Buying Glasses Online Usa BETTER
After additional testing, including ordering glasses with single-vision and photochromic prescription lenses, we still think Eyebuydirect and Zenni Optical are the best online glasses retailers for most people.
buying glasses online usa
People who want to use certain vision insurance benefits without having to file a claim after purchase, or folks who want the option to buy or get frames fitted (or adjusted) in a store, may prefer ordering from Lenscrafters or Target Optical, which also offer online-only ordering.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can save hundreds of dollars by buying prescription eyeglasses online instead of through an optician. After performing more than 120 hours of research over four years, talking to eight eye-care professionals, and testing dozens of comparable frame-and-lens pairings from 12 retailers since 2017, we recommend that you start your online glasses search at Eyebuydirect. It offers an extensive, easy-to-search selection of quality frames, multiple lens and coating options, and affordable prices when compared with the prominent competition.
To make the strongest possible direct comparisons across brands, we had each tester choose near-identical frames and lenses from each retailer. Of course, there were some slight differences in styles based on the options each retailer offered at the time of our testing. For example, some of the wire-framed glasses that Tester 1 ordered were a slightly different shape than others. The anti-glare and hydrophobic coatings we ordered differed slightly from pair to pair, depending upon retailer offerings and costs.
When we ordered my glasses (metal-and-plastic frames filled with comparatively stronger Rx lenses), we found that two retailers, Eyebuydirect and GlassesUSA, required that we order more-expensive lenses based on the prescription (costing an extra $79 and $70, respectively). Firmoo and Zenni allowed us to order basic lenses, with the option to upgrade.
Wondering what happens to returned spectacles? We asked each of the retailers we tested what they did with unwanted prescription glasses. Liingo said it reuses returned frames for its in-home try-on services, as well as donates glasses to various organizations. Eyebuydirect, Firmoo, GlassesUSA, and Warby Parker all said they partner with charities to distribute glasses to those in need. Zenni donates them to Lions Clubs International.
Orders over $119 ship for free (orders costing less incur a $6 shipping charge). Eyebuydirect says glasses can take one to two weeks to produce and mail, but all of our test pairs arrived within seven days of ordering, save for the more-complicated progressives, which arrived within the promised two weeks.
Eyebuydirect offers two-day delivery on single-vision prescription glasses in more than 300 frame options, for an additional fee of $19 (though you can usually pay less with a coupon code). We tried this service and were pleasantly surprised to receive our order within 33 hours of placing it.
In 2020, we ordered the exact same glasses that we ordered in 2019 to evaluate consistency. We were pleasantly surprised to note that not only was the prescription perfect, but the glasses were also slightly less expensive the second time around, thanks to the recent uptick in Zenni coupon codes.
Likewise, if the temple arms are too long for you, the glasses can slip forward and off your face or dig in behind your ears, an issue that can sometimes be mitigated with an in-person fitting with a professional (for which Liingo, one of our picks, offers a $25 credit; Eyeconic offers this service for free).
Lensabl says it can put Rx lenses in any frames for these flat rates. To test this claim, I bought an $8 pair of foldable reading glasses (currently unavailable). Within two weeks of sending the frames and prescription to Lensabl, I had a pair of perfectly prescribed folding eyeglasses for less than $100.
A fourth generation family run company, Peepers was born out of the desire to create light-spirited, upbeat eyewear. Potentially, the best place to buy prescription glasses online, Peepers carries a wide assortment of prescription and non-prescription lenses. These include readers, blue light, progressives, and sun glasses. Peepers carries countless options for those who prefer standard or neutral frames, but where Peepers shines is in its wide array of colorful, unique, and vibrant choices. Customers can choose from bright orange, rainbow gradients, translucent colors, and animal prints to name just a few. Perhaps even more enticing is that blue light glasses start as low as $29, and progressives start as low as $39. Peepers offers both polarized and standard options for sunglasses, too. The company offers virtual try-on through its website so you can preview your new specs before bringing them home. Peepers is undoubtedly one of the best sources for low-cost, high-quality eyewear, especially if you like to match your glasses to your outfit or to your mood.
