Can You Put New Lenses in Your Own Frames?
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TL;DR: Yes — in most cases you can put new lenses in your own frames. If the frame is structurally sound, we can re-lens it with single-vision, progressive, sun, or blue-light lenses, usually in 7–10 business days, starting around $75 for non-prescription tints and $250 for prescription. The main exception is a frame that has gone brittle or warped.
Key takeaways
- Most structurally sound frames — including designer and vintage — can be re-lensed; brittle, cracked, or badly warped frames usually can't.
- You can add almost any lens: single-vision, progressive, polarized sun, Transitions, blue-light, plus custom tints or mirror coatings.
- Re-lensing your own frames starts around $75 for non-prescription tints, $250 for single-vision, and $500+ for progressives.
- Most jobs take 7–10 business days; progressives, high-index, and specialty coatings take 10–14.
Quick answer
Reglazing — also called re-lensing — means fitting new lenses into a frame you already own instead of buying a whole new pair. In 20 years behind the dispensing bench, it's one of the most common things customers ask me for, and yes, it's usually possible. If you love how a frame fits, there's rarely a good reason to retire it because the lenses got scratched or your prescription changed.
We inspect the frame, trace its shape, and send it to our lab to have new lenses cut and fitted. The one real caveat is structural: a frame has to be sound enough to hold a new lens without cracking or losing its grip. So the question isn't really whether lenses can go in — it's whether the frame is healthy enough to take them. For most frames in good condition, it is.
Which frames can (and can't) be re-lensed?
It comes down to the frame's condition and how it holds a lens, not its age. A full-rim plastic frame flexes around the lens; a metal frame opens at a small screw; rimless and semi-rimless frames mount the lens with drill-holes or a nylon cord and groove. Most frames in good shape across all of those styles can be re-lensed — acetate, metal, titanium, designer, even decades-old vintage.
In our Roswell shop, the first thing I check is the frame's condition: does the plastic flex without creaking, are the metal joints and screws intact, is the rimless mounting hardware solid? The frames we tend to turn away have deep cracks, brittle plastic, stripped or seized screws, badly warped fronts, or rimless bridges and end-pieces too damaged to hold a new mount. A worn nylon cord is an easy swap; a cracked groove or a hardened, brittle frame is not. Honestly, we send a handful of frames home untouched each month — and for a frame you love, we'd rather say that than break it.
What lenses can you put in your own frames?
Almost any lens you'd order in a new pair, within a few limits. On the clear side: single-vision, progressives (the no-line kind), and readers, in materials from standard plastic to lightweight polycarbonate, Trivex, and thin high-index (1.67 or 1.74) for stronger prescriptions. On the sun side: polarized lenses that cut glare off roads and water, photochromic Transitions that darken outdoors, solid or gradient tints, and flash-mirror finishes. Anti-reflective and blue-light filtering can be added to most of them, though not every coating pairs with every material — we confirm the combination when you order.
Two honest notes on sun lenses. Polarization cuts reflected glare, but UV protection is a separate spec worth asking about (ours include full UV filtering). And standard Transitions darken less behind a car windshield, which blocks the UV that triggers them — so they shine as everyday glasses that step outside, not as driving sunglasses.
One note on progressives: because the focal zones have to line up with your eyes, a progressive reglaze needs accurate measurements — your pupil distance and the fitting height in that specific frame. That's quick in person; for a mail-in or online order, we walk you through getting them right.
How much does re-lensing cost, and how long does it take?
Re-lensing is usually cheaper than a comparable new pair, because you pay for lenses and labor rather than a new frame too — though a frame-and-lens promotion can occasionally beat it, and we'll tell you when that's the case. The numbers below are starting prices for the lenses themselves; your prescription, material, and coatings set the final figure, which the Lens Builder prices out for you.
| Lens type | Starts around | Typical turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Non-prescription fashion tint | $75 | 7–10 business days |
| Single-vision prescription | $250 | 7–10 business days |
| Polarized sun lenses | $125 | 7–10 business days |
| Photochromic (Transitions) | $150 | 10–14 business days |
| Progressive (no-line) | $500 | 10–14 business days |
Premium materials, mirror coatings, and stronger prescriptions move you up from the starting price.
