Warby Parker – A Review of the Eyewear Lifestyle Brand

Posted on December 6, 2017December 6, 2017 by Iris

Warby Parker: A Review

Founded in 2010, Warby Parker is a relatively new kid on the block when it comes to selling glasses; yet it has grown rapidly to become a billion dollar company after only a few years of operation. Warby Parker design and produce their own eyewear, cutting out the middleman in order to sell directly to the consumer.

Not merely a glasses shop, Warby Parker is a fashion company with a distinctly hipster feel to it, appealing to a young, trendy clientele who care just as much about aesthetics as function. They seem to strive to become a lifestyle brand, with their quirky presentation and offering of other products including books chosen by the staff. Notably, their blog has more articles about literature than vision.

While the shop mostly operates online, they have a series of retail locations in the U.S. and Canada, some of which can offer eye exams. The company is based in the U.S. and at the time only sells to customers in North America (including Canada), U.S. territories and military addresses.

Product Range

Warby Parker offers eyeglasses, sunglasses and even a monocle in womens’ and mens’ styles. There is a focus on trendy, modern design, with frames available in a range of shapes, sizes and colours.

Warby Parker design their own frames and only their house brand is sold in the store, meaning that their product line is limited to their particular brand’s style. The company manufactures their own frames and primarily uses three materials: acetate, stainless steel and titanium. In addition to their standard frames, Warby Parker run special collections, such as their Archive Edition of glasses handmade in Japan.

Prescription and non-prescription lenses are offered for both eyeglasses and sunglasses. Eyeglasses come in single vision, multifocal and non-prescription varieties, including magnifying reading glasses. The multifocal lenses are digital free-form progressives, made with predictive technology based on your individual prescription. Warby Parker produce polycarbonate or high index lenses with clear or light reactive options available.

Warby Parker’s collection of sunglasses comes in a choice of several lens types, including solid color, gradient and flash mirrored for non-prescription lenses, as well as a range of colors for prescription lenses

Other lens treatments are offered and are in fact included for free with any purchase, including: polarization, UV protection, scratch resistance, antireflective coating and a super-hydrophobic coating.

While they can offer a range of lenses, including some prism-corrected lenses, the store is not equipped to fill every prescription and can only meet a certain range of requirements. To find out whether Warby Parker can meet the specific needs of your prescription, visit their FAQ page.

Product Quality

Warby Parker seem to put most of their effort into frame design, and this is where their glasses really stand out. The frames are very stylish, with unusual and eye-catching designs which really make a fashion statement. The best quality frames on the site are probably the Japanese made Archive Edition, which Warby Parker claim are hand made by a master craftsman in Fukui.

Ease of Purchase

The website has a user-friendly interface which is easy to navigate. In addition to a simple layout, some helpful functions have been included to aid the purchasing process. In addition to the website, you can download the Warby Parker app straight onto your phone or other mobile device for easy access to the store and up-to-date information on the latest collections.

Newcomers or people who aren’t familiar with glasses jargon can really make use of the store’s Frequently Asked Questions section and the ‘Eyewear A – Z’ comprehensive glossary of vision related terms. Scroll down to the bottom of the site to find an education section of useful articles, or simply read the easy to understand explanations that are given throughout the purchasing process, as you choose your frames and lenses.

Customers who don’t know what kind of frames to buy should take the frame finder quiz, which narrows down a selection of glasses to suit your face shape and the type of appearance that you are looking for

Warby Parker was not founded by optometrists, and their focus is much more on fashion that it is on vision, though they do offer some help with understanding your prescription. One notable feature of the site is the ‘Measure your PD’ tool, which helps you to measure you papillary distance, if it’s not already labeled on your prescription.

Although some Warby Parker retail outlets do offer an eye exam service, the online store obviously requires customers to supply their own prescription. If you don’t feel you need to get a comprehensive eye check from a doctor in person, Warby Parker does offer a Prescription Check App which allows eligible customers to do a few eye tests on their mobile device, with the results reviewed remotely by a doctor who provides an updated prescription.

Pricing

All Warby Parker acetate glasses start at a uniform base rate of $95, including prescription lenses. Stainless steel and titanium glasses are considerably more expensive, depending on the frames. Upgrades such as light-reactive or high index lenses can be tagged on at additional cost, according to the needs of the customer.

Warby Parker also accept insurance, FSA & HSA payments. If you have vision insurance, simply contact your provider with a Warby Parker receipt (provided electronically) for a reimbursement. Warby Parker cooperate with several common insurance providers, listed on their website.

If you have a Flexible Spending account (FSA) or Health Savings account (HSA), you can use it to pay for eye exams, prescription eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses at Warby Parker.

Warranty & Returns

If for any reason you change your mind after buying some Warby Parker glasses, they offer a 30 day no-questions-asked refund or exchange policy. Contact the company directly by email or phone in order to arrange your refund or exchange.

Additionally, Warby Parker offer a 1-year scratch free warranty on all lenses. Any lenses that are scratched within the first year after buying them will be replaced for free, as long as you still have the same prescription. If you have a new prescription, they will replace the lenses for a fee, depending on your need

If you have other issues with glasses purchased from Warby Parker, they may be able to offer adjustments, either for free or at a cost, depending on the issue. If you don’t live near a Warby Parker retail store, they will reimburse you up to $50 for any adjustments made at another vision shop within 30 days of purchase.

Special Promotions

Warby Parker offer a couple of unique promotions that set them apart from other stores. Free shipping and order tracking is given on all purchases, regardless of location, although they currently ship only to North American regions.

The store’s major promotion is their ‘Try 5 For Free’ deal. This gives ever customer the chance to try out 5 different frames at no charge, before committing to one pair and making a purchase. Simply visit the website to choose the frames that you want to try on, and Warby Parker will post them out to you. You have 5 days to try out the frames and place your order before sending them back to the company.

Philanthropy

A growing number of companies are incorporating good deeds into their business model, and Warby Parker is one of these pioneering businesses. They run a ‘Buy a Pair, Give a Pair’ program in conjunction with the charity VisionSpring, distributing glasses to vision impaired people around the world. According to the website, the program helps to give eyewear directly to school-age children in needs, as well as providing trained adults to give eye exams and sell glasses in over 50 countries.

That’s

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The company has also created Pupils Project, a program which works to offer free vision screenings, eye exams and glasses to schoolchildren within the U.S. and Mexico.

Why buy from Warby Parker?

Warby Parker is part of a new generation of companies that strives to present not just a product, but a lifestyle choice. Their customers join a community of like-minded people who are looking for something more than just a functional piece of eyewear; they are interested in style, culture and world issues. While Warby Parker meet the practical needs customers have for vision correction, their glasses make a social statement as well as a fashion one.

Review of Buying Eyeglasses at Leotony.com

Posted on October 30, 2017November 9, 2017 by Iris

Leotony Review

There are lots of designer glasses online retailers out there that offer vast selections representing numerous brands. If you really want a pair of Oakleys or Ray Bans, then one of those sites would be optimal for your purposes. However, Leotony.com offers something different. This relative newcomer to the eyeglasses arena (the company was founded in 2016) only sells frames and lenses produced by Leotony’s own factory. What this business plan lacks in selection it makes up for in personal attention. The focus at Leotony is a pleasurable and personal glasses shopping experience that results in a pair of quality specs that match your prescription perfectly. And since Leotony produces both the frames and lenses in-house, you can buy prescription glasses with style and quality for a great price.

