Options for Glasses Wearers

[PopRocket123]

I'm completely blind without my glasses so I normally wear contacts whenever I play. I'm looking for other options if I run out or don't want to use them. I've got a aet of bigger goggles but I've found they don't fit over my glasses so what goggles do?. I've also seen glasses that you can get that are essentially prescription eye pro but I don't know who well they'd work. Does anyone have any experience with these and have you had any issues with fogging or anything?

[L3wisD]

Lots of discussion on this already, but I'll reiterate my solution.

 

These JT Flex-8 goggles fit over my glasses brilliantly, don't press on the specs at all. And the two fans keep most of the fog at bay - with the help of Revision anti-fog wipes.

 

 

If you can't find any Goggs that won't fit over them, the alternative is shooting glasses with prescription inserts. Basically lenses that sit inside the frame of the shooting glasses.

[jcheeseright]

you can get prescription inserts for most glasses/goggles. tacticaloptician.co.uk can sort you out.

[Kash]

Are they even operating anymore?

 

The webstore has no products

[proffrink]

I actually found him fairly unhelpful when I was looking some years back. Awful website (in general), poor selection of products and slow email replies. He does come well recommended by many though, so I may just have been unlucky/picky.

 

Having bought now three pairs of goggles and having the prescriptions sent off to have inserts glazed, I've come to the conclusion that it's quite easy and really doesn't much specialist input at all if you're already used to buying glasses. Pick a reputable brand (Bolle, ESS, Revision, Oakley to name but a few), pick a good pair of goggles/shooting glasses and 9 times out of 10 they will have a prescription insert available that you can buy through that same retailer you're buying from. Failing that you can just buy separately through eBay. Unglazed prescription inserts run between £5 to £30.

 

• Go to your opticians of choice, get your prescription*

or

• Phone/email and ask them to print and post you a past one
• Measure your pupillary distance with the help of someone (some opticians will even do it for you if you ask)
• Fill out a form online and send in your inserts to be glazed*

Edit

*both of these are to be done by actual professionals

End edit

 

It's super simple. I've used http://www.directsight.co.uk/reglaze and https://www.glassesdirect.co.uk/reglaze/ - each took under a week to get done and cost ~£50 for the much thinner lenses, scratch-resistant coating and UV protection (though I only have a pretty weak/basic prescription so it might cost more for more complex ones). At the very least you will want the scratch-resistant coating.

 

In terms of fogging: It is worse because you have another two surfaces inside. I started with ESS V12s and have now moved onto Revision Locust fan goggles with a thermal lens (which I'm yet to try). As with all fogging it depends on how much you run and how much you sweat - it's a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. Cold day means more fogging, some people just sweat more around their eyes (obviously if you're in better shape then this is generally less of an issue), some peoples face protection deflects their breath up into their goggles, there are those that like to run more so naturally will sweat more etc. There's the big one that actually shooting glasses will be basically void of fogging in the majority of cases (if anti-fog is used and you're observing where your face protection is), but there are those (myself included) that prefer the safety of full-seal eye protection.

 

I should also add that certain goggles have inserts that are better designed than others. My V12s 'VICE' prescription insert, for example, is/was tricky to remove between games (and basically impossible with gloves on) to reapply anti-fog solution to. Also tricky to not get your fingers on the lenses whilst doing this as they're only partially rimmed. The Locusts I now have clip in much more simply and are fully rimmed.

 

Again, you can expect fogging to be worse, but it is manageable with some good anti-fog products and careful orientation of your face protection so it's not making matters worse. Depending on the goggles you may need to remove foam to make sure air circulation is better (the V12s being a good example of where this is basically required from the get-go for most people). These are not problems faced exclusively by those using prescriptions though and there are plenty of threads on this already.

 

In summary: It isn't rocket science and your main foe is still going to be fogging in the same way that it is for non-prescription eyepro.

[Lozart]

Are they even operating anymore?

 

The webstore has no products

 

Might be better off contacting him on FB https://www.facebook.com/AirsoftOptician but there is a message there from November saying that his circumstances have changed and he's slowed down somewhat. Again, highly recommend him (from personal experience).

[proffrink]

I mean this with no antagonism, but what do you feel made his service is better than doing it by yourself?

[Kash]

A company that has a non functioning website and now only operates through Facebook.....

 

Am I the only one who thinks thats a company that is mid shutdown or no longer operating honestly?

 

Perhaps im just cynical

[jcheeseright]

He's an optician that does stuff for military and airsofters on the side. As to why it's better than doing it yourself... if you're an optician then go for it, if not I'd say he's better qualified to deliver a working solution.

[proffrink]

A sarcastic and vapid response to a genuine question - I figured I'd have to put "I mean this with no antagonism" in an attempt to mitigate that but it seems to have gone straight over your head.

 

What did he do for you when you ordered yours? I'm wondering what sets him apart really because the hard bit (i.e. getting your prescription and having it glazed) is of course done by professionals in either case.

