Lencrafters FeatherWates® Completes vs Essilor Airwear with Crizal Alize

[spazz]

Matrix System-- that was the old system from Sola. (It was horrible.)

[bt5050]

was wondering if you had any insight on scotchguard - and and it relationship to crizal and alize - ?

i see here in the usa - scotchguard is only marketed by LC- and no one else -
however over seas (( see attached UK site ) they also market scotchguard but it also has name Crizal with it - and then they list alize - and Crizal with scotchguard -

what this tells me - is that this scotchguard product may not be the alize product like some state - and it may be a new product on the market from essilor for a top coating option - ?

if it was private label name for LC they wouldn't offer it overseas under this name - and also they would not seperate it from alize - would they ??

it also seems as the vailux products over seas are also a bit differant-
ie - varilux comfort "short " and regular comfort --furthermore -

I am interested in finding more info on these other near varible focus lens they list - r they aval here in the usa under a differant name -?
i have seen interview here - but they also list 2 forms of " computer " by varilux - and it is not the interview -
here r the links on the coatings and PALS

http://www.essilor.co.uk/lensinfo/coatings.html

http://www.essilor.co.uk/lensinfo/varilux/computer.html

thanks

any info would be appreciated

[EyeFitWell]

To my knowledge, LC doesn't currently offer any short corridor progressives. In America, Scotchgard is LC's brand "comporable" to Alize. It is a good product, but does not offer the Alize's warranties.

[FCChemist]

Not sure if I can offer a lot of insight, but Scotchgard(TM) is a brand. The underlying technology of a product is what supports the brand promise. Scotchgard (TM) means protection and that means keeping things looking good longer. For more information go to:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...otchgard/Home/

[bt5050]

i did speak to a friend of mine that works for the company in question - and was told that they do offer the following now -

varilux ellispe ( in all materials )
and she did mention they just started using some short pal - that can be fit as low as 13 mm - i think she said it was in poly - and from 2 differant vendors -
essilor ( not suprising LOL)
and sola

ANY IDEAS WHAT DESIGNS THESE ARE ?

[Dave Nelson]

Go ahead, Edkendance, say it! Its a consumer post.

[k12311997]

Go ahead, Edkendance, say it! Its a consumer post.

sorry I'm not Edkendance, not only is it a consumer post it is a year old consumer post(from when they were allowed to post).

[Dave Nelson]

Must be an interesting post, cause its been resurected a few times.

[bt5050]

Hi everyone-

not sure if these comments are coming from my post- however - just wanted to let everyone know - that i am not a comsumer- that i started my optical apprentiship in 1995 and rec. my abo and ncle in 1997 and then went on to sit for my CT state License in 2000-

shortly after getting my license - the company i was with was bought by LC and i had left there to work for a friend when he needed me to cover his vacation - and to fit every now and then =

I still will work a few days now and then for him - however not for LC - but i do have some old friends that continue to work for Lux -

( Lux had purchased a larger company ( VC ) right before moving on to us - and now it seems that they have many - if not all the chains here in CT - such as the old vision corner- eyeworlds - sears - target - Bj's - and pearls ( how ever i think these may be franchises ? - ) not sure -

i continue getting my 7 credits per year at our super sunday thru MCC- and renew my abo/ncle ( not really sure why i continue to do this - since i dont need to carry these to hold my state lic. but i guess it is good to have in case i ever decide to move out of state- and want to get back into it full time -
anyways back to my org posting - when i do work in the office - i do hear from pts that are price shopping about this 13mm pal and that is when i had asked a old friend that is currently at lux -- she was kinda unsure about it - just - that is is able to be ordered - but she still uses the ellipse as her choice - with their scotch guard ar -

as for me - i am only familar with the varilux and difinity lines and some hoya and younger lines - and unsure what was new out there in a short pal from essilor and sola - currently -

i was going to check with the folks at balester - - but i remembered coming to these boards a while back and everyone is always up on the latest info here -

sorry for the confusion

hope everyone has a great thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your family !!!

God Bless

[DallasLabTech]

I don't know too much about what lens crafters sells but the alize coating is a dream. It makes your glasses so much easier to clean even with an anti-reflective coating. At Lenscrafters I think you pay extra for the 1 hour service.

I am a LC lab tech--we do not charge extra for our one hour service--it is the basis of our quality service.:)

We also do not charge extra for Rx change remakes for up to 90 days.

[snowmonster]

Way to revive a thread from the dead (started in August of 2005).

The point was that LC charges a heck of a lot more than any other office/practice for their products. It's the premium for having rapid service, although many competent locally-owned practices/offices can provide the same service.

