By Lauren Dana Ellman , Jennifer Hussein , and Jamie Ballard
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Fashion Eyeglasses
Finding the right pair of glasses can be overwhelming, especially if you're shopping solely online. Thankfully, the 15 best places to buy glasses online have made online shopping for reading, blue light, and prescription eyeglasses as effortless — and affordable — as ever. These online retailers are all about convenience, quality, and frame style being delivered to your door in a matter of a few business days. Not to mention, you also have the option to comb through product reviews, read up on warranty policies, scour through a variety of lens types, and utilize virtual try-on features.
With that being said, shopping for glasses online can be intimidating for first-time shoppers, To help siphon through bifocal-shopping best practices, we asked a few experts for advice on buying prescription glasses online. First thing first: Keep in mind that expensive frames are not necessarily better than their less-costly counterparts. "Don’t necessarily look for the highest- or the lowest-priced merchandise," says Jonah Berman, OD, an optometrist based in New York City. TL;DR: Just because a pair of glasses is costly doesn't mean it's the best on the market.
On the flip side of that, inexpensive frames don't always equate to a good deal if the quality is bad. Instead of focusing on the price as the main factor of whether or not to buy a pair, look for details on the materials used, ask an eye doctor for recommendations, and check reviews from other shoppers before buying. Don't forget to check if the retailer has a return policy and offers full refunds before you hit checkout, too.
Before you order glasses, consider making an in-person visit to an optician to confirm your current prescription. Your needs may have changed since your last pair of glasses, so get things all squared away with an eye doctor before adding them to your cart. "If you have a more complicated prescription like a very high plus or minus — or especially a progressive lenses prescription [which combines three different prescriptions into one pair of lenses] — it may be a good idea to go into the optician for a proper in-person fit," New York City-based ophthalmologist Yuna Rapoport, MD, tells Allure.
If you have vision insurance, it's also worth noting to check if your online glasses retailer is covered by it. Many online shops accept most major vision insurance policies (including the ones on this list) but make sure you check with your insurance company before ordering.
If your eyewear needs don't require a visit to an actual store or a check-up with your physician, there are plenty of prescription and reading glasses to choose from online. We narrowed down a few online glasses retailers that our editors love shopping. They all make the process of perusing through online glasses stores fuss-free and convenient, and there are options on the list that fit every budget.
Why We Love It: If luxury designer brands at affordable prices are what you're looking for, GlassesUSA.com is here to provide them. The retailer's Designer Frames Outlet features brands like Michael Kors and Guess with options as low as $19. GlassesUSA also has standard frame options that frequently go on sale, too. As for add-ons, you can purchase scratch-resistant, anti-reflective, and UV-protective coatings on lenses, plus you can upgrade certain frames to blue light-filtering lenses for $29.
Shipping Info: The ETA of your glasses from GlassesUSA.com can depend on the type of lenses you choose, but if you want to speed things up, you can pay a little extra for expedited or express shipping. The site also ships internationally, typically taking up to two weeks.
Why We Love It: Beverly Hills-based ophthalmologist Alexander Knezevic, MD, recommends Zenni Optical for its low price points. The online retailer offers a wide variety of prescription glasses, many of which are under $30, with some frames priced as low as $10. The company has even teamed with A-listers, including Keke Palmer and Iris Apfel, as well as buzzy brands like Cynthia Rowley. While the wide variety of options can feel intimidating, customers can sort by color, face shape, new releases, and best-sellers. Narrow down your results by filtering according to size, shape, and/or material. Still need help picking the right frame? Use the virtual try-on tool or watch one of the tutorial videos to gain additional insight. Blue-light glasses and sunglasses are also available.
Shipping Info: Zenni offers a wide range of shipping options to over 200 countries. If your frames are damaged in the process, let them know, and they'll figure out a replacement ASAP.
Why We Love It: Warby Parker is one of the most popular online glasses retailers — and for good reason. The company's convenient (and complimentary) at-home try-on program lets you pick five frames delivered directly to your doorstep. Choose from dozens of new glasses and sunglasses, many of which feature clean lines, minimalist design touches, and subtle detailing. The online quiz and the corresponding iPhone app — which lets users virtually try on dozens of glasses and sunglasses — are both helpful when it comes to narrowing down frames. Prescription glasses start at $95, and blue-light lenses can be added for a flat fee of $50. As an added bonus, you can also buy contact lenses from Warby Parker's site with a prescription from your optometrist.
Warby Parker also has several store locations throughout the country, allowing shoppers to schedule in-person eye exams for new lenses and contacts as well as browse frames in real life.
Shipping Info: Warby Parker offers free shipping both ways and will typically get you your glasses 7-10 days after billing is approved. Once you get the goods, they have a 30-day free return policy.
Why We Love It: If you've ever tried running, cycling, or working out while wearing glasses, you know that finding a pair that won't slide around your sweaty face — or worse yet, fall off — is key. Enter Roka: a premium eyewear brand that makes frames designed for activity. They've incorporated features like no-slip grips on the arms and nose bridge of frames, water-repellent lenses, and spring hinges that never need to be tightened. Roka makes a curated range of eyeglass frames and sunglasses, but with enough variety that it should be easy to find a pair that reflects your style. One reviewer for the Lockhart frames shared, "I've worn these to HIIT workouts and hot yoga and they truly, truly stay in place. A huge win." Shipping Info: The brand offers free shipping on orders over $150. Prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses are built to order and usually ship within five to 10 business days. Non-prescription glasses typically ship within three days. Returns and exchanges are accepted within 30 days of receipt, though if you've bought a pair with prescription lenses, you'll have to pay a $20 restocking fee.
