If any of you have visited your local eye doctor as of late, you are aware of the cost on a new set of frames. If I recall correctly, my last visit was in the $500 to $600 range, most of which was paying for two new sets of glasses with all the fancy upgrades. That’s certainly one reason that the new crop of online-only, direct-to-consumer glasses companies, like GlassesShop, are an attractive option to the frugal glasses buyer.

Be aware that you will need your current prescription in order to order a new set of frames. If you don’t have one, just check your smartphone’s app store for a number of free apps that will scan your current glasses and provide you with the data you need. While I did have my current prescription, I tried 3 of these apps and each was exactly correct (compared to my last prescription).

My GlassesShop order for a set of Lyndon frames was placed on September 5th, the glasses shipped on September 9th and the frames landed on my doorstep on September 15th. My glasses originated in Danyang, China and were UPS-routed to Korea, Alaska, Kentucky, then finally Phoenix. If you are in a rush, a 10-day wait time may be too long. Obviously, wait times will vary based on location. Take a look at the GlassesShop manufacturing and shipping time estimate page for more info.

Comparatively, the cost was significantly cheaper than my local eye doctor’s office. The frames & case were under $25 & the prescription lens with anti-scratch, anti-reflective and UV coating totaled up just over $90. You can see the full breakdown of the cost below (and all options for add-ons here):

What Comes in the Package?

My glasses came wrapped in a standard, plastic UPS envelope. However, that wasn’t an issue since the outer black GlassesShop case holding the frames is very rigid. The folding top is magnetically locked into place, thus you don’t have to worry about the case popping open during travel.

Inside, you will find your frames in a stylish, GlassesShop-branded bag, similar to the material of a soft, glasses cleaning cloth. There’s also a microfiber cleaning cloth provided for lens smudges and a handy instruction booklet for making adjustments. The postmodern glasses case (as seen below) was packaged separately and survived the 6,803 mile trip without taking any damage.

Fit / Design / Extended Use

I’ve been wearing the Lyndon frames for about a week now. The initial fit was a little tight, but after I adjusted the nose pads near the bridge, I didn’t notice the tightness anymore. Tip: You will want to pay attention to the size guide on the GlassesShop site. Each set of frames is recommended for a specific size of face.

The Lyndon frames passed my simple head shake test, both side-to-side and up-down. I feel comfortable wearing these frames when I’m going an activity, like working out in the yard. I simply don’t have to adjust the position of the frames during the course of the day.

Of course, you can’t try these on in person until you purchase a set. If you want to know how a set of frames looks on your face, GlassesShop does have an upload photo option (up to 10MB) or a Tour Webcam option to see what a virtual set of glasses would look like on your face.

Regarding the design, you can tell the frames are relatively inexpensive. For instance, the hinges on my current pair (made by Harley Davidson) have a reverse flex option that allows the temple arms to bend in the opposite direction of folding inward, ideal for larger heads / changing hairstyles. The Lyndon frames don’t have that option.

While the nose pad arms were bendable, I got the feeling that if I pushed too hard, the plastic would snap. That being said, the lens placement was secure and the design provides access to all the screws is you want to swap out new lens in the future. I also liked the silver rings on the temple arms & hinges; a nice, stylish touch on what would normally be ordinary black frames.

As I mentioned, I’ve been putting these frames through a week of testing. I’ve really enjoyed them during my dog walks in the morning as both my pups enjoy chasing after jackrabbits, thus my glasses need to stay put when a 112-pound dog is ready to bolt. I’ve also found these glasses comfortable at my desk, staring at a computer monitor for 8 hours a day.

Should I Buy This?

While I didn’t love the look of the Lyndon frames as much as my primary frames, I certainly liked the significantly cheaper cost, the accuracy of the lens prescription, the strong positioning of the frames on my face, and the peace of mind of having a backup option in case my primary frames are damaged.

I’d say this is a great option for primary glasses if you are on a budget or simply are looking for a backup pair of frames that won’t take a big bite out of your bank account. Of course, be aware that manufacturing / shipping times could be a factor if you need glasses right away.

You can take a look at all the frames that GlassesShop offers by clicking the button below:

GlassesShop Prescription Eyeglasses

GlassesShop Lyndon Frames Review

Like many of my fellow office drones, I sit in front of a computer monitor all day. Eye strain is definitely an issue, especially if I forget to take a 15-minute walk outside every few hours to give my eyeballs some much needed rest. I’m also a huge fan of video games; Xbox 360, PS3, PC, you name it. Coming home to stare at yet another screen while shooting my way through a floating city called Columbia or watching a marathon of the first season of Continuum on Netflix just adds to the eye strain. So I’m definitely open to anything that helps lighten the load on my eyes and keep my vision a sharp 20/20.

Enter the $80 Gunnar Vayper glasses; a product that Gunnar representatives claim will improve visual performance and reduce eye fatigue during extended sessions in front of a computer monitor or television screen. There’s no real scientific data behind this claim, but there’s a sizable amount of relatively positive testimonials out there. However, the skeptic in me was wondering if this product would improve my screen-addicted lifestyle or it was simply a placebo effect.

Design and Build Quality

Despite the glasses being made entirely out of plastic, I really like the build quality and the light weight of the Vayper glasses. While you definitely have to be careful when handling the glasses to avoid fingerprints on the lenses, the hinges are very sturdy. You can feel confident opening and closing the specs without worrying about breaking off the arms. The glasses also fit comfortably on my face. Even after an hour on my head, I didn’t notice the arms on my ears or the rubber pads on the bridge of my nose. The glasses also come with a soft carry bag which thankfully doubles as a fingerprint cleaner.

But What About Your Vision?

To put it bluntly, I can’t stand wearing the glasses when gaming or working. For starters, the yellow tint drives the home theater purist inside me insane. I’ve specifically calibrated my television to create the right color balance both for gaming and watching movies or television. Even after attempting to compensate for the light yellow, urine colored tinge by messing with color, contrast and other settings, I still felt like my gaming experience was devalued by wearing the glasses.

A vibrant, gorgeous world like Columbia in Bioshock Infinite looks slightly off through the glasses. In addition, I found that my constant distraction with the picture quality made me a less impressive player in multi-player matches in other FPS games. It’s also pointless to use them to watch regular television or movies for the same reason.

Furthermore, shifting my head in any direction made me dizzy. I believe I’m overly sensitive to the slight distortion in magnification around the edge of each lens, thus I can’t move my head quickly without getting that faint head rush associated with dizziness.

This was worse at my dual-monitor setup during work hours, specifically because I’m switching to the left and right checking different screens. I also have a bad habit of glancing down at the keyboard to make sure I’m typing the correct word or phrase which translated into more dizziness. I also prefer the pure white of a monitor screen over the yellow shade created by the glasses.

Within 30 minutes of use, I usually start to get a mild headache from wearing the glasses. The headache becomes progressively worse over time, very similar to the feeling after playing a Virtual Boy for way too long. Fast forward an hour or two and I feel like henchman #22 in Die Hard 2 that wrestled with John McClane in the snow and took a well-placed ice pick to the eye.

This is definitely a YMMV type of product. It didn’t work for me at all and actually made things worse. However, there are definitely people out there who swear by these demon spectacles.

Check for Gunnar Glasses on Bens

Gunnar Vayper Glasses Review