First of all, we can't tell you what you like. If you're like us and you wear glasses every day, choosing a pair of frames has mostly to do with your style - that's why it's good to have lots of good online retailers, as you can get a wide variety of looks.
All the retailers we saw in this review were able to provide a well-crafted prescription promptly. So in our testing, we focused on which retailers offered the best overall retail experience, making sure we got a good frame built with a perfectly executed prescription and the options we requested, comparable to what we would get from a brick-and-mortar optician.
What did we find? Online shoppers are spoiled, and anyone who lives outside a major urban center is likely to find greater style and fit online than locally. We've focused on the best of the bunch, and no matter what you're looking for or how big the budget is, we should be able to point you in the right direction.
Will I save money?
It depends on the situation. If you shop around online, you are likely to save money compared to buying at your local optometrist - although exactly how much depends on several factors.
If you have a simple prescription - monocular, under +/-4.00 - and don't want ultra-thin lenses or special coatings or colorants, then you'll probably spend around $100. If you need something more sophisticated, you'll pay more, though probably less than if you bought designer glasses at your local optometry store.
You do give up the benefits of in-person fitting, dispensing, and adjusting, although these are less important if you have a simple single-vision prescription, and depending on your budget, it may be worth paying more for access to a knowledgeable professional.
If you're interested in brands, you should pay attention to sales, coupons, and discount codes just as you would any other online shopping. During testing, we were often able to find discounts of up to 40% off the order price. Many retailers also offer second pairs at deep discounts, so it's worth keeping an eye on.
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