Best Places to Buy Glasses Online

David Carnoy/CNET

Austin, Texas-based Roka has only recently branched out into the online prescription eyewear business. 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.

Current deals and coupons: 10% off for new customers in exchange for your email address.

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.

GlassesUSA

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. It also recently launched a landing page for . 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 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.

Current deals and coupons: GlassesUSA is always offering various deals that don’t vary much from month to month but have different codes. You can see all current deals on the site’s , including 50% off eyeglasses and sunglasses with code SUMMER50, buy one pair get one free with code BOGOFREE, 50% off lens upgrade with code LENSES50 and 40% off designer frames with the code DESIGNER40; and 65% off your first frame when you sign up to receive promotional emails. GlassesUSA is also offering one CNET-exclusive code: 60% off frames (excluding premium, sale-labeled items, contact lenses and kids frames) with the code CNET60. Coupon codes cannot be stacked. 

Shipping times: Expect seven to 10 days between ordering and arrival of GlassesUSA products, . 

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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.

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,  costs an additional $59 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. 

Current deals and coupons: Look under the «Specials» link on Overnight’s website for the latest deals, which include 25% off your order (restrictions apply) with code Get25, 25% off designer frames with code Lens25 or $90 off any order over $299 with code 90back. 

Shipping times: As fast as 48 hours from the time your eyeglass frame is received, while 24-hour rush service costs an additional $59 for single vision (progressives take an additional two days).

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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 . 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.

Current deals and coupons: 15% off for new customers in exchange for your email address.

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.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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  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, positivereasons you can opt to have EyeBuyDirect donate a pair to a person in need somewhere in the world — you pick where.

Current deals and coupons: 30% off sitewide with code YOU30, 50% off lenses with code 50LENS, 15% off and free shipping for new customers in exchange for your email address.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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.

Current deals and coupons: 10% off for new customers in exchange for your email address.

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.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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 . 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.

Current deals and coupons: 20% off clear lenses with code CLEAR20, 15% off contact lenses, frames and all other lens types with code SEE15 and 15% off Lensabl+ vision plans with code PLUS15.

Shipping times: Lensabl pledges «about two weeks» turnaround time from when you ship your frames to when you’ll receive them back.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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.»

Current deals and coupons: $60 off prescription glasses on orders over $300 with code SPORTRX60. $75 off prescription eyeglasses with code EYEGLASSES75. Buy any prescription pair, get 40% off a second pair with code BOGO40. 

Shipping times: Around 14 days.

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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  and other VR headsets.

Finally, the site has .

Notable site features: Like Coastal (see below) and others, FramesDirect has a philanthropic 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.

Current deals and coupons: 60% off lenses and add-ons with code SUNNY60. Up to 50% off designer brands at ongoing sale.

Shipping times: Expect around 14 days. 

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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.

Current deals and coupons: 50% off selected frames and prescription lenses (restrictions apply).

Shipping times: Expect around 14 days with free shipping option or around eight days with expedited shipping ($15). 

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 that most online stores have 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.

Once you have all that, most of these sites will let you input your numbers or upload a picture of the prescription from your phone the first time you buy something.

You can also pick up a device like the $99  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.

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.

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.

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.