Kane & Figler Optometry Takes High-Tech Approach to Eye Care

If you're shopping for eyeglasses but don't feel like spending a long time trying on frame after frame, a new optometry business offers a perfect fit from the comfort of home.

Customers at Kane & Figler Optometry in Alpha Plaza in Highland Heights can have their exact head dimensions taken with a 3-D scanner. Once that's done, they can browse frames online and check how it looks on them.

"Once we've taken your photo with it, we can send pictures to you and you can go online and try on any glasses you want," said optometrist Brian Kane.

Kane, who operates Family Eye Centers in Willoughby and Painesville, and optometrist Stephen Figler, owner of Broadway Optical in Slavic Village, have incorporated the latest technology into their new location. A grand opening celebration will take place from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday.

They chose the Alpha Park site because of a lack of similar services in the area.

"This is an area that is underserved with general eyekeeper services," Kane said. "We provide one-on-one care that goes outside the world of the chains. We care who you are and we want you to come back."

"Our exam is entirely electronic and paperless and we always use the latest technologies," Kane added.

Brands Kane & Figler Optometry carry include Alain Mikli, Stark, Affliction, Judith Leiber, Ed Hardy, Tag Heuer and Oliver Peoples.

"In many cases, they wear their glasses as much as their shoes," Kane said. "But people choose the lowest-end eyeglasses. People don't realize the importance of vision and fashion in this country. The No. 1-selling contact lens in Japan is a daily disposable, yet people here all want to find a lens that lasts five years. That culture needs to change."

Quality is also important and the cheapest price is not always the best deal, he added.

"Everybody spends their money differently. In the long run, is it really expensive or is it a value? When you buy frames that are two for $99, why do you think your frame turns green after awhile, it's because of the metals they use," Kane said.

Kane said the quality extends into their eye exams and gave an example of a patient who complains of eyes watering, itching or burning.

"We'll provide an explanation. I get people all the time who say, 'He didn't tell me anything, he just gave me these glasses.' We will give you a complete report at the end of the exam," he said.