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It’s hard to be patient when you’re excited for your new eyeglasses to arrive. Here’s why it takes as long as it does — and how that timeframe saves you money.
You’ve picked your perfect frames and finalized your eyeglasses order. Now, all you want to do is start wearing them.
But you’ll have to be a bit patient. On average, it takes around 7 to 10 business days for your glasses to arrive at America’s Best.
It’s tough to wait for something when you’re really excited about it. But there’s a good reason this timeframe exists, and it actually helps save you money. Here’s everything you can expect once you order your eyeglasses.
What’s just as nice as new frames from America’s Best? New prescription sunglasses from America’s Best! Find your new sun look here.
Why does it take around 2 weeks to get my glasses from America’s Best?
When you visit your local America’s Best store, we work hard to save you money. Part of that is accomplished by having centralized labs.
We have three labs at various locations across the United States, and these facilities are where your eyeglass lenses are customized. We create each individual pair of glasses and lenses, then ship them back to your America’s Best store.
How does that save me money?
“Having centralized labs helps us keep shipping and overhead costs down, and we pass on those savings to our customers,” says Mike Vaughan, retail operations manager at National Vision Inc.
These labs keep our prices low, but it adds a few days to the process of making your glasses.
What is the process of making my glasses?
Whether you’re buying eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses, every pair of America’s Best glasses is custom made to fit your specific vision needs. This fabrication process is another reason it takes 7 to 10 business days for your eyeglasses to arrive at the store.
Here’s a look at the journey your glasses take — from the moment your order is placed to the moment you pick up your glasses:
Finalizing your order. Your optician sends details about your prescription, frame choice and lenses, including material and coatings, to the nearest lab.
Gathering the materials. To make your unique eyeglasses, the lab needs to have the right materials. “We track the frame down within our distribution network and get it to the lab,” Vaughan says. “We also order the lens material if we don’t have it in stock.”
Surfacing. This is when your prescription is cut into the lens. “Your lens starts out shaped a bit like a hockey puck,” Vaughan says. “It's compressed plastic that gets melted in these generator machines.”
The generator reads your prescription and generates the correct curve needed to make your lenses.
Fining. “When the lens comes off the cutter, it’s got circle markings on it, like how a tree has rings,” says Vaughan. These lines need to be smoothed out.
Polishing. Now the lens is smooth, but it’s too cloudy to see through. Polishing ensures the lenses are crystal clear for you.
Tracing. The frame is traced. Then the lenses are cut to fit in the frame.
Mounting. The lenses are installed into your frames.
Quality assurance check. Your glasses are rigorously examined to make sure they’re ready for you. The quality assurance team does a standard bench alignment on your glasses.
“The optician will lay the frame on a table and make sure it lays flat on all four points,” says Vaughan.
The team then checks for flaws in the frame’s paint and finishing. They’ll also check for scratches, pits or warps in the lenses. Finally, they have to make sure the prescription matches what your optometrist has ordered.
Sending them to America’s Best. Once your eyeglasses pass the quality assurance check, they are shipped to a distribution center and routed to your America’s Best store.
“The whole process is a bit more involved than some people think,” says Vaughan. “There’s a reason it takes that amount of time.”
Should I call to check the status of my eyeglasses?
There’s no need to contact the store in the 2 weeks following your eyeglasses order. Rest assured they are being crafted at the lab and will arrive soon.
“The wait is 7 to 10 business days, but we tell our stores to give an actual date so there’s no uncertainty about what to expect,” says Vaughan. “You shouldn’t expect to hear anything before that date.” America’s Best will call you as soon as the glasses are in.
While we generally project a 2-week wait for eyeglasses, sometimes they arrive sooner. But if you haven't received a call within 2 weeks of ordering your glasses, feel free to call the store. If you have any other questions, contact us.
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