One of the hardest parts of having glasses is keeping them in good shape.
While glasses are more durable than they used to be, it’s still possible to break them.
If your glasses break, you may wonder where you can go to get them fixed for free.
From big box stores to official opticians, here are a few places where you can get your glasses fixed for free.
Where Can I Get My Glasses Fixed For Free? (4 Options)
1. Walmart
One of the most common places to get your glasses repaired for free is Walmart.
Most Walmart stores have an optics area that sells glasses as well as performs eye tests.
You can even go to an optician at Walmart to find out if you need glasses.
If you do, you can buy them right there in the store.
Walmart has a large collection of glasses available, but if you need lenses that they don’t carry, you’ll need to wait a bit for them to get those lenses in stock.
Besides selling glasses and performing eye tests, Walmart can also repair your glasses.
As long as your repair isn’t extensive, they’ll even perform them for free.
There are a few factors that determine if they’ll charge you for your glasses repair service.
The first is how busy the optics store is.
If the store is busy, they may not have the people available to help you for free.
Because their services are in demand, they need to charge those who use them.
The second factor is the extent of the repair.
If Walmart needs to get parts for the glasses, you can expect to pay some sort of fee.
They need to cover the costs of those parts.
If all your glasses needs is a simple repair, however, they’ll likely do so for free.
As long as your local Walmart has an optics center, you might be able to get some simple repairs for your glasses for free.
2. Target
Another store that sometimes offers free repairs on glasses is Target.
Not every Target store has an optics center, so you’ll want to first check that your local store has one.
If it does, there’s a chance that they’ll repair your glasses for free.
It also depends on how extensive the repairs are.
Like Walmart, if Target has to get new parts, they’ll probably add a service fee to the repair.
The service fee covers the cost of those parts.
Whether you get your repairs for free or not also depends on busy the optics center is.
If they’re busy, they’ll probably charge you for the service.
Otherwise, everyone would be coming to their store for free repairs.
As long as the repair is simple, you should be able to get free repairs on your glasses at Target.
3. LensCrafters
A major optics center is LensCrafters.
They’re a professional optics company that performs eye tests.
If they find that you need glasses, you can order them through them.
Because LensCrafters is an optics business, they tend to have a wider selection than Walmart or Target.
They also have more parts readily on hand.
Because of that, LensCrafters will also sometimes repair your glasses for free.
They tend to be a bit more willing than other businesses to offer free repair services because they already have a lot of the things they need to repair glasses.
That said, if the repair is more complex, LensCrafters usually charges a fee.
You can also sometimes sign on with some sort of Protection Program if you’re a customer of LensCrafters.
With the plan, you’re able to get free repairs and other services.
At the most, you may need to pay a small fee for more extensive repairs.
LensCrafters is an ideal place to get your glasses fixed for free as long as it’s a simple repair.
4. Big Box Optic Stores
Besides Walmart and Target, several other big box stores have their own optics sections.
It’s worth checking Costco and other big box stores to determine if your local stores have an optics area.
Like those stores, the big box store in question may not always offer free repairs for extensive damage.
It also depends on how busy the store is and the kind of equipment they have on hand.
If you need free glasses repairs, then stopping by your local big box store with an optics section in it can potentially help you.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix Frames Of Glasses?
Fixing glasses isn’t always expensive.
Depending on whether you need a complete overhaul or a simple adjustment, it can be as inexpensive as $10 to something more pricey like $60.
One of the most common repairs for glasses is when the screws on the pair of glasses become loose or broken.
To get new screws, you can usually expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $50.
More expensive repairs have to do with the lenses.
Because lenses are custom for each person, they take more money to make.
When you need new lenses because your current ones have scratches or are entirely broken, you can expect to pay a much higher price.
The more specialized the lenses are, the costlier they’re going to be.
Can You Get Glasses Adjusted For Free?
Yes, you can get your glasses adjusted for free at most opticians.
Adjustments involve the careful manipulation of small parts near the lenses.
Because the parts are delicate, it’s best not to attempt adjustments yourself.
The good news is that if you visit an optician, they can adjust your glasses for free.
It doesn’t take too long to have an adjustment done.
The optician will simply adjust your glasses until it fits your head better.
