Top Ranked Eyeglass Stores Online
Eyeglasses are one of the most important and widespread accessories today. Not only do they serve to protect and aid your most important sense, they're also a fashion statement. However, getting them online can be difficult with so many eye-wear websites and things to take into consideration, such as quality, price, selection and shipping. And this is even before you take your preferences and needs into account.
To help you out, our team at 9Ranks put on our reading glasses and went out in search for the best online eyeglass stores online, so you can get exactly what you want with minimal investment of time and money.
Index#1GlassesUSA
Pros
- Wide selection of frames
- Many brands to choose from
- Affordable prices
- Good shipping and returns policies
Cons
- Prescription lenses are somewhat expensive
- 14-day trial period is a bit short
- Tend to push store credits when asked for refund
GlassesUSA has seen a meteoric rise in recent years, and there are several good reasons for that. It's a safe bet that, if you're looking for stylish glasses from known brands, you'll find it here, and for fairly cheap. GlassesUSA offers affordable options for buying both prescription eyeglasses and designer eyeglasses online, with full prescription glasses starting at $38, and with free US shipping and returns to boot. They even sell contact lenses from a variety of known brands at affordable prices.
GlassesUSA also offer discounts year round, including buy-one-get-one-free and up to 70% off glasses from familiar brands such as Ray-Ban and Oakley and designers such as Prada, Gucci and Versace. First time shoppers on GlassesUSA can receive a coupon code for 65% off their first purchase simply by asking for it (it's received via email, and is only a one time offer). This is also one of the many discounts you'll find here, making GlassesUSA a fantastic online glasses shop to visit on holidays in case there's a special holiday sale.
Since you'll want to know how your new pair of glasses will look on your face, GlassesUSA has a nifty feature which lets you do just that: when browsing for glasses, you can switch view to see them on a face instead of against a blank white background, and you can upload a picture of yourself so you can view their entire stock on your face while you're shipping. This will let you save on time and ensures a satisfying end result. GlassesUSA also has a 14-day trial period policy for their glasses, and you'll get 100% of your money back guaranteed if you wish to return your purchase.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#2EyeBuyDirect
Pros
- Affordable prices
- Good selection of both frames and lenses
- Fantastic virtual try-on feature
- Free 1-year return policy for defective glasses
Cons
- Trial period is a bit short
- Only 2 known brands on offer
EyeBuyDirect is similar in many ways to many other online glasses stores, but what they lack in specialization they make up for in good bang-for-your-buck. EyeBuyDirect offers quality frames and lenses for affordable prices that include free shipping and returns to the US, as well as a 14-day trial period, a 1-year return policy for defective glasses (which few online glasses shops offer for free), and even a 15% discount for new (free) subscribers and the occasional buy-1-get-1-free promotion. They have a premium in-house frame brand (Rflkt Eyewear), along with the more familiar premium brands Ray-Ban and Oakley. Their other glasses are brand-less, though, and are made by EyeBuyDirect, keeping them very low-cost (prices for EyeBuyDirect's prescription sunglasses, for instance, start $39).
EyeBuyDirect has a good range of both prescription and non-prescription glasses, and even has a wide variety of specialized lenses (such as bifocal, progressive, photochromic, blue-light filtering and even prism lenses for sufferers of double vision) and coating to make them anti-reflective, polarized, or mirrored — all of which can be added to your selected frame for relatively cheap.
EyeBuyDirect's selection of designer frames, though, is quite small, with only three heritage brands to choose from. They do have their own virtual fitting feature, which lets you see how well a frame will look on your face, and there is an actual virtual app - like the sort of filters you have on your smartphone. You can look at yourself wearing their glasses live, in all angles, and thus make a better informed decision.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#3DiscountGlasses
Pros
- Low prices
- 1-year return policy
- Good selection of eyeglasses and sunglasses
- Great customer support
Cons
- No well-known brands on offer
- No live chat customer support
If you're looking for cheaper options, this is definitely the place; DiscountGlasses, as its name suggests, is a low-cost online glasses retailer that specializes in providing you good quality glasses at cheap and discounted prices. DiscountGlasses also offers the occasional promotions and sales, and, while these vary, you can usually expect to save around 30% on your glasses by simply ordering them using a discount code, which DiscountGlasses offers nearly year-round. A large section of the DiscountGlasses site is even dedicated to clearance sales, with prices starting at an incredibly low $7 for a pair, with lens included. As with most other online glasses shops on this list, DiscountGlasses also offers free return and shipping to the US, but, with that, includes an unparalleled 365-day return policy.
