Buying prescription glasses online has become increasingly popular as more people realize how much they can save by shopping for glasses online. However, with so many online retailers, it’s hard to decide where to buy from. To help you narrow your options and find the best prescription glasses online, I’ve pulled together the nine best online vendors for buying prescription glasses, vetted by me along with other CNET staff members.
How we chose the best places to buy glasses online
For this roundup of the best online retailers for prescription glasses, we considered factors like affordability, variety of selections, notable site features, shipping time and quality. These online retailers were independently chosen by our editors.
Read more: How to Use Your Smartphone to Check Your Vision
Best prescription glasses online
Shipping Info Free, takes 7-10 business daysReturn Policy 30-day hassle-free returns or exchanges on unopened productsInsurance Accepted YesVirtual Try-On Yes
Several CNET editors have bought their glasses on Warby Parker, which has a good selection of sharp-looking eyeglass frames. While glasses start at only $95 with a single-vision prescription, chances are you’re going to pay a bit more — around $150 to $200 — based on the type of frame options you choose, your prescription and type of eyeglass lenses. Sunglasses start at $175, and progressive lenses in both eyeglasses and sunglasses start at $295. But based on my and my fellow co-workers’ experience, the finished products tend to be a step up from what more budget-oriented sites offer.
Notable site features: The company’s iPhone app — sorry, there’s no Android version yet — allows you to search the site by frame size and to try on various frames virtually (it works surprisingly well) and better yet, you can try up to five frames at home for five days for free. Once your five days are up, you place your box in the mail with the prepaid return label (hopefully, you find at least one style that you like from among the five you picked for the home trial). There’s also a $15 online virtual vision test to renew prescriptions that are outdated. (Based on the test, you may not be eligible, however.)
Warby also has physical optical stores in some locations around the country if you want to go in and try frames that way. Many have reopened after being closed due to the pandemic. Some of these locations also offer eye tests, and that prescription can be used at Warby or elsewhere.
The online glasses store also has a “buy a pair, give a pair” program, so for every pair of glasses you buy, the company distributes a pair to someone in need, either for free or for “ultra-affordable prices.” (See details.)
Shipping times: According to Warby: “Single vision glasses take seven to 10 business days to reach you from the time we have all of your order information. Sunglasses and progressives take 10 to 12 business days to reach you.” (These estimates jibe with the experience of CNET editors who have used the service and my pair arrived in six business days.) You can pay more for expedited shipping.
Current discounts: Get 15% off when you buy two or more pairs of prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses, no promo code required.
Shipping Info Cost varies, takes 2-7 business daysReturn Policy Prescription not eligible for return or exchange. 30-day returns or exchanges for non-prescription.Insurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On No
Austin, Texas-based Roka branched out into the online prescription eyewear business a few years ago. The retailer’s marketing slogan is “The most technically advanced eyewear that doesn’t look technical,” and its glasses are impressively light, durable and stylish looking. Like Warby Parker, these are at the higher-end of the online prescription eyeglasses spectrum, with prices of around $200 for a completed pair of prescription glasses, depending on some of the lens upgrades you might add. But Roka has some of the best glasses frames out there.
Roka started out making athletic glasses for runners, bikers and triathletes, and many of its prescription frames are bendable at the ends and have rubberized tracks that help you get a more secure fit. The frames also come with three sizes of grippy nose pads to ensure a better fit. They are among the most comfortable glasses I’ve worn — and they really stay on your face. I personally like the small Oslo frame in clear.
Notable site features: Like Warby, there’s a home-trial program. You can try up to four frames at home for up to seven days. The box ships with a prepaid return label — you just drop it off at a post office to send it back. It also has an online virtual vision test to renew prescriptions that are outdated (based on the test, you may not be eligible, however).
Shipping times: Roka has improved its turnaround times now that it’s cutting lenses in Austin. It says its standard prescription eyeglasses, readers, and nonprescription sunglasses “will generally ship by the next business day. Our prescription sunglasses and progressives will generally ship in 5-7 business days.” For all its glasses, Roka offers free standard shipping in the contiguous United States, as well as optional expedited shipping options, including overnight shipping.
Current discounts: Get 15% off your first order in exchange for your email address (see the bottom of its home page).