 

I'm sure he's able to comment more on what a good set of goggles is (in terms of how easily the inserts can be removed, airflow when coupled with inserts etc. but I'm wondering what he brings to the table for someone who's already got a prescription and a good idea of what goggles are available - does this add enough value though with the plethora of information already out there? How much does he charge? Does he just advise and hope you buy goggles/glazing services through him or does he handle the whole process from start to finish? Is there some sort of special fitting he provides that opticians don't already do? What makes prescription inserts special? From having a discussion with my optician a while back I'm led to believe that there isn't anything different in terms of how the prescription is applied during the glazing process - just a slightly different set of frames.

 

I suppose what I'm saying is: Is he actually necessary? There are plenty of people more qualified than me to make breakfast or put up shelves, but I've never hired a chef to pour my cornflakes or a builder to put together an IKEA bookshelf.

[Lozart]

I mean this with no antagonism, but what do you feel made his service better than doing it by yourself?

 

Personally, I've had no end of problems using the likes of Specsavers so I wouldn't bother with them. For my money, a proper optician that come recommended is worth an extra few quid.

[proffrink]

Oh absolutely. I'm not saying to have them glaze it (Boots quoted me £95 for a basic glaze on my newest inserts, which is about 3x more than one should pay) - simply to get ones prescription to be sent off. I'm still wondering what Tactical Optician provides if he's not got a physical practice? Surely you're still going to Tesco, Specsavers, Boots etc. for your £10-25 eye test even if you're not buying any new frames or lenses?

[Lozart]

 

 

I suppose what I'm saying is: Is he actually necessary? There are plenty of people more qualified than me to make breakfast or put up shelves, but I've never hired a chef to pour my cornflakes or a builder to put together an IKEA bookshelf.

 

 

Unless you have the requisite training to cut and mount the lenses, you need a qualified optician or at least someone with the right machinery to mount the lenses properly.

[Lozart]

Oh absolutely. I'm not saying to have them glaze it (Boots quoted me £95 for a basic glaze on my newest inserts, which is about 3x more than one should pay) - simply to get ones prescription to be sent off. I'm still wondering what Tactical Optician provides if he's not got a physical practice? Surely you're still going to Tesco, Specsavers, Boots etc. for your £10-25 eye test even if you're not buying any new frames or lenses?

 

 

Sorry, I was posting as you did! If you have a prescription then yes, I guess it would be easy to get the glazing done as long as your chosen optician is happy to do it. The Tactical Optician bloke has a practice somewhere if I remember correctly but it's more that he specialises in supplying the specific goggles/glasses for the application.

 

Personally I bought the VICE insert for my ESS V12 goggles on ebay and then had him glaze it.

[proffrink]

Ah, I can see where the confusion is coming from now. I'll clarify in my first post. What I guess I'm asking is:

• Is there anything special that Tactical Optician does with regards to the actual prescription (i.e. the eye test) - special measurements that are exclusive to inserts intended for use with goggles/shooting glasses, for example
• Is there anything special that Tactical Optician does with regards to fulfilling the prescription (i.e. the glazing) - special coatings that are exclusive to inserts intended for use with goggles/shooting glasses, for example
• How much did you end up spending and how long did you wait? Assuming it was a simple prescription (otherwise we're gunna differ quite a bit anyway I guess)

Because the most foremost two above things I would never advocate being done by anyone but licensed opticians. Boots, Tesco, Vision Express, Specsavers etc. for the actual test; a reputable online reglazer for actually having the prescription fulfilled.

 

Looking at my latest inserts (one month ago) I paid:

£10 for the eye test (Boots)

£47.50 for the glazing of the inserts (single vision prescription + UV protection + scratch resistance + ultra thin lenses)

£5 additional for the glazers to take my pupillary distance from an existing pair of glasses (forgot to ask whilst having my eye test this time)

 

In short: I'm wondering what value Tactical Optician actually adds. If it's a complete service then that's fine, but I'm assuming you still had to discuss the same optional extras that I did for a more generic reglaze and I'm also imagining he didn't do the glazing himself but rather sent them off to be fulfilled like all independent opticians do. That extra step of admin and postage is probably costing money. I suppose it depends on whether that's offset by the fact that he probably 'wholesales' this service.

 

Of course I'm discounting the fact that there could be significant advice available (particularly perhaps for those with more complex prescriptions), but from my own research and a discussion with my own opticians I'm fairly confident there is zero difference between a prescription and glaze on a set of glasses and a prescription and glaze on a set of inserts. The only difference could be the pupillary distance, as many high street opticians won't disclose that (even though it's recorded) because they know it can be used online to have a prescription filled out by a third party. They will give it if asked, however.

 

Also I too had V12s with the VICE insert but had my glaze done by Glasses Direct (this was 3 years ago). Cost was £57 - single vision prescription + UV protection + scratch resistance + thin lenses. Turnaround was less than a week.