And, as for customer support, DiscountGlasses is a definite stand-out. Coupled with their return policies, this online glasses store is sure to leave a good impression on you if you decide to take your business there.
This isn't really the best place to purchase designer glasses, though. While there are some pricier options available, DiscountGlasses mostly keeps in stock glasses that are from lesser known brands, such as Stetson, Caravaggio, and Eight to Eighty. They have a good selection of both eyeglasses and sunglasses, and offer several upgrades to their lenses, such as blue-light filtering, progressive, and polarized lenses. You have a large list of filters you can apply to DiscountGlasses' frames to find the ones you want, and you can try them out virtually on your face via a special site feature so you can see how they fit.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#439DollarGlasses
Pros
- Very affordable set price for most frames
- Wide selection of special lenses
- You can re-lens your frame
Cons
- 30% refund fee for bifocal and progressive lenses
- Customer service and shipping can be slow at times
39DollarGlasses is an online glasses shop where every frame on sale costs $39. It has a virtual try-on feature and lets you search by lens, so its search feature is good, but since the site offers only one low price for its frames, 39DollarGlasses is not only low-cost, but also easy to peruse. They even offer free shipping for any order over $99 and a 30-day free return for full refund warranty, as well as a 90-day full exchange or store credit guarantee. 39DollarGlasses don't have any brands on offer, though, which is how they can keep prices so low. If you have no interest in named brands and just want a good pair of good quality, nice-looking and comfortable glasses for a low cost and without much hassle, this online glasses shop will be an excellent fit for you.
39DollarGlasses has a wide range of special lenses to choose from, including transition lenses and lined bifocals, although refunds for bifocal and progressive lens orders carries a 30% restocking fee. They also have an option to re-lens your frame should yours be damages or should your prescription change. 39DollarGlasses has a sister site they link to called OnlineContacts, where you can shop for a wide range of contact lenses. These contacts also have a 60-day return policy, though only if you return them sealed and undamaged.
If you like to keep with the latest styles, 39DollarGlasses offers you to search specifically for New Arrivals — glasses designed and produced according to the latest fashion trends. These are quite fashionable and come in three different color schemes, but cost around $10 more than the store's set price of $39.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#5LiingoEyewear
Pros
- Good selection of stylish frames
- Great return and shipping policies
- 60-day trial period
- 5-day free in-home try-on program
- Adjustment reimbursement
Cons
- No international shipping
- No children's glasses or contacts
- No well-known brands on offer
- Limited lens options
While affordability is always appreciated, having some style and being able to stand out is a must for most. Liingo Eyewear specializes in providing you with a grand selection of in-vogue eyeglasses and sunglasses that will not only sit well on your face, but also enhance your look. You can easily pick your preferred pair on Liingo Eyewear's easy-to-navigate site, which also features a simple try-on tool that will show you how their frames will look on your face.
Beyond that, though, Liingo Eyewear offers free in-home try-on for many of their glasses, which will let you try them on for 5 days (you'll have to pick 5 pairs to try on, you can't just try only one on). You can check how your new glasses feel and pair them with your wardrobe to find out if they're to your liking, and when you're all done, send them back for free. In fact, shipping is always free with Liingo Eyewear, as are returns within the first 60 days. You can get a refund for your glasses for any reason as long as you return them in less than two months after placing your order, which is more than most online glasses shops offer. If your glasses need an adjustment, Liingo Eyewear even offers to reimburse you up to $25 if the store you take them to charges you for it.
While their prices are fair and they offer the occasional deals and discounts, Liingo Eyewear isn't the cheapest eyewear store online. Still, their products are of high quality make and materials, and their service and policies are exemplary. They may not have the largest variety of lenses, and they may not have named brands, but if you're not looking for something extremely specific, you'll probably find what you need there.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#6WarbyParker
Pros
- Good quality at a reasonable price
- Wide variety of stylish frames
- Great customer service
- Offers at-home try-on
Cons
- Only Warby Parker brand glasses
- Try-on tool needs to be downloaded
- Can be a bit expensive
Warby Parker is a renowned eyewear company with more than 150 stores in the United States and Canada and a considerable online presence. It's website is perhaps one of the best places to get high-quality glasses due to its vast selection of fashionable frames, all of which are sold at a base price of $95, a price which can include standard single-vision lenses. Since Warby Parker is, in itself, a designer brand, it doesn't sell any other designer brands. So, if you want RayBan glasses, you'll need to look elsewhere. And, while Warby Parker glasses generally cost less than ones from the likes of Ray-Ban and Oakley, and are fairly priced considering the quality level of its design and manufacturing, they're glasses are still pricier than low-cost in-house glasses sold by some of Warby Parker's competitors.