Shipping Info Free, takes 7-10 business daysReturn Policy 30-day free returns or exchanges on unopened productsInsurance Accepted YesVirtual Try-On Yes
Founded in 2008, GlassesUSA.com offers more affordable options for buying prescription eyeglasses and designer eyeglasses online than sites like Warby Parker and Roka, with full prescription glasses starting at $38. But it also features premium designer frames from high quality eyeglasses brands, including Ray-Ban and Persol. The designer eyewear lists for more — frames start at $89 for basic completed Rx glasses — but discounts can bring them down in price.
The one-stop shop for stylish glasses offers a 65% discount off your first frames, as well as discounts on lens upgrades (photochromic, for instance), contact lens options and reading glasses. And around major holidays you can look for seasonal promotions on men’s eyeglasses, women’s glasses and contact lenses.
Notable site features: A virtual “mirror” feature lets you upload your photo to the site and see what a pair of eyeglasses looks like on your face shape to help you find the perfect pair of optical frames. And the company is upping the try-at-home ante. Instead of just sending you the frames, GlassesUSA will send you the frame with your actual prescription in it so you can truly try it out for up to 14 days — though the feature is limited to certain frames and lens options. The site also offers a 100% money-back guarantee so you can return your eye glasses if you don’t like what you ultimately get. Lastly, you can download a free prescription scanner app for iOS or Android that allows you to “extract the optical parameters from your current glasses” using your phone and a PC (it works with relatively simple prescriptions, so read the fine print to see its limitations). While we’ve spotted a few negative online reviews for GlassesUSA, the company seems to diligently follow up and respond to each one.
Shipping times: Expect seven to 10 days between ordering and arrival of GlassesUSA products, depending on the types of glasses and the shipping option you choose.
Current discounts: Check out GlassesUSA.com’s coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info Free, takes 1-2 daysReturn Policy 7-day free returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On No
As its name implies, Overnight Glasses can make you a new set of prescription glasses quickly — and really quickly if you’re willing to pay extra for it. If you buy a frame/lens package, fast three- to four-day service is available for $9. (It takes slightly longer for progressive and bifocal lens types.) The quality of the lenses I got was as good as that from other replacement-lens sites, so there’s no sacrifice on prescription eyewear quality for speed. Lenses and a new frame starts at $71.40 while lens replacement orders start at $69.70.
As for new lenses, you ship your frames to Overnight Glasses and they’ll replace your lenses with new ones in 48 hours. They can do polarized, blue light, Transitions and many other types, though progressive take an additional two days (so 72 hours total from the time your frames are received).
If you’re looking for a truly overnight option, its emergency, 24-hour rush service costs an additional $30 for single vision. As noted, a progressive lens order can take an additional two days, so the fastest you can get new progressive lenses is three days.
Overnight makes lenses for Bose Frames and Amazon Echo Frames audio glasses.
Notable site features: The site has a clean look and is easy to use. Shipping options are one of the key focuses.
Shipping times: As fast as 48 hours from the time your eyeglass frame is received, while 24-hour rush service costs an additional $30 for single vision (progressives take an additional two days) or is free on orders $180 and over. Note that coupons and discounts do not change the original order amount so if your original order amount was $185 and you got 30% off, you’re still eligible for the free overnight rush service.
As for lens-replacement orders, these are the ship times, according to Overnight: “Orders $150 and over get free second-day Air UPS delivery both ways — included automatically when the order reaches that amount. New lenses for single vision prescriptions deliver in five days or less if you send your frames the same day you order.
“Orders under $150 can add the speedy service for an additional $20 or get free ground USPS shipping.”
Current discounts: Check out Overnight Glasses’ coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info Free, 1-6 business daysReturn Policy 30-day free returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On Yes
Eyeglasses.com’s huge selection of both frames and lenses is a big selling point, but it also has the downside of offering so many options that it can be a little daunting to figure out exactly what to buy. You can get budget options — lens prices start at $39 — but the site skews toward more premium options. The idea is to get a significant discount (upwards of $200) on a high-quality frame-and-lens combo that you’d spend big bucks for in a brick-and-mortar shop. “Our business targets the main part of the eyewear industry, to supply the same products that customers would get at the eye doctor, but at 50% lower prices,” CEO and Founder Mark Agnew told me.
The site carries over 300 brands and 200,000 individual models, which seems to be the largest catalog of any online glasses site. The filters are also decent, allowing you to filter by rim style, material, brand, price, category, eye size, clips and country of origin. There are advanced search options too, such as bridge size and temple size, and B measurement. There’s no virtual try-on feature, however, and many of the frames don’t have models to show you what the frames look like on someone’s face.
