Frequently Asked Questions

To buy a pair of prescription glasses, you will need a spectacle prescription (from your optometrist). Other than that you will need to just find a pair of glasses that you like from our range, or provide us with your own frames for re-glazing.

We are a Wellington-based business. If you are locally based, feel free to come and visit us at our Hataitai studio to try our glasses on (by appointment).

If you are purchasing complete glasses from us, you pay one all-inclusive price for the frames and prescription Single Vision lenses. All our glasses come with free anti-reflective coatings. You have the option to upgrade to ultra-thin lenses. The price also includes free shipping.

After check-out, we will be in touch to get additional information from you including your prescription and what you use your glasses for. You can also upload your prescription during check-out (you will be prompted to upload a file, if desired, after you successfully complete your order). You will also be able to track the progress of your order. We send you an email when you glasses arrive to our workshop (if you are using our reglaze service), when your glasses are being processed, and when they are in the courier back to you (tracking number attached).

We will need your current prescription. It is best if this is less than 6 months old (ideally one month or less) – this will ensure you get the right lens for your current needs. The easiest way to get it to us is a scan or photograph, either uploaded at the time of check-out (you will be given this option after completing the check-out process), or emailed directly.

We will also need to know your pupillary distance (PD), which most optometrists will provide as part of their prescriptions; if not it’s easy to measure yourself, using our online tool. You can request a copy of your prescription from any optometrist you see. Note: contact lens and glasses prescriptions are normally different.

We will need to know how you use your glasses, e.g. all the time? Just for reading or driving, or close work? All of the above? If we are missing any information, don’t worry, we’ll be in touch.

To keep your favourite frames safe and sound we recommend putting them in a solid glasses case and then using either a padded courier bag or wrap the glasses case in bubble wrap for a normal courier bag. It’s easiest (and safest) to use a track and trace courier service. Let us know the tracking number so we know when to expect your glasses. We’ll be in touch as soon as we receive them and get them back to you as soon as possible.

You will be prompted to apply any coupon code at check-out. Only one code can be used at a time. Each code has specific conditions such as expiry date, level of discount etc.

Shipping is free for all glasses & lens orders (including to rural delivery addresses). You will need to provide a postal address for delivery (New Zealand deliveries only at present). You can also drop-off and/or pick-up your order from us directly.

We will aim to get the glasses made within 5 business days and couriered to you (2-3 days). There are some variables outside of our control, and we will keep you informed throughout the process. If you need your glasses urgently, make a note at checkout or send us an email afterwards. We know getting your glasses (and your vision!) is important, and will try our best to get your glasses to you sooner if requested. For local customers we may even be able to provide a same-day service if requested.

To buy prescription glasses or lenses from Mr Foureyes, you will need a spectacle prescription (from your optometrist), and you will also need your pupillary distance (PD). The pupillary distance is the distance between the pupil centres of the two eyes. It is usually measured in millimetres, and is important to ensure that the centre of each lens lines up with the centre of each eye when making glasses. Some optometrists will provide you with this if you ask, otherwise you can use our online tool to measure it. We aim to be able to fill a wide range of “single vision” prescriptions, which also includes prescriptions for astigmatisms. By “single vision” we mean you require glasses only for one thing (e.g. just for close up such as reading, or just for distance), rather than a combination (e.g. bifocals or progressives).

Our standard range for optical lenses (which is included in the price of all our prescription glasses or lens orders) is: from -10.00 to +6.00; cylinder (CYL) prescriptions that are up to -2.00. Our standard sunglasses range is: from -3.00 to +4.00; cylinder (CYL) prescriptions that are up to -1.00. Contact us for prescriptions outside of this range.

We don’t currently don’t offer correction of prism in glasses.

We offer regular eye exams at Whaiora in Masterton, and Ora Toa in Porirau – and can arrange glasses pick up/drop off at those times – contact us to discuss further. We prioritise children in these clinics, but do have some slots available for the general public also.

By getting a prescription from your own optometrist you are achieving two things:

1. You are getting the correct strength for your eyes to ensure you get optimal vision.
2. Your optometrist will also check the health of your eyes which will ensure that you do not have any sight-threatening conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma.

It is a standard in the field of optometry that your prescription be no more than two years old. Please also note your contact lens prescription is probably different from your spectacle prescription, meaning we can’t use contact lens prescriptions for glasses orders or vice versa. Our preference would be that you have had a check within a month of placing your order with us, just to make sure that your prescription is as current as it can be (or at least in the last six months). Should you have any questions about your prescription please feel free to contact us.

