High Index Lenses

[turgid]

Like many people here I’ve struggled to find a good optician. I’ve tried the Mall brand, small specialist store and two for one fixed price and had varying results in all of them. 

However something that i never cared about much has come to the forefront so this might be useful for others with strong prescriptions.

I’m very short sighted (near sighted for ‘mericans)   -6.00 . Having sat on my only backup pair,  I recently purchased a pair of glasses from a 4 hours store in Mega with two pair of glasses for 12,000 Baht.  They checked my eyes and I paid in full. Delivery next day.

That evening they called me and said one of the frames needed higher index lenses and they needed another 10,000 Baht. Not unreasonably I think I cancelled the order which caused tears on the part of the sales rep -  I assume she had already spent the commission.

 

For those that know what Index means skip this.  The non-scientific explanation of Index is that the higher the number the thinner the lenses for the same prescription. . I think the highest you can get in Thailand is 1.74 but 1.99 is apparently available in Europe and the US  According to bits I’ve read on the web high index plastic material is not just more expensive, but because the lenses are thinner they have less tolerance so more have to be thrown away in manufacture. And less people want them generally. So high index tend to be disproportionately more expensive. Plus in Thailand they seem to charge a disproportionate amount for anything that doesn’t serve the 68% anyway. There isn’t much difference for glass so nobody but rocket scientist ever cared , but for plastic the difference can be worthwhile. Nobody seems to want to sell glass anymore anyway.

Why bother?  If you have a strong prescription like I do plastic produces very thick lenses which tend towards the paedo look with big chunky frames. With thin metal  frames the lense hangs over more than an eastern European woman in a bikini.  So vanity basically but also some weight savings and light transmission advantages.

 

Anyway I still need glasses so I did a quick survey on lenses material across a few mall opticians in Seacon Square .  Off the shelf 4000 Baht frame with standard material (sorry I don’t know what Index that is).

Lense price  was free to 4000 Baht extra.

With my prescription and a 4000 Baht Frame the  1.74 Index Lenses price ranged through  6000 Baht 10,000 Baht  20,000 Baht  30,000 Baht. 

The 30,000 Baht shop claimed his material was Japanese, better plastic and coated for scratch resistance and flaring.  The 6000 Baht was Korean made but he claimed just as good.  Brands mentioned were Hoya, Nikon and something that sounded like Asahi.

 

Ive seen a lot of comments here on price  gouging on frames but would be interested to see peoples experiences with Lenses and materials  especially if they’ve gone cheap or expensive high index.

 

P.S. to any polymer engineers out there I know there are thousand of kinds of material and calling them all plastic is insulting but until you do a better job of telling the truth about ageing, scratch resistance, fading, light transmission etc instead of just pumping millions into promoting your latest plastic patent  brand name they’re all plastic to me.

 

P.P.S I saw a 12,000 Baht “genuine” Armani frame in a reputable chain which claimed to be made of Gummetal. Armani you either need a spellchecker or someone is selling full price copies through distribution.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2017 by turgid
readability

[lopburi3]

Actually you may not need 1.74 for vision of -6 but you might check Zenni as price with that lens and frames would start at about $80 and they ship here within 2 weeks.