I ordered glasses online. For the first time ever.
I've had glasses or contacts for most of my life. In fact, I only saw clearly for 6-7 years before I had to get glasses.
womp womp
Ever since then, I've been utterly dependent on vision correction for my daily functioning. My eyes are so bad, I can't see my computer screen clearly, and it's not because it's sooo far away from my eyes. Ha.
(I am forever grateful that I was born after the invention of glasses. I'd be pretty useless otherwise!)
Anyway.
I mostly wear contacts, but I also wear my glasses every day (in the morning before I put my contacts in, and in the evening when I take my contacts out.)
So, while contacts are my main squeeze, I do always keep a pair of up-to-date glasses around as well.
I've always bought mine at my eye doctor's office, and while I keep the same frames for several years, even getting new lenses in my old frames is stupid expensive.
Somehow, though, I'd never gotten around to trying out any alternative glasses-buying services.
Glasses USA emailed me a little while back, though, and offered me the chance to try out their site, so I said I'd give it a go.
(Unfortunately, I'd just bought new lenses from my eye doctor, so I didn't actually NEED new glasses. But I thought that blogging about the process of ordering glasses online might be helpful for you guys. You're welcome. ;))
To buy glasses online, you need a recent prescription from an eye doctor. Your eye doctor will of course prefer for you to buy your glasses right then and there (cha-ching!), but you are not under any obligation to do so, and your doctor will give you your prescription if you ask for it.
(I called my eye doctor's office, they printed the prescription, and I picked it up.)
You'll also need a pair of old glasses that fit you properly so you can easily choose frames that will fit your face.
Inside each pair of glasses there are three numbers that specify the lens, bridge, and temple measurements, and you can use those to sort through the glasses by size.
I had nooo idea about all of this, despite having worn glasses for years. You learn something new every day!
I uploaded a headshot to Glasses USA, plugged in my measurements, and got to work narrowing down which frames looked the best on me.
I was delighted to see that once I uploaded a headshot, the site automatically switched from pictures of the glasses to pictures of the glasses on me. That makes it SO much easier to narrow down frame styles.
You can also narrow by shape, color, material, and price, which helps make the choosing process less overwhelming.
The process of choosing frames based on a photo is definitely a little trickier than trying glasses on in real life, so Glasses USA offers free, no-questions-asked return shipping within 14 days.
This makes choosing less stressful, because it's not like you're stuck with the glasses once you order them. If you receive them and they don't fit right or they're not flattering, you can always send them right on back.
I picked the Julia (which is currently out of stock) and this pair of Ray-Ban glasses with a fun blue pop of color.
The eyeglasses that Glasses USA carries are just like the frames you'd get an expensive eyeglass shop (RayBan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Oakley, etc), but they cost so much less, due to Glasses USA's low overhead.
And the prices you see for the frames include basic lenses (with an upcharge for high index, progressive or bi-focal lenses.), which is quite amazing.
(If you want to wear glasses just for fun, you can even get glasses with non-prescription lenses. Although I personally cannot imagine wearing glasses for fun!)
Is online glasses buying for you?
Here's what I think:
If you've never worn glasses before, and have no previous frames to get measurements off of, then you will probably be better off buying frames in person first, and then when you get your next pair, you could venture into online buying.
Or if you have a really difficult-to-fit face, requiring lots of frame adjustments post-purchase, in-person glasses buying might be better for you.
But....if you'd like to stop paying $500 for a pair of glasses, you've already got a pair of frames with measurements, and your face/head isn't super hard to fit, then I think you should give this a try.
It's pretty risk-free, given the great return policy. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
(I am definitely going to pursue this when Sonia next needs a new pair of glasses. I paid an obscene amount of money for hers and I would really prefer not to do that again.)
Get 55% off your glasses this week!
Glasses USA runs varying promotions all the time, and now thru 12/6, they've got a Cyber Week deal where you get 55% off.
Just click here to visit the site and when you choose your glasses, enter the code CYBER to get 55% off.
Do you all have any good tips for choosing glasses online? I know some of you are old hands at this!
