Optical4less reviews

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Optical4less review #2 by Matt

originally posted on the OLD EGRR site on Feb 8 2006

Personal Experiences

Jan 18, 2006 – I placed an order for glasses from Optical4less. Their regular frames are $29, stepping up to rimless brought the price to $39 + $8 shipping. This included basic lenses (Hi-Index 1.56 AS® Hi-Max ® Aspheric Lens) and came with free AR. Note that shipping would have been free had I ordered 2 pairs or more.

Jan 24, 2006 – I received an email stating that my glasses had shipped. It also included tracking information. Hongkong Post provides tracking info up until it leaves the country. Once the package left Hong Kong (on the 26th), further tracking was not available on the Hongkong Post website.

Feb 8, 2006 – My package arrived in the mail. Included with the glasses were a free case, 2 micro fiber cloths, and a little slip/note with a couple basic care and cleaning instructions, and also stated that “O4L are NOT responsible for any contrived damages or damages which caused during the shipping process.” It would appear that if your package has a little mishap during transit, your only recourse might be to take it up with the post office (although I would still recommend contacting Optical4less first).

Pictures (click on any of the thumbnails to open a full size picture in a new window)

#1 and #2 are the packaging, basically it’s a white box covered with shipping paper. Inside the white box was the glasses case. #3 is the way the glasses case looked when first opened, pretty standard stuff. The micro fiber cloths were wrapped around the lenses to help keep them protected during transport. The case itself is semi-transparent plastic. #4 and #5 are a couple shots of everything laid out. Notice in #5 the white foam padding in the bottom of the case – if you were to transfer the glasses in this case, you would probably want the lenses facing down (against the foam) rather than directly against the plastic to help keep them from scratching. Finally #6 is pretty self explanatory, just a shot of the glasses.

Feb 8, 2006 (continued) – Packing was sufficient, basically the case fit snug in the box. A snug fit means that the case won’t slide around, but also means that any impact to the box is going to be transferred directly to the case. The clamshell case itself is entirely plastic, and both looks and feels cheap, so a sharp impact during shipping might crack or break it. An upgraded case would help ensure that can’t happen.

That aside, the glasses themselves are good. The frame seems to be sturdy, and the lenses are screwed in tightly enough that there’s no play when shifting the frame. The lenses themselves are pretty much perfect and I couldn’t find one fault or flaw with them. Excellent workmanship from what I can tell. The AR coating reflects bright light as a greenish color. The coatings are also water repellant. This makes it nice for cleaning, as you can clean the lenses under soapy water, and then run the lenses under the tap for the final rinse, leaving them drop and spot-free. Incidentally, this is the method I recommend for cleaning lenses, as by using only water, you’re helping to keep your lenses scratch-free. Lingering drops can usually be dabbed (never rubbed) off the bottom of the lens with a tissue. Just make sure you use a mild soap (some dish soaps are mild enough), and never use hot water. Harsh detergents will eat away at the coatings, and hot water has been known to ‘crack’ coatings in some cases.

Would I buy from Optical4less again? – Yes. While a little more expensive than some of the other retailers, the glasses I received were great, and will definitely become one of my primary pairs. I shudder to think of what rimless frames/lenses with an AR coating would have cost me locally. Yet for under $50, I got exactly that. Quality-wise, they’re at least as good, if not better than what I would have expected here locally for 3-4 times the price.

Would I recommend Optical4less to others? – Probably. After a couple months of usage, assuming all goes well, I’ll likely upgrade this to a yes. My experience thus far has been really good, and quality seems to be superb. Of course, others experiences may vary, but I think the majority of people who purchase from Optical4less will end up completely satisfied.