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>When people need glasses, they usually need now.

I'd substitute sometimes for usually. If you've broken your only pair of glasses then you do indeed need something now. But lots of the time, people just want new frames, or decide to get sunglasses, etc. You may underestimate how many people see glasses as a fashion accessory rather than a utilitarian device you wear to correct your vision.

>They are indeed doing good level of PR in publish-for-pay websites like inc.com, however.

If anything, it seems more like a PR pitch for UPenn though there's plenty of skepticism in the article as well. I thought it was an interesting piece. You do realize that writers don't just sit in an office with their computers turned off and have ideas for stories pop into their head? I'm sure someone pitched a story here but I don't know why you'd assume there was a payoff involved. It seems a pretty balanced piece.

Even if you need to get glasses that better match your prescription or your glasses are getting scratched but are still usable, you might not need them now. I've worn glasses for almost 30 years and I've never been in a rush to replace them. At least around here it usually pays to wait for sales; it's easy to save a couple of hundred euros if you can wait for a while.

My experience with these 2 companies; Last year I had to buy Rx glasses for the first time. I bought 2 pairs, one WP and another at Lens Crafters. I went to the retail WP store because I had to try them on. I can't buy this type of product based on a picture on a website. I went there first, bought a pair that I didn't love but it was the best they had for me. Then I went to LC and found a pair of Ray Bans. The buying process seemed similar. Each store had to ship me the product a few days later. But LC wins for selection. The WP glasses feel cheap. The plastic material the frame is made from just feels cheap, unfinished, and are not comfortable. The lens are inferior, they have a prism effect when light hits them the wrong way. The Ray Bans are a similar form/material as the WPs, but they feel nice; comfortable, the plastic frames feel well made (no jagged edges), the hinges move nicely, and the lenses are great. Needless to say, I wear the Ray Bans daily and the WP are more of a spare pair. I won't be shopping at WP again.

To be fair, I don't recall the cost. The Ray Bans may have been 2X or more than WP. In which case, I'd still shop LC for the better lens.

I’ve never walked out of a store with eyeglasses I just baught. I don’t think that experience is typical.

It totally depends on your prescription. If there’s no astigmatism, the lenses can be stocked and cut to the frames you need. Astigmatism adds another two variables that make it much harder to stock. Also the stronger your prescription, the more alternative material options there are to keep the thickness down, which again makes it harder to stock everything.

Most offices who keep stock lenses keep cyl (astigmatic correction) up to two diopters in quarter increments in my experience.

The main limitation is usually material choice.

in the Boston area it is typical, several choices to bring your script and have new glasses in an hour or two, i have used lencrafters for 10 years like this

Wow, that's awesome. I've never been able to get glasses in less than two weeks. Last time I went to Lenscrafters was 20 years ago, I guess they have changed a lot since then.

> I am in market for new glasses

I don't know where you are, but my go-to glasses provider is Owndays, the japanese chain. Decent range & fashion, competitive prices and - crucially! - they keep common prescription lenses in stock. I keep a photo of my prescription on my phone and I've been in and out of there in 20 minutes.

The idea of going to an old-style glasses shop where they want $500+ and then you have to wait a week to even get them just seems laughable now, and Warby can't compete either. I predict further mass extinctions in this vertical.

I'm sure it's fair that there's a level below Warby Parker. Heck, I buy reading glasses (which I need when I'm wearing contacts) by the 5-pack from Amazon for about $5 each. They're not optimized but they're close enough and I can scratch them and lose them and break them.

It does depend what's available around where you live though. There's a Warby Parker in Cambridge MA and I'll probably get another pair of glasses there at some point. (Although it's complicated because I have good insurance I can use with my regular eye doctor/vision place.)

If you get any of essilor's scratch coats (or any of unity's they offer a warranty your optician may not tell you about (so he has more wiggle room, or he may buy without warranty to save money)

Thanks. I actually wear contacts most of the time--which is when I need readers. They're the ones that beaten up because I'm always taking them on and off and sticking them in pockets.

Yeah, can't get much cheaper than readers, unless you want to get a pair with glass lenses for very long term (much harder to scratch, can shatter)

Maybe I’ll get a prescription for readers next time. I got progressives last time I was at the doctor and love them for when I’m around the house.

Progs are pretty great. Some minor downsides, but comparing them to a lined bifocal... Depends on personal preferences.

Neat Sherlock Holmes Ian trick, at about halfway up your lens, near the nose, and temple, there are some laser etchings (your progressives) these should tell you what kind of lens they are and how much add power you have

If people needed glasses "now" the local optician would not be a dying trade, and LensCrafters wouldn't have killed off half of their labs three years ago, while eliminating the one hour guarantee.

Davis optical also closed a load of their labs. Quick turnaround spectacles are seeing some changes.

I bought Warby Parker glasses once a few years back. The lenses got scratched up pretty bad and they no longer fit. But they’re fine. Cheaper than designer.

These days I’ve had to go with Eyebuydirect. They’re cheaper and the turnaround is about a week. Some of the plastics aren’t as nice as high priced frames but still good and the metal frames are pretty standard.

Fifteen years ago, buying glasses was a three-week experience that could be expected to cost in excess of $300. Now I can get two pairs, retail, for that price in a single day.

Warby Parker has helped make this accessible, and for that I'm very grateful.

Perhaps their target market are those more interested in fashion than utility.

I guess I forgot that not everyone has walk-in Warby Parker stores like NYC does…