Frame Selection

If you’re looking for designer prescription eyeglasses online and want hundreds of frames to choose from, or tons of famous brands, you’re not going to find them at Leotony.com. Leotony only sells their own brand of frames, which means their selection can seem a little limited. On their site right now, for instance, their selection of women’s eyeglasses has 61 frames, while there are 44 frames in the men’s eyeglasses section. However, when you think about it, there are really only so many shapes frames can come in, and often larger selections can leave you trying to decide among several pairs that basically look the same. Leotony has all of the basic frame shapes, in a variety of colors, which can make choosing the right pair easier.

The frames that Leotony sells are all constructed of top shelf materials. Most of their frames are made of acetate (a high quality, durable and hypoallergenic plastic) from Mazzuccheli, an Italian manufacturer that has been the gold standard for acetate plastics since 1849. They reinforce the arms with nickle-free rods, and finish the construction with German OBE screws and nickle-free hinges.

Pricing of Glasses at Leotony.com

One of the benefits of Leotony selling glasses that they produce is that they are able to offer phenomenally low prices. The least expensive pair of specs, with standard lenses included, are $69, and the most expensive are $109. While they do not work with insurance companies, they will provide you an itemized bill that you can submit to your insurance to see if they will cover the price of your prescription eyeglasses.

Lens Options

Just as with their frame selection, the strength of Leotony’s lens selection is in its simplicity. If you’re looking for special tints or ultra expensive lens materials, you’re not going to find them here. What you will find are simple, quality lenses for reasonable prices. All frames come with Leotony’s standard single vision polycarbonate lenses, which include, for free, anti-scratch coating, anti-reflective coating, super hydrophobic coating, blue light protective coating and full UV protection. Photochromic lenses (lenses that darken in sunlight) cost an extra $90. 1.67 index lenses (thinner and lighter lenses particularly useful for stronger prescriptions) cost an extra $30. In addition to single vision, they also offer lined bifocals for an extra $80 and progressive lenses for an extra $200. In addition, they offer plain lenses (if you don’t need a prescription but want to wear stylish glasses) and reading lenses, both also free.

Ease of Purchase

The best part of buying glasses from Leotony is the ease of the process. The website is well constructed, with a clear and intuitive layout. When selecting glasses, there are simple options on the top of the display page that allow you to search for glasses based on their width, rim type (full, half, or no rim), color, and shape (square, rectangle, or round). If you want to know what the glasses would look like on your face, you can either see the glasses you select on one of their models, or you can upload a picture of yourself. This doesn’t give the same multi-dimensional experience available on many other sites with virtual try-on, but it is sufficient and, again, useful in its simplicity.

Once you’ve decided on the frames you want, the site takes you through an easy step-by-step sequence to help you enter your prescription and choose your lens options. If you have any trouble along the way, it’s easy to find help. The FAQ is fairly comprehensive, and they have customer service agents online Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 9 pm PT, ready to chat if you have any questions. If you have questions outside of those business hours, you can send them an email. (They do not have a phone number at this time.)

Here’s where Leotony goes over and above the services offered by other online eyeglass retailers. Right off the bat, your order is examined by a professional ophthalmologist to make sure your prescription has been entered correctly, and that the frames you selected are suitable for your prescription. If there are any problems they will contact you right away to work with you so that you get a pair of glasses that have been constructed with your specific needs in mind.

Once your order is good to go, standard shipping is free, and you will get your glasses in 10 to 14 days. If you want them sooner than that, you can use DHL International Express for $18.50 ($5 for each additional pair) and they should get to you in 5 to 7 days. If you want to check on the status of your order, you can log on to your account on the site and click on “Orders.”

Returns

So what happens if you get your glasses and there’s a problem? Let’s say they don’t fit quite right, or you don’t like the color, or they are damaged in some way. For all of those situations, Leotony has you covered. For 30 days from the time you receive your glasses, you can return them for any reason for replacement or a full refund. If your glasses break within a year, Leotony will repair them for free. They will also replace lenses that have gotten scratched within that first year, which means they’re serious about the effectiveness of their anti-scratch coating!

Since Leotony is dedicated to getting your prescription just right, they will work with you if something seems off. Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust to a new prescription, so they recommend you wait a few days to see if the issues go away. If after a few days you’re still having problems, you can contact them and they’ll work with you to figure out what’s going wrong and how to fix it. As mentioned before, this level of personal attention is pretty unique to Leotony, and one of the best reasons why you’ll want to give them a shot.

Conclusion

Simplicity and personal attention are the name of the game at Leotony. Sure, if a big brand name is really important to you, then you need to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for high quality eyeglasses for a great price and personalized customer service that takes the time to make sure your prescription is just right, then Leotony might be for you. Check them out!

Review Buying Eyeglasses from Eyeglasses.com

Posted on October 8, 2017March 2, 2018 by Iris

Eyeglasses.com Review

All too often it seems that when shopping for designer glasses online, you have to choose between your wallet and your desire for high quality, brand name specs that satisfy your aesthetics. At Eyeglasses.com, you don’t need to make that choice. Their incredible selection means you can find brand name, stylish designer eyeglasses for prices that won’t hit you right in the bank. In addition, the site is user friendly and a pleasure to use. On the down side, their return policy leaves much to be desired. If you’re looking to buy designer prescription eyeglasses online, here’s the good and the bad about Eyeglasses.com so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Selection

The best thing, hands down, about Eyeglasses.com is that it has over 200,000 eyeglasses and sunglasses to choose from, from over 400 designers. That is huge, and notably much larger than the selection available at any brick-and-mortar glasses retail store. With such an extensive catalog, you are pretty much guaranteed to find the perfect frames for both your budget and your sense of style. They offer a wide variety of well-known brands, including Ann Taylor, Gucci, Nike, and Oakley, and a wide variety of styles and frame materials. Looking for full-rimmed titanium Oakley eyeglasses? They’ve got it. How about round nylon and plastic Ray Bans in matte bordo? They’ve got that, too.

Price

Eyeglasses.com has options for every budget. If you’re willing to pay any price for the very best brands made from the very best materials, then you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for on this site. Their most expensive pair of specs at the moment are Bottega Veneta sunglasses, priced at $1,882. If, on the other hand, you’re fond of brand name designer glasses but you’re looking for great deals, Eyeglasses.com has those, too. Many sites that offer bargain glasses have their own store brand, but on Eyeglasses.com you can find name brand deals. For example, you can get a pair of Ann Taylor frames for $30, or a pair of Europa EL-80 eyeglasses for $40.

In addition to the reasonable prices, Eyeglasses.com will work with several vision insurance companies, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Eyemed, Humana and Spectera. They have instructions for each company they work with, including phone numbers to call and the exact information you will need to provide. Considering how complicated navigating insurance can be, this is a big plus.

Lens Options

To complement an impressive selection of frames, Eyeglasses.com has an equally impressive selection of lenses to choose from. Most online glasses retailers can handle single vision distance lenses and progressive (no line) bifocals. Eyeglasses.com can also handle lined bifocals and lined trifocals. In addition, they offer reading lenses and computer lenses (for medium distances, like from your eyes to your computer screen). Within these categories they offer several choices of lens material. The least expensive is the CR-39, a plastic lens that comes with an anti-glare coating. Those lenses in single vision distance will cost you $49. If you’re willing to spend more, you can choose high index polycarbonate, ultra-high index, Trivex (suggested for rimless frames) and glass (which, according to the site, has better optics and better scratch resistance; however, glass lenses will take an extra 2 – 3 weeks for processing, and have no warranty).

Many other designer eyeglasses online retailers create all of their lenses in-house. At Eyeglasses.com, you have the option of choosing lenses from well-known lens companies such as Essilor and Zeiss. These lenses cost more, but come with a pedigree of quality that, depending on what you’re looking for, might be worth the extra money.