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P.S. Props to Joshua for willingly taking photos of me. Even when I'm not quite ready for a photo. 😉
Glasses USA sent me complimentary glasses to review, and this post contains affiliate links. This post is not sponsored, though, and all words and opinions are my own.
I have to say I've tried purchasing glasses online. Mostly it was fine UNTIL I needed bifcal lenses. I don't think that translates well to not being fitted in person.
Way to get on the bandwagon, Kristen. 🙂
We've been buying glasses online for several years - we usually buy from zenni optical. Their glasses have lasted 1-2 years, and I've had bad luck with other sites' glasses breaking in 6 months.
I don't feel too bad when my husband breaks his reading glasses if they're only $30, whereas if they were $200?!? And who cares if I buy $8 Harry Potter glasses for fun that end up looking horrible on me in person?
For in-person sunglasses, I recommend walmart. We looked online and could not find anything that worked for us.
For adjustments at home: hair dryer on the temples for maybe 10 seconds, bend gently, and try on again.
Ooh, great tip about the hair dryer!
Molly's right. Zenni is a really good site for getting your glasses from and saving even more money as well. They don't offer designer frames but very good quality frames and nice looking styles as well. They have several hundred for under $13.00. and that includes your prescription lenses. I always recommend getting the optional AR coating (anti-reflective) which is only $5.00 more and you have great looking glasses for only $18.00. Oh and shipping is just $5.00 for one pair or 15 pairs. Other on line places charge you $5.00 for each pair you order.
Oops. My current glasses are so old (8years) that if they ever had numbers on the inside, they don't anymore. I desperately need new glasses. Did your doctor give you the pupilary distance willingly? I have seen a lot people get complains because they know you are going online then. I still for sure am going to by my next pair online. I can get everything I need for less than $50 (not including the eye exam of course).
I'm so glad to see your review. I have never heard of this company before. I will be looking into it for sure.
The PD wasn't on my actual prescription, so I had to call the office, and they looked it up for me. I didn't get any pushback, although I don't know if that was possibly because I'd already bought glasses from them?
We'll see for next time!
Mine wouldn't give me my pd either, but zenni will send you a pd ruler that is basically a tiny plastic pair of glasses that is also a ruler that you can use.
I've used zenni for sunglasses before (you can also adjust the arm fit by dipping the arm in hit water) and they are great. Normal glasses are next on my list!
You don't have to go to YOUR doctor for your PD (and if they give you grief? Find a new doctor! Seriously. Buying on line isn't new and they shouldn't be giving your grief for budgeting.). You can go into any optical and ask them to measure it for you. 'do it yourself' ones are sometimes tricky and unreliable or miscalculated
I have had three eye places (all where I had gotten exams, and 2 of the places I had gotten glasses previously) all refuse to give me my PD. My husband had the same experience. From the eye places perspective, they want you to spend the money there, so they won't give you PD a lot of the time, because they don't want you getting glasses online. Maybe if you went to a place you had never gotten an exam and just went in and paid for a PD you could get it? But it isn't just as easy as asking for a lot of places - many will flat out refuse.
Wow, that's crazy. Now I feel quite fortunate that it was so easy to get mine.
I did follow the directions online to measure my PD, but it was nice to get the confirmation of it from my eye doctor.
I know! I checked online, and there are tons of complaints about it, so it isn't just that I randomly visited bad eye places. It seems that many places all over refuse to provide it. I did see a thing that if the frames fit your face poorly the pd will be in the wrong spot (even with an accurate measurement), but for $20 vs $300, I will take that chance!
You can use a regular ruler for all the measurements, they use centimeters. My husband even double checks the PD from the doctor now! In PA, the optometrists are required to provide the PD if requested.
I've bought glasses online several times. Coastal is another good online company.
Right now my glasses are vintage frames from Salvation Army.... $1.00 with my own Rx installed. Not as cheap as online but, I loved the frames.
Here in Australia there used to be at least one glasses website who would send you a first pair for free.
