Comparing Online Glasses Retailers
Buying glasses online is convenient! There are usually more colors and more options than there are in person, plus, you don’t have to leave the house! There are obviously some drawbacks, most online retailers aren’t in-network and you can’t be 100% certain the glasses will look good until they arrive, but with free returns and virtual try-on options, buying glasses online has never been easier.
The big problem is… there are so many options. So many options that in this article we will not get to them all, but we will come up with a quick list of the most popular options, go over their features, and give you a good place to start.
But first… Exams! You need to get an eye exam before buying glasses online. If you’re a VSP member you can find a doctor by clicking here. If you’re not a VSP member you should go through your insurer to find an in-network optometrist.
After your exam, be sure to ask for your prescription to be emailed to you as you will need it later.
Eyeconic – This is the only in-network VSP online retailer. If you have VSP it’s a great place to start since it will automatically import your insurance information.
Eyeconic has a reasonable return policy and offers a one-time exchange if you don’t like your glasses. They have a lot of options and the ability to sort glasses by shape, price, style, and brands. If you are a VSP member you will be able to get featured frame discounts through eyeconic as well. Overall, eyeconic seems like a great place to start, especially if you have VSP.
Warby Parker – The best thing about Warby Parker is their home try on feature. They send you 5 frames of your choice, allowing you to actually try on the glasses before buying them.
Warby Parker also has a brick-and-mortar location in San Diego, allowing you to get your eye exam from them, avoiding the hassle of having to upload your eye exam on your own.
They have a wide selection, but only sell their brand. That being said their glasses look good and are usually affordable.
Glasses.com – This is a newer site that offers a wide array of name-brand glasses. Their website can be tough to navigate with all of the popups, they have a decent selection of frames but a limited selection when it comes to lenses.
They have a good return policy, but there are some discrepancies depending on which brand you buy. They do not offer a virtual try on feature. Overall it seems that this is a good option if you want a wide selection and are willing to pay a little more for that.
Zenni Optical – This budget retailer offers low priced lenses and frames in a variety of shapes and sizes. Their website is very hard to navigate and they seem to have some mixed reviews. Do your own research before proceeding with Zenni Optical.
EyeBuyDirect – This is the alternate budget retailer that has fairly good reviews and many options when it comes to glasses. They have a 14 day return policy which is less than other sites on this list, but their frames seem to be around 1/3rd the price of other sites.
They offer a lot of lens choices for their frames and are very transparent with how much the different options cost.
And so much more! There are many other options available, especially if you buy directly from brands like Jins, Ray-Ban, and more! This is just a starting point. Just be sure to look at reviews and make sure the option you choose has a good return policy!