Click any of the questions below for a full answer, or show all answers immediately.
nuglasses.co.uk
We buy our spectacle frames and lenses from the same companies as the high street Opticians, but because we don’t have the expensive shop and staff costs that they have, our costs are lower, so we can afford to sell the same quality glasses at lower prices. Up to 70% lower.
Yes you can. But why not first try our 'nuYou', there you can upload your photo and try our glasses on, so it's almost like looking in a mirror. You can see how you look in various style frames and play around with different tints. You can even send pictures of yourself to your friends or family for their comments (or play around with some of our famous faces as well).
Or if you prefer, by pressing the 'Try at home' button we will send you up to three spectacle frames for a cost of £2.50 per frame plus post and packing. This includes a freepost address label for you to return them to us.
You will then have fourteen days from the day we send them to make sure you are happy with them and to return them to us. If we don't receive them by the end of the fourteenth day, or if they are damaged, we will have to deduct the full cost of the spectacle frame / s from your credit / debit card.
Yes you can. If you don't want to order online we are very happy to take your order over the phone. All you have to do is call our friendly customer service staff on 0845 833 63 73, our lines are open seven days week from 8am to 8pm.
Alternatively you can download an order form and then post or fax it back to us on 0845 833 63 93.
Yes. We buy all our spectacle frames and lenses from the same suppliers as the high street Opticians, but because the costs of running our business are lower we can offer high quality glasses at lower prices. So the quality is the same but whatever glasses you decide to buy, by buying them from us you will save money. You could save up to 70%.
Yes. As soon as we receive your order and prescription details they will be checked by a qualified Dispensing Optician, who will check the information you have entered for any discrepancies. If they think something doesn't look right we will contact you straight away.
Your glasses will be checked five times while they are being manufactured to ensure they match your prescription and that the lenses and frames are perfect before we send them to you. It's very important to us that your glasses reach you in perfect condition.
Yes we do, just pick your tint and add UV400 coating to any of our frames. We can also make up prescription sunglasses for you. We can tint your prescription lenses with a solid tint or a graduated tint which starts darker at the top of your lenses and then progressively gets lighter towards the bottom, then pick the UV400 coating to protect your eyes against harmful UV rays.
We also offer Transitions lenses that are light sensitive and UV protective, the lenses darken in sunlight and clear when you are indoors. And we offer Polarised lenses which can protect against reflective light and give greater clarity between depth and colour.
When we receive your order, before it is put into production, your prescription and choice of spectacle frame will be thoroughly checked by a fully qualified Dispensing Optician.
It's very important to us that your glasses reach you in perfect condition. We want to be sure that the lenses have been made precisely to your prescription, the spectacle frames are perfect and the lenses have been fitted correctly. So all our glasses undergo a rigorous inspection process where they are checked five times by two different technicians, before they are sent to you.
So it's very unlikely that there will be a fault with them. But if there is just call us within 14 days of when we sent them to you and we will either replace them or give you a full refund.
Our phone lines are open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week. Or you can email us on customerservices@nuglasses.co.uk or fax us on 0845 833 63 93 twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
You can pay with all major credit or debit cards. Or you can post us a cheque or a postal order. All cheques should be made payable to nuglasses.co.uk.
You can also pay by NHS Vouchers or Accor Vouchers
No, I'm afraid we don't. We were un-able to get some of the NHS trust's to co-operate with us so we have had to stop that service.
Yes we do. The Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations of 1992 state that habitual users of VDU's are entitled to regular eye examinations paid for by their employer. To comply with this some employers issue Accor Eyecare Vouchers, which can then be redeemed against the cost of eye examinations and spectacles.
After your eye examination, your optician will complete a VDU Certificate of Recommendation. Make sure it is signed and stamped and that you receive two copies. One copy must be given to the person who issued you the Eye Examination Voucher, and the other should be kept for your records.
The report form determines whether you require and are eligible for a pair of basic single vision spectacles, specifically for VDU work. If box C or D are ticked your employer will provide you with a Spectacle Voucher.
The Spectacle Voucher can be used against the full or part cost of a pair of basic single vision lens spectacles.
Click on the frames you would like and scroll to the bottom of the page. There you will see a link to download an order form to order by post or fax. Print this off and complete it.
Please send us your order form with your voucher, making sure that all information is filled out correctly and including your name and address and the name and address of the optician who issued the voucher.
If the voucher doesn't cover the full amount of your purchse, please also inculde a cheque for the remaining amount.