Once you’ve selected the lenses, you’re presented with a range of options for coating, tinting, and special services. All lenses come with a scratch-resistant coating for free. For an additional cost, you can choose from a couple UV-protection and anti-glare coatings. Tinting ranges from no-cost clear to more expensive sun sensitive lenses, tinted sunglasses, and polarized sunglasses. And to top it all off there’s a range of special services to put just the right touch on your lenses. You can have the lenses on your rimless glasses polished or rolled, or have a mirror coating on your sunglasses. Or for an extra $9, you can rush your order, and Eyeglasses.com promises to complete your glasses as fast as possible without compromising on quality.

Another unique thing about Eyeglasses.com: if you already own frames that you love, but need new lenses because the old ones are scratched or the prescription has changed, you don’t need to ditch your frames. Instead, you can mail them in and the folks at Eyeglasses.com will replace the old lenses with new lenses of your choice. This is something I have not seen from any other online glasses retailer, and it’s a fantastic service. They do warn customers that sometimes, in the process of replacing lenses, frames may break. If that happens, they will either replace identical frames, or give 50% off of similar frames.

Ease of Purchase and Returns

Having a selection as vast as that on Eyeglasses.com is meaningless if you can’t find the designer eyeglasses you’re looking for among the literally hundreds of thousands of choices. Luckily, that’s not a problem here. As a matter of fact, one of the best things about buying frames on Eyeglasses.com is that the site is easily navigable. Right on the front page they have a search form where you enter some basic information about what sorts of glasses you are looking for, and immediately you’re shown several hundred frames that match those parameters. If you want to narrow your search, the side of the display page has several categories you can use to narrow your options, including shape, gender, material, brand, price, rim, eye size, even country of origin.

Once you’ve clicked on one of the eyeglass listings, you’re taken to the product page, where all the information about those particular frames are laid out in an easy to read format. The most confusing thing about the listing is the size, but they have a size chart that goes over what each number means in detail.

Once you’re sure these are the frames you want, you can either put just the frames in your shopping cart, or you can move on to selecting lens options. The site guides you through the process step by step, making it easy to choose exactly what you want without being bogged down by options that might not even be relevant to you. Once that’s done, all that’s left is your prescription. You can either enter the information on their online form, or you can email or fax the prescription to them, and they take it from there.

When buying glasses online, one pertinent question is how you can be sure you’re getting glasses that fit you and look great. Most eyeglasses sites have a virtual try-on, where you can either see the glasses you’re considering on your own face or on a model with your face shape. Eyeglasses.com does have a patented virtual try-on system, but, at the time of this review, it doesn’t work with all of the frames, unfortunately. Hopefully the number of frames that work with the system will be expanded. They do, however, have an extensive guide to buying glasses, including discussion of what frames look best on certain face shapes. In addition, they offer the opportunity to buy up to four frames and send back the ones you don’t want for a refund, as long as you purchase one of the frames. If not, you will have to pay for return shipping.

In general, this is how returns work on Eyeglasses.com: Refunds (full on glasses, half on lenses) are only granted if frames are returned within 30 days of the time when they were shipped. And they will pay for return shipping if they have made an error. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay return shipping on the glasses you don’t want. And if you return more than three pairs, you will have to pay a 20% restocking fee for each additional pair. The warranty available on frames is that from the manufacturer, not from the site, and they pledge that they will work with the manufacturer to help you if something goes wrong. They do guarantee that the lenses will be done correctly or they will redo them, within the 30 day period.

Conclusion

There are some really great things about Eyeglasses.com. Their selection is unmatched, their prices are reasonable, and their site guides you through the selection and buying process with ease. If you’ve looked everywhere else and you just can’t find the right frames for your look or your budget, then, giving Eyeglasses.com a try is probably a very good move.

Buying Eyeglasses Online From SmartBuyGlasses.com

Posted on September 21, 2017October 10, 2017 by Iris

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review

When it comes to buying designer eyeglasses online, there are usually two kinds of sites: sites where you can find a wide selection of well-known brands (often for the higher prices that such high quality frames typically cost), and sites that feature rock-bottom bargains, saving you serious cash if you’re okay with an off-brand pair of specs. SmartBuyGlasses.com is a hybrid of those two types of sites, bringing together the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for designer prescription eyeglasses online from well-known brands, they’ve got you covered. And if you want to buy prescription glasses that won’t break the bank, they’ve got that, too. Either way, you are likely to find a pair in their vast selection that satisfies both your sense of style and your desire for deals.

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review: Selection

SmartBuyGlasses.com has a truly staggering variety of styles from a wide number of brands. There are literally thousands of frames to choose from, so you’re sure to find something that fits you to a T. If you’re looking for big name brands, you can find many of them here, such as Oakley, Ray-Ban, Persol, and Versace. If brand name isn’t as important to you, the SmartBuy Collection has over 700 low-cost frames to consider. They also have a comparably broad selection of sunglasses, and several brands of contact lenses. They even have colored contacts! Sadly, however, their “Halloween contacts” page is empty right now. Maybe come October they will be selling some spooky looks!

Buying designer eyeglasses online has one major drawback: you can’t try them on. Or can you? Sure, if you buy a pair of jeans or a button-down shirt online, you have to select your size and cross your fingers that the waist won’t be too tight, or the sleeves too short. But on SmartBuyGlasses.com, buying glasses doesn’t have to be a “click and pray” endeavor. Instead, they offer a “virtual try-on” feature. On some other sites, this feature requires you to download a special app. On this site, however, you can use the virtual try-on right on the same page as the information of the glasses you’re considering. As long as you have a web camera and Adobe Flash, you can see what the frames look like on your face. You can move your head around and the glasses will move with you, so you can see how they will look from every angle. (It’s actually really, really cool, and even if you’re not convinced by any of the other great things about this site, at very least check the virtual try-on for the fun of it.)

While the site claims to have thousands upon thousands of glasses available, some customers have found that they will order a pair and find out after they have paid that the frames they chose aren’t in stock. Many of those complaints report that they wound up waiting for a long time for glasses that never came. With a high-volume retailer like SmartBuyGlasses.com, there’s sure to be glitches, perhaps particularly when it comes to keeping items in stock, so some negative reviews are to be expected. These instances are not the norm as many more positive reviews like these can be found.

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review: Price

Since SmartBuyGlasses.com features both high quality brand name frames and rock-bottom store brand specs, the price range is substantial, from about $30 for glasses in the SmartBuy Collection to well over $2,000 for a pair of Bvlgari frames. However, even if you are looking for high-end brand name frames, SmartBuyGlasses.com will probably save you money. That’s because all of their frames, including the most famous and most pricey, are sold at a deep discount. For instance, a pair of Burberry frames, that might otherwise set you back $267, on SmartBuyGlasses.com will cost you $199.95. Keep in mind, though, that this is for the frames only. With basic prescription lenses the cost goes up to $238.95. This isn’t an issue for the SmartBuy Collection, where that $30 for the least expensive pair includes the lenses. They also have a best price guarantee: if you find a better price within 14 days of purchasing frames from SmartBuyGlasses.com, they will match it.

While some eyeglass sites will work with your insurance, SmartBuyGlasses.com will not, only providing an invoice of your purchase so that you can give it to your insurance company when requesting a rebate. They do, however, accept flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) debit cards.

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review: Lenses

SmartBuyGlasses.com offers five kinds of lenses: distance lenses for everyday use, reading lenses for close-up use, computer lenses that work at an intermediate distance (like the distance to a computer screen), progressive line-free multifocal lenses, and non-prescription plain glass. There is a range of lens thinness, with the thinner lenses more expensive than the thicker ones. All of the lenses include an anti-scratch, anit-reflective and UV protective coating. They also offer polarized lenses, tinted lenses, photochromatic lenses (lenses that darken in the sunlight), and gradient lenses (lenses that are dark at the top and gradually clearer toward the bottom).

