Gone are the days when wearing spectacles meant thick-rimmed bulky eyewear, normally considered a sort of burden for those detected with myopia or hypermetropia. Not anymore. With the latest technology making inroads into the Temple City’s eyeglass market, the showrooms are offering customers a range of frames and lens choices, both branded and non-branded, triggering in them a sense of fashion consciousness.
“Those having very less eye power generally prefer rimless specs which are very light weight and need a delicate handling. Besides they look trendy and are the first choice of youngsters,” said Srikar Mishra of Vision World in Sahid Nagar.
Many others who prefer fashion over strength also opt for frameless eyewear. Still, to increase the toughness of frameless specs, polycarbonate lenses are used which are strong and thus costly compared to the glass or fibre lens. This adds to the cost of the frameless spectacles which is generally high as compared to the half-rimmed or full framed eyeglasses.
Many who have an average or high eye power generally prefer half or full framed spectacles. “Middle aged customers or senior citizens lay emphasis on full frames besides restricting themselves to golden metallic frames,” he added.
Nowadays, customers can also have a two-in-one frame experience by choosing the removable rim pair offer, which is available in select outlets.
While the non branded frames are available in the market at a starting price of Rs 500, there are chances of the customer being cheated too. The more hands the frame had changed, the more its price, said the owner of an optics shop.
This is the reason why some who are willing to shell out a few more bucks, prefer branded spectacles as the price is fixed and there are chances of getting discounts too.
Mishra informed that though brand consciousness in spectacles in Bhubaneswar is comparatively low in comparison to metros, the city is fast catching up with the influx of students and professionals into the city. One can get a Fastrack specs frame at a starting price of Rs 650, Polo at Rs 850, Idee at Rs 1,100, Ray Ban and Tommy Hilfiger at Rs 4,000 and Oakley at Rs 5,000, he added.
This apart, one also has a choice in what kind of eye lens one wants to wear. While a pair of glass lens is available in the market at a starting range of Rs 100, the fibre lens- which is much in demand costs much more.
Glass lens is prone to breakability but fibre lens will not break unless subject to heavy pressure, said BB Senapati of I Vision who has been running an eye clinic in Sahid Nagar for the past 17 years.
Besides, fibre is light in weight as compared to glass lens, he said adding that anti-glare glass lens has chances of losing its glare with time but it is not so with anti-glare fibre lens.
Fibre lens also offers other variants in the form of Optic Fog and UV protection. While people are not much aware about Optic Fog lens in Bhubaneswar, the UV lens is also not much popular because of its high price, Mishra added.
Fibre lens are available in various brands like GKB, Kodak, Essilor’s Crizal ranging from Rs 700 upwards.