Warby Parker offers free shipping to both the US and Canada, along with free returns. If you're unsatisfied with your product, you could get a full refund or an exchange within 30 days of receipt. If you want to try on their wares before deciding, Warby Parker is among the only eyewear companies that offers a home try-on program. You can order five frames, try them on for five business days, and then return them, all for free.
One real gripe you could have with Warby Parker is its lack of on-site virtual try-on app. Nearly every online glasses company nowadays feature a virtual try-on feature that lets you upload your picture or live stream yourself to the site, after which the tool digitally places the glasses of your choice on your face so you can see how they look on you. Well, to do that with Warby Parker's glasses, you'll need to download an app. While it's doable and fairly simple to do, it's still an unnecessary inconvenience we hope they remedy in the future.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#7Eyeconic
Pros
- You have a wide variety of top-notch brands
- Have thorough quality assurance process
- Accept vision insurance from several companies
- Good selection of quality lenses
Cons
- Shipping can be slow
- Frames can get expensive
- Not all returns are covered
A wonderful option for any brand aficionado, Eyeconic features some of the most iconic glasses brands in the world along with a good selection of lenses, all for fair prices and with the option of using your vision insurance to get additional discounts on your purchase. Eyeconic integrates well with VSP, MetLife, and Cigna Vision, which are some of the most renowned vision insurance companies in the US (VSP even goes so far as to correctly declare themselves the largest provider of vision insurance in the United States). Eyeconic offers a 20% discount to customers who link their benefits, which will allow you to save up to $220 on your purchase. Also, if you have a different insurance provider, you're able to fill out a claim and submit it to your insurance for a potential reimbursement.
The downside of Eyeconic, though, is its prices. When the only brands you can find on the site are the likes of Lacoste, Victoria Beckham, Nike, Gucci, Oakley, Ray-Ban and Calvin Klein, the chances for you to get something for cheap are rather slim. Eyeconic may offer the occasional deal or promotion, on top of its vision insurance discount and free shipping, but the prices of frames and lenses here is still higher than you'll find on some other glasses sites that offer generic brands and lenses.
But, if quality is what you're after, then you won't be disappointed. Glasses go through a thorough inspection process for quality assurance, and even if what you get isn't what you wished for, you have a 60-day return policy or one-time exchange policy (though not all returns may be covered by it). Shipping delays aren't frequent, but they do happen, so this online glasses store is perhaps less suitable for those in a pinch.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#8ZenniOptical
Pros
- Very low prices
- Large selection of generic frames and lenses
- 30-day no-questions-asked return policy
- Has lineup of extremely affordable frames
Cons
- Doesn't accept insurance
- No brands
- No free shipping
- 100% refund only in store credit
Zenni Optical is a fantastic place to shop online for affordable prescription glasses and sunglasses. It boasts a large variety of frames and lenses at cheap prices. They may not offer free shipping, but the prices of their frames and lenses is cheaper than what you'd find on most other online glasses stores. Shipping costs a minimum of $4.95 and takes a maximum of three weeks from order to arrival, though Zenni Optical does have faster shipping that takes 3-5 days to arrive and costs around $14 more than standard shipping. Once you get your glasses, you'll have 30 days to return them if they're not to your liking, but you can only get 100% of their value back in store credits, as a cash back return carries a whopping 50% fee.
Zenni Optical doesn't offer any brands, but their frames are fairly high quality, and their lenses usually come with scratch and water resistant coating for free. They even have an incredibly cheap line of frames that only cost $6.95 per pair. If you're in the market for regular frames and lenses, you can expect to pay around $15 total on the lower end of things, which is an absolute steal, even with the added shipping charge (which is somewhat negated if you purchase several pairs at a time). They also have a friend referral program which can net you $5 per person you bring in, so you can collect a bunch of your glasses-wearing friends and, together, enjoy a sizeable discount.