Why We Love It: Giving back is a major part of DIFF Eyewear's mission. Since 2015, they've donated more than three million pairs of reading glasses as part of their partnership with Sightsavers, a global charity that works to prevent avoidable blindness and advocate for disability rights. In addition to their laudable mission, their frames are extremely chic. They've got hundreds of handcrafted frames, from statement-making pairs to minimalist ones. Customers also have the option to upgrade their glasses with thinner lenses, blue light-blocking technology, or photochromic lenses (a.k.a. clear lenses that darken in the sunlight). Shipping Info: Normal processing times for all DIFF Eyewear orders is 24 to 48 business hours after orders have been placed; from there they ship orders with the shipping method selected at checkout. Prescription products can be returned within 14 days and non-prescription products can be returned within 30 days. There is a $10 restocking fee, which will be removed from your refund.
Why We Love It: EyeBuyDirect is one of the most popular eyewear sites for the retailer's selection of cool, trend-forward frames and a variety of prescription and non-prescription lens options. EyeBuyDirect has an in-house line of frames to shop that start at prices as low as $6, but you can also find your perfect pair from its selection of premium designer brands, including Ray-Ban and Oakley. EyeBuyDirect also features a style and fit quiz that provides a handpicked, custom selection of frames just for you and a virtual try-on tool so you can see how each frame fits your face.
Shipping Info: EyeBuyDirect accepts free, no questions asked, returns for a full refund up to 14 days after delivery. The brand also offers a one-time replacement pair within 12 months of purchase, but only if there's a significant defect in craftsmanship.
Why We Love It: Seriously, what can't you pick up at Target now? Now, you can grab your groceries, beauty products, and even your glasses prescription in-house at the mega-retailer. Along with a nearly endless amount of frames from brands like Vogue Eyewear and Ray-Ban Target Optical also carries retailer-exclusive brands — A New Day, Goodfellow & Co, and kids brand Cat & Jack — with frame prices starting at $99. As if being able to buy prescription glasses online at Target isn't impressive enough, you also have the option to peruse sunglasses and order contact lenses on its site.
If you'd like to take an IRL trip to the retailer, you can also schedule an in-store eye exam at any store that features a Target Optical. It's also worth mentioning that Target Optical accepts a large variety of insurance plans for your new specs, including out-of-network benefits for an array of vision insurance companies, including VSP and Spectra.
Shipping Info: Target Optical offers free shipping and returns on all orders. Prescription eyewear usually takes seven days to process, while frames without prescriptions take one to two days.
Why We Love It: Liingo has quite a few gorgeous frames to choose from, and prices cap at $129 — not too shabby, for a new pair of glasses. You can choose from classic eye, sun, or blue-light-blocking glasses all at once, and the retailer offers a virtual try-on option for all its eyewear selections. If you're still not sure which one is the right fit, you can try up to five pairs at once in the comfort of your own home. Another feature Liingo has is its Find My Fit tool, which helps you find frames that will comfortably fit using information tied to your current eyeglasses.
Shipping Info: Liingo offers free shipping and free returns. You'll get them in around 14 days.
Why We Love It: Felix Gray is best known for its signature light lenses (which are included in each frame at no extra cost). Each pair also has a double-sided, anti-glare coating and UVA/UVB protection. When it comes to frame selection, expect a variety of contemporary picks.
In addition to standard prescription glasses, sunglasses (non-prescription only), and non-prescription glasses, the retailer also sells "sleep glasses," which you don't actually wear to sleep. Instead, these tinted glasses do the same thing that a yellow tint on a screen like a computer or a phone does — it minimizes the amount of blue light that is absorbed and does not disrupt the natural circadian sleep cycle. While the brand claims that these glasses help "increase natural melatonin secretion for a better night’s sleep," Dr. Rapoport says that it's not actually increasing the amount of melatonin that you would make typically, but it minimizes how much melatonin is inhibited from being released when staring at blue light on screens.
Shipping Info: The company offers free shipping, exchanges, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why We Love It: Glasses.com offers a wide range of designer frames from Versace, Gucci, Miu Miu, and more. But if you're sticking to a budget, they also have several pairs from their in-house brand that ring in at a very reasonable $55. Additional options for each pair include blue-light filtering lenses, anti-reflective lenses, and Transitions lenses. You can use most vision insurances, FSA or HSA dollars to buy glasses through the site. And if you need to get a new prescription, you can book an appointment with an optometrist through Glasses.com for truly one-stop shopping. Shipping Info: It may take up to 10 days for manufacturing after your prescription is verified. After prescription glasses are created and shipped, they should arrive within five to seven business days. Glasses.com also offers an option that allows you to have your glasses shipped to LensCrafters for in-store pickup if you don't want the box sitting on your porch all day. For returns, if you use your insurance but decide to return your order, a request is sent to the insurance company to reinstate benefits. You can return your glasses within 60 days for full refunds excluding shipping and handling.
Why We Love It: LensCrafters has options for online and IRL shoppers alike. You can scour through hundreds of frames from name brands like Armani Exchange, Vogue Eyewear, and Versace, plus, frame and lens packages start at $99. If you need a new prescription or eye care visit, step into one of LensCrafters' brick-and-mortar stores across the country for a variety of eye exams, and proceed to shop through handfuls of designer frames.
Handmade Eyewear Shipping Info: You can ship your LensCrafters glasses to your local store or right to your house. Shipping is free, but you can pay $10 for express and get your order in one business day. Factor in up to seven days of processing, though.