This company replaces only the lenses on your glasses so you don't have to throw out your favorite frames - it's easy to use and starts at $77
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- Getting a new set of lenses to fit your current glasses no longer has to mean a trip to the eye doctor.
- Starting at just $77, Lensabl offers up a new way to get your lenses replaced at a fraction of the cost.
- You just drop off your old glasses off in the mail, and in about a week, have a brand new set of specs to help you see the world.
I'm very attached to my glasses - or rather, the frame. It's from Toms, it fit my face, I've had it for years, and frankly, it's like an old friend.
Alas, as durable as the frames have been, the lenses have proven a bit less reliable. Between the scratches, marks, and the seemingly permanent smudges, even the best set of frames can be made less than perfect by an unfortunate pair of lenses.
Enter Lensabl, a new mail-in lens service that has just given me a new lease on my old glasses.
Contacts delivery services have been around for years, but glasses delivery seems like a newer concept. As it turns out, it's pretty brilliant.
Lensabl allows you to cheaply replace your tired lenses with a new or existing prescription, all while keeping your favorite frames. And rather than having to go through the whole process at a physical shop, Lensabl will do everything for you by mail. Just place your old set in Lensabl's protected packaging, take it over to a UPS drop-off or store, and receive your new (yet familiar) set of specs a few days later.
I'll admit - I was a bit skeptical of the process at first blush. I'd spent years visiting eye doctors (and subsequently the friendly neighborhood Lenscrafters) for my poor, tired eyes. The entire process was inevitably time consuming. No matter how much I liked my existing pair of frames, a new prescription always seemed to require a new set of glasses so I would spend hours browsing through different styles, squinting at myself in an attempt to gauge their aesthetic merits. For some reason, it had never even occurred to me that I could keep my frames and still get a new set of glasses. Like I said, that's the brilliance of Lensabl.
Not only does it help cut down on wasteful excess because you don't have to throw out your existing frames, but Lensabl also offers a much more economical way to update your glasses. Thanks to its direct-to-consumer model, the company cuts out all the costs associated with the middleman, which means that you're paying a much lower price than you would at a traditional retailer.
In fact, Lensabl lenses start at $77 and include a number of bonus features for which you would generally have to pay extra like anti-reflective properties, scratch resistance (which is key), and UV protection for the outdoorsy among us.
Going through the Lensabl process is a breeze. After selecting the type of lenses you want (prescription, reading, or non-prescription), you'll have the option of choosing your prescription type. Lensabl offers single vision for distance, single vision for reading, progressive standard, multi-focal lenses, multi-focals that have no visible line, bi-focals, and progressive offerings. You'll then decide if you want clear, blue light-blocking, sunglass, or transition lenses, and then have the opportunity to choose from a number of different materials. The standard CR39 is the cheapest option, but you could also opt for high-index glass lenses.
If you're interested in upgrades like polished or rolled edges, or blue-light blocking properties, you'll have the chance to select those at the end. Otherwise, just enter your prescription (or email it to Lensabl later), and you're ready to rock and roll. The company will send a padded box for your current glasses, and send you back a clever triangular prism-shaped case with your new and improved specs. I also appreciated the inclusion of a cleaning kit with lens cleaning solution and a microfiber wipe.
My Toms are now as good as new (if not better), and the world looks sharper than ever, which I am super happy about. And as difficult as it was to be separated from my glasses for a few days, the payoff has been nothing short of delightful. So if you're thinking of getting a new pair of glasses, perhaps the answer is just a new pair of lenses through Lensabl.