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review: Ease of Purchase

First, let’s talk about the SmartBuyGlasses.com website. It’s got a lot of bells and whistles. In addition to the selection of products and the virtual try-on, there are some interesting features, including a gift guide, a page on how to find the perfect frames for the shape of your face, a “celebrity spotter” page that shows pictures of famous people wearing the glasses that the site sells, an “Optical Center” where you can find articles on glasses and eye care, and a blog. It’s a lot of stuff. While all of these things are fairly interesting, I wish they had spent a little more time making the product sections a little more intuitive. For instance, the virtual try-on feature is clearly one of the things that distinguishes them from other glasses sites, but if you don’t know they have it, you might not find it. Even if you do know it’s there, it takes a little while to figure out how exactly one goes about using it.

So, to do the virtual try-on, first click the details icon of the glasses you are interested in. Then you will get more options listed below the glasses. One of them will be “Virtual Try-On” but it will be in the off position. Just click the slider to the on position and it will load up the virtual try-on program. Just follow the prompts from there.

Once you’ve decided on frames, however, the rest of the selection process is fairly streamlined. When you buy prescription glasses, often the most complicated part is understanding the prescription itself. SmartBuyGlasses.com makes this step as easy as possible. They have a form that closely resembles an optometrist prescription, a guide to understanding what all those numbers mean, and, worse comes to worst, you can scan your prescription, upload it, and they’ll take it from there.

Once you’ve made your selection of frames and lenses and have entered your prescription, it’s time to make and ship your glasses. While the FAQ says that most glasses ship within 24 hours, the reality is a little more complicated. Some lens options, such as tinting and polarization, will take extra time before shipping. And while shipping is free, the time it will take to get your glasses varies depending on what kind of glasses you’ve selected. Any glasses marked with a little airplane icon are “fast shipping,” and should arrive the next day, Monday through Saturday. Everything else will take from five days to two weeks. And while they will ship to P.O. boxes, the faster shipping requires an address where you (or someone you designate) will be able to sign for the delivery. (All of this is of course dependent on whether they have the glasses you ordered in stock, which, as mentioned previously, there have been some issues with. If your glasses aren’t in stock, then it could take much, much longer to actually get the glasses you order.)

SmartBuyGlasses.com Review: Returns and Warranty

So, let’s say you’ve received your glasses but there’s a problem. Maybe the prescription isn’t quite right. Maybe the frames break. Maybe you just don’t like the way they look. For cases like this, SmartBuyGlasses.com has a generous return and warranty policy. For the first 100 days they will refund your money or exchange your glasses for any reason. Beyond that, they have a 2 year warranty on prescription eyeglasses and a 3 month warranty on contact lenses.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to buy designer prescription eyeglasses online but you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, SmartBuyGlasses.com just might be for you. Their extremely extensive selection ensures that you’ll find something that pleases you both aesthetically and financially. Their virtual try-on system is also awesome. Give them a shot!

Review of Buying Eyeglasses from FramesDirect.com

Posted on September 20, 2017October 18, 2017 by Iris

A Review of FramesDirect.com

FramesDirect.com has achieved a lot of “firsts” in the business of selling eyeglasses. As the first eyeglass shop to sell prescription eyeglasses and progressive lenses online, FramesDirect.com has one of the largest online selections of eyeglasses and is the first and only online retailer staffed by certified opticians. Founded by eye doctors, the retailer maintains an expert staff of opticians that can answer any questions and help you find the right eyeglasses from the style and size to the type of lens and coating.

The retailer offers more eyeglasses than you will find anywhere else, and it has an easily navigable website to help you narrow down what you need. If it’s your first time purchasing eyeglasses, the website has guides to walk you through the process. If you’re a veteran in purchasing eyeglasses, there are easy search functions and filters to find what you need quickly. The highly customizable search filter on FramesDirect.com helps you narrow down your glasses to the perfect choice for you. You can filter by gender, brand, style, frame material, frame shape, frame color, price, size, and frame type to pick the eyeglasses that fit your style, comfort, and price range. FramesDirect.com sells premium Essilor lenses, top-notch lens coatings, and guarantees 100% prescription lens accuracy.

Here’s a complete guide to the prices, brands, and unique features of FramesDirect.com.

Brands and Prices Offered

FramesDirect.com has a large selection of over 400 brands on its website, many of which are prescription brands including Ray Ban, Oakley, Wiley-X, Costa Del Mar, Maui Jim, and more. There are also luxury brands like Kate Spade, Burberry, Juicy Couture, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, and Versace

Since FramesDirect.com offers such a large variety of prescription brands, they also offer a wide variety of prices to fit any budget. Their cheapest eyeglasses are $42.50 for simple reading glasses, while the luxury brands take the price tag up to $952.50 for Zegna Couture black frame eyeglasses. If you’re the majority of customers who fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes, there are plenty of options for you. The majority of eyeglasses on FramesDirect.com fall in the $100 to $250 range, where you’ll find Carrera, Nike, Fossil, Ray Ban, Tommy Hilfiger, and much more.

Quality of Lenses

The retailer has a strict review process of all prescription eyeglasses. First, the company ensures that every pair of eyeglasses sold on its website is stylish and comfortable. On FramesDirect.com, style is never sacrificed. Then, the company ensures that the eyeglasses are durable and follow the best manufacturing standards.

FramesDirect.com has a variety of single-vision lenses and multi-vision lenses, the latter of which includes bi-focals, tri-focals, and progressive lenses. There are also options to choose from when picking your lens material. You can choose plastic lenses, which are the least expensive and most common type of lens purchased. You can also choose an impact resistant polycarbonate lens ideal for children and active individuals or a High Index 1.67 lens, which is a thinner lens for people with stronger eyeglass prescriptions. In addition to these traditional lenses, FramesDirect.com offers polychromatic lenses that easily adjust between indoors and outdoors with anti-reflective coatings that protect you from UV rays and progressive lenses, which easily transition between near and far vision.

How FramesDirect.com Helps you Pick the Right Eyeglasses

As anyone who shops online knows, it can be difficult to make sure that the item you are purchasing will fit you correctly. FramesDirect.com takes several steps to prevent you from purchasing the wrong eyeglasses for your face. The Frame Size Guide directs buyers through the first step of choosing eyeglasses: measuring their face correctly. The guide shows buyers how to measure the glasses’ eye, bridge, and temple sizes, as well as the lens height in order to find the optimal eyeglasses. If you don’t have eyeglasses already, you can even send FramesDirect.com a photo of your face and their opticians will determine a measurement for you.

Once you know the size of your eyeglasses, the second step to purchasing eyeglasses is choosing your style. FramesDirect.com organizes their frames by styles such as Hipster, Nerdy, Sporty, Classic, Retro, Unique, and more. If you’re at a loss, there’s a guide for this section, too. The Face Shape Guide categorizes suggested styles based on the shape of your face. For example, the guide suggests that individuals with oval faces, who generally have balanced features, high cheekbones, and narrow chins, look for eyeglasses with bold shapes and fun textures like the retro cat-eye look. You can use an uploaded photo of yourself in this section too, but this time to virtually “try on” different eyeglasses.

If you need additional help, the attraction of FramesDirect.com is their staff of expert opticians. You can call the retailer anytime to speak to an optician directly. They can answer any of your questions and walk you through the process of purchasing eyeglasses.

Ease of Purchase and Returns

FramesDirect.com offers free shipping and If you don’t like your new eyeglasses, there is a 30 day return policy from the day you receive your order. They also offer a price match guarantee that ensures you are receiving the best price possible. If you find the same eyeglasses sold somewhere else for less, they will match the lower price. All eyeglasses at FramesDirect.com come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. So, if the nasal pad prong breaks or if a coating starts to wear off within one year, you can return your eyeglasses free of charge.

