Sunday, July 2, 2017

Lindberg Glasses Review – Are they worth the high cost?

For most purchases, I tend to go for the best deal and try not to spend a lot of money, but for certain things, I don't mind spending a bit more. One of those things is eyeglasses. As someone who wears glasses for distance, I wear glasses pretty much all day so it is important to have a pair that is comfortable and looks good.

I purchased my current Lindberg glasses back in 2009. It's hard to believe I have had them for about 8 years and they are still holding up strong. They were definitely not cheap especially when you add in the cost of the lenses, but I figured, for something that I will be wearing on my face all day, everyday, I might as well get something good.

I purchased them from an eyeglasses boutique retailer that carries some of the higher end brands. For the Lindberg's, they had many in store to try out, but when you order them, they actually measure your head to get the exact dimensions and then the frames are ordered and built to your exact specifications. I think this is great considering most frames you buy in store are the ones on the shelf that everyone has been trying on. Also with the custom build, it allows you to choose the color and shape options so you can get them exactly how you want.

I remember when my glasses came in the first time, they accidentally made a mistake and ordered a different shape for the frame. Luckily, they were able to re-order the correct frame at no charge so it was only an inconvenience because it took longer to get the frames.

Overall I have been very pleased with the glasses. As mentioned before, I have been wearing them every day for 8 years and they are still in great condition. Even the original lenses are still in good condition. There have been countless times where I have accidentally scratched them on things, even metal. I then check the frame thinking I just ruined them only to find out they are still in perfect condition. I guess the metal and color used is very durable because they show no signs of wear even after all these years.

The nose pads however did wear down after a few years. They are a high quality, but the silicone did start to break apart eventually. Luckily, I was able to take them to a local eyewear place that carries Lindberg and they were able to replace the nose pads for free! I was very surprised by this, especially considering the high cost of the frames.

As for comfort, they are super light and do not cause any discomfort or irritation. They fit very well which is expected since they are made to order.

Are they worth the high cost? If you take care of your glasses and plan to keep them for several years as I have, I would say yes, they are worth it. The quality is top notch so you can expect them to hold up longer than cheap frames.

Recently I had another eye exam and my insurance covered some basic frames. I would have liked to get another pair of Lindberg's but since my current pair is still good, I decided to just get a cheap pair as a backup. The difference in quality of the cheap pair vs the Lindberg's is very clear when trying them out side by side. The Lindberg's are lighter, more comfortable, and better looking.

I wish the Lindbergs were not so expensive, but I would probably get another pair when I need to replace my current frames. If you are someone who takes care of your glasses and doesn't mind spending quite a bit more for high quality frames, I would recommend checking out Lindberg. 
 
Update 1-18-24:
After 15 years of daily wear the fishing line that holds in the lenses on my glasses finally broke. It happened to be a day when I was outside for a long time in very cold temperature so it's likely that had something to do with it, but considering this thin material held up for 15 years, I was not too surprised that it eventually broke.

Good news is I quickly learned than this is something that can be fixed. You may even be able to do it yourself with some replacement line, but I ended up taking them to my nearest Lindberg dealer to see if they could fix it. They said yes and they were able to fix them in about 20 minutes. They even re-strung the other side just in case. 

So now they are back and good as new! I plan to keep wearing them for now. They are still in good condition and they are comfortable so I have no reason to replace them.
 

17 comments:

  1. Just bought my first pair of Lindbergs. Expensive, yes, but when you consider what people pay for smart phones these days they are definitely worth it.

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  2. I've had my pair of lindberg hermods for years - I will keep wearing them until (if?) my wife ever disallows me from wearing them due to fashion reasons - best frames I've ever had by far

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  3. I like my Lindberg 6508 frames, however, after a knock on the side of the frame whilst I was wearing them (they didn't even fall off), the nose bridge now has so many fractures in it a complete break is imminent. The lenses aren't even scratched that is how well they are looked after :(

    I have worn glasses all my life and never had this problem before. So because of the high lense cost for me, I will probably try to buy the same frame again, just to use the same lenses.

    The initial frame and lense cost 1200 Euro and only lasted 12 months :(

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  4. I found that some metal frame colours are not stable, they change under normal use. In my case after a couple years the metal frame (except the parts covered by the silicone padding) had very uniformly changed from Red/Bronze 'Lindberg col 60' to a light yellow gold 'Lindberg col GT' almost as if the bronze was applied on top of the yellow/gold. It appears that Lindberg are aware of these issues on some colours and offer a re-coating service at a cost of £225. In my opinion this should not occur with expensive frames, and it is disappointing that Lindberg are not able take responsibility to address a failure of this type. It is a pity because while Lindberg frames do have good qualities it is sad too see the name let down by not taking responsibilities in all areas. I would have purchased a second pair but decided not to as their after sales responsibility does not equate that expected for the price one pays.

