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Searching For The Best Places To Buy Glasses Online
Glasses have always been considered a part of the healthcare industry, which often made them inaccessible and considered a luxury item. But everyone has the right to see, and the best places to buy glasses online make sure that everyone can.
Shopping for glasses online is a pretty new concept. In fact, you may be looking for the best places to buy glasses online because you’re tired of the old process—one that usually involves a lot of sitting, waiting, and spending money.
Fortunately, choosing to buy your glasses online means you’ll wait less and pay less—two things I’m sure all of us are happy to do. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when going to an optometrist is still quite important. Getting regular checkups is crucial for eye health, after all, and most online retailers will require a prescription from your eye doctor.
With that said, when it comes to selecting affordable frames on your time in the comfort of your home, shopping online for glasses can’t be beaten. So, what’s in store for this list of the ‘best places to buy glasses online’?
Ahead, I’ll showcase 10 of the top eyeglasses retailers found on the web. All of them feature different perks, so get ready to discover what makes each of our favorite picks unique.
The 10 Best Places To Buy Glasses Online
1. Discount Glasses
Founded in 2004, Discount Glasses is the place to shop for affordable glasses. And yes, I mean truly affordable. With its great range of fashionable options, this trendy shop aims to make the process of finding glasses transparent and easy.
With fast shipping, easy, free returns, and some really incredible prices, finding your perfect style for a price within your budget is something you can actually do now. The folks at Discount Glasses have a “what-you-see-is-what-you-get mentality.” There are no hidden fees or extravagant bells and whistles—just good-quality frames.
With hundreds of prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses available, you can find your new favorite pair for under $30.
Highlights
- US-based lab
- Expert service
- One-year guarantee
- Easy and free returns
- Hundreds of styles
- Low prices
2. Kits
Sparked by a conversation between friends, Kits, a Canadian eyeglasses company was launched to sell great pairs of glasses while eliminating the expensive costs associated with them.
Founded in 2018 in Vancouver, Kits is on a mission to make “gorgeous, affordable” eyewear accessible by offering low prices and free shipping. It has the largest selection out of all the brands on this list of the ‘best places to buy glasses.’ In fact, Kits stocks more than 70,000 frames from hundreds of brands.
Along with a guarantee that your order will be accurate and free from defects, your first pair of frames will be free when you buy lenses. Frames start at $100 otherwise.
Highlights
- Over 70,000 frames in stock
- Free frames with your first pair of lenses
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Free 365-day returns
- 100% accuracy guarantee
3. Glasses USA
GlassesUSA is one of the best places to buy glasses online in the US. With over 7,000 frames available, finding your perfect style is simple. You can shop from the company’s in-house and designer collections for men, women, and kids.
Founded in 2009, this NYC-based brand was one of the first to transform the traditional eyewear shopping experience, skipping the retail stores and operating solely online. Its mission was always to make quality eyewear accessible, which is why its inventory is stocked with a wide range of options for both adults and kids.
Prices start at $58 but you can catch certain items on sale for $39.
Highlights
- 7,000 frames available
- High-quality lenses included
- Designer options
- Free shipping and returns
- Kids options
4. Glasses.com
If it’s fashionable styles you’re after, Glasses.com can deliver. Its vast selection of designer prescription eyewear and trendy frames are sold for great prices, but my favorite part has to be how easy it is to find your perfect style.
Operating solely online, Glasses.com was founded in 2011 in Utah but has since partnered with Luxottica to offer a greater range of styles. Known as the place to shop for on-trend styles, this fashion-savvy brand offers prices as low as $55 but often, you’ll find sales for glasses under $40.
Highlights
- Wide range of frames and lenses
- Fashionable styles
- Very affordable
- Sustainable options
5. Jin’s Glasses
Launched in 1987 by Hitoshi Tanaka in Japan, initially, Jin’s Glasses made and sold fashion accessories, but it switched over to selling glasses in 2001. By selling glasses, the company found its stride, becoming super popular in Asia and expanding to the US in 2015.
In 2007, Jin’s Glasses started offering prescription glasses online and made a name for itself thanks to its Ultra Light Airframes and blue light protection. Plus, its frames are customizable to your unique face shape. So, if other glasses you’ve ordered online slip and slide on your face, you might want to check out this brand. Jin’s prices start at $90.
Highlights
- High-quality frames
- Gives back to those in need
- Innovative features and styles
- Design collaborations
6. Caddis Glasses
Kids aren’t the only ones who get to have fun glasses. Caddis Glasses was created to give mature adults bold and energetic styles, by offering a cool range of glasses shapes, thick frames, and stand-out colors.
Its line of prescription glasses, reading glasses, and sunglasses certainly stands out from other online brands’ collections, and it offers blue light glasses as well. Helping you embrace the aging process, Caddis’s mission is to destigmatize getting older. In terms of prices, its readers start at $90 while its prescription glasses hover over $200.
