Prescription Eyeglasses

The place that measures you in the frame you are buying and makes the lenses to those measurements. An independent optical shop with an optician and its own lab does that; a website cannot. For a simple single-vision prescription the gap is small. For a strong prescription, astigmatism, or progressives, it is the difference between glasses you forget and glasses you fight.

Yes. Bring a current prescription from any optometrist or ophthalmologist and it is filled here the same way as one written in this office. If it has expired, or it is missing your pupillary distance, an exam or a measurement is done first so the lenses are made to the right numbers.

Some simple single-vision orders can be quick; progressives, high-index lenses, and most coatings are made to order and take longer. You are told the turnaround for your prescription and lens choice when you order, before you commit. If you need a pair fast, say so and the optician will tell you what is possible.

Often, yes, if the frame is in good condition and the hinges and rims will survive the old lenses coming out. The optician checks the frame first and says if it is a poor bet. Reglazing and repairs are covered on the eyeglass repair page.

The distance between the centers of your pupils, in millimeters. Lenses are made so their optical centers sit at that distance. If it is off, you look through the lens at an angle, which adds unintended prism and causes eye strain and headaches. It is measured here on your face, in the frame, along with the height of your eyes in it.

Progressives give distance, intermediate, and near in one lens with no visible line, and they are what most people over 40 end up in. Bifocals have a line and a jump between zones but a wider reading area, which some people prefer for a lot of close work. The optician will show you both; the fitting is what makes a progressive work.

Anti-reflective coating earns its place for almost everyone: less glare at night and on screens, and other people see your eyes instead of reflections. Lenses that darken outdoors suit people who move in and out all day. Polarized lenses are for sunglasses and the water. Blue-light filtering is a preference, not a need. You hear the case for each and decide.

Your plan sets an amount it pays toward a frame, and you pay the difference if the frame costs more. Lenses are covered at a basic level with upgrades at plan rates. The front desk checks your benefit before you choose, so you know the number while you are looking at the wall rather than at the register.

Balmain, Cartier, Celine, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Loewe, Tom Ford, Ray-Ban, Oliver Peoples, and Maui Jim, plus independent makers: Lindberg, Mykita, Jacques Marie Mage, Eyevan, Lapima, Movitra, and T Henri. The selection changes through the year. If you have a specific frame in mind, call (310) 305-2950 and ask before you come in.

Yes, in sunglass frames from the collection or in a frame you bring, with polarized, tinted, or photochromic lenses made to your prescription. A second pair in sunglasses is the most common add-on, and some vision plans allow a second-pair benefit.

Yes. Children’s frames are chosen for fit and durability, with impact-resistant lenses as the default, and adjustments through the year are part of the purchase, because a frame that fit in September will not fit in May.

Come back. A new progressive takes a week or two to adapt to, but headaches, swimming edges, or a reading zone you have to hunt for are fitting problems, and the optician rechecks the measurements and the lens against your prescription. A lens that was made wrong is remade.