Special Promotions

If you sign up for their newsletter, you will get 15% off your first purchase. The website also offers huge sales around holidays. For example, its Labor Day weekend sale offered 50% off all eyeglasses or 15% off sunglasses. As a major online retailer, FramesDirect.com is a great option to shop at during nationwide sales such as Black Friday or Memorial Day weekend.

FramesDirect.com Also Gives Back

The retailer supports See Change, an initiative run by FramesDirect.com’s parent company, the Essilor Group, to improve lives by improving sight. Essilor was recently named among the 51 companies changing the world according to Forbes’ first “Change the World list. With the help of FramesDirect.com, the company has helped provide eyeglasses to three million people across four continents since 2013. So when you purchase your next pair of eyeglasses from FramesDirect.com, you will be helping the effort to provide better vision to marginalized populations across the globe.

Why wait? Check out FramesDirect.com for yourself and explore the hundreds of options available at your fingertips. Don’t forget to reach out to the opticians through phone or online chat if you need any help selecting your ideal pair of eyeglasses.

Buying Eyeglasses Online from Goggles4U.com

Posted on September 20, 2017March 2, 2018 by Iris

A review of Goggles4u.com

Since 2003, Goggles4u has sold cheap glasses online without sacrificing quality. Over the last several years, the company has changed the landscape of buying cheap glasses online. Gone are the days when you wait at an optician’s store for an excessive amount of time or the days when you waited weeks to receive your replacement pair after misplacing your glasses. Goggles4u has streamlined its services and made it incredibly easy to buy cheap glasses online.

The company has grown and developed a strong consumer base, competing with much larger competitors. Instead of putting money into advertising, the company depends on its growing customer base and word of mouth to grow its brand. It’s worked. The company has grown and continues to offer cheap eyeglasses and prescription glasses to customers without sacrificing quality. Goggles4u understands that there are many factors that go into choosing a pair of eyeglasses. While you want a pair of glasses that will correct your vision, you also want a pair that fit your face and style. Rather than going to a high end optical shop in order to get the quality and style that you want, Goggles4u lets you buy cheap glasses online for a fraction of the price at high-end competitors.

Types of eyeglasses available on Goggles4u.com

Goggles4u offers a variety of products including progressive lenses, sunglasses, and bifocal lenses. If you aren’t sure what you need or want, the website has lots of ways to help you narrow down your options and focus on the type of glasses that work best for you. From their extensive guides on choosing the right glasses to the live chat support offered on their website, you won’t be alone in the hunt for new glasses.

If you are both near sighted and far sighted, bifocal lenses might be a great option for you. The “D” segment at the bottom of the glasses allows you to read things up close, while the rest of the glasses are used for seeing distance. The special lenses work dual purposes in order to correct your vision for both near and far. You can also choose to purchase a no-line progressive lens. The progressive lens offers more diopters than the bifocal lens so that there is no need to separate the glasses between near and far. With progressive lenses, you can seamlessly switch between near and far sight.

Frames Available on Goggles4u.com

Goggles4u offers a variety of frames to fit your face style. You might think that their frames aren’t the top-notch quality that you need after reviewing their prices. But the company takes serious consideration into whether or not to sell certain frames. Every frame is evaluated within set standards before the company chooses to offer the frame on their website. You can be assured that every frame on their website has been reviewed and chosen for its high quality.

Their website walks you through how to measure your temple length, bridge size, and eye size to find your accurate frame measurement. The site teaches eyeglass wearers how to check the measurements on their existing pair of glasses and shows which numbers measure which part of the glasses. When choosing a frame, Goggles4u offers full rim, half rim, or rimless glasses depending on your style preferences.

Goggles4u has a guide that suggests frame styles for faces that are square, round, triangle, oblong, oval, diamond, and heart shaped. For example, if your face is round, then it probably has an equal width and length with soft curves. The website recommends staying away from round frames and suggests that you try on a pair of square or aviator style glasses in order to lengthen your round face. If you are someone with a more square faced, then you most likely have a proportionate face with angular curves. In that case, you should choose circular curved frames or oval frames to soften and lengthen your face.

After determining your ideal frame for your face, you can pick out one of the many eyeglasses on Goggles4u and filter by frame type and frame style. Filters for frame type include full rim, half rim, or rimless, while the options for frame style are classic, retro, clubmaster, aviator, cateye, or executive. They vary by gender. For example, there are no cateye frames for men.

Lenses available on Goggles4u.com

The next step is to choose your lens material. Goggles4u offers lenses made out of CR-39, polycarbonate, and mineral glass. Depending on whether you need glasses for reading or distance, you can also choose if you want lined bifocals or no-lined progressives. Goggles4u also offers tinted sunglasses or Photocromic lenses that easily adjust between indoor and outdoor lighting differences. They also offer aspheric lenses if you need a more powerful lens, but want to avoid the magnification of your eyes when people look at you. The aspheric lenses are thinner and flatter than a spherical lens.

All lenses sold on Goggles4u have gone through an extensive quality control process. They are made from a lightweight, but very strong, plastic and sealed with a scratch-resistant coating. There are also three coatings that are offered on the Goggles4u eyeglasses. There is a scratch resistant coating, which seals the plastic to prevent any scratches and enhance durability. There is an anti-reflection coating, which is made with a hard coat colored glare and meant to be anti-static and ideal for night time use. There is also a UV protection coating, which blocks out 100% of all UVA and UVB rays. All lenses except for bifocals come with the UV and scratch-resistant coatings.

When you choose your lenses, you can purchase 1.57, 1.61, or 1.67 Index Lenses with or without coatings in an either sphere or cylinder shape. All of these lenses come with different measurements that can be found on the Goggles4u website.

Prices for eyeglasses on Goggles4u.com

You can get a complete set of eyeglasses, including the frame and lens, for less than $20. Prices on Goggles4u are based on a $6.95 base price for the frame and then additional prices are added to the order according to the lens you choose and any additional features you would like. Single vision lenses are the cheapest glasses available on Goggles4u. A 1.57 CR38 lens with UV and anti-scratch coating costs $12.90 including shipping. With the base price for the frame, you will spend only $19.85. The most expensive single vision lens comes with 1.67 Hi-index plastic lenses with UV, anti-scratch, anti-glare, and Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) for $60.85 in addition to the $6.95 base price leaving you with a total of $67.80 for high-quality glasses.

D-Bifocal lenses can be purchased with or without coatings for $50.84 or $45.89, respectively. The no-line progressive lenses are the most expensive offered on Goggles4u. The 1.57 progressive lenses with no coating are the least expensive of the no-line progressive lenses. They can be purchased for $60.80 including shipping and the frame base price. The progressive lenses have a wide range and reach all the way up to $152.85 for 1.67 no-line progressive lenses with coating, UV, anti-scratch, and anti-glare. With the frame base price, the total charge is $159.80, making this pair of glasses the most expensive eyeglasses on Goggles4u.

Other prices for Single Vision Photocromic and D-bifocal Photocromic lenses are available on Goggles4u.com. In most cases, a shipping charge of $5.95 for USA orders will be applied when you make your order. Additionally, an extra $10 can be charged for tinting and $5 for lens can be charged to add a prism feature.

Goggles4u promises the best prices on the Internet and they avoid unnecessary things like owning a brick and mortar store or excessive advertising in order to make sure that they can offer the cheapest prices possible. If you find a cheaper price for the exact pair of glasses, the company will match the lower price that you found with their price match guarantee policy. They are committed to making sure that prices remain low for their customers.