Highlights
- Prescription glasses and readers
- Fun colors and shapes
- Helps you embrace aging
- Blue light options
7. BARNER
If you work on a computer all day or like to watch TV or scroll through social media, you should get a pair of blue light glasses. Luckily, those are BARNER’s specialty. Offering a line of super light and durable frames fitted with ultra-protective lenses (each has four layers of coating), wearing a pair means you may reduce eye strain and improve your sleep.
Founded in 2017, BARNER is on a mission to “help people live lives that are as vibrant and fun as they are functional.” And since its frames are shipped around the globe, you’ll be able to get in on the perks. Prices start as low as $68.
Highlights
- All blue light glasses
- Bio-based options
- Certified B Corporation
- Four layers of protective coating
8. Eyeconic
Finding the perfect pair of glasses was a long and trying process until now. Luckily, Eyeconic is on a mission to make that process actually enjoyable. That’s why it offers optometry care alongside a wide selection of prescription lenses and fashionable frames.
Giving you access to its network of over 38,000 doctors, it always puts your eyecare first. Eyeconic was founded in 2011 by VSP, a vision care insurance provider, so naturally, the brand makes it really easy to connect your insurance plan. Kids’ frames start at $95 whereas adult frames start at $139.
Highlights
- Designer and low-cost frames
- Free frame adjustments
- Network of 38,000+ eye doctors
- One-year warranty
- Free shipping and returns
9. GlassesShop
Good Housekeeping magazine named GlassesShop the best place to buy budget eyewear. With tons of deals and then some, the company was founded in 2004 by a group of eye doctors who wanted to launch a brand that combined quality and reliability, with affordable prices.
GlassesShop is owned by Steven Chen and is based in Michigan. At first available in-store only, the company eventually offered its selection of products online to serve those in need around the globe. You can find styles as low as $30.
Highlights
- Low-cost frames
- Tons of sales
- Wide selection of fashionable styles
- Available around the world
10. Yesglasses
With options for men, women, and kids, Yesglasses helps you find your perfect pair of glasses in a pinch. Choosing your ideal frames is a super easy process thanks to Yesglasses’ virtual try-on tool and affordable prices.
Launched in 2017 by a group of professionals, the folks at Yesglasses aimed to become the “most trustworthy eyewear company in the world.” To do that, it puts an emphasis on customer service and sells a lineup of eyeglasses that are eco-friendly and priced fairly. Yesglasses’ frames start at $39, but when on sale, prices often drop below $20.
Highlights
- Uses eco-friendly materials
- Cares for its employees
- Helpful blog with in-depth information
- Very affordable
- Virtual try-on
Is It Okay To Buy Prescription Glasses Online?
If you have a complicated prescription, skip out on buying glasses online. These types of prescriptions are better dealt with at an optometrist’s office.
However, if you have a standard prescription or are shopping for reading glasses, buying prescription glasses online is safe. Just know that you’ll need to have an up-to-date prescription unless the retailer you’re shopping with offers virtual eye exams.
For those in need of affordable glasses in a pinch, buying glasses online comes with a handful of perks—such as fast, free shipping, convenient shopping, and a wide selection of items to choose from.
What Is The Cheapest Place To Buy Glasses Online?
Many of the best places to buy glasses online offer very low prices. For example, Discount Glasses has tons of options for under $30. GlassesUSA also sells plenty of low-cost glasses.
Remember, the price of your frames is just the initial cost. Unless the company you shop with offers free lenses and coatings, you’ll likely be paying more than that in the end.
How To Order Glasses Online
One of the main perks of shopping for glasses online is how easy it is. The first step is to have a current prescription, and for that, you’ll need to visit your optometrist. They’ll email you a copy of the prescription and then you can go ahead and order your glasses.
Not many online glasses companies offer virtual vision tests, but some do. Just remember, these virtual tests are not as accurate as the results you’ll get from your optometrist and they won’t be able to examine your eye health. So, scheduling an appointment with your eye doctor for an annual checkup is still highly recommended.
Once you have your prescription in your inbox, here’s what you’ll do next:
- Go to the website of the company you wish to shop with
- Choose your favorite frames and try them on with the virtual mirror (offered by select companies)
- Pick your preferred type of lenses (single or progressive)
- Select which finishes and coatings you’d like from a list that includes blue light protection, scratch-resistant, and anti-glare
- Upload your prescription document
Once the company receives your order, one of its professionals will verify your prescription and send your order through. The best places to buy glasses online offer fast shipping, so you can expect your glasses to arrive within a week’s time.
Benefits Of Buying Glasses Online
There’s a good chance you’re here searching for the best places to buy glasses online because you’re tired of overbooked optometrist offices and their crazy high fees. If so, you’ve come to the right place because those are two of the main reasons to buy glasses online.
Here are a few more benefits of buying glasses online:
- Lower prices all around: The best places to buy glasses online often bundle frames with lenses, giving you one or the other for free.
