How Long Does It Take to Get Your Eyeglasses After Ordering
Waiting for your eyeglasses can be so frustrating, especially when you are not even sure of the time frame needed for them to arrive. It is even more frustrating when you don’t have substitute eyeglasses to see the world, pending the time it will take the new eyeglasses to arrive. Hence, knowing the estimated time frame it will take for your eyeglasses to arrive is a game changer, as it would help you plan better. Keep reading this article to know all there is to know about how long it takes to get your eyeglasses after ordering. In addition, you will also learn about the factors that can either speed up or delay the arrival of your new prescription eyeglasses. That’s not all. You will be more sensitized about the best route and methods for ordering new prescription eyeglasses. Let’s get right into that!
Steps involved in ordering a new Eyeglasses
Before getting into the time frame required to get your eyeglasses, let’s look at the method involved in placing an order for your new eyeglasses. This is because the entire process starts from placing your orders correctly. If done wrong, a wrong order might be sent to you, which has other inconvenient implications. So first, you will have to:
Visit An Eye Doctor For An Eye Exam
Before getting eyeglasses, you must determine whether you need prescription or nonprescription lenses. Hence, visiting an optometrist is very important. Once you get an eye test, you will get the prescription and lenses. It doesn’t matter whether you have a prescription on the ground already, because it might also be possible that you need an upgrade to your prescription. The average validity period for eyeglass prescriptions varies, but it is 24 months for adults, while it can range between 11 and 12 months for children.
The eye doctor will run different eye tests for you, ranging from A vision test to A pupil test and An eye movement test. The doctor will also do An eye pressure test, A slit lamp exam, and A dilated pupillary exam. These tests are aimed at helping you get the right prescription lenses for your eyesight. Getting the wrong prescription is dangerous; therefore, this is a step that has to be taken thoroughly and carefully by a certified eye doctor.
Get A Frame
After this eye exam, you can now select the type of glasses frame you would love. Your prescription glasses require you to be surrounded by a frame so that you can easily wear them to aid your vision. You must know the type of your prescription lenses before picking a suitable eyeglasses frame type. If you do not require any prescription, you can opt for any kind of glasses, ranging from full-frame to half-frame and frameless. However, if you have a strong prescription, we highly recommend choosing full-frame glasses as they are the best fit to help you protect your high-prescription lenses.
You can also pick half-frame glasses for minor eye defects, but with that type of frame, you have to be careful with them so as not to damage the lenses. It doesn’t end there. You can also pick different eyeglass frames to suit your preference and style of fashion. There are various styles ranging from the aviator lenses to the cat eye, round, rectangular, and oversized frames.
If you have a picture of what you want, you can send it or just tell them which type you want, and of course, in the exact shade of color you want. You can also choose from different materials like plastic, metal, or titanium, based on your weight, durability, and comfort.
Customize Your Lenses
Finally, it’s time to pick the lens type based on your description. It can be a single-vision lens used for near or far sight. It can also be bifocals or progressive lenses used for multiple distances. You also need to choose the lens material and coating type you want. You can choose between polycarbonate high-index plastic or standard plastic as the lens material. They are vast in thickness and durability, so you can inquire about the lens material to pick the one that suits your comfort and eye needs.
For the lens coating, decide whether you want your lens to have coatings like anti-reflective, scratch-resistant blue light filter, UV protection, etc. Picking coatings of UV protection and polarized lenses, like Dollger oversized glasses, is of greater benefit as they will help protect against eyestrain and discomfort.
Submit Your Prescription
After picking your preferred lens material and coating, you must submit your prescription. If you are ordering the glasses online, you need to upload the prescription you got from the eye test you did with the eye doctor. Ensure you double-check all the information you uploaded to confirm your prescription details. This is because accurate prescription details are needed to produce eyeglasses that fit your eye prescription.
Make Your Purchase
You’re gradually getting closer to getting your eyeglasses! After double-checking that all the information you input is accurate, you can pay for your glasses. If you’re ordering online, ensure you include shipping charges. Also, ensure you check your payment options, terms, and conditions. For example, some stores usually have a warranty or return policy, so check whether they favor you. After all these double-checks are done, place your order.