How Goggles4u helps you find the best pair of glasses

Goggles4u offers many ways for their expert customer service agents to help you through the process of buying eyeglasses. Between their live customer support and their many online guides, you will be in good hands. Possibly the best form of support on their website is the Wizard Checkout, which you can use when placing an order. Once you input your prescription number, the Wizard Checkout helps you through a step by step process to purchase your frames, lenses, and the style of your glasses.

Other guides on Goggles4u help you evaluate what size glasses you need, show you how to measure your pupillary distance, and help you figure out what kind of frame fits your face shape best. The blog section of Goggles4u is extensive and full of resources to help you in the search for the perfect pair of glasses. You can learn about the different types of glasses and lenses available on the market, how to take care of and clean your glasses, which trends and styles are most popular for glasses today, and much more. Their blog is updated frequently and full of content that might help you in your search for the right pair of glasses.

Easy to Purchase and Return

Once you purchase your glasses, it will take about 12 to 14 days for delivery if you live in the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. If you order prescription glasses, it might take an extra three to five days. International shipping is available, but it takes approximately two to three weeks. Transactions are made through Paypal, so with a secure checkout method, you won’t have to worry about the security of the website or whether it’s safe to use your credit card. Goggles4u also has a full warranty policy. If anything goes wrong or if you are not 100% satisfied, the company promises to provide a replacement pair immediately. However, if you only need a replacement for part of your glasses, the company only offers replacements for nose pads at this time.

Special Promotions

You can get your first pair of glasses for $9.90 including shipping if you sign up for the Goggles4u newsletter. For a website that allows you to buy cheap glasses online, this makes a great deal even sweeter. Goggles4u also offers a lot of sales. At the time that this article was written, they were offering a Buy one get one free promotion excluding designer options. They were also offering a deal for Rx glasses for only $6.95. Check out the website today and see what type of deal they are offering now.

What others say about them

As you might expect, most reviewers of Goggles4u rave about the cheap cost of glasses online. People also love how easy and efficient the purchasing process is at Goggles4u and how their customer service is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. On Facebook, the company is rated four out of five stars. On Trustpilot, it is rated 8.9 out of 10. For most individuals who are used to purchasing high-end eyeglasses for $400 and up, Goggles4u offers a very attractive alternative to buy cheap glasses online. With Goggles4u, you won’t need to endure long wait times and hefty prices at traditional optical shops.

Goggles4u certainly isn’t the only online retailer that offers cheap glasses, but it’s certainly a great option if you are looking to buy cheap glasses online. There are few companies out there that offer the deals that can be found on Goggles4u in addition to the many different styles and customizable options available on the website. You won’t be disappointed if you try out Gogggles4u.

Buying Eyeglasses from 39Dollarglasses.com

Posted on September 20, 2017September 26, 2017 by Iris

Review of 39Dollarglasses.com

Buying a pair of glasses can be an expensive ordeal, especially for something as basic as being able to see. Many people need glasses for varying reasons. Some people need straightforward reading glasses and others need something more technical such as bifocals. Either way the cost can sometimes lead people to putting off buying necessary glasses or upgrading their prescription, both of which can strain ones eyes leading to further damage.

But its not all doom and gloom!

A number of professionals have begun to see this issue and, in an effort to alleviate cost, 39Dollarglasses.com has set itself the task of making glasses cost less so that being able to see through stylish and practical lenses does not destroy your bank account balance.

Founded by two eye-doctors in 2006 and receiving a 4/5 star approval rating based on customer satisfaction reviews, on consumeraffairs.com, 39dollarglasses.com has earned a reputation for helping you to get the most out of your money.

39Dollarglasses.com’s aim is to provide the same high quality glasses at a lower price, a nice idea you might think as you roll your eyes, but by bypassing expensive retail establishment it has become a reality. As well as this the founders, two eye doctor’s themselves, state that they can offer these high quality glasses at a lower price because of the high volume they produce and the lack of additional costs such as retail rent space, behind-the-counter employees and expensive displays.

With 6 different frame shapes available; rectangle, round, cat eye, oval, aviator and unique, you can buy inexpensive glasses that are unique to you. With a lens selection of; full time use, reading, bifocals, progressive ‘no line’ bifocals, all at the low price of $39! Every $39 pair includes; light and thing prescription lenses, 100% UV protection and a 100% “worry free” guarantee. Furthermore with fast delivery and free returns these glasses seem to have it all!

You can also get an understanding of your prescription and therefore what you require your glasses to be like. This is available on one of their website pages and ensures that you get exactly what you need without the hassle of mistakes and having to return for purchase multiple times.

The objective of 39dollarglasses.com is that everyone enjoys a wonderful experience when buying their discount glasses online. However they understand that pleasing everyone is not possible and as a result of not being able to physically try on the glasses, there can be mistakes with measurements

When it comes to the return policy 39dollarglasses.com clearly aims to please. By offering a generous 30 days full refund complete with free return shipping you can be sure that you can get the right glasses for you if the first pair are not the perfect fit. If not you can also exchange what you spent on your order for full store credit for up to 90 days after the delivery date, meaning that when it comes to possibilities with returns 39dollarglasses.com is making it as easy as possible to find the right fit for you.

But what are the benefits of ordering from 39dollarglasses.com?

A customer of 39dollarglasses.com can look forward to the Eyebucks Customer Rewards Program, which automatically enrols you, as the customer, into a rewards and points scheme after the first order, so you can be entitled to a number of rewards straight away!

The programme deposits 4% of your eyeglass purchase into a customer account that converts the money into points. With these points you can either use them for your next purchase, reducing the cost of your order, or you can stop the points so that they build up over time granting you a bigger discount! Whats more is that you can use these points in conjunction with any offers that 39dollarglasses.com is promoting meaning you can get the most out of your discounts, just log into your account to see how much you can save! Just remember that Eyebucks are non-refundable, regardless of whether you can refund your actual order. As well as this, the Eyebucks programme does not cover purchases of contact lenses or re-lens orders.

Regarding customer reviews many customers are happy with the service provided by 39dollarglasses.com with many people returning. There are even cases of these returning customers that are so happy and confident of the quality of the products that 39dollarglasses.com provides that they purchase in bulk. This is also a result of the reasonable price of the glasses themselves as it means that customers can buy more than one pair without destroying their budget, even if they were to return 1 out of an order for 3.

The benefits don’t end there! One customer cited that the cheap prices provided by 39dollarglassess.com have meant that replacing glasses for her son does not cost the earth when children inevitably run around or fall over. This is just another example of how useful a service 39dollarglasses.com provides.

The limitations of 39dollarglasses.com appear when dealing with technical requests for glasses with different lenses. A number of customer reviews become negative in instances where customers have asked for two different lenses in one frame, for example a far sighted lens and a near sighted lens. As a result of the different lens’ the order gets confused and the wrong glasses have been sent. Returns, though free, seem to take a while to be processed and a number of customers comment on issues with bad customer service arise as a result of this problem.

Though these instances should certainly be taken into consideration, despite this it is clear that this is not the dominant mood when reviewing 39dollarglasses.com’s service. The website is clear, helpful and informative, something which many first time buyers of glasses online really appreciate. Many people stick to what they know, regardless of whether the service is ideal or not and as many find the notion of buying cheap prescription glasses online odd 39dollarglasses.com certainly dispels any worries.

Review of Buying Eyeglasses Online from Glasses.com

Posted on September 20, 2017September 25, 2017 by Iris

Glasses.com review

There are many reasons why you might decide to shop for glasses online, from lower prices to a larger selection. The benefits of Glasses.com are convenience, style and quality. While you might not find many inexpensive choices, you can get well-known, high quality brand name frames with a minimal amount of hassle. If you prefer, say, Ray-Ban specs over a less expensive off-brand pair, or would like to go with a well-known retailer, then this just might be the site for your next pair of glasses. Here’s what you need to know to make that decision.