Earlier this year I needed new glasses. Locally we have Specsavers, which I think are a UK based chain, and they have really good 2 for 1 deals everyday. They have a lot of local designers, as well as some international brands. I usually get lenses that change from clear to tinted in the sun, but this time I decided to get separate sunglasses as the glare bothers my eyes even through the tint. I got a pair of white and silver semi rimless frames with normal lenses and a pair of black and smoked plastic sunglasses for $249 as the coating on the clear lenses cost an extra $50.
I'm a Specsavers fan too. Funnily enough, the last time I went in for new glasses, the frames that suited me best - and I spent ages looking - ended up the geeky cool black pair that my daughter handed me on a whim...that just happened to be one of the really cheap $29 pairs. So my original plan to get some at up to $300, but with a $50 off voucher got very quickly changed.
My husband and I both wear glasses all day/everyday. We both have progressive lenses (bifocals). He has a significant astigmatism. I have amblyopia. As long as you are very careful and deliberate in measuring your pupilary distance (our doctor would not give us ours) you should be in business! We buy from zenni and both of us are pleased with our glasses and sunglasses and ECSTATIC with the savings.
Interesting. I would hesitate to order online due to my need for progressive lenses. I just purchased glasses the traditional way--our insurance covered the frames but the lenses were crazy expensive. I've had trouble with them in the past, though, so I like being able to go into an office and see an actual trained optician to help me with my needs.
Those glasses look great on you!! I like the "not ready" shot too. So cute. This is a really great idea. Thank you for such a helpful post. I need a new pair. Well done.
As a wife of an eye doctor, I TOTALLY buy my glasses on line (not all eye doctors invest in an optical). I love Zenni Optical and EyeBuyDirect (which often has BOGO sales...score!).
Also, you should be getting your RX every time you have an appt. Some states require it to be in the patient's hand, by law. And you can ask them to write down your PD (the one measurement not usually on your RX) before you leave and then you are good to go!
Love my cheapy glasses from Zenni. I just got a couple pairs the other day - I need "reading glasses" everywhere I turn these days, and at their prices, they're not much different from drugstore ones, but with my exact prescription including astigmatism. They were a huge help a few years ago when my then 10 year needed to wear glasses and was very uncomfortable with "the look". He had the first pair from his eye appointment/fitted by the optometrist, and then we got backup alternates from Zenni, including a pair of aviator sunglasses, 3 pairs for $60 and a much more emotionally settled child...worth it. And we donate the old glasses to the Lions club knowing someone else will get the use of them. I did try goggles4u, but had breakage issues. Welcome to the club!
I try to avoid Luxottica branded frames whenever possible since they are just creating a monopoly that causes us with vision problems to pay more. It's gouging, plain and simple.
Anyway, I used to get my glasses at 39dollarglasses.com but I just found out they now charge $20 extra for prism corrections in lenses so I'm giving Zennioptical a try. They only charge $10 for a prism.
I ended up getting this pair and fully expect to be called a hipster when they come in.
http://www.zennioptical.com/acetate-plastic-wayfarer-eyeglass-frames-124925.html
I've been wondering about ordering glasses online. To bad they don't have kid's glasses.
Oh, you're right! But I do see that there are other online options for purchasing kids glasses at other sites, so I guess I'll have to look around when it's time to get Sonia some new glasses.
Zenni offers kids glasses. I haven't had any need for kids glasses yet, although I am sure that is just a matter of time since both our families have no one over the age of 10 without glasses. My husband and I both just got a couple of pairs for ourselves and I am very happy with them.
Oh what a timely post. I just got my eyes examined on Tuesday and dreading paying my normal upwards of $350 for frames..I will definitely be looking into online frames..
Thanks for this post. I've been wanted to do this for a long time- I have crazy bad eyesight too! I love that you can use a headshot. I will have to try this!
I'm another fan of Zenni. This year I finally had to break down and get bifocals, and it was a bit of a challenge getting it all right. I wasn't sure if I should go for progressives or the ones with the lines, and I also found that I needed to have less close up correction for riding my bike (so I can see the ground) vs. for day to day stuff (so I can see close enough for reading.)