I'm only posting in response so random consumers won't get confused by the LC rhetoric.

-Steve

[DallasLabTech]

The front and back AR on LC is different. The idea is that they stock front side only AR lenses. Then they can surface the lens and apply backisde AR in the store for lenses in an hour. From what I understand, the idea works very well. They even apply their own UV hard coat.

I am a LC lab tech and we do not apply any AR in our instore labs--AR is all done by our centralized manufacturing labs or outsourced to Essilor. We do however stock finished regular poly w/ AR, and 1.67 w/ Scotchguard AR, and of course our Poly Scotchguard lenses.

Yes, we do put a UV hardcoat on the back of every surfaced polycarb lens--the front side is coated by mfgr.

[DallasLabTech]

Way to revive a thread from the dead (started in August of 2005).

The point was that LC charges a heck of a lot more than any other office/practice for their products. It's the premium for having rapid service, although many competent locally-owned practices/offices can provide the same service.

I'm only posting in response so random consumers won't get confused by the LC rhetoric.

-Steve

sorry for the ressurrection--really didn't look at the date until after the second post--was reading posts on scotchguard and alize--OOPS

[snowmonster]

Just curious - how long have you worked for LC? Have you ever worked in a different lab (not owned by Luxottica)?

-Steve

[Jubilee]

I am a LC lab tech and we do not apply any AR in our instore labs--AR is all done by our centralized manufacturing labs or outsourced to Essilor. We do however stock finished regular poly w/ AR, and 1.67 w/ Scotchguard AR, and of course our Poly Scotchguard lenses.

Yes, we do put a UV hardcoat on the back of every surfaced polycarb lens--the front side is coated by mfgr.

Please note that not every lab will be set up to run similar to yours. When I worked for them, I know of a few different "test" labs where they tried casting and yes even in house AR. While I have not been there for over 2 years now, I would still venture to guess a few successful stores may have the equipment still.

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Quoting DallasLabTech.
I am a LC lab tech--we do not charge extra for our one hour service--it is the basis of our quality service.:)


This is of no offense to you. I myself am a *former* LC-er. I imagine you are strictly lab and do not work retail whatsoever. If you did, I am sure it would (eventually) dawn on you to wonder who pays for customer returns, unlimited 30 day exchanges, and that indeed the consumer does ultimately pay for that one hour service. You may say "there is no extra charge for one hour service!" But let me ask you this:

Which is cheaper:
1) Having a Lab in (almost :Optique's are excluded) every store, with staffing, hourly wages, "Spiffs" insurance premiums, electricity, rent, utilities, tools, those great fitting Lab Coats, supplies, cleaning products . . . and On, and On , and On.

or

2) Outsourcing the whole process.

The consumer pays for you to be there to make their glasses. This applies to those consumers who DO NOT get their glasses in the hour as well, as you still are there to make them. So you are wrong to say the consumer does not pay extra to have their glasses in an hour. Those fees, if you will, as well as the expense of customer returns and exchanges are neatly hidden in the charges LC charges for its frames and lenses. Now when half of those lenses come from Mexico, Thailand and the like, and LC is buying hundred of thousands of lenses, what do you think their cost per lens is. It is not even remotely close to retail, couldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

To top it off and really stick it to the customer, we have that new & improved "Discount replacement plan", which, of course is "FREE". Now if you actually believe that it indeed is free, I think you've been hanging around the poly clear fumes for too long. That "FREE" replacement plan, aka BPP, now costs the consumer half the retail price. Yet those SAME lenses would most likely be replaced at no charge or some nominal shipping charge as they have a Warranty from the manufacturer if they were bought at an Independent. So whats the difference between LC and Independents, its the same lens fromt he same company. You think LC actually pays for those new lenses and thats why they charge the consumer. The simply keep track of those BPP's and tell Essilor or whomever to credit them for those lenses yet they still charge the consumer. It is because they have to pay YOU to remake them, of course usually in an hour, as if thats some condolence and some grand convenience to the consumer.

Im not trying to sound high and mighty, but once i was deprogrammed and actually entered private practice, i realized how brainwashed they have all their employees. I'm also getting my Masters in Economics, and the most fundamental thing you could possibly learn is that in the end ALL COSTS are passed on to the consumer. I am simply stating this so you know what i say comes from an educated, informed background, as these types of issues are all we Economist deal with all day.

This addresses the cost issue, but I am not even going to get started in on LC "Quality", as I have sent back jobs to be remade too many times b/c scratched lenses, Eye for and Eye, off axis, segs not right etc actually got out of the lab for me to dispense.