Your prescription may look complicated, but don’t worry, it’s actually pretty straight-forward. We are also here to offer professional advice on what you need so feel free to contact us and we can recommend the best option for you.

Parts of your prescription:

1. Sphere (SPH): this is the first part of most prescriptions. It will either be a number that has a minus (-) or plus (+) in front of it, or will be no power (0.00, plano, PL). We only offer powers from +6.00 through to -10.00.
2. Cylinder (CYL): this is the second part of the power and represents the astigmatism, which will most likely be written in minus (-). There are some situations where it will be written in plus (+), especially if you got the prescription made overseas. Not everyone has astigmatism, so there might not be a number here.
3. Axis (AXIS): this points to the direction of the astigmatism (CYL) and is represented with a number from 000 (zero or 0) through to 180.
4. Add (Near, ADD): This is the prescription for reading and is represented with a plus (+). This is not something that will be on every prescription, but if it is, you might want to consider progressive lenses.

If you have a sphere (SPH) or cylinder (CYL) prescription, in most cases you will be able to both read and drive with that prescription. If you have an add (ADD) in your prescription you will likely need glasses for reading only – you will find that the glasses will blur your distance vision.

Powers: the bigger the number the “stronger” prescription i.e. lenses that are +6.00 are stronger than a +2.00 (i.e. the wearer of the +6.00 is more long-sighted than the +2.00). If your optometrist has mentioned in the past that you will need thinner lenses this is an indication that you have a prescription at the stronger/higher end of the scale.

Not sure? Ask us.

The pupillary distance is the distance between the pupil centres of the two eyes. It is usually measured in millimetres, and is important to ensure that the centre of each lens lines up with the centre of each eye when making glasses. Some optometrists will provide you with this if you ask, otherwise you can use our online tool to measure it. To use the tool you will need your webcam, any credit-card sized card with magnetic strip, and a well-lit space (unfortunately it is not available on our mobile site at present).

We have a variety of styles in different materials – ranging from high quality polished plastic frames through to the Proof range of sustainably-sourced wooden and eco-acetate frames. Each shopping page includes a description of the material the individual frames are made of. Faces are not all the same, so frames are made in different sizes to compliment individuals. Each glasses frame has measurements on the inside arm that provide information on the size of the frames, for example 50-18-135 indicates an eye size (A) of 50mm, a bridge width (B) of 18mm and arm length (C) of 135mm.

We have classified our frames as ‘narrow’, ‘medium’ or ‘wide’ to assist you to find the right ones (you can also look for frames with similar measurements to your current pair). The overall width is a combination of the frame’s lens width and bridge width measurements (in millimetres).

Our frames are designed to be adjusted to fit your face, and it is easy to do so. For those visiting our showroom, we will adjust the frames for you when you collect the glasses. If you need to have them readjusted at a later stage, get in touch with us, and we will make a time for you to come see us. For those who are sending their frames to us, or if it is too inconvenient to visit us, we recommend that you visit an optometrist to have your glasses adjusted for you as they have the right gear to do the job quickly and safely. Doing it yourself can potentially damage either the frames or the lenses.

Our lenses are all high-quality plastic lenses. The weaker powers are made from 1.56 index lenses, and the stronger powers are high-index 1.67 plastic lenses. All our lenses come with our anti-reflective and hard-coats. Coatings help maximise the benefits you will receive from our lenses, which is why we include the following in the price of our glasses i.e. at no extra cost:

• Anti-reflective coating – we use anti-reflective coatings on the front and back surfaces of all our lenses to help reduce glare and reflections – reducing tiredness and helping increase contrast.
• Anti-scratch coating – these coatings are permanently bonded to the lens and act as a protective layer thus making the lenses more durable.
• UV protection – Our lenses are coated with a UV protection to help reduce the harmful effects of UV damage.

We also offer ultra thin lenses (1.67) for only an additional $50.

We recommend the following lens type for your prescription:

* Our complete glasses come standard with Thin lenses.

We have included a soft case that also acts as a cleaning cloth. This should be enough for most smudges on the lenses, however you can also use soap and cold water with a soft tissue. We don’t recommend using hot water as this can over time damage the coatings on the lenses.

We adhere to the Consumer Guarantees Act and our products all have a 12 month warranty to ensure that you are covered for any issues that are covered under the Act. We are here to help, and if you have an issue with your glasses and were wondering if it was a warranty issue, send us an email with a description of what happened. More information on warranties and returns is outlined in our terms and conditions.

We will check the glasses for defects and will contact you with our findings. Should it be a warranty issue, we will put it on our priority list to try and get the glasses back to you as quickly as possible.