Incredibly long story short, it took me nearly 12 pairs of glasses to get a combination of things that I'm happy with. Seriously, though, I've got a close up pair, a distance pair, a computer distance pair, and three different pairs of progressive bifocals for different situations. But since even the most expensive ones were under $50/pair total, it was WAY worth it. (Especially since there were 4-5 pairs that didn't work out so well for various reasons.)
One thing to beware of... sometimes the numbers on the frame aren't exactly accurate. My first online purchase was based on the numbers from a pair that fit me well, but when I got the online pair they were WAY too big. At first I thought it was a problem with Zenni, but then I got out the ruler and actually measured and discovered that Zenni's pair were right on, it was the original pair that was inaccurate (the numbers said they were 135mm wide, but actually they were closer to 128). Soooo... you're probably better off just using a ruler to measure a well fitting pair rather than relying on those numbers. Not sure if different brands measure differently or what.
Oh, that's good to know! I'll have to get out my ruler to see if mine are correct.
OH this is such good info! I have seen the sites but you are the first person I know that has used one. Three people wear glasses in this family so we will definitely be giving a try. Thanks Kristen
These are really cute -- I wish I had an easy face to choose for. Unfortunately not, so this may be a tough call.. Great info if I get brave!
I have an eye exam in two weeks. My 8 year old frames that I love recently bit the dust. This was a timely post. I think I'll try ordering online thanks to all the comments here and your review. 🙂
Thank you for that info. I like your purple hoodie.
I once met a woman who had lots of glasses. She said she doesn't wear the same jewelry with every outfit so why would she wear the same glasses?
I recently found a pair of frames at my doctor's office that I loved but the lenses would have cost me around $500 which included bifocals. I found out Costco would fill my new prescription with the frames purchased from my eye doctor's shop. They charged a flat rate of $29 to do this in addition to my new lenses (it cost under $200 altogether). I was unaware Costco would do this but someone told me the frames need to be relatively new.
I get my glasses at Costco and they are far cheaper than any other place I've found where you get them in person. This is true even when I use my insurance in other places that accepts it.
I've never tried online before, but I might have my son's try it because at this point, their prescriptions are not complicated.
I'm three years in on a Zenni pair and wouldn't be in the market again except that my two-year-old borrowed them and returned them with an arm off. It's been superglued on three times, which sounds pretty redneck but doesn't actually look all that bad, and I'm too behind/busy/lazy to prioritize a trip to the eye doctor for a new prescription.
I'm glad I saw this. I see a new eye doctor on Monday. (Old one is no longer in business, probably retired.) I wear trifocals but have decided to try progressive lenses again. My daughter buys her glasses online all the time, but when I looked a couple of years ago no one online was doing progressive lenses. Are there other things I need to have besides the script and the PD in order to get progressives?
As an employee of our local eye clinic I must contribute my opinion of your online purchase. While I could discuss the issues with buying your glasses online from a vision perspective, I prefer to focus on the human perspective. I work in a busy clinic of a dozen people all of whom depend on providing service to our local community to earn their livelihoods. When a patient attends our office, has an eye exam, and orders glasses when necessary, there are at least five or six people in our office alone who are directly involved with that patient, not to mention the numerous people involved offsite in the production of the frames and lenses. I'm surprised that we can provide glasses as cheap as we do! Not to mention, our owner is very much devoted to our local community and using our local businesses to supply our clinics needs. To forgo this method and to order directly online robs these people of their ability to earn a living. Yes, your glasses may be cheaper ( and quite often of inferior quality if we can deduct this from the amount of patients we see who bring in their online purchase for repair) but who is going to keep your neighbour employed? and quite frankly, I'm surprised that you would be recommending it when you are such an avid fan of buying local and of buying quality. What gives?? Should we all take piano lessons online as well? (Infinitely cheaper). I was a piano teacher for 27 years. I depended on my community to earn my living. To sum up, yes, you may save some dollars by ordering online, but it is your neighbour you are hurting. To quote a line from Downton Abbey when young Matthew Crawley suggests that some of the staff are superfluous, Lord Grantham says something like this: 'We all have our part to play and we must be allowed to play it.' Keep it local, whenever you can for as long as you can.
