5 BEST
The Top Online Destinations for Purchasing Glasses in 2024
Ordering glasses online has the dual advantage of enabling you to save money while also allowing you to select from a more extensive variety of styles simultaneously. All that is required is your prescription.
Purchasing Glasses in 2024
Tips for buying eyeglasses
How to Discover the Ideal Glasses and Sunglasses Online
We delve into what the diverse online outlets for glasses have to offer and precisely how their services operate.
In today’s era, the most optimal and cost-effective way to obtain your glasses is actually directly through your computer. Although you’ll still need to visit an optometrist to obtain a prescription if required, now you can save money and access a broader range of styles by ordering your glasses online. Many of today’s online eyeglass sites feature virtual fitting tools that enable you to see how you look before you even place an order. Others have generous return policies that allow you to spend some time with the frames, decide if you like them, and send them back free of charge if you’re dissatisfied with the look or fit. This eliminates much of the uncertainty in online eyeglasses shopping and helps ensure you’ll get a pair that satisfies you. Here are the key aspects to consider when shopping for eyeglasses online.
Price
Comparing prices when purchasing eyeglasses online can be complex. Some stores include both frames and prescription lenses in their pricing, while others price frames and lenses separately.
Finding the lowest price also depends on what you desire to buy. For instance, if you’re merely looking for basic, low-cost frames with single-vision lenses and without extras like special tinting or coatings, you could be looking at paying as little as $6.95 from Zenni Optical. However, for that price, you’ll be getting very simple lenses and basic frames. It’s ideal if you’re concerned about losing or breaking your glasses or want a spare pair for a trip, but if you desire a variety of designer styles, you’ll be paying higher prices. Still, we’re not talking about anything close to what you’d pay in a physical store.
Another question to consider when comparing pricing at different online eyeglass stores is whether or not your insurance is accepted. Glasses.com stands out for accepting plans from most providers and collaborating with many local optometrists. Although the initial price of eyeglasses might be higher, once you factor in your insurance benefits, you could find that you obtain cheaper glasses than anywhere else.
Types of Glasses
When shopping for glasses online, you want to be able to order more than just reading glasses. Progressive lenses, bifocals, and multi-focals are available from most outlets, such as Eyeglasses.com. Most online eyeglass stores sell sunglasses, but stores like Glasses.com and Oakley also sell ski goggles and safety glasses and goggles with prescription lenses.
When you buy online, you should also explore what special tinting and coatings you can have added to your glasses. Blue, red, and brown tinting, photochromic lenses, and ultraviolet protective coatings are among those offered by e-retailers like Zenni Optical and Felix Gray. Glasses.com includes several add-ons like scratch-resistance and anti-reflective lenses.
Those who spend a significant amount of time staring at a computer may want to consider lenses that combat digital eye strain. Felix Gray’s blue-light filtering glasses utilize special lens technology to reduce screen-induced headaches and eye strain. Despite their practical utility, these lenses come in trendy, modern frames that don’t compromise on style.
It almost goes without saying that any online glasses shop offers sunglasses as well as prescription lenses.
Virtual Try-On
The major concern when buying glasses online is wondering what they’ll look like if you can’t try them on in person. Well, online eyeglass stores have devised two different solutions to this problem. Most stores now offer virtual try-on. This means you can upload a photo of yourself and then click on the page to see what you’d look like wearing the frames you’re considering. Eyeconic and Lensabl both adopt this approach.
The other approach is to allow you to order frames to try on at home for free. That’s how Liingo operates. It enables you to choose up to 5 pairs of frames to wear at home for 5 days. You can seek your friends’ opinions and see how they feel on your face before choosing the pair you like best or sending them all back and trying different ones. There’s no charge for either shipping or returns.
Eyeglasses.com and FelixGray actually utilize a combination of both solutions. Both sites offer virtual try-on, but then once you receive your glasses, you have 30 days to try them on at home and send them back for free, so that you can be certain that you really like them.
Shipping
Shipping is one cost that you don’t have to pay when you obtain your eyeglasses in a physical store. In some cases, shipping costs almost as much as the glasses themselves. But then again, many online eyeglass stores like Glasses.com resolve this issue by offering free shipping.
Shipping times are also a concern, although you’d usually need to wait a couple of days before your glasses are ready when you order in a brick-and-mortar store as well. You can usually pay more for expedited shipping to get your glasses as soon as the next working day.
Refunds and Returns
When you buy eyeglasses online, you want to know that it’s easy to return them if you don’t like them when you receive the actual product. Both Liingo and Glasses.com offer free shipping and 60 days to return your purchase if you don’t absolutely love it. Eyeconic has a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee for their glasses.
Range of Styles
One final advantage of buying eyeglasses online is that you can choose from a much greater range of styles than what your local optometrist stocks. Both Eyeglasses.com and Glasses.com are excellent sources of high-fashion eyeglasses for men and especially for women. The sites have hundreds of designer and non-designer styles for both adults and children.
Buy Your Next Eyeglasses Online for Less
Buying eyeglasses online provides you with access to more styles, a wider range of extras like coatings and tinting, and most importantly, lower prices for your eyewear. With many online eyeglass stores offering free shipping and returns with no strings attached, you really have nothing to lose by giving it a try.