Can you put prescription lenses in any frame?
Almost any, within two real limits. Strong prescriptions do best in smaller, well-centered frames — a large frame with a strong minus prescription leaves thick, heavy edges, and a strong plus needs the right thickness and centration. Material matters too: high-index keeps strong scripts thin, but it isn't always the right call for rimless, sports, or kids' frames, where impact-resistant polycarbonate or Trivex is the safer pick. Heavily curved wrap frames are the other limit, because their angle fights a strong prescription. For everyday frames at everyday prescriptions, the frame's condition is the real question — not your script.
How do I get my frame to you?
Two ways: drop it off at our Roswell shop, or mail it in. To send a frame by mail:
- Order your lenses first in the Lens Builder, so we know exactly what you want before the frame arrives.
- Pack it to survive the trip — wrap the frame in a soft cloth or bubble wrap and put it in a small rigid box, not just a padded envelope. Glasses get crushed in transit more often than you'd think.
- Label it clearly — write "Lens Order" on the outside of the box, and tuck a note inside with your name, phone number, and your lens order number.
- Ship it to: Gazal Eyecare, 76 Norcross Street, Roswell, GA 30075. For a frame you care about, use a tracked and insured service.
- We re-lens and return it, usually within 7–10 business days of the frame reaching us.
Not sure your frame will survive the swap? Call or text us at 470-729-2020 first and we'll talk it through before you ship anything.
Put new lenses in your own frames at Gazal
The simplest way to start is our online Lens Builder: choose "your own frame," pick the lens type, tint, and coatings, and see your price before you commit. Then drop the frame off in Roswell or mail it in using the steps above.
Shopping frames first? Browse Gazal eyeglasses and sunglasses — anything you buy from us can be lensed to your prescription. And if you're in metro Atlanta and want us to measure in person, book an eye exam or fitting. A proper fitting is the difference between lenses that just work and lenses you forget you're wearing.
Frequently asked questions
Can any optician put new lenses in my frames?
Most full-service opticals can, but not all will take on older or designer frames they didn't sell. We re-lens frames bought anywhere and inspect them first. We back our work, and we walk you through the exact warranty on your lenses — and on the frame, if you bought it from us — before you order, so there are no surprises.
Will I lose my frames if they crack during the process?
It's rare, but old acetate can split when it's flexed to seat a new lens. We check for brittleness before we start and tell you the risk plainly. For a sentimental or only pair, that honest conversation up front matters more than the sale.
Can I put prescription lenses in sunglasses I already own?
Usually yes. We can replace tinted or polarized sun lenses with your prescription, or set a prescription behind a mirror or gradient tint. Heavily curved wrap sunglasses with a strong prescription are the main exception, because the angle distorts vision.
Can you reglaze designer or brand-name frames?
Yes. We re-lens designer frames whether or not you bought them from us, as long as the frame is structurally sound. Brand-name acetate and titanium hold new lenses well — the only real check is the frame's condition, not the logo on the temple.
Is re-lensing cheaper than buying a new pair?
Often, because you pay for lenses and labor, not a new frame. A reglaze starts around $75 for non-prescription tints and $250 for prescription single-vision. If your frame is failing, though, a new pair can be the smarter spend — and we'll say so.
How long does it take to get new lenses in my frames?
Most single-vision and standard sun lenses take 7–10 business days. Progressives, high-index materials, and specialty tints or mirror coatings run 10–14 business days. Because we keep your frame while the lenses are cut, we turn sentimental or only pairs around as fast as the lab allows.
The bottom line
If a frame fits well and the plastic or metal is still healthy, keep it and change the lenses — you'll usually spend less and end up with glasses you already know you like. Bring us a strong prescription or a brittle vintage frame and you'll get a straight answer about what's realistic before anything is cut. Ready to price it out? Start in the Lens Builder and we'll take it from there.
Andy Tabrizipour is an ABO- and NCLE-licensed optician in Georgia with 20 years of experience dispensing eyewear, and the owner of Gazal Eyecare in Roswell.