Notable site features: Eyeglasses.com says it only sells “high quality, individually made lenses made in the USA” and the sample glasses I tried had excellent lenses that gave me a very sharp image. As I said, there’s a huge selection of lens options, and you get a “Perfect Lenses Guarantee” that allows you to send your glasses back if they don’t work for you — you can get a one-time free redo or a full refund on the frames and 50% cash back on the lenses, your choice.
The site also offers a lens replacement option for your existing frames (you send your frames in). Unlike Lensabl (see below), which highlights the feature, Eyeglasses.com doesn’t market the option front and center.
You can also get new glasses very quickly if you choose to pay extra for expedited shipping.
Shipping times: Less than six days, according to the site. I received a new pair in a couple of days, but I had an expedited shipping option.
Current discounts: 15% off your first order in exchange for your email address (no other coupon codes available).
Shipping Info $6, takes 7-14 business daysReturn Policy 14-day free returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On Yes
EyeBuyDirect is similar in many ways to a lot of its competitors. Along with an in-house frame brand (Rflkt Eyewear) it has some Ray-Ban and Oakley frames. I went with a more affordable Rflkt frame and paired it with a higher-end lens. The price came out to around $150 — you can go cheaper or more expensive. The frame quality was decent though not on par with, say, Roka’s frames. Lens quality was good and the ordering process was smooth, with a standard virtual try-on feature where you upload a photo of yourself to help you find the perfect frame.
Notable site features: For an extra $29, you can get two-day delivery with single-vision lenses (many frames are available for two-day delivery). It’s also worth noting that like Coastal (see below), with every pair of glasses you buy, you can opt to have EyeBuyDirect donate a pair to a person in need somewhere in the world — you pick where.
Current discounts: Check out EyeBuyDirect’s coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info $19, takes 5-10 business daysReturn Policy 30-day free return or exchanges (100% store-credit or 50% refund)Insurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On Yes
Zenni has been around for awhile, and it’s the first site I used to buy cheap prescription glasses and sunglasses online. It’s more of a budget-minded site, and over the years, I got some nice deals on cheap glasses, particularly when Zenni was running its occasional three-for-two glasses sales. I’ve had both standard eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses made here and so has fellow editor David Katzmaier, who has since graduated to Warby Parker (he said, however, he would still buy prescription sunglasses at Zenni because they’re cheap and decent enough).
In the last couple of years, Zenni has been subtly shifting its image, bringing in celebrities like Rashida Jones and 49ers tight-end George Kittle to give the brand a little more of a hip vibe. The lenses are good and these guys offer nice deals on upgrades to photochromic lenses.
Notable site features: There’s a Frame Fit “mirror” feature that allows you to upload a photo and see the frames on your face, as well as new “virtual” try-on feature (powered by Ditto) that allows you to see the glasses on your face as you move around using your computer’s webcam or your phone’s camera. This is similar to the virtual try-on feature that Warby Parker offers.
Shipping times: “Your eyeglasses are delivered around two weeks from the time we receive your order,” says Zenni. In my experience, that sometimes stretches out closer to three weeks.
Current discounts: Check out Zenni’s coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info Free, takes 2-5 business daysReturn Policy No returns/refunds. All sales final. If lens were incorrectly made, customers have 30-days to request a remake.Insurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On Yes
What do you do if you’ve already got a pair of eyeglasses frames you like but your prescription is old (or the lenses on your frames are scratched) and you just want to replace the lenses? Lensabl is one of the few sites that allows you to send in your own pair of frames and get a new prescription lens for them. Its motto is, “Your frames, our lenses,” with prices starting at $77 for buying a basic pair of single-vision lenses. A pair of tinted sunglasses lenses start at $97.
You upload your prescription online, pick the type of lens you want, and then Lensabl sends you a box with a prepaid return shipping label. You simply mail them your glasses in the box (shipping is free). First-time customers get 15% off. This site is also a good option if you have an old pair of glasses that you want to turn into prescription sunglasses.
Recently, Lensabl also started offering full glasses packages with its own frames that start at $77 for a single vision Rx and $177 for progressive.
Notable site features: For $25, you can renew your prescription online. Not everybody qualifies to take the online eye exam — you have to answer some questions to see if you qualify — but if you do, Lensabl says, “All you need is your computer, smartphone and about 15 minutes of time.” Your results will be reviewed by an eye doctor or optometrist licensed in your state who will then issue you a new prescription via email.
Shipping times: Lensabl pledges “about two weeks” turnaround time from when you ship your frames to when you’ll receive them back.
