I got old - eyeglass recs

[bike21]

Le sigh, at the ripe age of 47 my robo eyes finally gave way and I need glasses according to Mr. FAA now. Have a nice pair to start (assuming I'll collect more) but wondering what everyone carries for the ICAO required backup pair? Thinking something ultra slim, packable and not in the way of things. The fold-able types I've seen so far tend to be for near vision, but I need the opposite for now.

 

[ASpilot2be]

Are monocles ICAO compliant? Goes with the uniform quite nicely.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

I have been using Zenni.com since I break and misplace many things in my life.

 

[bike21]

Are monocles ICAO compliant? Goes with the uniform quite nicely.

Gonna replace the hat with a top hat.

 

[ASpilot2be]

Gonna replace the hat with a top hat.

Ita a good place to store snacks.

 

[invadertim]

My usual backup pair is the pair I just replaced. My script doesn’t change much year to year, sometimes not at all, so my old pair is fine. What you’ll not likely get away with on a ramp check is breaking out your sunglasses as a backup, unless they are some sort of transition type of specs. My preference is for a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses, I don’t like the lag on transition type lenses, plus I want my sunglasses to look like sunglasses. When you do go to get sunglasses for in flight use make sure they’re not polarized, it doesn’t play well with aircraft windows/avionics.

 

[Roger Roger]

My usual backup pair is the pair I just replaced. My script doesn’t change much year to year, sometimes not at all, so my old pair is fine. What you’ll not likely get away with on a ramp check is breaking out your sunglasses as a backup, unless they are some sort of transition type of specs. My preference is for a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses, I don’t like the lag on transition type lenses, plus I want my sunglasses to look like sunglasses. When you do go to get sunglasses for in flight use make sure they’re not polarized, it doesn’t play well with aircraft windows/avionics.

My polarized sunglasses are fine in the guppy, other than like…..1 in 100 airplanes where I have to turn my head funny to see the #1 radio frequencies.

 

[Roger Roger]

Costco optical is your friend. Although I hear good things about Zenni, I just can’t bring myself to buy something like glasses online.

 

[Roger Roger]

Ita a good place to store snacks.

Or a rabbit. Which I guess could be a snack

 

[mightynimbus]

If the main thing is just the reading glasses (Presbyopia) for closer stuff.
and you are kinda figuring out what works for result you like.

Maybe try the Dollar Tree and grab a couple pairs each of the spec you were given and a step or 2 either side of it.
That's gonna cost you less than a good burger and a beer.

Play around with how it looks for panel, overhead, iPad, menu in the good burger restaurant, etc
Then decide what to order from wherever.

Dollar tree are not great quality, and an occasional "off" lens is no surprise
you might find for the first year or 2 that anything more for the occasional use is unneeded.
If I misplace them, I barely look, just grab the spare.

I too am a fan of Zeni, good quality for my reading glass needs.
Expect kinda slow shipping (2-3 weeks?)
I think I paid $53 for bifocal with my VERY minimal distance and reading glass (1.50)
I have been smushing them in my headset bag and side pocket for 4 years, never broke

America's Best always has the basic eye exam and "free" glasses or 2 pair
It actually ends up +$20-$30 over if you quiz them on no glasses basic exam price, but
it's still $110 ish out the door with 2 pair that show up in a week

The exam is pretty basic, but hits the check boxes, think Jiffy Lube VS We Are Awesome Car Repair.

 

[drunkenbeagle]

I have been using Zenni.com since I break and misplace many things in my life.

Zenni is cheap enough that I buy a dozen of them, and pick the ones I like most. The others are fine as backups.

I jumped through the hoops of clearing multifocal contacts with my AME. Not needing reading glasses is pretty awesome. It took fitting a bunch of them to find what worked best, but totally worth it.

 

[bike21]

My usual backup pair is the pair I just replaced. My script doesn’t change much year to year, sometimes not at all, so my old pair is fine. What you’ll not likely get away with on a ramp check is breaking out your sunglasses as a backup, unless they are some sort of transition type of specs. My preference is for a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses, I don’t like the lag on transition type lenses, plus I want my sunglasses to look like sunglasses. When you do go to get sunglasses for in flight use make sure they’re not polarized, it doesn’t play well with aircraft windows/avionics.

Mainly interested in something truly packable for the backup like this, though it seems most are for near vision correction and I'm the opposite at the moment.

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

I usually find frames I like and then buy them on eBay for a big discount. There’s like $10 of materials in frames, the rest is insane markup.