Online eyeglasses retailers have recently promoted “AI” technology to help shoppers find their next pair of glasses. Can a computer program really custom pick great glasses or is this another marketing ploy? Someone should try it to find out…

Putting an AI optician to the test

I clicked on a Facebook Ad promising a “pair-fect” glasses match using AI technology. First, I answered 14 questions about my look and style preferences. Like most online shopping pages, they want your email address, so I could only see the results after agreeing to at least a weekly spam email from this company. Thankfully, I have an old email address just for this purpose.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t a “pair-fect” match instead, there were 10 results for me to look at and decide between. When I clicked on a frame I could virtually try it on. This was the experience of using an “AI optician” to select my next pair of glasses. Here are my thoughts compared to working with a real life optician at Binyon Vision Center.

Virtual optician vs IRL (in real life) optician

“What does your face look like?” vs “Let me look at your face”

Like all websites that use “AI” to find an answer to a question, the company asks many questions, collecting the shopper’s inputs to compare to their databases and then point to an answer based on past trends. In this instance, six of the fourteen questions asked required me to describe my own face. The first was to select if my face was long, short, or medium. Not only are 3 choices far too limited to describe a person’s face shape, but it can be difficult to evaluate. An optician won’t have to ask these questions, because they’re trained to see- in three dimensions- face shape and how features are spaced on someone’s face (nose and ears are very important).

Fixed questions vs. fluid conversation

The next section of questions had to do with the glasses appearance. I could select color preferences (colorful or neutral) and style (sporty, classic, etc) with limited detail on what these styles actually meant or looked like. Another question involved glasses shape, and while they did allow for selecting more than one option, there was no room for trying new things. When you’re talking glasses style with an optician, the line of questions can be much more fluid, following your needs, wants and answering your questions along the way. There is also an opportunity to try something new and different – who knew a cat-eye would look so good!

Ten results vs. the perfect pair

One of the most disappointing parts of this process for the shopper was not receiving the promised pair-fect pair, but instead a list of ten glasses, requiring more work. The AI optician did not find a pair of glasses, it found ten that you’d need to choose from- really adding limited value from perusing the website yourself. I could virtually try on each pair of glasses to see an image of them superimposed on my face. Unfortunately, I had to take my glasses off for it to work, so I couldn’t see that well and I’m not sure how they looked.

At Binyon, the trained optician sticks with you until you find the one and only perfect pair (or sometimes two!). You can try on the glasses, feel their weight, feel where they hit behind my ears, see if they slide down your nose or if they fit just right across your bridge. During the virtual fitting, I couldn’t look at the hinges of the glasses to see if they seemed sturdy, the quality of the plastic or metal, and make sure they hug my nose just right and wouldn’t leave big red marks in a few days- all things I could discuss with a real-life optician at Binyon.

AI can’t pick your next pair of glasses

In conclusion, don’t allow the latest tech advancement turned marketing ploy take the place of personalized styling from a trained optician. We tried it so you don’t have to- and we hope to see you in person at Binyon soon to find your next perfect pair of glasses.

Did you enjoy this article? In the past we visited online glasses in this two part series:

Seven Reasons to Not Buy Online Glasses Part 1

Seven Reasons to Not Buy Online Glasses Part 2

Imagine you’re scrolling through social media, and you see a post about a friend’s recent eye exam. You realize it’s been a while since your last visit to the eye doctor. Life gets busy, right? But skipping that yearly check-up for a vision test is so much more. The optometrist’s peek inside your eye tells so much about eye health – current and future. This month, we want to dig into one check made in during a routine eye exam – the eye pressure test for glaucoma. What is glaucoma and why is it important to check yearly to catch it early? Read on…

What is Glaucoma?

So, what exactly is glaucoma? In simple terms, it’s a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often due to high pressure in the eye. Think of it as a silent thief sneaking in and stealing your sight without you even noticing. There are different types of glaucoma, but the most common is open-angle glaucoma, which usually doesn’t show symptoms until significant damage has occurred. This is why regular eye exams are crucial.

Why Yearly Eye Exams Matter

Glaucoma is known as the “silent thief of sight” for a reason. Many people don’t experience noticeable symptoms until the disease is quite advanced. That’s where those yearly eye exams come into play. They’re like a safety net for your vision! During these exams at Binyon Vision Center, your optometrist will perform tests—like tonometry, which measures your eye pressure, and visual field tests, which check your peripheral vision—to catch early signs of glaucoma.

Did you know that early detection can significantly improve treatment outcomes? According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, when caught early, treatments can slow the progression and help preserve your sight. Unfortunately, once the disease has progressed there is no current treatment to reverse the vision loss. Imagine that—a simple annual visit can be your best defense against something that often goes unnoticed, but can create a huge visual obstacle down the road!

