Review: SportRX

Earlier this year I came to a realization that I was putting in my contact lenses on most days only to run. I’m not sure why it took so long as I work from home and in most weeks, I tend not to leave the house except to run. So I was wearing my contacts for a few hours a day which has become old. I decided to look into prescription running glasses, glasses with a little bit of a wrap. I found SportRX online and realized that they were less than 5 minutes from my house.

I wandered into the storefront one day and a very helpful optician, Sarah, gave me 3 choices because of my prescription. My eyes aren’t great and I can’t see anything without glasses. I left to see if my optometrist could match the price as I’d be able to use my vision insurance there (VSP is strange and can only be used at optometrist owned shops from what I understand). A few days later, they got back to me and basically said that they could make the glasses, but couldn’t guarantee that they’d work as the wrap requires a different way of making the lens. I wasn’t willing to take the risk, so I went back to SportRX.

Again I walked into SportRX and went ahead and ordered Rudy Project Horus frames with prescription lenses. The whole package wasn’t cheap, but I was super excited to get them. I received email about 2 weeks later that they had arrived and I went in to pick them up. I tried on the glasses and almost fell over because they made me disoriented. The optician, Tim, took a look and said he’d talk to the lab. I chatted with him a few days later after I checked my order online and the lab had made the lenses wrong and they were going to remake them.

A few more weeks went by and my new sunglasses arrived by UPS. I put on the sunglasses and felt a little dizzy. However, I thought my prescription was a bit different. I wore them a number of times and ran with them a few times, but couldn’t get used to them. I’m not sure exactly what was the problem, but decided to return them. (SportRX has a very generous return policy which is one of the reasons I decided to give them a try.) When I went back, I was given the option of a refund or could try a different frame. A third optician, Rob, assisted me and just like the other two, was extremely helpful. I opted to try another frame; I was assured that if they didn’t work, I could still get a full refund. While the frames I chose, Oakley Chainlink, weren’t as sporty as the Rudy Project ones, my options seemed quite limited. This time when I went in, I took my son in to take a look around. The receptionist said Rob was on the phone and offered us something to drink as well as the opportunity to play tabletop shuffleboard which was very kind. I showed my son how to play and he was entertained. After Rob finished helping me, he brought out a pair of kids sunglasses and gave them to my son to keep. This extra special touch reinforced my decision to give SportRX a try.

I received my new sunglasses 2 weeks ago and have been wearing them running, driving, and all the usual activities where I normally would have worn contacts and non-prescription sunglasses. At first they seemed a little weird like the last pair, but now that I’ve gotten used to them, they’re fine. They’re a little different than my regular glasses, but not enough to return them. I feel a bit free in that I don’t have to put in my contacts when I leave the house; just grab the sunglasses and go.

The major problem I experienced (and it has nothing to do with SportRX or the sunglasses) is that I was wearing my sunglasses driving and it started pouring rain; I had to pull over to the side of the road to swap glasses as I can’t see a thing without them.

Now that I have a pair of prescription sunglasses and a pair of regular glasses, I need a murse to hold them both!

Pros

• Large selection of frames for people with not awful vision
• Extremely friendly and helpful staff

Cons

• Higher prescriptions may have problems getting good lenses made
• Choices are limited in high prescriptions
• Cost; prescription sunglasses that are sporty are not cheap

Summary

Despite the problems with my sunglasses, I had a good experience with SportRX and would recommend them. The money back guarantee and their willingness to work with me made the experience pleasant. My only disappointment is that my eyes are bad enough that my choices on frames were limited and the lenses didn’t turn out exactly as I had hoped (in order to reduce the wrap, the lenses stick out a bit on the sides).