My wife and I ordered two pairs of glasses from www.39dollarglasses.com after having looked all over the internet for the best buying advice for cheap glasses. Neither one of us has a special funky prescription, so we figured what the heck, let’s save ourselves 400+ dollars and just buy glasses once a year or so (or however long it takes for them to either a.) break or b.) become thoroughly unfashionable).
The glasses that I received are pretty awesome.
Fig 1. Pretty awesome.
I was immediately impressed with the build quality and the index of the lenses was awesome, because they are so thin compared to my old pair! The frames are not the high quality enamel of Ray Ban or Oakley, but they are good solid plastic frames, and because they are not enameled they are also extremely light, which has turned out, weeks later, to be a huge plus. I have already ordered another pair of similarly accoutered sunglasses for myself. It’s a great deal as long as you aren’t tempted by the upgrade features like photochromic lenses, super high index lenses, blinged-out cases and whatever else they hit you with at the end.
The downside to our experience has been Jeannie’s glasses. The frames are really high quality, but for whatever reason, the lenses just weren’t right. We looked over our prescription though and the problem appears to be that the official pupillary distance measurements are different from the measurements we made ourselves, so it does seem to be our fault. However, we were offered a 70% refund and we think that is fair, as getting glasses is just as much a service as it is a retail product. Anyway, we put in another prescription, this time with the proper PD measurement and we’ve got our fingers crossed that these will be as great as mine have been thus far.
My take on it is that it’s a really good deal and the only reason to say no is that you have some silly requirement to have a specific brand label on your eyewear. Because let’s face it, glasses get to looking pretty junked up in a hurry, no matter how expensive they are, and when you pay (much) less for (slightly) less quality, it’s doesn’t hurt the wallet nearly so bad when it’s time to replace the glasses you have. So far, I’m a fan of this company and this business model. It’ll be interesting to see whether this opinion is redeemed or refuted in the next few days, as we attempt to collect our refund and get our new pairs in.
*UPDATE 8/3/2010* & The whistles go WHOO WHOO!
These new sunglasses are so bad-ass that I wear them at night (so I can, so I can, watch you weave then breathe your story lines).
Fig 2. So bad-ass, e.g. Corey Hart
Seriously, I like them a lot, I have done a complete 180 in that I NOW CRAVE SUNLIGHT FOR TO TEST MY MIGHTY SUNSHIELDS. And my wife’s came in and they are also very good quality and fit great and make her to look like the sexity (I don’t remember what they are called, so photo is a no-go, bro). And yep, if you’re keeping track, we did get the refund for the bad pair after about a week. So, my money is going to these guys from now on, until they fuck up, which will be never because my readership at this blog is INTENSE and is a TERRIBL(Y INSPIRING) MOTIVATOR for any business looking to stay afloat.
Out of Whole Cloth 