Don’t delay – schedule today!

So, there you have it! Don’t let glaucoma sneak up on you. Prioritizing your eye health means scheduling that yearly exam. Your eyes are a window to your overall health, and taking care of them is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Don’t wait until it’s too late—schedule your eye exam today!

“I’m always looking for the brightest frames. It takes me no time to pick, I see it and say that’s the one.”

We’re back with a new Glasses of Binyon highlight! See past Glasses of Binyon stories here, here and here!

Scott Stiglitz may have entered his bright colored glasses era a little later in life, but he has jumped right in with both eyeballs! After wearing more conventional, silver metal frame bifocals, Scott (or Stiggy as he’s known to many who call on him at the Hardware Sales cable shop), took inspiration from news anchors to go bold with his frame choice in 2021.

Stiggys’ first two Binyon glasses frames were a carbon fiber printed Ovvo frame and a Face a Face cobalt blue frame with tortoise temples. Next time, he designed a Seahawks-themed Feb31st wood frame and this year, purple was calling his name with the photographed Brutal No. 20 by Etnia Barcelona. After years of shopping at big-box retailers for basic frames, he loves the variety of choices, personal service and attention he receives at Binyon. He’s quick to decide- he knows he wants bold and as soon as he sees it- he gets the opticians approval on the fit and he’s sold. Check out the independent frame lines that Binyon carries that Stiggy has to choose from here!

For these 2024 glasses, Scott decided to pay tribute to his college team – the UW Huskies. He was on a mission for purple frames. These were the first ones he tried on and even after Heather showed him a few more purple options, they agreed the fit, the style and obviously the color were perfect!

Glasses of Binyon – Lenses matter too!

Stiggy has worked at Hardware Sales for 20 years, and his job has become more and more computerized in the cable shop, which also manages concrete sales. Due to vertigo, he was fit into lined bifocals when the birthday-onset vision changes first set in, but as his prescription changed, he found himself craning his neck pretty far back to see the screen and he asked about solutions. Stiggy now wears a trifocal lens, three distinct lined zones for distance, intermediate (computer) and close up (reading). It’s not as popular as a lens today making availability more limited, but the Binyon team sourced what he needed so he could stick with what works well for him.

Stiggy brings his great personality everywhere he goes. We’re thankful for the opportunity to help him bring color to his world and joy to him and all those around him, who often comment on his fun glasses. It’s not the usual choice for a hardware store employee, but it’s the perfect choice for Stiggy. If you’re looking to stand out in color or style, please stop by and check out the selection at Binyon Vision Center!

Each of you who trusts us with your eye health, contact lenses and eye glasses needs are invaluable to our business. For patient appreciation month we celebrate YOU. Thank you for your support.

Our community’s support of local, independent businesses is above and beyond. Inspired by the “Think Local” campaign – we’ve put together a drawing with prizes from some of our favorite local businesses and multiple ways for our patients to enter! In 2024, we’re going bigger – more prizes and more ways to win!

Here are the ways you can earn entries to the patient appreciation drawing:

• Coming to the Face a Face trunk show on April 12th- 1 ticket
• Purchasing a new complete pair of eye glasses (new frames and lenses) – 4 tickets
• Purchasing new lenses for an existing frame – 2 tickets
• Purchasing a complete pair of eye glasses (new frame and lenses) at the Face a Face trunk show – 6 tickets
• Purchasing a new frame at the trunk show – 4 tickets
• Stopping by the office to say hi! – 1 ticket
• Stopping by the office to refill eye glasses cleaner spray bottle – 2 tickets
• Purchasing a year-supply of contact lenses – 5 tickets
• Purchasing less than a year supply of contact lenses – 2 tickets
• Bringing contact lens packaging to the office for recycling – 2 tickets

Here is a list of *some* of the possible raffle prizes!

• Ovvo Optics frame (your choice from our best selling line in 2023!) plus new prescription lenses!
• Non-prescription sunglasses from Invu
• Many more prizes from some of our team’s favorite local businesses!

Have you been paying for vision insurance or into a flexible spending account all year?  Are you familiar with the details of your insurance plan?  Many benefits expire at the end of the year- let us help you find out more details about yours!

Calendar year vision benefits

Many plans are on a calendar year cycle. This means they renew on January 1st no matter when you used them last.  A common plan in our area that has this benefit is the Regence plan. This plan is an option for employees at Western Washington University.  This two year benefit now renews every even calendar year. If you haven’t used your benefit dollars in 2022 or 2023 – it’s a missed opportunity!