So please, the next time you actually have the balls to say ANYTHING from LC is "FREE" please open your mind and actually take a minute to think. It might also help if you worked retail and actually had to talk and deal with the consumers, as opposed to being in a lab listening to the radio all day.

[optical24/7]

Come on Matt, don't hold back, tell us what you really think!:D

:cheers:

[Fezz]

Hey Crazy-bout-Optics-

I like your style! Keep it up!

:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Come on, don't hold back, tell us what you really think!:D

:cheers:

i am a shy one after all ;-)
LOL, right!

[MarcE]

$179 for "featherweights" SV w/ Jack Crap coating.

Sounds free to me.

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Ok, no rant and rave here, I promise.

So I have worked with LC Fwt Complete W/Scotchgaurd and have just today gotten back lenses with crizal Alizee w/cleargaurd.

So, to comment about the original question of this post is that IMO, they are completely different. The Crizal Alizee w/cleargaurd is much easier to clean and the water beads up faster and better than Scotchgaurd.

I also noticed that when I (lightly) ran a finger over the Crizal lens it did not smudge or leave any residue on the lens. This is much better than the FWT Complete w/Scothgaurd lenses. I have worked with and Love Hoya Super Hi Vision A/R. IMO it is the "best" A/R lens out there, but it even smudges a bit when I run my finger over it while the Crizal doesn't.

I guess for me the Ideal A/R would be one with the scratch resistance of Hoyas Super Hi Vision, combined with the ease of cleaning of the Crizal Alizee w/cleargaurd.

Personally i think the Scotchgaurd A/R lenses are blah and wouldn't use them even if they were given to me for free, thou I do admit it was a much needed improvement over LC's old A/R.

[Chris Ryser]

$179 for "featherweights" SV w/ Jack Crap coating.
Sounds free to me.

If you ever have a chance of visiting a polycarbonate lens injection plant you will see the lenses coming out of mold in racks of 6 lenses every few seconds and then go automatically inti a hardcoat dipping process abd the oven to cure the coat.

It is basically the same process and material as if you would produce plastic forks and knives for you out door party which you purchase by the 50s for 2 to 3 bucks.

Manufactuerers love to push these lenses because besides progressive they are their largest money maker.
They could sell you 50 lenses for $ 2-3 and still make a decent profit.

Out of above reason they can play with the price on a wide margin depending to whom and what quantities
and which color envelope you want.

Essilor has Gentex spitting out lenses and Zeiss/Sola have a plant on Rhode Island that spits out lenses, never touched by a human hand, which you can buy and re-sell in any name under the sun you wish.

[bt5050]

Ok, no rant and rave here, I promise.

i think the Scotchgaurd A/R lenses are blah and wouldn't use them even if they were given to me for free,

thats kinda crazy - NO ?

It is not that bad of a product that i would ot take them for free -
sounds like it is more about something with them over at LC - then that of the lens - ?

b?

[DocInChina]

It is basically the same process and material as if you would produce plastic forks and knives for you out door party which you purchase by the 50s for 2 to 3 bucks.

Manufactuerers love to push these lenses because besides progressive they are their largest money maker.
They could sell you 50 lenses for $ 2-3 and still make a decent profit.

Out of above reason they can play with the price on a wide margin depending to whom and what quantities
and which color envelope you want.

Chris, keep in mind that the mold costs for polycarbonate lenses are enormous. Each power requires a different mold and then you need hundreds (even thousands) of each mold for each power. Additionally the cost for the equipment to manufacture polycarbonate lenses is MUCH higher than lens casting equipment. Once the equipment and molds are payed for the profit finds its way back to the manufacturer.

Doc

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

thats kinda crazy - NO ?

It is not that bad of a product that i would ot take them for free -
sounds like it is more about something with them over at LC - then that of the lens - ?

b?

Has nothing to do with the fact that they are sold at LC. It wouldn't matter to me where they were sold, I wouldn't take them. I am a former LC-er, and while I am VERY glad to be out of there, they did open the door to the Optical world and gave an 18 year old who knew nothing about optics a good education. Now that I am in private practice I see just what is really out that and how readily available better products are to consumers.

IMO Scotchgaurd lenses are inferior, and I do not understand why someone would pay about $300 retail for FWT completes w/Scotchgaurd when you could get Trivex (Much better material) with Alizee or Hoya Super Hi for about the same or less price.

I hate to admit this, but I was curious about glasses you buy online. I sent in a Modo frame of mine and for $39 got Poly with in house A/R. Honest to God, I think that A/R coating was better than the Scotchgaurd lenses from LC.

Just my 2 cents ;)