Because the service is relatively easy and doesn’t require any additional parts, it doesn’t cost the optician anything but time.
Having your glasses fit your head is important because it ensures that the lenses sit right on your face.
If they don’t, then the lenses might not be in line with your eyes.
It might cause headaches, blurred vision, or general discomfort.
There’s also a risk of having the glasses slip from your face.
If that happens, they might fall to the ground and break.
As such, having your glasses adjusted for free is a great way to keep your glasses safe.
Can You Fix Broken Glasses Yourself?
Yes, there are certain repairs that you can do on your glasses for free.
Here are a few easy repairs that you can do yourself at home.
1. Crooked Lenses
A common problem that you might face when you first get your glasses is that your lenses aren’t in line.
One side may be higher than the other.
When this happens, fixing it is something you can do at home.
To fix it, you simply need to carefully bend one arm or the other.
If the right side of your glasses is higher than the left, you just need to bend the left side a bit until it’s in line.
If the left side of your glasses is higher than the right, you just need to bend the right side a bit until it’s in line.
In particular, you need to bend the arms.
If the arms, themselves, don’t fix the problem, you need to bend the glasses by the hinges.
Since the hinges are delicate areas of your glasses, you may want to have a professional adjust them for you.
2. Glasses That Pinch
Another annoying problem you may have with your glasses is that they pinch against your nose.
Besides being uncomfortable, having your glasses pinch against your nose can cause headaches.
Fixing this problem requires a bit more finesse.
If you don’t think you can perform the following actions, you should take it to a professional.
If you have metal frames, fixing the problem is easy.
You just need to press on the plastic buffers that rest against your nose.
You’ll want to slide them up the wire frame until they’re in a comfortable position for you.
If you have plastic frames, you need to do a bit of preparation beforehand.
You’ll need to soak the frames in warm water for at least a half hour.
If you can spare a full hour, that’s the best option.
Once your glasses have warmed in the water, it’s easier to bend the arms.
You’ll need to bend them upwards and outwards to move the plastic parts that rest on your nose.
You’ll want to adjust slowly to avoid breaking the frames.
If your glasses slip down your nose instead, then you’ll want to do the opposite of these steps, so you’ll need to bend them downwards and inwards.
3. Broken Frames
If one of the arms of your glasses breaks off, you may think you need to get a new pair.
That isn’t necessarily the case, however.
You can repair the glasses with a few materials.
The first thing you’ll need is some sandpaper.
When your frames break, they don’t break cleanly.
As a result, you have a few chipped edges that need sanding.
With your sandpaper, you’ll want to run down the edges until they’re smooth once more.
Once they’re smooth, you can join them together completely.
You’ll need epoxy or something similar that does a good job of sealing plastic together.
Dab the epoxy on the broken part of the glasses, then join it together with the other half.
Hold the two pieces together until the epoxy dries.
You can sand off any imperfections.
After that, your frames should be together once more.
Does Gorilla Glue Work On Glasses?
Yes, you can use Gorilla glue on glasses.
Gorilla glue does a great job of adhering to plastic.
If you don’t like the idea of using epoxy so close to your eyes, then Gorilla glue is a great alternative.
It’s extremely strong and easy to use.
Like epoxy, to use gorilla glue, you just need to dab it onto the broken part of the glasses.
Then you’ll need to hold it together until the glue dries.
Gorilla glue dries relatively fast, so using it to fix your glasses is useful.
How To Protect Your Glasses
While some places can repair your glasses for free, it’s usually best to avoid needing repairs in the first place.
Luckily, there are a few ways you can help protect your glasses.
The first is to use cases.
Glasses cases are useful for keeping your glasses safe whenever you’re not wearing them.
They ensure your glasses don’t get squished in purses.
They also ensure that if you drop your glasses, the case takes the brunt of the damage.
Another way to protect your glasses is to keep them clean.
When there’s dirt on your glasses, it can sometimes scratch the lenses.
Carefully wipe your glasses with a soft cloth and appropriate cleaner.
By gently removing the dirt, your lenses will stay safe.
Conclusion
Repairs for glasses can sometimes be expensive depending on what you need fixed.
The good news is that some places will perform basic repairs for free.
There are also some repairs that you can do at home on your own.