Flexible Spending Accounts

Some employers offer their employees to defer part of their salary to a tax-free savings account. This can be used towards medical expenses.  These are “use-it-or-lose-it” plans. These plans will expire with the funds going away either at the end of the year or in some cases on March 15th.  Talk with your employers or the manager of your FSA fund to make sure you understand the balance in your account and when it might expire.

Money saved into flexible spending accounts can be used for medical expenses that are not covered by insurance- but must be medically related.  In our world that means – eye exams, copays, glasses, contact lenses and prescription sunglasses.

There might be no better time to update your glasses or stock up on contact lenses!

Please give us a call to check on your vision benefits or to answer any questions on how you could maximize the money you’ve saved in your FSA account!

We have a large number of frames in our “red-dot” sale section right now- all 30%-50% off!  Our in-stock sunglasses are 50% off this month (some exclusions apply) and can be used for prescription sunglasses! We look forward to seeing you before the end of the year!

If you’ve crossed over the 45 birthdays mark… you know what we’re talking about. For someone who was nearsighted and wearing glasses since 2nd grade, the experience was much different than I expected. I knew the blur of not being able to see in the distance, but this was weird. All of a sudden, my eyes wouldn’t focus when my kids shoved something close to my face to read. “Mom! What does this say?” would elicit this response – “Whoa… move that back a little bit.” When I thought things would get blurry- they didn’t- instead my eyes started to pull funny, feel strained and the natural instinct was to move my head back until ahhh… I could read.

My yearly eye exam confirmed – it was time for progressive lenses. I anxiously awaited the arrival of my first pair with a +1.00 add. After helping fit people with +1.75 to +2.50 add powers for years, this seemed like a baby step that probably wouldn’t make much difference. But to my surprise it did made a big difference! I’ve since graduated to a +1.25 add power as another birthday came and went and that strain feeling came back. The joy of this particular birthday change called presbyopia.

What is Presbyopia?

The lens of our eye (see image below) is actually flexible and along with the surrounding muscles, it changes shape to focus on objects at different distances. Presbyopia is an age-related condition when the lens and muscles connected to the lens become weaker, preventing it from moving into a shape that is able to focus at near distances. Like nearsightedness and farsightedness, presbyopia is a diagnosis of a visual acuity deficiency in the patient’s eyes.

How do Progressive Lenses Help?

Progressive lenses in eyeglasses are the most common treatment for presbyopia. A progressive lens is a line-free multifocal lens. In other words, there are multiple vision prescriptions incorporated into one lens for the wearer to be able to see clearly at multiple distances. Unlike traditional lined bifocals or trifocals, progressive lenses offer a seamless transition, allowing wearers to see clearly at varying distances. The same lenses allow one to see the far distance (driving or watching a movie), mid-distance (face-to-face conversation or looking at a computer) down to close up (reading a book or looking at a phone).

Take a peek at the diagram of a progressive lens below. It’s not completely accurate because it does look like 3 focal distances when in face there are infinite focal lengths for the wearer which progress from distance to near as your eyes look downward through the lens. The diagram clearly shows something important – the lighter, unidentified areas on each side of the lens. This is what we call a blending zone. The combination of manufacturing limitations and physics means this progressing zone through the lens does not extend all the way to the edges. That is a limitation of these lenses that can cause difficulty with adaptation to wearing progressives.

On the market today, there are several progressive lens manufacturers. The first lens was designed and released by a company called Varilux in the 1960’s. Thankfully there has been a lot of improvement in design and manufacturing during this time. Each company has a unique approach to creating this visual corridor of the progressive lens. We highly encourage you to understand all the options and benefits of the different types of progressive lenses.

How to select the proper Progressive Lenses

1. Customization: At Binyon Vision Center, our experienced opticians take the time to understand your unique visual requirements. We offer personalized progressive lenses tailored to your lifestyle, ensuring optimal clarity and comfort.
2. Lens Technology: Our opticians stay updated with the latest lens technologies. From anti-reflective coatings to blue light filters, we offer a range of options to enhance your visual experience and protect your eyes from digital eye strain. There has been much innovation in the world of progressive lenses, and we partner with the top lens manufacturers to provide the best, most effective lenses available. Our preferred progressive lens partner, Shamir, has an unmatched number of lens designs and invest highly in research and development to understand the wearer’s experience.
3. Frame Selection: Our extensive collection of frames complements the style and preferences of every individual. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose frames that not only look great but also accommodate progressive lenses seamlessly.

If your experience with progressive lenses has left you anything less than being thankful – we encourage you to explore more options. Lens designs continue to improve and with a better understanding of how they work, we hope they will be more successful for you. It’s unavoidable – that up close vision will go someday and being comfortable in the progressive lenses is something we would love to help you with!