglasses, which they are clearly imitating, are far more comfortable and solid.
• They don’t close properly.
• They make me look like a serial rapist (see photo).

All in all, for $59 I’m not really disappointed. I have an ugly, cheap, pair of glasses that I can see clearly out of and will be fine for wearing at home - or in public with a paper bag over my head. Call me stupid, but I’m actually considering buying a few pairs. For $200 I could buy 4 pairs of glasses, and I think at least one of them would be nice enough to wear day to day. I still plan to invest in a pair of designer frames when the right ones come along, but in the meantime I’m going to buy a few more knock-offs from Optical4Less. I’ll keep you posted.