See better with Select Specs
**Disclosure: we received a free pair of glasses in exchange for this open and honest review**
When I was approached by SelectSpecs to review to try out their glasses, I could clearly see that this would be a great campaign to get involved with.
However, being cursed with perfect vision, I consulted my sister (who is not quite as perfect as me) to bring her on board as my guest blogger.
Here’s what she had to say about SelectSpecs.
My Mission:
Find a pair of red frames – fun, but not too funky that I couldn’t wear them every day.
SELECTION:
SelectSpecs has a HUGE selection. There were over 7000 styles to choose from for ladies glasses, and about the same in styles for men.
Many are indicated as suitable for children or for people with narrow faces. But with that many glasses to choose from, it was crucial that the website’s search tools would help me focus in on the ones I wanted.
This is where SelectSpecs gets a gold star from me!
You could select glasses based on style (e.g. Aviator, cat eye, rimless…), material (bamboo, plastic, titanium…) lens type, colour, price, and size. Using these options, it took me about three clicks to find a nice pair of red frames that I liked.
Most of the glasses have comments from other wearers, and are worth a browse when selecting a pair.
There is an enormous range in prices for glasses on this site. If you are just looking for a cheap spare pair, there are many for less than $20.
And then there are the “Luxury Brands”. I saw some Porsche brand glasses on there for about $6000. So, yes, there is something for everyone.
There are some really nice options here for kids. You wouldn’t mind buying your kid a couple of pairs from SelectSpecs just in case one (or two) gets lost or broken.
FIT:
But when you are shopping online for glasses, how do you know if they will fit or not? This is where it helps to have an old pair of frames that fit. On the inside of the frame there usually are a few numbers stamped. One number will refer to the length of the arm (mine is 135mm), one is the width of the bridge (mine is 15mm) and the other is the width of a lens (mine is 50mm).
You want these numbers on your new glasses to be pretty close to what you already have so they will fit nicely on your face. If these numbers aren’t on your old frames, the website’s size guide will show you how you can measure to get a rough idea.
One thing that I wish this site had is a try-on function. I have used this on other online glasses shops, and it allows you to upload a photo of yourself to see how the glasses would look on your face.
ORDERING:
So with the first step of choosing my glasses complete, off I raced to the checkout.
The first step is to choose the kind of lenses you need: Single vision, bifocal, progressive, etc.
If you don’t know what all the different kinds are, they have good descriptions to help you choose, or they offer you a chance to contact them with your prescription to verify before you finalize your order.
I needed my glasses for computer work so I chose Intermediate Single Vision lenses. Then you can choose the thickness/ durability of the lenses. The nice thing is that standard lenses are free!
If you need thinner lenses or some for high impact situations, you can get those as well, for a minimal extra cost. AND you get free coatings whichever lenses you choose, depending on the rims and prescription: “This includes a UV coating, scratch resistance, anti-reflection, anti-smudge, and water & dust repellent treatments.”
You can get tinted lenses, polarized lenses, photo chromatic lessees and a ton of other kinds that I have never heard of. I was VERY impressed by the huge range of options available.
At some point in the process, they will ask you for your prescription. You can get yours by contacting your eye doctor and requesting it. It is very straightforward, and SelectSpecs offers to help you with this step if you are at all confused.
I love how supportive they are with lots of opportunities to contact them: there is a phone number and email link on the top of every ordering page just in case you need help.
I decided to test out the customer service and emailed them with a question about my prescription. This was on a Friday afternoon (Friday night GMT where SelectSpecs is based). I immediately received an automatic response to say that their email volume was high, but they would respond to me as soon as possible. I got my answer (a lovely personal email) on Wednesday.
So I ordered my glasses on March 6th, and they were shipped (from the UK) on March 20th. They finally arrived in my mailbox (with a free case, cloth and cleaner) on April 14th. A little more than five weeks for a new pair of glasses! I have ordered glasses from other companies in the past and had them within two weeks, but still, at these prices, I can certainly wait five weeks.
So here’s my view on SelectSpecs:
HOORAY!
• HUGE selection,
• Fantastic prices and options!
• Friendly, helpful customer service
MEH:
• Lacks try-on view for glasses
• A little bit slow to deliver compared to other companies
AS I SEE IT:
For price and selection, you really can’t beat SelectSpecs. You’ll probably end up paying an eye and a leg for glasses at many optical places, so I would encourage any glasses wearer to give them a try.
If you are feeling nervous about the whole buying-glasses-online thing, there are tons that are really cheap. You can order a cheap pair, try some different options and coatings and tints, see if they fit you, and then later on, order a second pair of more expensive glasses with the features you like.
What do you think of my new look?
