Why Are Glasses So Expensive?

At 20/20 Institute, we meet patients considering LASIK for many different reasons. Every person is different, but in general, many report to us that their glasses and contacts get in the way of living the life they want to live. Vision correction surgery can help remove those obstacles, improving convenience and providing greater freedom to do the things that bring you the most joy. But living the best life isn’t the only reason people consider surgical vision correction.

A common complaint we hear from people considering LASIK is the high (and guaranteed continued) cost of glasses and contacts. Depending on factors like brand, type of lens, and frame popularity, even a basic pair of prescription readers can cost hundreds of dollars. If you’ve ever walked out of your favorite optical shop wondering, “Why are glasses so expensive?” it may be time to start considering your alternatives.

At 20/20 Institute, we don’t offer prescription eyewear. We do offer Wavefront Optimized^® Custom LASIK and a number of LASIK alternatives that can help free you from the relentlessly continuous costs of glasses and contact lenses. If you have ever dreamed of a life where simply seeing doesn’t set you back hundreds of dollars a year, we encourage you to call us for a free LASIK consultation where we can discuss your needs, your options, and how we can help you reach your goals.

Call 20/20 Institute at 303-202-0669 to talk to one of our experienced LASIK specialists today. We have offices in Westminster, LoDo, the DTC, and Colorado Springs. We serve patients living in all parts of Colorado.

Why Are Glasses So Expensive? Materials Play a Role

The manufacturing process and materials used to create eyeglasses play a direct role in their cost. While frames may look like simple plastic and metal, many of today’s options are made from durable, lightweight materials like titanium or acetate. Additionally, when it comes to lenses for those frames, there are many upgrade options that promise (and often deliver) a better experience. Specialized scratch-resistant coatings, anti-reflective properties, and UV protection can all drive up the cost of glasses.

Creating prescription lenses—for traditional glasses and sunglasses—now involves a high level of customization and advanced technology. Whether you’re nearsighted, farsighted, or have astigmatism, lenses must be ground and polished with great care and precision to ensure their accuracy. Progressive lenses, which have grown in popularity, require even more intricate crafting, enabling them to address multiple prescriptions without the lines once common in their predecessor, the bifocal. These lenses can further increase the cost of eyeglasses, making them substantially more expensive. 

But is the improved quality really that much more expensive to produce? Does “excellent quality” justify why a pair of off-the-shelf frames with prescription lenses can cost $400, $600, $800, or more? Even if the quality is truly that much better, today’s manufacturing capabilities should be able to improve quality and reduce manufacturing costs, right? So why are glasses so expensive? Let’s continue to explore that question.

Not Your Grandma’s Spectacles

Whether by design or necessity (or both) glasses and sunglasses, while functional, have also become an accessory. What once were called spectacles are now referred to as eyewear—and marketed through ads featuring hip-looking people engaged in cool-looking things (never mind that many of those things are actually encumbered by glasses) to show how fun wearing glasses can be. But is wearing glasses really all that fun? Not when you consider maintenance, keeping track of them, and all the things you can’t do while wearing them.

The fashion component of the frames that surround eyeglasses and sunglasses is another reason why glasses are so expensive. In what may be an instance of life imitating art, the more frequently certain styles are shown in movies, on TV, and across stages, the more in-demand they become. Increased demand often results in higher costs—along with low-quality knock-offs that need even more frequent replacement—pushing the neverending cost of glasses even higher.

Can glasses be a fashion statement? Sure. But that doesn’t make them any more convenient or comfortable. Nor does it make them any less expensive. In fact, many of the most desirable styles are manufactured under designer labels and, as we all know, that could mean you’re paying more for the name than the frame. Let’s take a closer look at that now.

Why Are Glasses So Expensive? The Role of Brand Names and the Myth of Competition

Improved design, structure, materials, manufacturer expertise, and the “fashion factor” may not be the whole story. The entire answer to “Why are glasses so expensive?” is more complex. One of the lesser-known realities of the eyeglasses industry is that it is less of a “free market” than most people realize.

While you may not have heard of a company named EssilorLuxottica, you will likely recognize at least a few of these frames and prescription brand names that this company owns the licensing or trademark rights to:

• Ray-Ban
• Oakley
• Prada  
• Chanel
• Transitions
• Crizal  
• Coach
• Michael Kors
• DKNY
• Armani
• Tiffany
• Varilux

EssilorLuxottica manufactures the frames and lenses for all of these brands and many, many more. So when you browse for your new pair of glasses (or even sunglasses) and notice the range of cost from the value brand to the luxury brand, chances are good that, no matter what you end up choosing, you are buying frames and lenses from EssilorLuxottica.

In addition to manufacturing the frames and lenses for a remarkably long list of brands, EssilorLuxottica also owns a few optical stores that you probably know: LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Target Optical, and Sunglass Hut, to name but a few.

Even your local eye doctor’s office may be part of a network owned by EssilorLuxottica. Since 2015, Vision Source is owned by EssilorLuxottica. Vision Source is a network of over 500 eye doctor practices in America that provides over 16 million patient visits every year. The frame and lens selection at your local eye doctor’s optical may be heavily influenced by EssilorLuxottica. Collectively the Vision Source network is the second largest optical retailer in the country.

The second largest vision insurance company in the U.S., EyeMed, is also an EssilorLuxottica company.

In a free market, various companies and their brands compete for your business, but often in the eyewear market, perceived brand competition is a facade. It’s a great business position for the manufacturer, of course. For the consumer, though, not so much.

Is this model free market? Not really. When competition is suppressed, the consumer loses out on choice and free market pricing. They usually pay an inflated price for fewer options. But if you have myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, how can you fight back? What option do you have?

Vision Correction Surgery: An Alternative to Expensive Eyeglasses

At 20/20 Institute, our experienced LASIK doctors understand the financial burdens of prescription eyewear and think it’s important that you know the cost of LASIK and other vision correction procedures—which are a one-time expense—typically pale in comparison to the lifetime cost of glasses. Moreover, unlike glasses, you can’t misplace LASIK or accidentally sit on ICLs. Vision correction surgery won’t fog up when you walk inside from the cold, won’t crack when you’re hiking, and can’t get scratched, smudged, or discolored when you’re just living your life.

Vision correction surgery is not only less expensive than glasses, but it’s also much more convenient, and the benefits can last for years and years to come.

The Best Price for Custom, All-Laser, Bladeless LASIK in Colorado

20/20 Institute can save you money by reducing or eliminating the expenses related to glasses, but that’s not where our commitment to value ends. We also offer our Best Price Guarantee: if you find another practice that provides custom LASIK, uses the same technology, and offers similar services for after-care and no-cost LASIK refinement, we will match that price.

In addition to our Best Price Guarantee, we offer unparalleled results (99.67% of our patients have achieved 20/20 vision or better), flexible financing plans, and discounts for insurance—giving you the highest quality vision correction at the best value in Colorado. Best of all, we do this without skimping on customer service or patient care. Take a moment and browse any of our literally hundreds of 5-star patient reviews or read more about our patient-centered philosophy to learn what truly sets 20/20 Institute apart.

Maybe it’s time to stop wondering “Why are glasses so expensive” and time to start thinking about giving us a call to schedule your free LASIK candidacy consultation. The doctors at 20/20 Institute are here to save you money, enhance your vision, and help free you from the excessive cost of prescription glasses and contact lenses.

Contact 20/20 Institute online or call us today to set up your free LASIK evaluation. We maintain offices in Colorado Springs, Englewood, Downtown Denver, and Westminster and welcome patients from the Front Range, Western Slope, Eastern Plains, and throughout the state.