Why Eyeglass Lenses Are So Expensive Compared to Complete Eyeglasses?

 

It is a known fact that spare parts of products are always sold at a higher price than that of the original finished good. One of the major reasons for this is companies have to maintain inventories for spare parts which generally cost them a bulk because of the handling and maintenance charges.

Separate lenses are more expensive because they are low-volume items requiring different and more handling leading to an increase in the ultimate and final price. Sometimes the consumers end up paying 10 to 20 times more than the actual cost of the lenses and frames. In fact, the lenses are usually the most expensive part of the eyeglasses.

Making a good sunglasses lens is a skill. It takes a person with a great eye, accuracy, and hard work to get it right, and hence the price as a lot of labor goes into it. One of the major factors is that the price of the lens is based on technology. The better the technology used in the process of manufacture, the higher the price. The more features you want the price gets higher. It is considered that sometimes a single pair of lenses can cost equal to the cost of three prescription eyeglasses.