I shelled out £200 on new glasses but ended up scratching them – I got a £2 pair in Primark and they’re just as good
FOR people who wear glasses regularly, making sure to get the perfect pair is hugely important.
There’s not only your prescription to consider – you want a pair that you feel good in given you generally wear the same ones for quite a while.
But as one TikTok user has found, expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Heidi Ondrak is a money-saving whizz who regularly shares her thrifty tips with her 40k TikTok followers on her account @DuchessOfThrift.
And she began a recent video by assuring viewers “I haven’t gone completely barmy” as she donned two pairs of glasses she was going to compare.
She first assessed the first pair, a number with large blame top frames and a slinky metal underside, that she “bought in lockdown from Specsavers”.
She shelled out £200+ for two pairs of glasses, including the pair she was wearing, despite not needing a strong prescription and only uses them while “doing laptop work and reading”.
But, Heidi added, the pair had gotten a scratch, and she wants another one anyway so she stops having to go from room to room every time she wants to read the fine print on a packet or use her phone to send a text.
She then put on another pair of specs, this time with a gorgeous oversized tortoiseshell frame.
“These are exactly the same,” Heidi said, “I can see really well!”
And the thrifty influencer then revealed the best part – “they were £2 in Primark”.
“I actually like these frames better,” she added while modelling them for the camera.
“So the difference between a few hundred quid and £2 is VAST,” she rounded off.
Of course, she noted the budget buy might not work for those who need specialised prescriptions or whose eyesight is really quite bad.
But for anyone with a very small prescription, Heidi says the Primark buy is an “absolute steal”.
Dozens of her followers flocked to the comments to share their similar ocular experiences.
“I did [the] same, got expensive glasses,” one user shared “Husband got me some Primark reading glasses, see better [sic].”
Another added that they tried this once, and now “I get my prescription and go to the lab to get them fitted in any frame I want. Never pay more than £40 now.”
It’s obviously important still to visit your opticians regularly: it’s not just about making sure you can see, but checking out your general eye health.
But if you’re just looking for a pair of specs to read your shopping list, it sounds like Primark is the place to head.
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