Receive Your Brand-New Glasses
Congratulations! You now have a new pair of glasses on their way to you. If you are ordering from a physical store, they will tell you to wait a little, and you’ll be called to pick up the glasses anytime they are ready. If you order online, your glasses will be shipped at your shipping time, depending on your location and the brand. However, rest assured that your glasses are coming to you. Also, if your glasses need adjustment or correction, check in to see their warranty terms and conditions. There are usually provisions for the glasses to be sent back and adjusted.
However, if you do not get your eyeglasses within your budgeted time fare, several factors are responsible for this. We will discuss them later in this article. But first, how long does it take me to get my eyeglasses after ordering them? Let’s find out below.
How Long Does It Take To Get Your Eyeglasses After Ordering
The time it will take you to get your prescription glasses ranges from a few hours to 10 days, depending on various factors. If you have your prescription already, getting your glasses that same day is possible, especially if you are operating with an offline or physical store. If you are ordering online, it will take some days, like 7 to 21 days, factoring in the shipping and delivery time.
It is also important to know that some glasses cannot be ordered and gotten on that same day because they require special designs or high-prescription lenses that require various types of lens coating, which would take time. For example, if you want to order a lens, the good thing is that UV protection takes more time. However, within a few days, they will be ready. Here are some factors that can cause a delay in you getting your desired prescription or non-prescription lenses.
Factors affecting the time it will take to get your eyeglasses
Purchase Location
Your geographical location also determines how fast you will get your glasses. This is because local retailers or physical or offline stores will attend to you faster than online stores that might have to ship from a far location. Some sellers may offer same-day or express delivery, but this usually comes with an extra cost. Shipping time is another factor. Online shipping, which is for international orders, might also be delayed at customs, especially if you are shipping from a country different from your present location.
Lens Modifications And Customizations
Some types of lens customizations take a longer time than others. For example, if your coating and treatment include anti-glare, UV protection, scratch resistance, or blue light filter, this can elongate the manufacturing process. High-index lenses can also have a time frame because they are thinner and lighter and require more precision. Transition lenses also fall into the same category because these lenses would need extra time to manufacture and process.
The complexity of your prescription
The complexity of your prescription also helps determine the timeline for receiving your glasses. This is because there are different lenses, some of which are easier to manufacture than others. If your prescription requires a single-vision lens, then the manufacturing and turnaround time would be less because single-vision lenses are easier to manufacture and faster to process. This is not the case with bifocals or progressive lenses, which are complex lenses that take longer to produce and process because of the multiple nature of the prescription. Specialized prescriptions take even longer because they are strong and require custom lenses.
The Availability Of The Frames
The availability of the type of frame you would love also determines how fast the manufacturing process will be. If the frames are readily available or they are in stock, then the process would be faster. But if they are out of stock and have to be restocked, you might have to wait longer. This is because they would have to factor in the time required to restock these frames and add to the production time frame.
Whether the opticians’ offices and eyewear merchants have their own optical labs, and Production Capacity
The time it will take to get your glasses also depends on whether the optician’s office has an optical lab or not. For eyeglass merchants who have an in-house lab (which is their lab), the production time will be less compared to optical stores that would have to contract a third party to help with the manufacturing of the glasses. This will have the processing time. When there’s a prescription, an eyeglass lens can be created in a day or within hours. However, if the lens power or other designs meant to be added to the glasses need a third-party optical Laboratory fabrication, this will take more time.
Conclusion
Understanding the time frame required to get your new eyeglasses would help you manage expectations and enhance planning. With the information we’ve provided above, learning more about how ordering new eyeglasses would help you make more informed and better decisions. Remember that you are free to make more inquiries, ask more questions, and seek more clarity from your eyewear vendors before finally placing an order. Your glasses will be right there with you in no time, and you can explore the world while seeing as clearly as possible!