All of our frames are guaranteed for at least a year against manufacturer defects, at no charge, as long as our lab puts the lenses in your frame. Lens warranties vary from one to two years, depending on the lens treatments. Our anti-reflective coatings are warranted for two years, at no charge, against scratches and defects.

A manufacturer defect is when the frame sustains damages through no fault of your own. If you sit on your frame, or treat it poorly and it breaks, this is not a manufacturer defect. If you take good care of your frame and for some unknown reason, the temple breaks, this is probably a defect. If your frame does have a defect, we send it into the manufacturer for repair or replacement. This process can take up to 6 weeks and there is no charge for replacement, if it is deemed to be defective. If the frame is not defective, replacement parts can be ordered for most frames for a portion of the frame cost.

Of course…we accept prescriptions from other doctors as long as they are not expired. In the state of Illinois, prescriptions are valid for one year, unless the doctor states otherwise. If you have been seeing your eye doc for a long time, s/he might write an eyeglass prescription that is valid for 2 years, but contact lens prescriptions always expire after one year.

You may buy the frame only, but there are 3 things to be aware of:

1. We cannot honor the 1 year manufacturer warranty
2. Many of our frames have unusual construction and most labs are unable to cut lenses for the frames
3. Your lenses may not look good or be as functional

Yes, but we need to see the frame to make sure it is in good condition, and will be able to handle the stress of insertion and removal of lenses. We are not responsible for damage or breakage of the frame while it is at our lab or in our possession.

If they are in wearable condition, bring them to Eye Spy Optical and we will send them to New Eyes for the Needy. This organization distributes old glasses to people in other countries that cannot afford to purchase prescription glasses. If you would like to ship them, the address is:

New Eyes for the Needy 549 Millburn Avenue PO Box 332 Short Hills, NJ 07078

In short, new free-form progressive lenses decrease periphery distortion and increase the 3 viewing areas. We have access to every lens on the market, and are proud to offer the Hoya ID lenses that are surfaced on both sides. We highly recommend these lenses to the following customers: engineers, artists, designers, and other visually-oriented people. Free-form lenses are also great lenses for you if you have a strong distance prescription or a large astigmatism correction. Finally, first-time progressive wearers have an easier time adapting to these lenses verses traditional progressive lenses.

Chain stores have a very limited selection of materials and lens designs. If you have a difficult prescription, you might have problems adapting to your new glasses….or your prescription might end up looking bad in your frames. Boo, hoo. We have access to every lens design and material on the market, so we choose the best lens design and material for your frame and your prescription…so your frames will look great and you can see perfectly!

These two materials are impact-resistant, but polycarbonate is an older material of lower visual quality that scratches easily.

We use Trivex because the optics are superior, and scratches so minimally that our lab warranties the lenses for two years, and will remake it an unlimited amount of times….but it is rare that we have had to remake a Trivex lens even once! We always recommend Trivex for kids’ frames, safety glasses, rimless and semi-rimless frames….and it is the material we use most often because if its durability.

Clean your lenses daily using the lens cleaning solution supplied by Eye Spy Optical (stop by anytime for a free refill!). If you don’t have any lens cleaning solution nearby, use warm water and mild soap with no additives. Always dry your lenses with a lens cleaning cloth. NEVER use paper products. When your lens cleaning cloth starts to look dirty, go ahead and toss it in the washer and dryer. Do not use fabric softeners. Cleaning your lenses when they’re dry is like rubbing sandpaper on the lenses-don’t do it! Avoid getting chemicals on the lenses. These include hairspray, cologne, perfume, ammonia, bleach or household cleaners. Also, avoid exposing your frames and lenses to high heat (e.g. saunas, automobiles, hair dryers, etc.) Do not leave your glasses face down when they are not in their case. If you don’t have your lens cleaning cloth with you, get the lenses wet with some warm water and clean them with a fabric that is 100% cotton. Whew!

It takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the prescription, frame, material, and lens design. We can give you a more accurate estimate when you have a frame selected and a current prescription.

We do not take insurance, but many of our customers use flexible spending accounts to pay for their glasses. Additionally, some carriers will reimburse for purchases made at out-of-network providers…just ask them!

Because Eye Spy Optical is optician-owned and not doctor-owner, we cannot take insurance. In addition, the lines that we carry are small lines, with limited production. The designers prefer that we sell their frames at a suggested retail price. Some places that take insurance, mark-up their products in order to give insurance discounts. Some places dispense inferior lenses in order to make-up lost profit. We prefer to reward our frequent customers with discounts, and to put all of our customers in superior products. Our customers deserve the best.