Getting regular eye exams is extremely important. An eye exam not only can help fit you for eyeglasses or contact lenses, but it can detect diabetes, hypertension and more. It can provide you with an early warning system to let you know when you face a more dangerous problem.
So why do people put off getting an eye exam? I am sure part of it is general apathy but for some, it is financial and related to eye exam costs. To help with eye exam costs, you can search the paper for coupons, but how do you know if you are getting a quality eye exam? You could sign up for vision insurance with companies like VSP, Davis or EyeMed to help cover the costs. But is that really necessary? Or could you get the same deal without them? These questions and more are all explored on our website so you can compare eye exam costs.
There are several eye care groups to choose from that offer both eye exams as well as eye glasses and contact lenses. The main ones are: Walmart Vision Centers, VisionSource, Lenscrafters, Pearle Vision, JCPenney Optical, Sears Optical, Costco Optical and Sam’s Club. In general, an eye exam can range between $40 and $100 depending on where you go. Also the services differ at each.
Here is a brief summary to compare eye exam costs at some of the more recognizable stores.
Walmart Vision Center Eye Exam Costs
Walmart Vision Center is typically thought of as the “low cost” eye care chain. They offer really cheap prices on eye wear and a fairly good solution if you are healthy and want a pair of cheap glasses. Just don’t be in a hurry as they take around 2 weeks to get your glasses made and back to you. You might also find that their prices on contact lenses is comparable to many of the other players. The Walmart eye exam costs on average about $50. Learn more.
Lenscrafters Eye Exam Costs
Lenscrafters is a retail chain owned by Luxottica. They are best known for providing you with glasses “in about an hour”. Their prices on frames and contacts tend to be higher than other places. They also offer lots of expensive upgrades. Lenscrafters is a good fit for someone in a hurry who is less concerned about price. The Lenscrafters eye exam costs about $60 for the basic exam. Learn more.
Pearle Vision Eye Exam Costs
Pearle Vision is comparable to Lenscrafters and they are owned by the same company, Luxottica. The only tangible difference between Pearle and Lenscrafters is that many Pearle Vision stores are owned by franchisees. They are also a good fit for someone in a hurry who is less concerned about price. The Pearle Vision eye exam costs around $50 – $60. Learn more.
VisionSource Eye Exam Costs
Vision Source is actually a franchise of 3,000 independent optometrist locations. They seem to have some of the best eye doctors in the country in their network. In fact, 14 of the past 17 Presidents of the American Optometric Association are members. Most of their exams are “medical” in nature so they will be more comprehensive. Because of that, their eye exam costs are at the high end between $80 and $100.
JC Penney Optical Eye Exam Costs
JC Penney has a small optical shop inside their department stores. They have some pretty compelling promotions however, it also takes them nearly 2 weeks to return a pair of glasses back to the customer. The JC Penney Optical Eye Exam Cost varies from store to store, but you can expect to pay a similar price to that at other eye care chains, which is around $50 – $60.
Costco Optical Eye Exam Costs
Costco Optical is very similar to both Sears Optical and Walmart Vision Center, offering a low cost eye exams along with their other low cost products. The Costco eye exam cost is about $50 as well.
Sam’s Club Eye Exam Costs
Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart but offers members access to their discount buying club. Oddly enough the pricing at Sam’s Club really isnt that much better than Walmart. The Sam’s Club eye exam cost is about $60 as well.