Please note that we can't begin manufacturing your glasses until we have recieved your signed voucher and issuing trust address details.
Your credit card details will be secure. Our payment system uses Lloyds TSB's Cardnet Services secure online credit card payment system. This gives you the highest possible level of security for credit card transactions.
When you reach the page where you enter your credit card details, you can see our payments system is secure in three ways:
1. The first few characters of the web address in your address bar will change from the usual http to https – the ‘s’ stands for secure.
2. A little padlock icon, in the locked position, will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
3. By clicking on the padlock icon you can check our site security certificate.
All the information you send us is encrypted with 128 bit SSL. There is no better security available for credit card transactions on the internet.
For more information on checking whether a web site is secure click on
http://www.lloydstsb.com/security/web_page_security.asp
Ordering
All you need to place an order is a current prescription from an eye test you had anytime during the last two years.
Yes we can, providing you can confirm that they aren't more than two years old.
Yes you can, as long as you have a current (within the last two years) prescription for that person and that the person you are buying for is eighteen or older and isn't registered partially sighted or blind.
Please be aware that the address you fill in on the downloadable order form is the address where the glasses will be sent, if you order online you can choose a different billing address to delivery address.
Yes you can by choosing the 'clear plastic' lens option and then entering 'plano' in the Sphere and leaving 'none' in the rest of the prescription boxes.
Yes we can, but please bear in mind your old glasses may look fine to you, but when a technician takes them apart he may find they have been overstressed or damaged, which means new lenses can't be fitted. So if we do try to fit them, any damage to the frame has to be at your risk.
If you would like us to do this please email customerservices@nuglasses.co.uk or call us on 0845 833 63 73.
To give you the quickest product delivery we have to begin processing your order the day we receive it, so please call us or email us as soon as you realise and we will do our utmost to amend it before your order is manufactured.
Spectacle Frames
At nuglasses we understand that one of the most important things when you are buying new, or should we say nuglasses, is that you will look good and feel great in them.
This is why we have designed the 'nuYou', so you can pick and choose through our wide selection of glasses and sunglasses and try them on. It's very simple and easy to use. All you have to do is upload a photo from your phone or camera and then try on all the spectacle frames you are interested in. You can take as long as you like, there is no saleswoman breathing down your neck. You can do it in your own time, trying on as many pairs as you want. You can even email them to your friends for their opinions, or just for a laugh.
If you don’t have a picture to upload don’t worry, you can pick the face shape that is nearest your own from a wide range of photos we have available. There are even some famous faces for you to try them on!
We have also produced a small guide in our magazine section that may help you to find the best glasses to suit your face shape. These hints are not set in stone so don’t be afraid to take something totally different to our 'nuYou', upload your photo and see what you think for yourself.
Or if you prefer, by pressing the 'Try at home' button we will send you up to three spectacle frames for a cost of £2.50 per frame plus postage and packaging. We also include a freepost label for you to return them.
You will then have fourteen days from the day we send them, to decide if you are happy with them and return them.
If we don't receive them by the end of the fourteenth day, or if they are damaged, we will have to deduct the cost of the spectacle frame/s from your credit / debit card.
It's simple and easy. All you have to do is upload a photo from your phone or camera and then try on all the spectacle frames you are interested in. You can take as long as you like, there is no saleswoman breathing down your neck. You can do it in your own time, trying on as many pairs as you want. You can even email them to your friends for their opinions, or just for a laugh.
If you don’t have a picture to upload don’t worry, you can pick the face shape that is nearest your own from a wide range of photos we have available. There are even some famous faces for you to try them on!
If you have a pair of glasses that fit you well, you can buy another pair the same size by reading the size on your existing glasses. It is usually shown on the inside of the arm or sometimes on the nose bridge.
There are three numbers, the first number is the diameter of the lens from the bottom left corner to the top right hand corner, the second is the width of the bridge across the nose and the third is the length of the arm, all in millimeters.
We have also, where possible included the lens depth in our descriptions so you can get a good idea of how deep the frame is. But don't worry about what each of them means, just tell us the numbers and we can sort it out for you.
Alternatively you can get a good idea by measuring your face using millimetres.
If you have any questions please call or email us and we will be happy to help
If you take them to your local Optician they will usually adjust them free of charge.
Prescription and Lenses
The UK Opticians Act of 1989 states that your optician must give you a clear readable copy of your prescription.
