General

Shopping for glasses online could possibly be better than physical stores. Even if you’re skeptical at first, we suggest you consider it. We’ve summarized the benefits of, and other information that you need to know about, purchasing glasses online. We’ve also listed the best online glasses retailers at the top of this page.

Process

You are probably wondering how you can choose glasses online if you can’t try them on and see how they look. Online glasses stores have come with a solution that lets you try on glasses online, so to say. In most cases this is pretty simple — you upload your picture and then see how any of the frames look on you. Almost every store has some sort of tool like this.

Cost

We all know that glasses can be expensive. If you need special lenses, it could get even more expensive. Frames, especially designer ones, can also be expensive. When visiting eyewear stores, you often may only find the only frames they have that you like happen to be designer frames and exceed your budget buying them. But if you shop online, you are sure to find the perfect pair of frames in your price range.

Shipping and return policies vary from company to company, though most include free shipping. Some companies have friendly return policies where they let you return after 30 days, or you can order 5 different frames and send back the ones you don’t want to keep. Check these policies before ordering any pair of glasses.

Benefits

Even if you order glasses online, you still need to visit an optometrist to get a prescription. After you have one, you can jump into online shopping for your next pair of glasses.

• Price - The strongest reason to purchase glasses online, prices can be as low as seven dollars.
• Selection - Surfing online gives you access to 15 stores in a matter of minutes, so you can browse so many different frames easily — the options are seemingly endless.
• Preferences - You can easily sort by price, brand, style, etc.
• Specific lenses - You can order specific lenses such as progressive, bifocals, or multi-focal ones. You can also have additional tinting and coatings such as anti-scratch, fingerprint-resistant, or ones to combat digital eye strain added.
• Special purpose eyewear - Sunglasses, ski goggles, swimming goggles, safety glasses, computer glasses, and other types of eyewear can be ordered with prescription lenses.

Insurance

Most online glasses stores cooperate with many insurance companies - check if your vision plan is accepted by the glasses store before ordering. If you choose the cheapest eyewear, it may not be covered by your insurance plan. You may save money by selecting a slightly more expensive pair of glasses that is covered by your plan. Be sure to know what your plan covers and what the final cost to you will be.