Reglazing spectacles

This sounds like your optician is wanting to make money above providing quality eye care at an affordable price.
I wear spectacles constantly so replacing lenses isn’t an option but my optician will put new prescription lenses in one of my previous frames if possible ie there’s no damage to the frame. And actually, the optician normally sends everything away to a specialist laboratory anyway.

Spec savers will put a new prescription in older frames problem is for me my frames are low cost but my prescription lens is expensive with thinning, coating andreactalite added. So there is no point.

Don't go to high st opticians for this! I do this & have had about 8 or 9 done over the years with excellent results.
I look at other people's specs, find some I like & ask where they got them & often you can find them on eBay.
Once I loved some Whistles glasses & got them on eBay & got them reglazed. I love them & bought another pair from eBay in case these broke. I never use any particular reglazing service but whoever I fancy on the internet, I've never been disappointed. I must have saved thousands.
High st opticians don't offer this service as there's more profit in selling the whole thing.

I go to a very good private optician and have had new lenses put into existing frames several times. They used to say there was a risk of breaking the frames but that doesn’t seen to be a consideration these days. DH broke his frames and they ordered another pair and put the lenses in.

I have varifocal lenses which are medium spec - they are thin but not the thinnest, do have anti-scratch but not anti-glare as I don't tend to drive at night now. When I last visited the optician 6 weeks ago for my 2 year check, the prescription had changed and I asked to have the new lenses put into a previous designer frame that I loved and had bought when I had more spare money as I was working then. To have my old frames reglazed cost me more than having new frames with the new prescription! I bit the bullet, but am seriously thinking of changing opticiansfor another one. I have to say that the major costs of my glasses relates to the lenses. Suggestions, anyone? (I use Boots opticians at the moment.)

My opticians always reglazes my glasses. It was getting ridiculous at one point before my cataract ops. Constant changes in prescription .No longer necessary.

DH broke his frames - Specsavers put my varifocals into new frames free of charge when I broke them.

I have a pair of frames which were originally from Specsavers, because I liked the frames I decided to ask for new lenses to be put in the frames.
This was a different optician as Specsavers were booked up for some time ahead. They seem fine for a month or so but one side keeps falling off the frames now.

They charged as much as Specsavers would for frames and lenses. Lesson learned.

In over 70 years of wearing glasses I have never had an optician refuse to put new lenses into glasses I already have.

If any optician tried to do that to me, I would be out the door and on my way to find another optician.

My last optician, who we went to regularly for over 40 years, would actually show me only cheaper frames when she knew that any glasses I was getting were not going to be worn all day every day - driving glasses, tv watching glasses and spare pairs.

I have had a lens replacement in both eyes and I now find that I don't need prescription lenses so I just buy cheap magnifying specs for reading. The rest of the time I don't wear specs.

I know this wouldn't work for everyone but it might be helpful for some people.

Specsavers still try to sell me prescription lenses when I go for eye tests.

I buy my glasses from Temu, take them to Specsavers where they put my prescription lenses in. Only twice in 10 years have they said the frames weren’t conducive to a lens change.
I’ve got about four or five different colours for different outfits!

Magenta8

I have had a lens replacement in both eyes and I now find that I don't need prescription lenses so I just buy cheap magnifying specs for reading. The rest of the time I don't wear specs.

I know this wouldn't work for everyone but it might be helpful for some people.

Specsavers still try to sell me prescription lenses when I go for eye tests.

Do you drive? If so does your unaided eyesight meet DLVA standards?

I was severely short-sighted from the age 11 to my 60s, when I had cataract surgery. I was offered prescription lens in my eyes and as 20/20 replacement was not possible chose to not need glasses for close work but wear them for distances, whether driving or tv.

I would always, always, always wear my glasses when driving and keep spare pairs in every car I drive and I get regular eyesight checks.

You need to check with Specsavers whether your eyesight meets DVLA standards if you do not have prescription lens in your glasses and wear them when driving

They are all after money, try select specs on the Internet, just send them your prescription, job done , very very cheap

I have my lenses put in the old frame of which Ihave 3 fidentical frames on rotation.

Agree with astitchintime

SpecSavers Brixton wouldn’t put new lenses into expensive frames; SpecSavers Clapham Junction did. So clearly it depends which SS you go to!

I had a favourite Lewis Hamilton frames (!) but was a couple of hundred to put new lenses in. Cheaper to buy online. I used Glasses Direct as I need a few pairs - car, bedroom, kitchen, handbag etc etc. Check their reviews, always good. Also get prescription sunglasses for driving. Get 4/5 pairs for cost of one at optometrist.

Have you tried ASda opticians ? no charge for varifocals

Following my cataract surgery my local independent opticians wanted to charge me £300 for replacement lenses for specs I had bought from them the previous year at a cost of £800.
As I don’t need distance lenses now, I bought five pairs of reading glasses off the internet for under £10.

When I asked Vision Express to reglaze my frames they also told me they dont do that anymore. I bought some off Glasses Direct instead as they were cheaper.

I am staggered by the prices people are paying for lenses and frames - £800!!

I have recently bought new frames and lenses. They are reactolite lenses with an antiglare coating, The bill was just north of £400. I would consider that a middle of the range price. I will be taking all my spare glasses down to them over the next couple of months for new lenses as my glasses are used primarily for driving and I keep spare specs in each car and they need to be DVLA compliant.

@Askalice . I usually get my single vision glasses from specsavers and pay over £300 for two pairs of glasses one of which is supposed to be free .
This time I had my eyes tested a specsavers but sent my prescription off to Glasses Direct . The glasses are just as good and I got two pairs plus a pair of prescription sunglasses for £160, all of which I was able to claim back from Medicash . Definite bargain .

Goodness, I didn’t know that reglazing was possible! Will be looking into it. Thank you for enlightening me 😀

The use of the word 'reglazed' is completely new to me in the context of putting new or replacement lenses in spectacle frames someone already owns.

In over 70 years of wearing glasses I had never heard that phrase in this context until this thread and I have never had an optician refuse to do it or treat it as other than absolutely normal.