Prescription glasses and airsoft

proffrink said:
Getting your stuff sent off to be glazed isn't too tricky to do yourself. PM me if you want help but it's been posted on here loads so a search should turn up the step-by-step that I did about a year ago.

Basically almost every decent pair of goggles/glasses will have an insert that you can buy and there are a plethora of companies willing to glaze those inserts really affordably with your current prescription. One can pick the width and coatings (anti-scratch, UV protection etc.) as well if that's something you want to do. At the very least I'd get the anti-scratch coating given that dirt etc. can occasionally work its way onto the lenses given where they're being used (so would check that the product you have there includes that).
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Would you recommend getting prescription eye protection rather than the likes of a Dye i4 worn over the glasses?

...I’m currently at this crossroads and not fully committed to either as of yet due to so much arguments for the pros and cons of each.

 
Sako said:
Would you recommend getting prescription eye protection rather than the likes of a Dye i4 worn over the glasses?

...I’m currently at this crossroads and not fully committed to either as of yet due to so much arguments for the pros and cons of each.
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For me, having tried glasses under a full face or glasses under large goggles, the most affordable option is daily throaway contact lenses and any pair of decent goggles. I looked into prescription Eye Pro and it's WAY too expensive and I don't feel the glaze prescriptions work well enough as the plastic tends to warp and in turn warps your vision which is a) not good for you and B)   dangerous.

 
Duff said:
For me, having tried glasses under a full face or glasses under large goggles, the most affordable option is daily throaway contact lenses and any pair of decent goggles. I looked into prescription Eye Pro and it's WAY too expensive and I don't feel the glaze prescriptions work well enough as the plastic tends to warp and in turn warps your vision which is a) not good for you and B)   dangerous.
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I have to throw a slight spanner in the works here...

i cant wear contacts, tried over the years and just can’t do it.

so I guess I’m looking at what will be the lesser of two evils really. (A few friends recommended the Dye i4 as being less likely to fog than the prescription eye protection, but I prefer a wider range of reviews really. 

 
Sako said:
Would you recommend getting prescription eye protection rather than the likes of a Dye i4 worn over the glasses?

...I’m currently at this crossroads and not fully committed to either as of yet due to so much arguments for the pros and cons of each.
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Well to put it this way: My prescription goggles are probably the single best thing I've ever bought for airsoft - I use them more than anything else that I own and being able to confidently spot the enemy team as effectively as anybody else is a really big deal even if I had no problems up to ~30m (after which my vision begins to blur slightly). I've even bought a second pair since - worth every penny. It of course depends on your prescription but I got mine glazed for about £50 on a £25 pair of goggles (ESS V12s) initially some years back and for £50 on a £140 pair of fan goggles (Revision Desert Locust with the thermal lens) a year or so ago as an upgrade to mitigate fogging.

I've never worn glasses under goggles as my prescription is very slight (so slight that I'm only really concerned about my eyes for driving and airsoft), so I can't comment on whether it's a significant improvement over glasses or not, but I will say that it's relatively easy to get it done (beyond the money of course). It depends on the goggle but I found the inserts that I had to cover all of my field of vision so that wasn't an issue. I do make sure to apply anti-fog twice through a day.

It might be best to borrow a pair of goggles and wear glasses under them to try it out. This might of course save a significant amount of money and if your eyesight is bad enough that you'll need to put glasses on immediately over say lunch, it could be a minor bonus to not have to fiddle about with finding them I suppose.

 
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proffrink said:
Well to put it this way: My prescription goggles are probably the single best thing I've ever bought for airsoft - I use them more than anything else that I own and being able to confidently spot the enemy team as effectively as anybody else is a really big deal even if I had no problems up to ~30m (after which my vision begins to blur slightly). I've even bought a second pair since - worth every penny. It of course depends on your prescription but I got mine glazed for about £50 on a £25 pair of goggles (ESS V12s) initially some years back and for £50 on a £140 pair of fan goggles (Revision Desert Locust with the thermal lens) a year or so ago as an upgrade to mitigate fogging.

I've never worn glasses under goggles as my prescription is very slight (so slight that I'm only really concerned about my eyes for driving and airsoft), so I can't comment on whether it's a significant improvement over glasses or not, but I will say that it's relatively easy to get it done (beyond the money of course). It depends on the goggle but I found the inserts that I had to cover all of my field of vision so that wasn't an issue. I do make sure to apply anti-fog twice through a day.

It might be best to borrow a pair of goggles and wear glasses under them to try it out. This might of course save a significant amount of money and if your eyesight is bad enough that you'll need to put glasses on immediately over say lunch, it could be a minor bonus to not have to fiddle about with finding them I suppose.
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My eyesight actually isn’t terrible, but I do wear glasses to drive and watch tv, my game is certainly better wearing glasses.

who did you use for your reglaze may I ask, as I have a pair of Bolle Raider glasses that just want the insert done, and you’ve convinced me to go ahead and do it. Am I right in assuming that the reglaze lenses will be polycarbonate? 

Thankyou for the thorough reply, it’s very much appreciated and the advice will certainly be followed up on.