In a perfect world I would agree with you wholeheartedly. If possible buy local, support local. But, if there is a choice between you and or your child going without new glasses, then by all means order online. If the choice is to go into debt for said glasses, order online. If you have to choose groceries, utilities, or glasses, buy online. Etc., etc. I know far too many people who made such choices prior to having the option.
I'm sorry Connie but let's be real. It's one thing if your talking about the difference of paying $50.00 compared to say $30.00 for a pair of glasses. But that isn't the case. Were talking about the difference between Say $23.00 and $250.00. That $227.00 saved will buy many other things for most families.
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I understand the concerns here.We have in more recent years been able to shop around for eyeglasses. Many people can choose Walmart or another similar business instead of a small local business. There will always be people who will only use local optometrists because of loyalty, transportation, inability to put in info online, convenience,etc.. TFG purchased a pair of glasses at her regular optometrist and then got a back up pair, which I suspect is what most people will do, so that doesn't hurt anyone. For many years we were all locked in to whatever prices the local eye clinics charge for glasses. I remember as a child my parents could barely afford the cost of glasses and exams. My brother and I were constantly breaking our glasses but couldn't afford to buy a back pair and would go to school practically blind until the new pair came in. We,most likely, will always have to get an in-person eye exam which can still help small businesses. They now have regular doctors office visits available online for the common cold but a certain number of people will not use these services for various reasons. I personally am glad more options are out there since our abilities and incomes vary.
I am a small business owner myself so I know how these purchases affect us.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, and I'm so glad you felt comfortable offering a dissenting opinion.
I can see the point of what you're saying, but then there are issues like the horrible almost-monopoly that Luxottica has on glasses, and because of things like that, I'm awfully glad that there are online competitors who are loosening Luxottica's stranglehold on this market (like Warby Parker, for instance.)
Also, like another reader said, the price of glasses has gotten so high (Thanks, Luxottica!), people in lower income families are often having to choose between buying groceries or glasses, especially when it comes to their children, and one has difficulty imagining that we should tell them to pay more for their children's glasses, you know?
In my own personal case, I will always buy my year's supply of contacts from my eye doctor (my eyes are hard to fit with contacts!), so it's not as though I will ever just get my eye exam and walk out. But my insurance won't cover both glasses and contacts, so I end up paying out the wazoo for glasses once I get contacts. To me, it makes sense to get the contacts from the eye doctor and then get the glasses on my own.
I do believe in paying for quality, but Glasses USA offers brand name frames just like the opticians do (like Ray-Ban) in addition to more private label frames.
Anyway...this is an interesting discussion, and I'm considering writing a post about it and asking readers for their input.
Thank you Connie!
As a former piano teacher and current optician you brought up almost everything I was thinking!
My real issue with online eyewear is how many pairs come into my store and are made completely wrong. Lenses are reversed, cylinder is off axis, etc. It's a real problem. And then I feel bad because some of these people won't get their money back because they have worn them for a while 'trying to get used to them'.
I'm not sure about regulations for dispensing eyewear where everyone else lives, but in Canada I've heard of some people having their car accident insurance voided (after being in an accident) because they bought their glasses online. (Every province except BC legally requires a licensed optician to dispense glasses.)
With that being said, I would order glasses online for myself, however I have the necessary tools and skills to verify that what I ordered is what I actually recieved.
You do offer a good point Jenn. But after having ordered several hundred pairs of glasses form Zenni over the past 13 years I can honestly tell you that I have never had even one problem with the glasses being made wrong. I an now a retired optician as well and for that reason I still have many former patients asking be to order glasses for them as well my own family and their many friends. I'm sure the biggest problem is the patient not placing their order correctly. I'm sure the biggest one is where people use the plus (+) instead of the minus (-) sign and end up with the wrong glasses. But at the same time I have found a number of people that I only tell them to check Zenni and they don't even bother asking me for any help and they seem to do fine placing their own order.