Why Buy Your Glasses Where You Get Your Eye Exam?

Buying your glasses where you get your eye exam means the same team that wrote your prescription also measures, makes, checks and fits your glasses, so nothing gets lost between the exam chair and your face. If something isn't right, your optician can walk down the hall and ask your doctor to recheck it.

This is my favorite topic. Let me tell you what really goes into a pair of glasses that feels like magic the moment you put them on.

What really happens during "one or two?"

You know the part of the exam where I flip lenses and ask, "Which is better, one or two?" Some patients apologize. They worry they're giving the wrong answer, or that they are taking too long.

Please don't apologize. That is the most important few minutes of your exam.

I am fine-tuning your prescription in tiny steps. I am finding the exact strength, and for many people, the exact angle of astigmatism (a slightly football-shaped curve in the front of the eye). I am balancing your two eyes so they work together. I am thinking about how you use your eyes: the long drive to work, the laptop, the needlework, the grandkids' soccer games.

When I take that time, I am not just writing numbers. I am getting to know your vision. And I want that care to make it all the way into your glasses.

Why is a prescription only half the job?

Here is the part most people never hear: a perfect prescription can still become a bad pair of glasses.

Your prescription tells the lab how strong the lenses should be. It does not tell them where on the lens your eye will actually look through. That depends on your face and on the exact frame you choose. Get that part wrong and even a perfect prescription can feel blurry, cause eye strain or give you a headache.

That is why the hand-off from doctor to optician matters so much.

What does an optician measure, and why does it matter?

When you buy glasses from us, our optician takes measurements on you, wearing the frame you picked. Not an average. Not a guess from a photo. You, in your frame.

• Pupillary distance (PD). This is the distance between the centers of your pupils. It tells the lab where to put the optical center of each lens so you are looking through the "sweet spot." If it is off, especially in a strong prescription, your eyes have to work harder.
• Segment or fitting height. For bifocals and progressives, this is how high the reading area or the progressive zone sits in the frame. It depends on the frame and on how it rests on your nose. A few millimeters off, and you'll be tipping your head back to read your phone.
• How the frame sits. The tilt of the frame, how close it sits to your eyes and how it wraps around your face all change how a lens performs, especially with higher prescriptions and progressives.

These are small numbers. They make a big difference. Our custom lens choices page goes over the lens options these measurements support.

What happens after your glasses are made?

This is where the human touch really shows up.

• Checked against your prescription. When your lenses are cut to fit your frame and come back to us, they are measured and checked against the prescription your doctor wrote. If the strength, the axis or the centering isn't right, they don't go out the door.
• Double-checked before you pick them up. Someone looks at them again before you ever see them. Mistakes happen in any lab. We would much rather catch one than have you discover it.
• Fitted to your face. At pickup, your optician adjusts the temples, the nose pads and the tilt so the glasses sit right and stay put. Then we check that you are looking through the right part of the lens.
• A doctor down the hall. If your new glasses still don't feel right, you aren't stuck. Your optician can check the glasses, and your doctor can recheck your eyes. Sometimes a prescription needs a small change. Sometimes it is the fit. Either way, we can figure out which one together, because we are working from the same exam.

That last one is the piece I care about most. When the exam happens in one place and the glasses are made somewhere else, a problem can turn into a game of phone tag. Who is at fault, the prescription or the glasses? Here, there is no one to point at but us. And we like it that way.

Is it ever okay to buy glasses online?

Sure. I want to be fair here. Online glasses can be fine for a simple, low prescription, a backup pair or a fun pair of readers. Big stores can work, too.

But it helps to know what you might give up:

• Measurements are often estimated or self-measured, and fitting heights for progressives are hard to get right without someone looking at the frame on your face.
• No one adjusts the frame to your head.
• If your glasses don't feel right, it can be hard to tell whether the problem is the prescription or the glasses, and you may be sorting that out alone.

If you wear progressives, have a strong prescription, need prism correction, are buying for a child, or once had a pair that "never felt right," I strongly recommend having your glasses made and fitted by the team that did your exam.

When should you see an eye doctor?

Call us if your new glasses cause headaches, eye strain, dizziness or blurry areas after a few days of wearing them. Often it is a fit or measurement issue we can fix.

And call us right away or go to the emergency room for:

• Sudden vision loss or a curtain or shadow over your vision
• New flashes of light with a shower of new floaters
• Severe eye pain with nausea or halos around lights
• A chemical splash or an injury to the eye

How we do it at Bolt Eye Group

Every Bolt Eye Group office has in-office opticians who work side by side with our doctors. Your comprehensive exam includes a full eye-health check, and every patient gets retinal photos and corneal topography for a $39 imaging fee. Your optician works straight from that same exam.

You'll also find a frame selection we are proud of, including independent and designer eyewear such as Jacques Marie Mage, Lindberg, Mykita, Lunor and Gucci. Browse our luxury eyewear page, or read How Your Glasses Change How You Feel for help choosing a frame.

We accept VSP, EyeMed, Davis Vision, Spectera, Medicare and major medical plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna and Humana. You can also use HSA/FSA funds or CareCredit for your glasses.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my prescription to buy glasses somewhere else?

Yes. Your glasses prescription belongs to you, and we will give you a copy. We just want you to know the extra checks and adjustments you get when your glasses are made and fitted by the team that did your exam.

Why do my new glasses feel strange?

Some adjustment is normal, especially with a new prescription or your first progressives. If things still feel off after a few days, come back in. Often it is a fit or measurement issue, and sometimes your doctor needs to recheck your prescription.

What is pupillary distance, and do I need it?

Pupillary distance, or PD, is the distance between the centers of your pupils. Labs use it to line up the center of each lens with your eyes. Our opticians measure it with you wearing your chosen frame, along with fitting heights for bifocals and progressives.

Are progressive lenses harder to get right?

They need more precise measurements than single-vision lenses. The progressive zone has to line up with where your eyes naturally look for distance, middle and near. That is why we measure fitting heights on your frame and fine-tune the fit at pickup.

Book an exam at your nearest Bolt Eye Group office

Let us take care of your eyes and your glasses, start to finish. Book an exam at your nearest Bolt Eye Group office in Canton, East Cobb/Marietta, Lawrenceville, Riverdale or Johnson City, TN. Find hours and directions on our locations page.