Current discounts: All of Lensabl’s deals and promo codes are displayed on its homepage.
Shipping Info Free, takes 4-7 days for non-prescription or 11-14 for prescriptionReturn Policy 30-day returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On No
FramesDirect is similar to a lot of the other online glasses retailers out there, but it focuses more on offering decent discounts on premium brand frames, claiming to have the largest selection of designer glasses online. This eyewear retailer is also one of the few places that offers prescription lens inserts for the Quest 2 and other VR headsets.
Finally, the site has strong customer service ratings from TrustPilot.
Notable site features: Like Coastal (see below) and others, FramesDirect has a philanthropic partnership with the Essilor Vision Foundation to improve the sight of people who can’t afford glasses. FrameDirect says that “for every pair of glasses bought, we will donate a pair of glasses to someone in need,” and you can select the region for the donated pair.
Like Zenni, Warby Parker and others, it now has a virtual try-on feature.
Shipping times: Expect around 14 days.
Current discounts: Check out FramesDirect’s coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info Free, takes up to 7 days after manufacturingReturn Policy 60-day free returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted YesVirtual Try-On Yes
One of our editors recently used glasses.com and reported a good experience. She said that glasses.com accepts a lot of vision insurance plans and automatically handles payment if your insurance provider is in their network (you can usually get one pair of glasses free). If your vision insurance plan is out of network, like VSP and Spectera, the site automatically generates a bill (via email) that you need to submit to get reimbursed.
Notable site features: Glasses.com is a pretty no-frills site. It does have a quiz you can take that recommends what frames are right for you. You can also return frames and lenses within 60 days if you have an issue with them.
Shipping times: Expect around 14 days with free shipping option or around eight days with expedited shipping ($15).
Current discounts: Check out Glasses.com’s coupons and promotions landing page.
Shipping Info Free, takes 5-7 business daysReturn Policy Free returns or exchangesInsurance Accepted No (reimbursement available depending on insurance company)Virtual Try-On No
As you’d expect, SportRx caters to people looking for sports-oriented prescription glasses, with a wide variety of options from big eyewear brands such as Smith, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Costa and Nike. Not all the frames it sells have an Rx option, but most do.
Although you’ll get a better deal here than you’d get from your local sunglasses boutique, this is not a budget site and you can end up paying upwards of $250 or more, depending on your prescription. But SportRx runs some deals on frames and also gives you access to a real optician to help you decide which glasses are right for your prescription and athletic pursuits. Making Rx lenses for sports glasses can be tricky.
Notable site features: SportRx says that instead of speaking (or live-chatting) to a run-of-the-mill customer service staffer hidden in some obscure call center, you’re speaking with a “friendly SportRx Optician in sunny San Diego” who’s gone through a rigorous training regimen (the SportRx Academy) and is well-versed in various aspects of optics: refractive light, myopia, presbyopia, astigmatism and everything else you can think of. “What’s more,” the site says, “they have extensive training on the best sports frame and lens options on the planet.”
Shipping times: Around 14 days.
Current discounts: Check out SportRx’s coupons and promotions landing page.
How to buy prescription glasses online
The first thing you need to buy prescription glasses online is a prescription. The best way to get an accurate prescription is to visit an optometrist and have an eye exam, which tends to cost around $100. After the test is complete, you need to make sure you get a hard copy of your prescription so you can retain it for your records. Alternatively, you can pick up a device like the $99 EyeQue Vision Check to use your smartphone to check your vision and create a prescription that many online glasses stores will accept, though some do require an Rx from an optometrist.
Get your pupillary distance number from your optometrist or measure it yourself. Be aware that sometimes optometrists won’t give your pupillary distance because they’ll say they want to measure you for a specific set of glasses. But insist on getting one because it’s required to order glasses online. Note that you can also measure PD yourself using an app on your smartphone or download a PD ruler that most online stores have available for download with instructions on how to use it. Pupillary distance is key, because when lenses are made it’s important to know where your eye is in relation to the center of the lens.
Make sure your prescription isn’t out of date. If you haven’t had a vision test in a while, it might be a good idea to get another one. Some sites like Warby Parker offer an inexpensive virtual vision test if your prescription is out of date but you feel you’re seeing well out of your current glasses (but still want to replace them). You take a five-minute vision test, looking at an eye chart from home. An eye doctor then reviews the results and responds within 48 hours to let you know if you’ve qualified for a prescription renewal.
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 have vision insurance, you need to check on the store’s insurance, FSA and HSA policies before making a purchase. Many do accept them.