- Choose at your own speed: Instead of awkwardly trying 72 pairs of frames on at the eye doctor’s office in front of a crowd, do it virtually from the comfort of your couch. That way, you won’t have to decide right away, and can always sleep on it.
- See all of your options in one place: Online glasses stores thoroughly explain what each type of lens and coating is for. Your eye doctor doesn’t get to decide for you. You can decide on your own terms and not feel pressured into getting glasses you maybe cannot afford.
- Tons of special deals: Pretty much every online glasses retailer has deals, clearance sections, and sales on their website.
In addition to all of the above perks, when shopping for glasses online, delivery is swift and usually free. And so are returns. Need I say more?
How To Shop For Glasses Online
You know that pretty much all of the best places to buy glasses online offer low prices. Some more than others. But while that’s important, low prices aren’t the only thing to consider when shopping for glasses.
Here are a few more things you should consider:
- The company you’re buying from: Does it have a good reputation? Does it offer the right kind of styles? Go with a brand that meets all of your needs.
- The frame selection: Do you love having plenty of options? If so, then go with a brand that has lots of them. Companies like Kits have over 70,000 options from hundreds of brands while others offer a more streamlined selection. For some people, too much choice can be a bad thing, so think about your preferences first.
- The brand’s customer support and returns policy: To feel 100% confident about your purchase, you’ll need to know that getting a hold of a company quickly is possible, and not just that, that its staff is professional and helpful. You can find out this info by reading reviews or by simply striking up a virtual chat.
- The brand’s insurance policy: Does it accept insurance policies? If you have insurance, you’ll likely want to use it.
Who Can Buy Glasses Online?
Pretty much anyone with access to an up-to-date prescription can buy glasses online. Also, many of the companies on this list accept vision insurance, but you don’t need to have it to shop with them.
It’s worth noting again that those with complicated prescriptions shouldn’t buy glasses online. Furthermore, if you require a special fitting, choosing an online brand that isn’t able to fit your glasses to your face may not be a good idea.
However, if you have an uncomplicated prescription and aren’t fussy about the way your glasses fit your face, you’ll enjoy perks such as lower prices, free shipping and returns, and access to thousands of frame styles.
FAQ
Are online glasses lower quality?
First things first: it’s possible to get high-quality and low-quality glasses from the same shop. It’s all about the frames you choose and if you opt for add-on coatings. So, to answer it simply, no, online glasses aren’t necessarily lower in quality. At the end of the day, it’s your choice as to how much you spend.
You’ll find that some of the best places to buy glasses online have frames for just $30. If you choose a pair of these frames, and standard lenses without protection, you may find that the lenses will scratch and peel quickly.
On the other hand, choosing designer (or just more premium) glasses means your frames will likely be higher quality from the get-go. But again, it’s up to you to add on the protective coatings. These can range in price from $10-$40 a pop.
Why is buying glasses online so much cheaper?
Shopping at one of the best places to buy glasses online means you’ll be cutting out the middleman and your optometrist from the purchase of your glasses. This means you’re also cutting out their office rental fees which usually get passed on to the customer.
Choosing to shop online for glasses doesn’t take your optometrist out of the equation completely though. In most cases, you’ll still need them to give you your actual prescription, and if it’s been a few years, they’ll likely want to examine your eyes again. This is a good thing, however, because vision is a gift and eye health should never be ignored.
Also, glasses sold online tend to be cheaper because many companies offer low-quality frames. Certain companies may offer high-quality frames too, but they’re not usually low-cost.
Is there a difference between cheap and expensive glasses?
There most certainly is—actually, there are quite a few differences between cheap and expensive glasses. First of all, cheap frames are usually made with lower-quality materials and they may not be as comfortable to wear.
Furthermore, cheap lenses won’t come with additional protective coatings, so you may notice they don’t last as long as your last expensive pair.
Here’s the bottom line: even though it’s super convenient to buy cheap glasses—and I appreciate that online companies are making glasses more accessible—you may be better off with a more expensive pair if you can afford them.
After all, the more you spend on your glasses, the higher in quality they’ll be and the longer they should last you (accidents aside). Fortunately, online glasses companies can offer the same types of treatments, coatings, frames, and lenses as your optometrist would, and getting help online is quick and easy.
Basically, you can get cheap and expensive glasses from the majority of online glasses retailers, it’s all about the frames you choose and the add-ons you pick.
Is anti-reflective coating on glasses worth it?
If you aren’t a fan of glare when you’re out on a sunny day or watching TV, then yes, definitely. Choosing AG or AR coatings will help you see better overall and feel better too considering you’ll squint less. Just keep in mind that the more coatings you choose, the more your final glasses will cost.
Final Thoughts
You’ve read all about the best places to buy glasses online, so which one will you choose? If you’re still on the fence, remember to keep your personal preferences in mind and choose a brand that aligns with your budget.
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