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  5. i bought a pair in november 2016 (sorry can't tell you the model number as it is so small i need a microscope to see it). they have broken at the bridge TWICE whist just putting them on - TWICE in under a year! i have worn glasses for over 40 years and have NEVER had such a cheap feeling/wearing frame! I HATE HATE HATE HATE THEM. They ARE NOT worth the cost.

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    1. I bought them too and they have broken 3 times since I bought them in August 2016. The temples by the ears broke in 3 places, the temples by the glass broke just from cleaning and last week the nose piece broke just from cleaning. They are crap!!!! I paid $499 cdn dollars for them and didn't think twice as I thought they were worth it. My store has been trying to help me, but they say the company won't stand behind their product. I am furious

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  6. Same here, glasses two years old. Loose temple and broke at the nose whilst cleaning. Never dropped them or took a hit. No more Lindberg ever again. They look nice and that's it.

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  7. I've had mine for about 7 years. I've replaced the lenses once and the nose pads a couple of times but they've held up great. I have epilepsy so I've had a few face - plants during that time, had a basketball hit me in the face hard enough to send the glasses flying and raised 2 very grabby little boys. They're basically flawless still. No signs of weak spots in the frame and not a single blemish on the powder coating. I'll buy Lindberg again, but at this rate I'll have this pair for another decade or so.

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  8. After 2.5 years the plastic frames broke down. Whole cleaning them one day, they broke.

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  9. Wish I’d read this before I bought mine, had them less than two years, only wear them during the summer and yesterday a lense fell out, the frame is cracked. I am overseas till later in the year so won’t get them fixed for ages, so not at all happy. I paid over £800, granted the lenses can be reused but very poor frame.

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  10. I have lived in Europe and had my Lindberg frameless glasses for long years, quality of glasses and frame high and the comfort too. Living in the USA I did need new glasses. Nobody knew how to replace them in my Lindberg frame. I did order a new brand frame. Since then and several frames farter I am completely not comfortable having glasses, year in year out and different opticians have been visited. My old Lindberg frame 10 year or older is still the best, light, strong, modern. Now I have to find one clever person in the USA that can help me to replace the glasses in them. Where can I find them?

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    1. I would check the dealers near you that sell Lindberg frames first: https://lindberg.com/en/dealers
      If they cannot do it, I would contact Lindberg here to see what they can do: https://lindberg.com/en/about/contact

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  11. Mijn man en ik hebben ook slechte ervaringen met een Lindberg montuur. Die van hem brak na een half jaar spontaan doormidden. DE veren van mijn monturen zijn heel erg verkleurd. Ook verschijnen overal kleine barstjes op het montuur en zijn de neusvleugelhaakjes zeer dun en kwetsbaar geworden. Ik durf hem bijna niet vast te pakken en ben bang dat hij het op een gegeven moment ook begeeft.

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  12. I am just purchased my 3rd pair of Lindberg frames. I prefer the very light but allround wire style which unfortunately does not seem to be in fashion now.
    I found a few possibilities before buying Lindberg again but on careful trying, the Lindberg options were lighter and more comfortable and not a great deal more expensive. If cost is your priority then they are probably not for you.

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  13. I've had the Spirit Titanium frames for 10 years and been generally happy. They're very light and comfortable. The nose pads did fall out so I had to use pliers to tighten the loop that holds them.
    But now the nose bridge has snapped! In the bent part inserted into the lens so only the lens is holding it together. I clean the lenses by holding the bridge in the fingers of one hand then wipe with the other. Apparently you shouldn't do that. Lindberg only told me when I emailed about the broken frame, I was never told that when I bought them and there's no care FAQ on their website.
    Lindberg says I could send them to be examined but that sounds like throwing good money after bad.
    So I'm pretty annoyed as none of my other frames have broken. Their customer service is poor. I don't think I'll buy another Lindberg frame again.

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  14. I have had a pair of Air Titanium glasses that I bought in 2000, and I have been wearing them all day, every day, since without a problem with the frames. They have come apart a few times because someone sat on them, but I was able to reassemble them easily, and everything snapped back into place without problems. the only issue I have had is that the nose pieces wear or fell out, and it can be hard to find a Linberg place to replace them, but they do it for free. The only other thing is that I have had to change the lenses as my prescription has changed over the ~22 years. Pretty amazing! GMB

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  15. I wished I knew about this company Lindbergh before I purchased my fancy glasses from local, but expensive boutique in Chicago. My price was …1700 US dollars. Shocking at the cashier desk! Supposedly lenses are expensive to put in, plus I had some upgrades
    In my lenses.. anyway, I got my $$ glasses yesterday. They look pretty, they are super light, frames have beautiful red-ish color. After reading comments above, I will take care of them, so they will last for long time!
    I guess, I need another pair to wear when work out or run. O, well!!

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