Go to an online retailer and select a pair of frames that you like. This can be the hardest part of the process, because it’s tricky to know exactly what you’ll look like in the glasses unless you try the frames on in person and look at yourself in a mirror. Some online retailers have virtual try-on applications or, even better, they’ll ship you a few frames to try on at home before you select one of more to buy.
Provide your prescription. With some online retailers, you can simply take a picture of your prescription with your smartphone and upload the image to the site. And most prescription glasses sites also allow you to manually input your prescription numbers, which is typically what I do. When a site asks for your prescription, it will also ask for your PD number.
Select the type of lenses you want. You can buy complete basic single-vision prescription glasses for less than $20 online. And in most cases, they’ll work fine. But you will certainly notice a difference when upgrading to higher quality lenses in terms of clarity and weight (thinner, lighter lenses tend to cost more). I personally have a few cheap sets of prescription glasses that I keep in my car or in a backpack as backup glasses in case something should happen to my main pair. However, what I’ve found is that often the best thing to do is spend a little more for a higher-grade lens and not go for the cheapest option.
Before making your final purchase, read the fine print on the site’s return policy. Many sites are good about letting you return glasses if the lenses you ordered (based on your correct prescription numbers) aren’t good for some reason or the frames just don’t fit right. But read the fine print on the return policy. In some cases you can get a full refund and in others a store credit. However, sometimes stores will only offer a partial store credit. You don’t want to be surprised if something goes wrong. I’ve only had one company screw up my order with a wrong prescription in one lens.
Input any discount codes at checkout. Glasses sites constantly have promos running with discount codes that you input at checkout, though they sometimes exclude premium frames from name-brand companies. And sometimes you’ll see slightly sweeter deals around a holiday, with online glasses stores using almost any holiday as an excuse to offer a new discount code.
Online glasses FAQs
Is it a good idea to buy glasses online?
Yes, particularly if you’re looking to save money — often a significant amount. That said, before purchasing glasses online, most people initially go to an optometrist for a proper eye exam to get their prescription.
What is the best place to buy glasses online?
It really depends on what you’re looking for in terms of frame style and pricing. Every store on this list is a good place to shop for glasses online, but the types of frames vary by store, with some stores offering more premium frames, which tend to cost more. Lens quality also can vary, and some stores offer faster delivery.
Who has the best prices for prescription glasses?
Stores like Zenni Optical and EyeBuyDirect advertise offers for cheap prescription glasses (that includes frames and lenses) for $7 or even slightly less. While that’s slightly deceptive — only because the price doesn’t include tax and shipping, and you really should add an anti-glare coating to the lens for about $4 extra — I have put together a usable pair of glasses for around $17 shipped.
What can I expect to pay for a pair of prescription glasses online?
You can often get glasses with basic frames and lenses for less than $100 and sometimes even less than $50 during certain promotions. (I once bought a pair of prescription glasses for $9 that I can’t say were all that good, but I’ve kept them in my car as an emergency pair.)
More premium lenses made of lighter and stronger materials, with additional scratch resistance and anti-glare coating or photochromic lens that change from clear to tinted, cost significantly more. But a pair of premium RX glasses that might cost you $300 to $400 online would probably cost double that or more in a brick-and-mortar shop.
Note that some online glasses shops do accept vision insurance, though even if they do, you’ll have to check whether they accept your specific vision insurance.
Many online eyewear retailers, including Warby Parker, accept money from flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts along with vision insurance. Shopping online also allows you to get higher-end eyewear at more budget-conscious prices, as you can often find glasses deals.
Can I return prescription glasses I buy online?
Yes, sometimes prescription glasses don’t end up being perfect and may end up bothering your eyes. I once had a certain online store screw up the prescription in the left lens while the right one was correct. In many cases, you can return the glasses if you’re not satisfied, but make sure to read the fine print on the store’s return policy. Often, the store will remake the glasses for you or give you a full refund. However, certain sites only offer partial refunds.
What kind of deals can I find for prescription glasses online?
Most sites offer 15-20% off your first purchase if you provide an email address. Many sites also offer additional deals with certain codes at checkout, whether it’s discounts on frames, lenses, lens upgrades and sometimes you’ll see a buy-one-get-one-free deal. However, typically restrictions apply, which can mean you can only use the code for certain frames and less complicated prescriptions (single lens as opposed to progressive lenses). Look for sales and new codes to crop up around various holidays.
More eye care advice
Best Online Prescription Glasses for 2023 – CNET
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