Price

Glasses.com has a huge selection of brand name frames and as such, they can be a bit pricey. But you will still pay less than you would in a typical retail store. Their least expensive adult frames (just the frames without the lenses) are around $90, while their most expensive titanium frames are over $400. They do include lenses for free for all glasses over $160, however, which brings down the sticker shock of the more expensive pairs a little.

Another thing that might offset the cost of buying a pair of glasses at Glasses.com is that they will work with some vision insurance companies to pay for frames and prescription lenses. If you’re lucky enough to have vision insurance, then that’s an option to take into account

Frame Selection

Glasses.com has an extensive selection of frames. Their men’s and women’s selections each feature over three hundred styles. Their children’s selection is significantly smaller (a little over a dozen) and range in price from $80 to $100.

One of the reasons Glasses.com has a wide selection is that they are owned by Luxottica, the leading eyewear company in the world. Because of that, the site carries many of the most famous brand names, including Armani Exchange, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Ray-Ban and Vogue. These are high quality frames in a variety of styles and materials. Looking for cat’s eye Versace glasses with semi-rimless metal frames? You can find them here.

One of the concerns many people have when it comes to buying glasses online is how the frames they are considering will look on them. It’s a common problem with ordering anything online, from shoes to clothes to jewelry. To deal with this, Glasses.com has a “Virtual Try-On” app for iPad and iPhone. You take a picture of your face from the front and from the sides, and the app lets you “try on” glasses that fit your dimensions.

Now, obviously this is a rather limited option. Not everyone has an iPad or iPhone and, strangely enough, there’s no Android option. (Maybe Glasses.com has some sort of standing agreement with Apple?) Also, while more and more people are shopping from their mobile devices nowadays, most people still use their computers/laptops. Glasses.com might do well to offer a desktop app in addition to the mobile apps.

For those who can’t use the app, you can choose one of the models Glasses.com has available, and the frames will be shown on that model’s face. The selection narrow, however, as all the models are pretty slim, which means that people with fuller faces don’t really have adequate representation.

If you can’t use the app and none of the models quite fit your face, then your best option is to eyeball it and try on the glasses when they arrive. Glasses.com has a 30-day return policy, meaning that for thirty days from the time you receive your glasses, you can return them for any reason. They’ll even pay for shipping.

Lens Options

Glasses.com offers single vision prescription lenses, progressive bifocals, readers, and plain no-prescription glass. To order prescription lenses you will need your prescription (of course) as well as your pupillary distance, or PD. Your PD is the distance in millimeters between your pupils, and it affects where in the lenses the focal points should be. If there isn’t a PD number on your prescription, you can either ask your doctor or measure it yourself or with the help of a friend. Glasses.com even has a special ruler you can print out at home.

Glasses.com makes all of their lenses in-house, with the exception of a couple of their prescription sunglasses brands. This saves both time and money. They offer three lens materials: CR-39 Plus, their standard; polycarbonate, a tougher material that is useful for sports and children; and Ultra Lightweight High Index, useful for strong prescriptions that might otherwise require very thick lenses. All of Glasses.com’s lenses come with a no-glare, scratch-resistant coating. If you wish, you can upgrade to a premium anti-glare treatment.

Ease of purchase and returns

The Glasses.com website is well designed and intuitive. It’s easy to find the styles you’re looking for, and easy to select the options you want. If you have trouble interpreting or entering your prescription, you can scan it and email it to them and they’ll take care of it from there. If you opt for free shipping, you will receive your glasses within 5-7 business days. There are options for faster shipping for an additional cost.

Glasses.com says that trained opticians check every order before it is shipped. However, if something goes wrong with your glasses, you have a few options. As previously noted, there is a 30 day return policy, where you can return your glasses, for whatever reason, for free, by contacting Glasses.com either online or by phone. If something went wrong at the factory and the frames are defective, there’s a one year frame warranty. And if you happen to break your frames within the first year, they will replace them at half price.

It is worth noting that many of the complaints about Glasses.com on review sites like the one for the Better Business Bureau have had to do with returns and refunds. However, people are more likely to complain when things go wrong than compliment when things go right, so a handful of bad experiences is not necessarily indicative of a larger problem.

Conclusion

In the end, the main question remains: what benefit does Glasses.com have over going to a store and buying glasses the old fashioned way? What it comes down to is convenience. If the Virtual Try-On works for you, or you’re willing to be patient with sending back a pair of glasses if they don’t work out, then at Glasses.com you might be able to find a pair of high quality frames that you love without the time or the hassle of a trip to a physical retail store. I’ve definitely bought things online that I could have gotten for the same (or even better!) price from a store, just because I didn’t have the time (or the desire to change out of my pajamas). If bargain prices are your deciding factor, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re willing to pay for quality and convenience, then give Glasses.com a try.

Buying Eyeglasses from EyeBuyDirect.com Review

Posted on September 13, 2017September 13, 2017 by Iris

Review of EyeBuyDirect.com

If you are looking for a place to buy cheap glasses online, EyeBuyDirect is an online retailer that sells discounted prescription glasses without sacrificing quality. Their glasses are stylish and trendy, ranging from the classic black frame look to a wildly colorful cateye frame. No matter what your style or personality, EyeBuyDirect is an excellent choice for finding affordable glasses.

You can find a range of glasses on EyeBuyDirect’s website. From discount prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses to non-prescription sports sunglasses and computer glasses, EyeBuyDirect makes a variety of styles and glasses to fit any customer’s needs. EyeBuyDirect is headquartered in Austin, TX, and it was founded by CEO Roy Hessel in 2005. In 2013, the company was acquired by Essilor International, a French optical brand.

Prices on EyeBuyDirect

The base price of glasses on EyeBuyDirect range from $6 to $70, but the price can increase depending on if you want extras like a prism or advanced lenses. If you aren’t looking for any extras to add to your regular prescription glasses, EyeBuyDirect is an excellent place to buy cheap glasses online. They are affordable, fashionable, and easy to use.

How does EyeBuyDirect design its glasses?

EyeBuyDirect also has its own in-house design team that creates its own brands and glasses. It certainly shows from the unique and modern eyeglasses available on their website. They find inspiration everywhere from timeless designs to current trends. One of EyeBuyDirect’s trademark brands is its in-house brand, RFLKT, a brand inspired by modern city architecture and design. All of the frames from RFLKT are inspired by city landscapes and made with contemporary Italian and German materials. These frames typically cost between $60 and $70.

From design to manufacturing, EyeBuyDirect controls all aspects of the eyeglass making process. Once the team has a design created, they move on to creating prototypes. In this step, they make sure that every last detail of their design fits well, too. From the nose pads to the arm lengths, no pair of glasses makes it onto EyeBuyDirect without their staff ensuring that the fit and quality of the glasses is perfect.

Without a middleman or the cost of maintaining a brick and mortar store, EyeBuyDirect can offer very cheap prices for high quality goods. So, if you’re wondering why it’s possible for you to buy cheap glasses online at EyeBuyDirect, this might shed some light on how they are able to keep such high-quality glasses for sale at a cheap price.

Frames offered on EyeBuyDirect

The frames at EyeBuyDirect come in three main styles: rimless, semi-rimless, and full rimmed. The full rimmed glasses offer a bold look and can be made using acetate, plastic, metal, titanium, or wood. The rimless glasses have a more minimal style, but they are only available in metal and titanium. The semi-rimless glasses offer a style that is somewhere in between, but like the rimless glasses, they are only available in metal and titanium.