[jcheeseright]

Essentially he knows the ins and outs of pretty much every ballistic goggle/glasses system going and which inserts fit what, also what inserts are suitable for what kind of lenses. Pricing was very reasonable for me, £60 all in for the lenses with coatings and the RX insert kit. Turnaround time was less than a week from placing the order to the inserts arriving in the post.

 

Of course, you need your prescription for him to have the lenses manufactured but if you're a glasses wearer already that shouldn't be a hardship.

 

That said, an extra layer of glass (polycarbonate really) is an extra 2 surfaces to fog up, if you can deal with contact lenses for one day games that's the gold plated solution. Even though I have lens inserts available I only ever use them for weekend games where I can't guarantee I'll be able to change contact lenses in a clean environment.

[proffrink]

The RX inserts are ~£30 IIRC? Pretty good value if that's the case.

 

Any idea if that's the UV protection too (not that it's really needed on most shooting glasses) as well as the anti-scratch? Also what width are they if you know? The price seems to jump up a lot with various optional extras as places like Direct Sight will glaze for £5 if it's just a single vision prescription with scratch-resistant coating.

 

http://www.directsight.co.uk/basket/package

[PopRocket123]

Wow definitely wasn't expecting this much response so thanks. I had no idea there were this many options so I'll have a look at getting some inserts for some shooting glasses if that has the least issues with fogging. Thanks guys

[proffrink]

If you play CQB then you should 100% avoid open shooting glasses. Woodland is a bit more of a personal preference.

[jcheeseright]

The RX inserts are ~£30 IIRC? Pretty good value if that's the case.

 

Any idea if that's the UV protection too (not that it's really needed on most shooting glasses) as well as the anti-scratch? Also what width are they if you know? The price seems to jump up a lot with various optional extras as places like Direct Sight will glaze for £5 if it's just a single vision prescription with scratch-resistant coating.

 

http://www.directsight.co.uk/basket/package

 

Antiscratch coating and UV protection, the lenses aren't particularly thin but then my prescription isn't either!

[clumpyedge]

 

Antiscratch coating and UV protection, the lenses aren't particularly thin but then my prescription isn't either!

 

 

I don't have a very thin prescription either which in some insert cases has been in pain for them to fit nicely. I've got three sets of prescription shooting glasses and each has its pros and con ( i have three because for one reason or another each has slight differences that set them apart) so far the only way i have found to combat fog having 2 layers rather than a person with a single layer (20/20 vision) is to either use cat crap (the anti fogging scream before the jokes start) or the tried and tested washing up liquid trick. The only annoyance is obviously having two layers to apply anti fog to rather than just a quick wipe of one. I've never liked the way goggles look and personally make my head look about 5x larger than it actually is but i guess that's just down to preference.

[Spectre77]

Already quite a few options been discussed, but since i'm here I may as well throw in my two cents. I'm a member of a fairly large team and we've got a couple of glasses wearers among us. Most of the guys use ESS Land Warrior goggles, they are fairly roomy and fit right over the top of most perscription glasses. In my case, I use ESS Profile googles with an insert that holds perscription lenses. I found that in my case I had fogging issues with the original lens though, and ended up opting to get a custom mesh screen cut. if you want to go with profiles, I would reccomend getting the turbofan variety.

Didn't have any issues getting the lenses made for them at a regular optomotrist, just took the insert in as though it was a pair of glasses frames.

[AshOnSnow]

I use Bolle Raider glasses/goggles, with a prescription insert. You take them into an opticians and they make up lenses for the inserts for you. I did mine at vision express.

[proffrink]

To the both of you: How much did your glazing cost and how long did it take? High street opticians are notorious for inflating their reglazing prices to make the cost of new frames look more appealing (which is where the real money is for them). Withholding pupillary distance if you don't explicitly ask for it (even though it's recorded during your eye test) is a big indicator that they want to keep your business in house and acknowledge that it's probably cheaper elsewhere.

 

For example, I was quoted £95 for a simple reglaze on a basic prescription in Boots just last month. A very high spec. set of lenses (ultra thin, UV, anti-scratch) from an online reglazer cost me £45 for the same prescription and was done quicker (at least from my experience of buying new frames and having them glazed in store). For the people I went with this included me sending the frames in, having them glazed and then sent back (I did none of the fitting myself other than putting the inserts back into the goggles when it arrived).

 

My position on all of this is that prescription glazing is - for obvious reasons - tightly controlled in the UK (in the same way that drug distribution is) as the wrong prescription can have significantly detrimental health implications for those wearing them. As such, it makes no sense to go to a high street brand who have considerably higher overheads when it comes to a simple glazing. Actually getting your prescription/eye test? That's another matter and needs to be done at a shop in person of course.

[Lozart]

Just one thing to remember - if you're getting a prescription to have someone else glaze an insert you will need to get the PD measurement. It's not normally on the prescription if you buy your glasses from the same optician, just in your notes. PD is the Pupillary Distance, if this isn't correct your lenses won't work properly.