Best places to buy glasses online for 2024
1. The first thing you need to buy prescription glasses online is a prescription. The best way to get an accurate prescription is to go to an optometrist and have an eye exam, which usually costs about $100. After the test is completed, make sure you receive a paper copy of your prescription so you can keep it for your records. Alternatively, you can buy a device like the $99 EyeQue Vision Check (out of stock) to use your smartphone to check your vision and create a prescription that many online eyewear stores accept, although some do require an Rx from an optometrist.
2. Ask your optometrist for your interpupillary distance or measure it yourself. Keep in mind that optometrists sometimes don’t indicate your interpupillary distance because they say they want to measure you for specific glasses. Insist on buying one as it is mandatory to order glasses online. Please note: you can also measure PD yourself via an app on your smartphone or by downloading an app PD ruler that most online stores have available for download with instructions for its use. Pupil distance is critical because when making lenses it is important to know where your eye is in relation to the center of the lens.
3. Make sure your prescription is not out of date. If you haven’t had an eye test in a while, it may be a good idea to get another one. Some sites like Warby Parker offer one cheap virtual vision test if your prescription is out of date, but you feel like you can see well with your current glasses (but still want to replace them). You take a five-minute vision test, during which you look at an eye chart from home. An ophthalmologist then reviews the results and responds within 48 hours to let you know if you are eligible for a prescription renewal.
4. Some, but not all, stores accept dollars from flexible spending and health savings accounts. If you have money you want to use from an FSA or HSA, or if you have vision insurance, be sure to check the store’s insurance, FSA, and HSA policies before making a purchase. Many accept them.
5. Go to an online store and select a few frames that you like. This can be the most difficult part of the process because it is difficult to know exactly how you will look in the glasses unless you try on the frames in person and look at yourself in the mirror. Some online retailers have virtual trial applications or, better yet, they’ll send you a few frames to try on at home before you choose one or more to purchase.
6. Provide your prescription. Some online stores allow you to simply take a photo of your recipe with your smartphone and upload the image to the site. Most prescription eyewear sites also allow you to enter your prescription numbers manually, which I usually do. When a site asks for your prescription, it also asks for your PD number.
7. Select the desired type of lenses. You can buy a complete pair of basic single vision glasses online for less than $20. And in most cases they will work just fine. You’ll definitely notice a difference when upgrading to higher quality lenses in terms of clarity and weight (thinner, lighter lenses tend to cost more). Personally, I have a few cheap sets of prescription glasses that I keep in my car or in a backpack as spare glasses in case something were to happen to my main glasses. What I’ve discovered is that it’s often best to spend a little more for a higher quality lens and not go for the cheapest option.
8. Before making your final purchase, read the fine print of the site’s return policy. Many sites are good at letting you return glasses if the lenses you ordered (based on your correct prescription numbers) aren’t right for some reason or if the frames just don’t fit properly. Read the fine print of the return policy. In some cases you can get a full refund and in others a store credit. Sometimes stores only offer partial store credit. You don’t want to be surprised if something goes wrong. There has only been one company that messed up my order with the wrong prescription for one lens.
9. Enter any discount codes at checkout. Glasses sites have promotions all the time with discount codes that you enter at checkout, although they sometimes exclude premium frames from well-known companies. Sometimes you see slightly better deals around a holiday, with online eyewear stores using almost every holiday as an excuse to offer a new discount code.