If you have damaged your lenses and you are outside the 12-month warranty period, we have a competitive reglaze service to put new lenses into your own frames. If the frame was damaged, we do try and hold onto parts should you need replacements, although this is not always possible. We suggest that you get in touch with us with details on what has happened and we will try our best to help you out.

It is important that you contact us as soon as you can with details on what has happened and we will find the most cost-effective way to fix the problem.

Some time after age 40, you will generally begin to notice problems with reading up close, including that feeling that your arms “aren’t long enough” to hold a newspaper or magazine at a position where you can read it clearly. If you already wear glasses, this generally means you will need to begin wearing multi­focal lenses to continue to see clearly at all distances.

Progressive lenses are a newer technology that behave like bifocals, but have no visible line. Progressive lenses are designed for people who just want one pair of glasses that can cover most of the things they do in the day without needing to take glasses on/off, or keep switching between different pairs. Progressive multifocal lenses provide a more natural correction – instead of having just two powers like bifocals, progressive lenses are true “multifocal” lenses that provide a seamless progression of many lens powers for all viewing distances.

Buying progressives can be confusing as prices vary from $100 through to $1,500 depending on where you go, and which lenses you select. The difference is not just in the price though – more expensive lenses have better technology designed to increase the clear areas, and improve the wearer’s comfort. At Mr Foureyes, we have taken an approach of offering a premium lens at a far more affordable price (from $350 for lenses or $550 for complete glasses with progressive lenses).

It is important that we see you in person so we can measure up your glasses to ensure the perfect fit. For this reason, this service is currently only available in-person at our Hataitai workshop. Reglaze customers can still order online; if you are interested in purchasing complete glasses with progressive lenses, please contact us to see how we can help. We will need your prescription and your frame type to give you a quote.

Mr Foureyes runs a Buy One, Give One programme. That means for every pair of glasses we sell, we also donate a pair. The donated pairs go to New Zealand school children, who may be having difficulties at school because of undiagnosed eyesight problems.

How does it work?

We work with schools to help get the glasses to the kids who need them. It’s important to us that this work complements the systems and support that are already in place, including the Government subsidy scheme (for community services card holders), and school screening programmes.

Why is it needed?

We think there’s a need for more work in this area because Ravi has seen first-hand that the existing systems don’t pick up everyone who needs help. In his work as an optometrist he has come across kids struggling with their reading, who benefited enormously from some weak reading glasses, right through to men and women in their late teens and early twenties who had made it through their whole school lives thinking they are just no good at school-work or are too dumb to learn, when all they may have needed is some glasses.

We particularly want to work with kids in remedial learning classes – we think poor eyesight should be ruled out as a factor for any child who needs additional help.

The existing government subsidies are great, but we still see a need for free glasses. For example, children’s eyesight can change so rapidly that they may outgrow their glasses (or the glasses get lost or broken) before they are eligible for another subsidy. There are also people who aren’t eligible for the subsidy but who are still struggling financially.

Can I see where my pair of donated glasses ended up?

We share stories of the children your purchases are helping on our Facebook and Twitter feeds – but we won’t be able to tell you exactly which school (or which child) your purchase assisted. That would be a logistical challenge! We also want to protect people’s privacy, so we can only share the stories with permission, of course. At the moment, we are focused on the Wellington and Masterton regions.

Your order must be for the same contact lenses that have been prescribed and fitted by your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist. It is also important to follow the recommendations & care advice of your optometrist, especially with regard to regular replacement of lenses. When you place an order with us, you give permission for us to contact your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist to verify your contact lens details, including a copy of your prescription if required. We reserve the right not to supply contact lenses if we feel the selected contact lenses are not in accordance with the specifications provided by you, your Optometrist or Ophthalmologist, or if the contact lenses are not able to be supplied by us.

Optometrists and Ophthalmologists have an ethical duty of care to ensure that contact lenses are dispensed only to people who have a valid prescription for those contact lenses. This is to ensure that the eye, and more specifically the cornea on which the contact lens is placed, is regularly examined for any signs of diseases and complications.

If your contact lens prescription is outside its recommended expiry date it is recommended you have an eye examination before proceeding with your contact lens order. If you have not had, or have declined, the recommended eye examination, then by ordering from this website you agree you have read and understand the above statement and accept full responsibility for your ongoing eyecare and for the suitability of your contact lenses purchases.

From time to time, Mr Foureyes may offer promotional deals or special offers, with associated terms and conditions.

• A 5% discount is available for signing up to our newsletter.
• As part of our commitment to helping children and young people to see clearly, we offer great student deals
• We are also proud to offer a special price to Super Gold Card holders, as outlined on the Super Gold Card website.