 
Glasses Direct are who I used. There are cheaper though I believe, but they were very quick and easy and I wanted someone reputable for my first go and used them for the ease on the second pair. You can check they have the correct paperwork as they all require licensing so really you'll be fine anywhere that's been signed off.

 
proffrink said:
Glasses Direct are who I used. There are cheaper though I believe, but they were very quick and easy and I wanted someone reputable for my first go and used them for the ease on the second pair. You can check they have the correct paperwork as they all require licensing so really you'll be fine anywhere that's been signed off.
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Funny you mention them as that’s the website I’ve been looking at this evening, I’ll give them a try and see what comes back, I’m going to go with the ‘gold’ option so as to get thin lens, scratch resistant and UV400 protection.

ill post up a review of sorts later

 
That's who I used and the exact same package that I went for too. Don't think it'll disappoint - their turnaround was very fast.

I've posted up a fairly comprehensive review/guide on this in some other thread a couple of years back, but I can't find it. Probably should've put it in a standalone thread but hey :(

 
Even using the "expensive" glasses shop - Vision Express, here's what I paid

Frames - £75 (I bought these elsewhere)

Lenses - £60 (including anti-glare, scratch resistance, insurance)

I've been eyeing up some Oakley's but that will have to wait for when I have some spare cash to treat myself with.

 
clumpyedge said:
Even using the "expensive" glasses shop - Vision Express, here's what I paid

Frames - £75 (I bought these elsewhere)

Lenses - £60 (including anti-glare, scratch resistance, insurance)

I've been eyeing up some Oakley's but that will have to wait for when I have some spare cash to treat myself with.
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When I approached Duncan and Todd opticians (local to me), they quoted me £185 to reglaze the insert!

specsavers just told me that they ‘don’t do that type of thing’

if I didn’t laugh I’d probably have cried! 

 
Sako said:
When I approached Duncan and Todd opticians (local to me), they quoted me £185 to reglaze the insert!

specsavers just told me that they ‘don’t do that type of thing’

if I didn’t laugh I’d probably have cried! 
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What the hell! I've never been charged more than £60 for new lenses! the most expensive thing always ends up being the frames (apart from the Oakley's I'm looking at - they are looking at £300-350 range for the complete set up but I'd use them for my real steel shooting as well so its justified.

 
clumpyedge said:
What the hell! I've never been charged more than £60 for new lenses! the most expensive thing always ends up being the frames (apart from the Oakley's I'm looking at - they are looking at £300-350 range for the complete set up but I'd use them for my real steel shooting as well so its justified.
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I was as surprised as you were too, I was in the belief that the reglaze for lenses from the likes of specsavers would have been a standard service, and I certainly didn’t expect Duncan and Todd to be almost £200 (just for a reglaze!)

im going to order through the glassesdirect website as recommended as it looks extremely easy to do and really good value for money.

 
Boots have also quoted me about 40% higher than I usually pay for a reglaze when I went in for an eye test. In fact I got my prescription updated last year and reglazed my old frames for the same £50 that I spent on the goggle inserts.

I'm fairly certain the high streets are making 80% of their margin on the frames (which presumably are cheap as chips to make) and see reglazing as not worth their time to stay competitive on given all the online glazers. I also found their turnaround to be relatively slow compared to the 5 days I experiences with Glasses Direct.

 
proffrink said:
Boots have also quoted me about 40% higher than I usually pay for a reglaze when I went in for an eye test. In fact I got my prescription updated last year and reglazed my old frames for the same £50 that I spent on the goggle inserts.

I'm fairly certain the high streets are making 80% of their margin on the frames (which presumably are cheap as chips to make) and see reglazing as not worth their time to stay competitive on given all the online glazers. I also found their turnaround to be relatively slow compared to the 5 days I experiences with Glasses Direct.
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Agreed which is exactly why I find my in other shops (to try them on) so I know what I want then buy online. My vision express is usually very good and has my lenses done within two or three days and the same goes for when I have my inserts done.

 
proffrink said:
Boots have also quoted me about 40% higher than I usually pay for a reglaze when I went in for an eye test. In fact I got my prescription updated last year and reglazed my old frames for the same £50 that I spent on the goggle inserts.

I'm fairly certain the high streets are making 80% of their margin on the frames (which presumably are cheap as chips to make) and see reglazing as not worth their time to stay competitive on given all the online glazers. I also found their turnaround to be relatively slow compared to the 5 days I experiences with Glasses Direct.
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Just got off the phone to glassesdirect, they are pretty certain they can reglaze the insert for the Bolle Raider, I just have to send them in and they will let me know.

 
Sako said:
Reglaze is purely the term they use for fitting the lenses to an existing frame, although these frames are actually empty so technically they are being glazed...if you see what I’m saying.
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Ah yeah I get you, some opticians I've been class reglazing as even putting a new film over the existing lenses hence the confusion

 
Sako said:
Reglaze is purely the term they use for fitting the lenses to an existing frame, although these frames are actually empty so technically they are being glazed...if you see what I’m saying.
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I bought my raiders off amazon, then took them into Vision Express to get the prescription done on them. I think I paid something like £60, for scratch resistant and anti glare. I didn't bother with the insurance though because when you read the fine print, it excludes "action sports". The good thing about going in somewhere local rather than sending them off somewhere, is you can always take them back in if there's an issue. On my first game, I was getting a headache focusing on my front sight with them, I was able to take them back in straight after and they switched the lenses for a slightly weaker prescription there and then.

I rang a Bolle retailer up the road from me first, they quoted about £200 or something ridiculous for the inserts.

 
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