BajaNomad

Prescription glasses in La Paz

tobias - 12-30-2018 at 05:03 PM

I was thinking about having my late fathers glasses from the 60s fitted with new lenses for myself. Any place I can have this done in La Paz? I have a recent Rx I can give them so i dont need an eye exam.

AKgringo - 12-30-2018 at 05:53 PM

I know that you could fill your prescription at Walmart, but that would be using their frames. I don't know if fitting lenses to your old frames is an option, but you could ask them.

thebajarunner - 12-30-2018 at 06:29 PM

I went through that issue a couple months ago in Cabo
Lost my glasses in the surf (dumb on my part!)
Walmart had a local chain in store
In their mall was another, private vendor
Got an exam and new glasses same day
but they were "Pretty close, not close enough" according to my doc when I got home.
I generally carry my prescrip in my wallet, for some reason did not have it.
I would have been much more happy to have it a "little closer"
Also, they did not offer titanium frames, which I prefer,
although the flex frames I got were o.k
$100 out the door, but only "pretty close"

Read about my adventure here....
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=91392#pid1138...

coronaflores1187 - 12-30-2018 at 09:49 PM

Hospital de lentes in La Paz calle Ignacio Altamirano 702 col el esterito La Paz Bcs
It looks small from the outside but they do very good work andthey are very affordable and fast

weebray - 12-31-2018 at 08:17 AM

Many expats including our family use Optica Valdez on Altamirano entre Allende y Rosales in La Paz. It is the gold standard here. Up to date modern and reasonable prices. Costco is another option but too far away for us.

tobias - 1-1-2019 at 12:13 PM

Thanks guys!
Think I will head into the big city this week and see how it goes.

caj13 - 1-2-2019 at 08:36 AM

The good thing about Costco is once you get your glasses/ contacts there, any and all costcos have access to your prescription. So you could go into any costco and get replacements/ resupply. Bad part is it takes a week or so to make new glasses, at least here in the states, contacts typically in stock in the store.

cliffh - 1-2-2019 at 09:33 AM

Dr. Lechuga Ortez is also a good option 612-124-1651, we see him yearly for check ups and he writes a prescription, have used for glasses in states and next door to his office they have a store also.

tobias - 1-8-2019 at 12:20 PM

Thanks again everyone. I went for Optica Valdez . Dropped off the vintage frames yesterday. For a bit over 2000 pesos I am getting polarized lenses in my Rx that I brought with me.
Will let you know how it turns out.

Alm - 1-9-2019 at 02:18 PM

2,000 pesos is more than $US 100. I paid that much to put Rx lens in my frame North of the border. +4.5 and with "cylinder", not the easiest lens. Not "polarized", but "light-adaptive" - clear indoors and automatically darken outdoors. Not the most expensive place, no optometrist on site, though pretty big facility, basically a small factory. They did screw up once, getting the distance btw lens centers "close" - was enough for me to notice and make them re-do it.

tobias - 1-9-2019 at 04:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alm  
2,000 pesos is more than $US 100. I paid that much to put Rx lens in my frame North of the border. +4.5 and with "cylinder", not the easiest lens. Not "polarized", but "light-adaptive" - clear indoors and automatically darken outdoors. Not the most expensive place, no optometrist on site, though pretty big facility, basically a small factory. They did screw up once, getting the distance btw lens centers "close" - was enough for me to notice and make them re-do it.


Pearle Vision in the states wanted 275 for this and that was after my insurance covered a good chunk of it! Then when they found out how old the frames were they flat out refused the job.

[Edited on 1-9-2019 by tobias]

Alm - 1-9-2019 at 04:29 PM

Not in the Sates. Canada. That shop takes any frames, and they have hundreds frames to buy, too - from cheap noname junk to $$ titanium.

Pearle Vision is an expensive chain - at least here where I am. Shop around, it's the result you want, not the fancy interior :)

weebray - 1-9-2019 at 04:46 PM

Polarized lenses have to be done in Mexico, not in Baja. Costs more.

DavidT - 1-9-2019 at 09:22 PM

Not that it would be any help to you in "re-lensing" old frames but I've found Zenni Optical to be a good online source for back up glasses.