Plastic and Acetate Frames

The plastic and acetate frames are the most versatile of the options available. Due to the lighter and more flexible quality of these materials, the frames can be purchased in bright colors, funky shapes, and more fun patterns.

Metal and Titanium Frames

The metal and titanium frames are more traditional. These frames offer a stronger and more classic look, but some are still bright and fun.

Wood Frames

The wood frames are a form of textured acetate made from sandalwood. They are handcrafted and made with delicate care and attention to detail. They offer a much more handmade and unique look than the previous two.

EyeBuyDirect takes great care to walk you through the process if you aren’t sure what type of glasses you want. They organize their glasses according to style, the most popular being classic, lightweight, fashion, tortoise, retro, geek, colorful, and designer. The colorful, geek, and retro glasses are more fun and have a bold statement, while the lightweight and classic glasses offer a more minimalist statement. If you prefer to follow the latest fashion trends, the fashion category makes sure that the glasses offered follow whatever is most popular at the time.

They also organize the glasses according to shape, the most popular being rectangle, oval, round, square, wayfarer, horn, browline, and aviator. The website offers suggestions based on the type of style that you want. If you want a more classic and trendy style, the wayfarer option might be the best style for you. If you prefer a more daring style, you can channel the style of former air pilots and go for the aviator style.

Lenses offered on EyeBuyDirect

EyeBuyDirect has endless options when it comes to pairing the type of lens, the lens coating, and the index level for your eyeglasses. The main types of lenses that are offered on the website are single-vision long distance, single-vision reading, bifocal glasses, which correct both near and far sightedness by splitting the lens in two, and progressive lenses, which seamlessly connect near and far sight in one continuous lens.

Lens Coating

EyeBuyDirect offers nine different lens coatings, all unique to your eyes and your needs. The anti-scratch coating comes with all EyeBuyDirect glasses and gives your glasses an added protection in the event of scraping them against something. The anti-reflective coating reduces any glare both from your perspective and when anyone looks at you through your glasses. It’s also handy in reducing glare while using a computer or driving while at night. The light adjusting coating adjusts to sun exposure by becoming darker in the sunlight and lighter indoors. This is a premium feature that cannot be combined with other coatings and is only offered with photochromic glasses. The color tint coating makes your world a little brighter by saturating your world in different colors. It cannot be combined with polarized or photochromic lenses. The gradient lens coating tints your glasses from darker on top to lighter on the bottom. They are ideal if you want varying degrees of light, but can only be applied to glasses that are at least 36mm in height. The polarized coating reduces distracting reflections so that you can run, drive, play sports, or do any other movement without unexpected glares. These come in dark green, dark gray, or dark brown tint. The opposite of the polarized or light adjusting coating is the mirrored tint coating, which offers a cool reflective effect. So, if your friend needs a mirror, you can be there for them. The reflective coating comes in silver, gold, and blue. The water repellent coating reduces the effect of water or smudges, helping you keep them extra clean for longer. Finally, the UV protective coating protects your eyes from harmful UV rays.

Lens Indexes

Now that you know what lens coating you want on your glasses, the next step is to choose how thick you want your lens. This is also known as the lens index. EyeBuyDirect offers six different types of lens indexes. These are 1.5 Index standard lenses, which are a conventional single lens that is offered with all EyeBuyDirect glasses. The 1.57 index is thin and light and are also called refractive index lenses. The 1.59 index is a polycarbonate lens, which comes with 100% UV protection and are known to be study and impact resistant. The 1.6 index lens is super thin, while the 1.67 index is even thinner. However, the 1.74 index lens is the thinnest possible and the highest powered prescription. All of these lenses increase in price as the number increases mainly because the prescription also becomes more complicated with increasing indexes.

Prescription digital screen protectors

EyeBuyDirect also has a unique lens with a prescription digital screen protector in order to minimize the effect of harmful blue violet light that enters our eyes while interacting with screens. We all know we spend too much time on our screens, but in a world where screen time has become unavoidable, the lenses at EyeBuyDirect offer some relief from the harmful effects of high energy visible (HEV) light. EyeBuyDirect’s Eyezen brand protects eyes from the harm of digital screens and can be found on its website.

How EyeBuyDirect helps you choose which glasses you need

There are several guides on EyeBuyDirect that help you maximize your time and efficiently find the glasses that work best for your needs. There’s a guide that shows you all of the steps to buying on EyeBuyDirect. There’s a guide that teaches you how to measure your pupillary distance, how to read your prescription, how to find the right frame size, how to find the right glasses for your face shape, how to match your glasses to your skin and hair, and how to choose your eyeglass lenses.

EyeBuyDirect’s How to Choose the Right Frame Color is an especially helpful guide. The guide walks you through how to choose a color for your frame based on your skin tone, hair or eye color, and purpose or personality. For example, individuals with deep skin and warm undertones are recommended to try purples, blacks, blue-based greens, or smoky blues to complement darker skin. On the other hand, if you are an individual with medium skin and cool undertones or olive colored skin, then you should try jewel tones like blues, purples, or blues. If you prefer neutral tones, black and dark gray works well. The guide has example skin colors if you aren’t sure what skin tone you have, and it walks you through lots of different options for you.

Another helpful guide walks you through how to choose the best frames for your face shape. The interactive guide has photos of individuals with each face shape in order to help you determine what face shape closely matches your own face. The guide explains some features that are representative of each face shape and then explains why certain glasses work best for certain people. For example, an individual with a heart shaped face, or a base up triangle, will have a narrow chin and wide forehead. EyeBuyDirect recommends that people with this face shape avoid heavy looking or oversize rims. Instead it is recommended that these individuals try rimless glasses in a rectangle, oval, or wayfarer frame style.

Another unique feature to EyeBuyDirect is their Eye Try, a “try on” function that allows users to upload a photo of themselves and virtually try on a pair of glasses before choosing to buy them. Customers can also share the photos that they created on the “Wall of Frame” and interact with other customers in a social network setting. The website also has facial recognition technology, which uses customer submitted photos of themselves to measure the customer’s pupillary distance

These are just a couple examples of the guides and many blog posts on the EyeBuyDirect’s website. Take a look yourself and read through their helpful blogs that guide you on how to buy cheap glasses online at EyeBuyDirect.

Purchasing Glasses on EyeBuyDirect

If you’re still not completely sold on the idea of buying cheap glasses online, then EyeBuyDirect offers some safeguards that might convince you to give their glasses a try. A purchase on EyeBuyDirect comes with a 14 day fit and style guarantee. If you aren’t completely satisfied with your purchase, you can return your glasses for any reason within 14 days. With such an easy purchase and return process, a 14 day warranty promise will make purchasing your glasses even more stress free.

Special Promotions on EyeBuyDirect

EyeBuyDirect offers 15% off your entire order plus free shipping when you sign up for their newsletter. If you’re a student, you get an extra sweet deal. Whether it’s your first purchase or your tenth, you can get 20% off your entire order plus free shipping. Another unique promotion on EyeBuyDirect is their referral program. If you refer a friend to EyeBuyDirect, you and your friend will both get $10 off your next purchase of glasses.

How EyeBuyDirect Gives Back

The company is rooted in the belief that all 2.5 billion of the world’s people who have vision impairment should have access to low-cost and high-quality glasses. They have donated over 250,000 eyeglasses to individuals around the world through the company’s partner charities, Save the Children and The Lions Club, and continue to keep costs low in order to advance the efforts to provide glasses to everyone that needs them. So, you can be assured that when you buy cheap glasses online from EyeBuyDirect, you are helping them advance this goal and provide more people around the world with glasses. That’s a deal worth purchasing.