If you're in the market for a new TV and want to ditch you cable box along with it, we have the TV deals for you. Netflix, HBO, Disney+ and others are great for on-demand content, but sometimes you just want to watch live TV. More and more people are leaving cable behind and picking up online live TV streaming services. Almost all TVs out there have smart technology built into them that let you stream from apps straight on your TV.
If you're outfitting your house with a bunch of new smart home tech, the price is probably adding up. If you're looking for ways to save some cash, Best Buy has a great bundle for anyone looking for both the Amazon Echo Studio and the Echo Sub. Right now when you buy both you get a $30 price cut, paying only $300 instead of $330. It's not a massive discount, but if you were planning on buying both anyway, make sure you take advantage of Amazon Echo deals like this.
Glasses are a necessary part of daily life for millions of people across the world. Prescription lenses allow us to see clearly and overcome vision challenges such as astigmatism, far- and near-sightedness, and other ocular complaints. Wearing eyeglasses is also a fantastic way to express personal style.
Using specific criteria to evaluate both the purchasing experience and the products over several weeks, we found EyeBuyDirect is the best place to buy glasses online. They offered everything the other retailers had, but at a wider price point. Their website, policies, and try-on services ranked consistently high. Their glasses met the expectations that the virtual try-on set, and performed well overall when we tested them.
EyeBuyDirect has all the benefits of all the glasses retailers we tested but at a huge range of prices. From recognizable luxury brands to their own brands at lower price tiers, users can find a frame they love. We also love that they carry their own sustainable line, called 5 to See, which are made from ocean plastics.
One of the best aspects of EyeBuyDirect is the sizing information provided with the product descriptions. Rather than guessing sizes by looking at pictures online, EyeBuyDirect ensures that you know exactly which sizes and dimensions a pair of frames is available in. In particular, they carry extra-large frames and custom frames that can be made to size, which is a level of size inclusivity few of the other retailers matched.
The virtual try-on feature with EyeBuyDirect was one of the best we used, even compared to the Warby Parker app and other similar services. You can use a camera in real-time to examine how glasses frames will appear on your face, and you can even move around to see your image from different angles. It was shockingly compatible with my basic camera on my computer, with no lag.
EyeBuyDirect knocked the ordering process out of the park. The glasses arrived early, they looked and fit exactly as expected based on the virtual try-on, and inputting my prescription was extremely easy.
Warby Parker offers at-home try-on for up to five pairs of glasses, and their stellar app also allows you to virtually try on glasses through your phone. This feature also lets you quickly swipe through similar frame options to compare multiple pairs. This is a huge advantage over most try-on features that only show you one frame at a time.
Firmoo carries prescription glass frames, prescription sunglasses, progressive lenses, and blue-light glasses at low price points. The glasses I received from Firmoo were my favorites, style-wise, but their try-on options and interface were middle of the road. That said, they had a wide assortment of glasses and plenty of ways to refine your search.Ultimately, we were pretty pleased with Firmoo, and would recommend checking them out if you want a similar ordering experience and web matrix to EyeBuyDirect.
GlassesUSA carries prescription glasses, frames, sunglasses, and contacts. They carry designer brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, and similar to many of the retailers listed, they offer tools and filters to narrow your search.
GlassesUSA offers an app with a Prescription Scanner intended to help you assess your prescription, but corrective lens prescriptions can be tricky and specific, so we recommend using the prescription given by your doctor, instead. When I tried the Prescription Scanner, it did not accurately reflect my actual prescription, and if you have a prescription in only one eye (as I do) it fails to produce a prescription that you can actually use to purchase your glasses.
Liingo, much like many of the other retailers on this list, offers fixed prices for prescription glasses with various frames, add-ons, and more. They have great packaging for their frames and, like Warby Parker, offer a program that lets users pick out five frames to try on at home.
The retailer was my college glasses go-to, but after more formally reviewing Zenni Optical we determined that the quality of the glasses reflects their low prices. Their virtual try-on feature is skippable and their website is fairly negligible compared to other retailers we tested. 041b061a72