If you have had your eyes tested in the last two years you can phone the same optician and ask them to send you a copy of the prescription. Or you can go to a local optician and get another test without being under any obligation to buy your glasses from them.
Your Optician should have made a note of your pupillary distance 'PD' on your prescription, especially on stronger prescriptions. But if he hasn't we advise you follow the instructions for measuring your PD, or as recommended by our Dispensing Optician, we will use a PD measurement of 60mm for reading lenses and 63mm for distance lenses and Bifocals.
Please be aware that your eyes may have changed in the last two years, so depending on how long ago you had them tested, it may be a good idea to have a new eye test.
Please don't use a contact lens prescription for ordering glasses, although it may look very similar there are differences.
To order glasses from us you don’t need to understand what the terms on your prescription mean because when you enter your prescription we have very comprehensive Learn More 
boxes of information to help guide you. And if you would like more help, our friendly, helpful customer service staff are only a telephone call away.
But in case you are curious here are explanations of terms you may see on your prescription:
To help you understand your prescription, we have given you an example below.
The layout may vary slightly from optician to optician.
Example Prescription 1:
Prescription 1 translated to nuglasses prescription form:
The Sphere (Sph) value is the power of the lens needed to correct your long sightedness or short sightedness. A (+) or (-) may be written above or to the side of the number, or in some cases a P for positive, or N for negative.
A plus (+) sphere is to correct long-sightedness, which is when you have trouble focusing on objects that are close to you (hyperopic). If there is a minus sign (-) it's to correct short sightedness, which is, when you have trouble focusing on things in the distance (myopic).
The Cylinder (cyl) is the amount of astigmatism or distortion in your vision. The Axis (x) is the direction of the distortion.
The ADD value is the additional power that is added to your distance prescription for reading, bifocal or varifocal lenses.
Prisms try to correct a lazy eye and are more difficult lenses to produce. If you have prisms on your prescription we suggest that after picking your spectacle frame you go to your opticians to have the lenses made and fitted as they will want to take various other measurements.
PD (pupillary distance) is the distance in millimetres between the centre of one pupil (the black dot in the middle of the eye) and the centre of the other pupil. You may find that when you read your prescription you have two PD's, if you have this please let us know in the additional comments box.
Plano, Pl, plo or 8 is the number zero or infinity.
DV is distance vision
NV is near vision (reading)
Many opticians leave out the decimal points. So Sphere (Sph) +0.35 can be written +35. Or + 1.95 can be written +195. Axis can also be written as 3 or 03 or 003, and 80 can be written as 080.
Your 'PD' is your pupillary distance, which is the distance in millimetres between the centre of one pupil (the black dot in the middle of the eye) and the centre of the other pupil. Knowing this distance helps in positioning your lenses correctly in the frame so that we can align the centre of the lens exactly on the centre of your pupil, with stronger prescriptions this can make a big difference. We do advise you have it measured by an optician, in fact they usually put it on your prescription, but if that isn't possible you can ask someone to measure it for you.
To do this you need a millimetre ruler and a friend. Firstly take a seat and sit with both feet flat on the floor and your hands on your lap. Ask your friend to sit opposite you with their eyes at the same level as yours.
Then ask your friend to hold the ruler against your nose, or above your eyes, from about an arms distance away.
Ask your friend to measure from the left side of the left pupil to the left side of the right pupil. To do this your friend can point to your left eye, then take their hand away, then point to the right and take their hand away, otherwise you may follow the finger.
Repeat this a few times to make sure it is acurate, and if you are at all confused please phone customer services on 0845 833 63 73.
After you have chosen your glasses and lenses we take you through your prescription. Don't worry it's easy. And there are very detailed 'Learn More' notes to help you. If you need to talk to someone our friendly customer service staff will be more than happy to help.
No, there is no need to send us your prescription; if we have any questions we will phone you.
Yes. Not only Thin but Super Thin and Ultra Thin as well.
Our standard lens is a 1.5 index but we can offer Thin at 1.6 index, Super Thin at 1.67 and Ultra Thin at 1.74 index. The higher the number the thinner the lens.
Thinner lenses are particularly good for people with strong prescriptions, as they will make your lenses less noticeable and more cosmetically appealing. They have thinner edges than the same prescription in a standard lens, and because less material is used they are lighter and more comfortable to wear.
For rimless frames we would suggest the 1.6 index because the edges of the lens is on show, but if you make the lens too thin it may not be strong enough without the support of a frame.
