Morning, Roo remains a blog based mostly around the consumption of film, but today I wanted to offer some commentary on another matter. I am not blessed with perfect vision and thus sometimes wear glasses. I recently received a new prescription and began the hunt for some delectable frames. Korean fashion trends seem to have rubbed off on me (too much Hello Counselor) and I felt a desire to ditch my usual wayfarer style glasses for some rounded ones. Round frames don’t appear to be particularly coveted in the UK, so I sought out some international suppliers and encountered a website named Firmoo.

Firmoo dub themselves a ‘Global Online Optical Store’ and offer prescription eyewear at reasonable prices across the globe. Though their currency is set by default to US Dollar and they have a New York address, their production is actually based in China. They provide a very consumer friendly service and offer numerous deals, along with select free glasses for new customers and free eyewear for bloggers in return for a review, which means it’s fairly easy to find appraisals of their glasses. However, with the client receiving a free product, it’s difficult to deduce whether these reviews were done in earnest. I have no partnership with Firmoo and thus want to offer an entirely honest opinion of their products and services.

Ordering and Delivery

Firmoo stock hundreds of frames in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I trawled the internet for hours in search of some interesting glasses and while they don’t stock any big brand, designer frames, Firmoo had a tremendously delectable selection. If you aren’t after brand recognition, it’s easy to pick out a couple of favourites.

Though they allow you to upload your own picture, their ‘try on’ service is sadly lacking and is solely for style reference rather than size. However, they do provide precise measurements and weight for every frame and customers are able to upload and embed pictures and videos of themselves wearing their Firmoo glasses, which are included on relevant pages and help to exhibit the frames.

People are also able to review and ask questions about the glasses they have either bought or are perusing and — as with all prescription eyewear services — Firmoo offer numerous extras during check-out, such as tints and a variety of coatings, which may incur additional costs depending on what you choose.

I ordered my glasses on Friday and they were prepared and shipped by the early hours of Tuesday. Delivery from China to the United Kingdom took just three days and was very reasonable at £12 ($15). I was provided with a tracking code and was able to follow my parcel to its destination. With the cost of shipping included, my order was just over £60, but I was not charged any import fees. Once in the country, the parcel was delivered by one of the national couriers and required a signature. Everything was well packed and no damage appears to have been sustained in transit.

Quality

In addition to every pair of glasses, you receive a Firmoo branded case and cleaning cloth, along with an additional slip case, small screwdriver and extra screws, should you need to carry out any maintenance on your glasses. I have bought many prescription glasses before, but this is my first time receiving a specialised screwdriver and replacement screws. Though I hope for lasting durability, it is good to possess such a tool.

The glasses themselves — or at least the ones I bought — vary in quality. My main gripe is with one pair, which doesn’t sit entirely straight on my face. This looks due to one of the temple components being slightly skewed — one side doesn’t open as seamlessly and complete as the other. Such a fault could have occurred during production, or it may have warped after being clamped awkwardly in the case. It’s a slightly vexing issue, but one that may be remedied with some persistent and precise flexing.

Besides a tiny and relatively unnoticeable scratch on one of the other frames, the other two pairs are near faultless. All screws were tightly fastened and thus far, the lenses seem secure and the prescription accurate. The metal components are — as far as I can tell — genuine metal and the frames appear sturdy.

I paid extra to have anti-reflective and anti-radiation lenses, but there is significant glare when compared to my old Calvin Klein frames. If I could change anything about my order, I would not have chosen those coatings as — in this case — they make little difference.

Verdict

All in all, despite some hiccups, I am pleased with my new glasses and hope they will last as long as my previous pair, which have been going strong for four years. I would recommend Firmoo; despite some minor issues with quality and precision, their glasses fit my needs and they have an absolutely wonderful selection of frames. I will update this post in a month or two with some words on the longevity and durability of the glasses and — if they hold up — I would likely purchase from Firmoo again, minus the coating.

UPDATE (29/03/2018) It has been almost one year since purchasing my Firmoo glasses and I’m happy to report no additional issues. I use them daily and they are still in fine working order. As is usual with glasses, the arms have become a little loose over time, but this is easily remedied with the screwdriver included. I purchased another pair of glasses from Firmoo a couple of months ago, this time without any coating, and noticed only a minimal difference, but I don’t live in a country with a particularly high ultraviolet index.

I have noticed that the lenses largely prefer to be cleaned by the cloth provided. I have tried cleaning them with cloths from previous glasses not from Firmoo, and am never able to tidy them to a satisfactory degree. The cloth provided by Firmoo does appear a little more coarse than your typical glasses cloth.

I wasn’t able to remedy my defected pair that was slightly warped and sat wonky on my face. Rather than an issue sustained after production, it appears to have been made imprecisely. Defects do occur, even in well established brands, but it is nonetheless disappointing. With that in mind, you are certainly going to get a better build quality by going with a more established manufacturer, but the variety and price at Firmoo is a major selling point for me. When I receive a new prescription or need a new pair of glasses, I will more than likely return to Firmoo.