We spent hours researching popular eyewear companies and what they offer in terms of selection, value, insurance eligibility, return policy and turnaround time. We also thoroughly browsed each site to test out the user-friendliness of the glasses-buying process and discover special features like virtual or at-home try-ons and prescription renewals. Finally, we included firsthand recommendations from Forbes Vetted staffers like GlassesUSA, Zenni Optical and Warby Parker.
To help you pinpoint the best eyewear retailer for your needs, we indicated the estimated turnaround times, return policies, availability of a virtual try-on features and vision renewal tests, and whether insurance and HSA/FSA funds are accepted. We also noted key points about the eyewear options offered as well as reasons one might prefer shopping somewhere else.
Touted as designed by athletes for athletes, these lightweight performancewear eyeglasses rest comfortably without slipping or bouncing. The prescription glasses have rubber grips at the ends, and the frames come with grippy nose pads to ensure a better, more secure fit. It's got a slimmer selection of 17 frames, however.
If you're still wary about ordering glasses online, you can always play it safe with a classic retailer like Lenscrafters. You'll find the same types and brands of glasses that you would normally see at the brick-and-mortar, only from the comfort of your home instead! Its brands span the likes of Ray-Ban and Oakley to Giorgio Armani and Burberry, with about 1,352 total frames.
Liingo narrows down its impressive stock of original prescription glasses online by sorting frames by face shape, frame shape, size, color and material. Every style includes free premium RX polycarbonate lenses, meaning glasses are thinner, lighter and claim to be up to 12 times more impact-resistant than traditional lenses. Similar to Warby Parker, this online glasses store will also send five styles for a free at-home try-on, giving you five days to mull it over. Offering the speediest shipping time, Liingo delivered pairs to our testers in six and seven days, respectively.
Some found the site less easy to navigate and wanted more instruction. "It was all on one page, and should have changed screens for each step," they write. "It needed to describe what a topper is. That made it confusing and hard to navigate. I easily put a few of the same frame in the cart unintentionally." Our testers received their respective glasses pairs within the 10- to 14-day shipping projection: one got their readers in seven days, while the other got their prescription glasses on the tail end of the window.
One pain point for testers was the lack of frame individuality, with some noting that the pairs didn't feel as high quality as designer frames. Alas, when one tester had a hiccup with their pair, "Warby replaced them for free, and their customer service is quite responsive so that's a huge bonus!" The online glasses brand also has various storefronts across the country, so you can get them fitted in person if you live near one. It's a simple process that only requires an appointment ahead of time. Although your receipt can grow in expense with the more add-ons you choose (like blue light filtering), Warby Parker still offers prices competitive with traditional eyeglasses stores. Even still, the brand is an in-network provider for some insurance plans.
When glasses serve more of a purpose to you than stellar eyesight, Eyebobs offers 69 funky, fashionable frames, including geometric shapes. Fine-tune your search with a personalized style quiz that records your face width to shape preference to color palette, then recommends three pairs of glasses, plus a compatibility percentage based on your answers. Frame sizing spans from narrow, average and wide, with a size guide that points you to a more accurate fit.
Its virtual try-on feature (offered on both mobile and desktop) worked well for testers, but Eyebobs only offers the option for select frames. Though the brand offers free, two-day shipping on orders $75+, know that made-to-order items take about seven to 10 business days to create. Our tester received a pair of reading glasses after eight days and reported back satisfaction with their quality, while also enjoying the vibrant case options.
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.
Stores like Zenni Optical and EyeBuyDirect advertise offers for cheap prescription glasses (that includes frames and lenses) for $6.95 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.
You'll need to know your prescription and pupillary distance from your optometrist before you use an online glasses retailer -- so make sure you get a hard copy the next time you get your vision checked. 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. 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.
You can also 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 (some do require an Rx from an optometrist).
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-$400 online would probably cost double that or more in a brick-and-mortar shop.
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.
Buying glasses online from a manufacturer like Warby Parker is not only cheaper but can be a lot less time-consuming, particularly after you've gone through the process of buying your first pair of online glasses and have your prescription and profile saved for future purchases. Since it only takes a few minutes to enter your prescription and measure your pupillary distance, the hardest part is agonizing over which frames to choose and mulling over lens options.
To help you narrow down 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.
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.
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.
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