Thin lenses also reflect more light than a normal lens and for that reason we include Crystalvu coating in the price which is anti-reflective and scratch resistant.
Yes we do. The most common Bifocal is the 28mm D Seg flat top. In addition to this we also offer a 35mm D Seg or our Executive model which stretches the full width of the lens.
The top line of the D segment is positioned 3mm below the vertical centre of the lens. If you would like a different height please let us know in the additional comments box when you place your order.
No, at this time we are not able to offer varifocal or progressive lenses due to the complex nature of the prescription.
Yes we do. You can order glasses with prescription sunglass lenses, by choosing a tint and then specifying a UV400 coating.
We also offer Transition lenses and Polarised lenses that can be made to your prescription.
Yes you can. We can tint them brown, grey, green, pink, yellow or blue. Or if there is a particular colour you would like let us know in the additional comments box, we'll do our best to match it.
We also offer various intensities of solid tints and graduated tints. A graduated tint is lighter at the bottom of the lens and darker at the top.
In solid tints you can either have 20% which is for light fashion tints, 50% which is good for driving and all round out door protection from the sun, but isn't suitable for protection against strong sun situations such as midday sun reflecting on water. Or we can tint to 80% density, which gives good protection from the bright sun and can be beneficial if you have sensitive eyes.
Brown, grey and green are the most common tints for sunglasses.
Brown is good because it allows the widest light spectrum through the eye while blocking blue light and giving maximum contrast. This is important if you need to be judging distances all the time, for example if playing tennis. It is also good for lower light situations such as fishing in the early morning or late afternoon.
Grey is best for bright light situations such as water sports as it blocks out the brightest of the sun's rays.
Green can help to accentuate yellow and white colours, which can be handy on the golf course!
Pink tints can be attractive at 20% density to give a warm glow to the face.
Yellow tints heighten contrast without blocking too much light, so they can be good for night driving or for shooting and skiing on cloudy days.
Blue tints, well, they are just more of a fashion thing.
Remember for sunglasses, if you want to protect your eyes from the damaging ultra violet rays of the sun you will want to have a UV400 protection coating as well as a tint.
We offer a free scratch resistant hard coating, which helps protect your glasses from everyday scratches, which will impair your vision. Although please bear in mind no coating can offer 100% protection from scratches, so please be careful with them.
You can also have our Crystalvu coating, which is anti reflective and includes a scratch resistant hard coating. Cystalvu makes your glasses more cosmetically attractive. People will be able to see your eyes more clearly rather than their own reflection, and you will be able to see more clearly because it reduces the reflection on both sides of the lens so you will not see the reflections from televisions or cameras etc. It's also particularly good at reducing glare whilst night driving. The integral scratch resistant hard coating also helps protect your lenses from scratching.
We also offer a UV400 coating to protect against the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun. This can be added to any prescription glasses and with a tint will turn them into sunglasses.
Polarised lenses give maximum protection from reflected glare and the sun's powerful UV rays. They improve clarity, so you are able to see contrast in colours and have greater perception of depth. They are especially good for fishermen, because you can see through water, but they are just as valuable for normal sun wear, water-sports, golfing, shooting and many other activities. They are also tougher than standard lenses.
Transition lenses are light sensitive plastic lenses that react very quickly to UV light so they darken in the sun and become clear indoors. They give you 99.9% UV protection from bright sunlight and have a scratch resistant coating. Having them fitted means that you don’t have to have a separate pair of sunglasses.
Polycarbonate lenses are plastic lenses that are ten times more impact resistant than other plastics making them very suitable for contact sports or butter fingers! They offer UV protection and stop 99.9% of rays from the sun, fluorescent lights and computer screens. They come with a scratch resistant coating, are thinner than standard lens and therefore more comfortable to wear.
Post, Packaging and Delivery
Our standard method of despatch is by Royal Mail packet post, which including packaging costs is £3.75 for your first pair of glasses, free there after.
Alternatively you can have them sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery. This costs £6.50 for your first pair, again free there after.
These are garanteed next day delivery unless it is a weekend and you are able to track this delivery option through the Royal Mail and so we advise it for glasses valued at £30 or over.
We understand you want your new glasses as quickly as possible and all our production systems are designed to give you the quickest possible delivery.
Most of our orders are despatched within seven days, and some in as little as three, but to avoid disappointment please allow seven to fourteen days.
In exceptional circumstances it may take up to twenty-eight days. We will always let you know if your order is going to take longer than normal and when you can expect to receive them.
