If you look at prescription eyewear business, not much has really changed in a long time. You go to your eye specialist to get your eye exam and then you either buy your glasses from them or in a retail store. A number of companies are selling prescription glasses online but it's a market with a lot of limitations, as you still require the parameters for each eye, and that can only be done in person by an optician or a doctor. And if you get tested by the optician, it makes sense that, if you're already there, you try on some frames and see which one fits best, and buy it from them.
However, that does not mean that selling prescription glasses online is a lost cause. A revolution is just around the corner, driven by advances in a different area, telemedicine, treating patients remotely or electronically. You'll be able to get a refraction exam, the test to determine parameters for each of your eyes, from the comfort of your couch, with the help of a laptop or a smartphone, while likely costing less than going to your eye specialist. Many companies are developing the at-home exam, several say they already have it and all they are waiting for is a green light from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). We don't know how far away we are from this becoming a reality, but we can be sure that when it does, it'll shift the prescription glasses industry to a whole new level.
Of course that is not good news for all of the established players in the industry. They are fighting this change by arguing that when you go to the doctor's office for your eye exam, he also checks for other serious eye disease, preventing a lot of serious injuries that way. They are not wrong, and all advocates for the online refraction test respond by saying they will still advise consumers to go and take those tests.
Even if you do have to go to your optician to get your refraction exam done, it still makes sense to order them from an online store specializing in eyewear, as you'll usually pay a fraction of what you would pay at the opticians store or in retail. This is a field where Crullé excels and feels right at home. Not only do we offer high quality, designer frames, if you know your eye parameters, you simply go to our website, select a frame you like and input your parameters. Our specialists will grind the lenses, insert them into your frame and the next thing you know they'll be at your door. If you’re worried that the glasses won't be a good fit for you, we have you covered as well. With our handy virtual mirror tool, you can see how the glasses would look on you with the help of a camera from your smartphone or your laptop. Ok, so far so good, but what about the price? You can get your pair with custom lenses and shipping from around 30€ onwards (depends on the frame model, lens type and your lens power. Compared to the 250€ my dad paid for his a year ago, it looks like a bargain. But why are we so affordable? I think you are asking the wrong question… The question should be; Why is everyone else so expensive?
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