Another issue with Zenni Optical is that they don't accept vision insurance, so you won't be able to use yours to reduce prices if you have one. You probably won't need it with the company's low prices, but it's still a consideration if you're, say, a VSP member.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
#9TargetOptical
Pros
- 90-day free return policy
- Large selection of brands
- Great selection of frames and lenses
- Good coverage plan and shipping policies
- Accept a wide variety of insurance plans
Cons
- A bit pricey
- No affordable store brands
Target Optical, a subsidiary company of the famous Target brand, is a glasses and contact lenses store that exist both for online and in-person shopping and features among the largest selections of frames, lenses and contacts on the market. They have around ten known brands on offer, such as Armani, Vogue, Coach and Ray-Ban, as well as a large number of different lens types for both prescription and non-prescription needs — from polarized sunglasses and single vision tinted lenses to light-intelligent photochromic lenses. Target Optical even offers Ray-Ban Stories — special Ray-Ban glasses with Meta technology that serves as the first generation of smart glasses. These allow you to capture photos and videos hands-free and even listen to music, and feature a slick design and touch control. These smart glasses can even come with any kind of prescription lenses.
The downside of Target Optical, though, is its prices. While you may have special Target coupons you can redeem here, there is the occasional promotion or sale (such as a 20% discount on your first purchase), and Target Optical offers free shipping, there are no affordable in-house frames to be found here, and the lenses, while varied, are sold at regular and seldom discounted prices.
Target Optical does offer a 90-day unconditional return guarantee, for glasses as well as for unopened contact lenses. You can return your glasses or contacts for free, no questions asked, though Ray-Ban Stories must be returned within 45 days of purchase. They also accept a wide variety of third-party vision insurance plans, and offer a $35 1-year coverage plan that will give you unlimited eyewear repairs for both your frame and lens.
Specifications
Accepted Healthcare insurance
Special frames
Returns Policy
Eyeglass Selection
GlassesUSA | EyeBuyDirect | DiscountGlasses | 39DollarGlasses | LiingoEyewear | WarbyParker | Eyeconic | ZenniOptical | TargetOptical | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cheapest Frames | $39 | $5 | $12.95 | $39 | $49 | $95 | $140 | $6.95 | $54.50 |
Min Shipping Time | 7 days | 7 days | 5 days | 2 days | 14 days | 7 days | 14 days | 7 days | 2 days |
Max Shipping Time | 10 days | 14 days | 7 days | 5 days | 16 days | 10 days | 16 days | 14 days | 7 days |
Accepted Healthcare insurance | |||||||||
Accepts Insurance | |||||||||
Accepts FSA | |||||||||
Accepts HSA | |||||||||
Countries | International | International | International | International | US | US | US | International | US |
Special frames | |||||||||
Children's Frames | |||||||||
Designer Frames | |||||||||
Sports Frames | |||||||||
Returns Policy | |||||||||
Days to Return | 14 days | 14 days | 365 days | 30 days | 60 days | 30 days | 60 days | 30 days | 90 days |
Restocking Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Shipping Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4.95 | $0 |
Choosing the Best Eyeglasses For Your Particular Needs
There are so many good online eyeglasses sites out there that choosing only a few of them is a monumental task if you don't follow specific guidelines to go by when doing so. You have to consider prices as well as price transparency, shipping and returns policies, as well as the actual time it takes to ship or refund a product, and so many more factors, without limiting yourself to one type of lens or brand.
When you get right down to it, no matter how specific what you're looking for is, you probably have more than a few suitable online eyeglass shops out there to choose from. That's why we tried to limit our selection to the online stores with the best prices, largest variety of frames and lenses, and fairest practices, and only placed the stores with the best combination of those factors at the top.
When you try to choose the right store for you among those listed above, remember that any option you pick may be a good one, but it could also be an incorrect one. First, try to limit yourself to the stores that are within your budget, as some don't even have generic brands in store, and you may not be in the market for a high-priced pair of Ray-Ban glasses, and may not even care much for brands. Next, make sure the site has the product you want (a frame to your liking and the lens you need) and delivers to your home, as, while most have a frame you'll like, the lens you need, and deliver internationally, not all do. Finally, pick according to your needs and preferences: If you want your pair of glasses to be insured, and for the site to have a good refund policy since you're wary of accidents and mishaps, then choose a site that boasts those things. And, if you have vision insurance, make sure it's accepted by the site.