Glasses at 5.5

So, my kids got glasses last year (age 4.5).  It's almost time for their check up and I'm sure they'll need an update.
 
Last year, we paid big bucks and got the flexible metal frames - the kind that can literally bend in half and not break. And paid $80 for  full warranty.  They are each on their fourth pair, so the warranty was worth it!
 
The thing is, with the flexible metal, the frames bend like CRAZY and I feel like I'm reshaping them every day and having to go back to the doctor and get them to do it sometimes, too - at least every 6 weeks or so.  Once the glasses are reshaped so many times, they lose their "hold" and wear out - start sliding down their nose, etc. and we end up replacing them.  That's why we're on the fourth pair each.
 
I'm wondering if I'd be better off to go for cheaper plastic frames and just keep a cheap back up pair for each of them since they need them for school.  Even after the insurance, their first pair cost over $600 for the two of them, and most of that cost was the frames (about $250 a piece for the frames).  The plastic frames are way cheaper.
 
Anyone have any thoughts or experience or insight to share?? 
 
They've gotten pretty good about keeping the glasses on.  I can think of one time for each of them when the glasses probably would have broken - once when they got knocked off playing at school and someone stepped on them, and another time one of them took the glasses off and set them on the floor and someone stepped on them (that was months ago and hasn't happened since the teacher and I both gave them a big lecture!!). But they are boys and they do wrestle and play rough, so I'm just not sure what to do.

 

We started at 2 and 2.5 with glasses. Then the third followed at 5. With the boys, they had the metal frames with the little nose piece. I loved them on them, but hated the fact that they would break(even with flexible arms), or the nose piece would fall off, mishapen, etc. I dealt with those(insurance covered) for four years.

Then I went to Walmart. And paid out of pocket(less than $400 for two pairs of regular glasses and two pairs of sports goggles). I got the transition lenses too.

Love them. They are plastic, had them well over a year and not one problem(covered for a year under walmarts warranty). No nose pieces, no broken arms. Love them. And the kids look great in them too!

 

Thanks, Meg.  We've had issues with the nose pieces falling off constantly on the style one of the boys has.  It's ridiculous!!
 
It's good to hear someone else and know I'm not just crazy to find the metal frame annoying.  I'm going to look at the choices when we go, but I'm really leaning toward plastic.  They don't do sports, so I don't need the goggles (at least not yet).

 

Clayton is on his first pair of non bendable glasses... well, 2nd pair in that the first pair broke.. the arms fell off.    Yes, I hated the adjusting of the bendable metal ones.  I have a special pliers to do it and the fix lasted longer when I did the fixing vs any professional.  Audrey has always had plastic glasses.  Once hers broke on the nose piece but she isn't as 'rough' with hers. 
 
Think about how 'rough' your kids are with them.  Good luck

 

DD has been wearing her metal frame glasses for a good 2.5 years now. There were two incidents in that time when I am sure a plastic frame would have needed a replacement, one was a bad fight with her twin brother, the other a bad fall when biking - both unavoidable I guess.  She does not wear them for sports so far - one of her eyes has perfect vision and that is enough for her sports, that depends on the kind of sports of course.
 
We are happy with the metal frame - we can normally readjust it ourselves, just the two bad incidents needed professional help.

 

My kiddo with glasses has metal frames. He has had that type since he was 2. I cannot imagine him in plastic yet. While he does very well with his glasses and takes them off for rough housing there have been many times that had the glasses been plastic they would not have been repairable.

The first year was the worst. I think we were at the eye glass place every other week for adjustments. Now we go every few months. He has to see the eye doctor every 6 months so no biggie. I actually asked the eye glass person about plastic and they said they all have pros and cons.

If you shop around you can find some good deals on glasses and warrenty. Don't be afraid to shop around. Luckily our insurance covers new frames every other year and lenses yearly with a copay. So those years it's $35 for frames and lenses. We get eye glass one year warrenty for free the place we go for the boys. They cover the frame (multipe) and 1 set of lenses with a $10 dollar co-pay for the lenses. The place I go I pay $10 for an extended warranty. I would shop around for a better warranty. I think even target has a better plan but I don't remember.

 

I'm going to go to a different place to get their glasses this time.  We got them at the eye doctor's last time.  They have treated us very well and always fixed or replaced with no questions.  The issue is they aren't very close to our house, and they close at 5pm and are only open weekdays.  The Lenscrafters in our mall is open until 9pm most nights and on weekends, and they have a much bigger selection.  Going there would be way less hassle to get a fix.  I guess I will see what the options are when we go and then decide what to do. 
 
We have vision insurance, but it only covers 20% of glasses and frames, so it's pretty poor.  I had to go to the eye doctor last week for myself and it was $300 for the check up and glasses and I didn't even buy the contacts yet because they want me to wear the trials for a week first.