65% off Basic Prescription Lens Frames | GlassesUSA | Promo code KINJA65
50% off Blue Light Blocking Lenses | GlassesUSA | Promo code BLUE50
20% off Designer Brands | GlassesUSA | Promo Code PREMIUM20
Buy 1, get 1 free for Black Friday in July | Glasses USA | Promo Code BOGOFREE
Recently, while taking my wife to the optometrist, I discovered that a run-of-the-mill pair of eyeglasses could run her $500 to start. That’s $200 more than her vision insurance would cover. Before we went to pay, I pulled my wife to the side and asked her to hold off on buying them. I promised that I’d do some digging online for deals.
A few hours later, we purchased five pairs of eyeglasses from a budget eyeglasses retailer online. The process was super easy, and the total was barely over $150, which is a fraction of the glasses priced at the doctor’s office.
To ensure that my Kinja Deals readers can cash in on these savings, I compiled a list of my favorite budget retailers for your shopping needs.
Best Online Prescription Glasses: EyeBuyDirect
Modern Hipster Mama blogger Clarissa Sidhom describes herself as a “picky shopper.” When I spoke to her, she told me, “The thought of buying glasses online seemed like a giant gamble!”
But like my wife and I, she was tired of overpaying for glasses at her local optometrist’s office. “After years of paying way too much for glasses in-store, I finally caved and purchased two pairs from EyeBuyDirect,” Sidhom says.
Luckily, EyeBuyDirect makes the process of buying classes super easy. Sidhom uploaded a selfie and immediately saw how a variety of glasses looked on her. It was almost as if she was trying them on in person from the comfort of her home.
Even though buying glasses online is effortless via EyeBuyDirect, Sidhom recommends the following, “The hardest part is measuring your face and eyes correctly, and if I had planned in advance, I would’ve asked my optometrist to do that when I was there for my exam.”
“Because they were so affordable, I branched out with a unique pair, and it ended up being my favorite glasses ever,” Sidhom reveals. And if you don’t absolutely love your pair of choice, EyeBuyDirect also offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
And, if you’re going all out for Pride, we recommend perusing LelePons x EyeBuyDirect’s Eyewear Pride. These unapologetically colorful frames are perfect whether you’re part of the LGBTQ community or an ally. And you can rest assured knowing that 100% of frame sales are going to support The Trevor Project, suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization focused on LGBTQ youth.
Best Online Glasses Retailer: GlassesUSA
E-Commerce writer Madison Durham is a huge fan of GlassesUSA and was thrilled by the easy process of buying glasses online.
One of her favorite parts of the shopping experience was the variety of frame choices. What “set[s] GlassesUSA slightly apart from other brands I’ve tried out was the fact that it carries, as advertised, affordable frames while also carrying name brands like Ray-Ban and Prada,” said Durham.
She also found the website’s How-to-Guides extremely user-friendly, especially for first-time online eyewear buyers. These guides will teach you how to do everything from finding the right frame size and shape for your face shape to getting used to progressive lenses. As a bonus, the website’s Virtual Mirror is supposed to be really fun to try out different frames with.
Right now, GlassesUSA is offering a host of different deals. The retailer is offering 65% off Basic Prescription Lens Frames with the promo code KINJA65 (premium and sale-tagged frames excluded). You can also grab 50% off Blue Light Blocking Lenses with the promo code BLUE50. You can even snag 20% off Designer Brands with the promo code PREMIUM20.
Right now, Glasses USA is offering buy 1, get 1 free with the promo code BOGOFREE.
Best Cheap Glasses Online: DiscountGlasses.com
If you’re worried about returning your glasses on time, DiscountGlasses.com is the retailer for you. “Return glasses for any reason within 365 days of purchase,” Robert Drumm, Director of Marketing told me in an email. “Anything from dog ate your glasses to lost at sea! It’s easy, go online or call us to have the return set up with free return shipping.”
The best part is that the return policy doesn’t have any qualifiers. The company will take the glasses with no questions asked. You can even renew your prescription for free with an online vision test! That means, no more wasting gas or metro fare trekking out to your local optometrist.
Plus, right now, the retailer is offering 30% off glasses for back-to-school. New customers can save 20% off with the promo code HFBGQQ9P.
Best Online Glasses Website: Warby Parker
Buying a new pair of glasses should be a fun, playful experience. And Warby Parker brings you just that! Whether you’re looking for the right pair of sunglasses, eyeglasses, or contacts, Warby Parker has got it down! Note that this is an affordable brand but still borders on a splurge.
One of the best parts of Warby Parker is that you are able to pick up to five pairs to try on at home FOR FREE! Plus, the brand even has a quiz to help you find the best pair based on your face shape and overall preferences.
Warby Parker also allows you to renew your prescription all by their Virtual Vision Test app. It’s great for anyone who has a single-vision distance prescription, has no eye health concerns, sees well with their current glasses or contacts, and is between 18 and 65 years old.
However, if you do need to get your eye health checked out, then you can book a comprehensive eye exam online with prices starting at just $75.
This story was originally published by Chaya M. Milchtein on 09/03/2020 and updated with new information by Juliana Clark on 08/16/2021.