{"id":1383,"date":"2023-01-27T08:18:58","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T08:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luckymag.com\/?p=1383"},"modified":"2024-01-05T18:09:38","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T18:09:38","slug":"glasses-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luckymag.com\/gear\/glasses-online\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Best Places to Buy Glasses Online"},"content":{"rendered":"
Classic prescription eyeglasses for the near and far-sighted and everyone in between are the most widely sold online. Materials range from plastic and metal to wood and titanium. \nThey\u2019re made in square, cat eye, round, rectangle, and oval shapes. A few untraditional shapes like polygons and asymmetrical designs have pushed into the market as well. \nSome online shops specialize in one particular type of eyeglasses like plastic frames or a specific style, modern or classic. Others offer sports or performance glasses for those who need their glasses to hold up to physical extremes.<\/td>\n
Blue light glasses reduce eye strain for those who stare at a computer screen for hours on end. Blue light can alter your body\u2019s circadian rhythms, so these glasses also block blue light to keep your body on track for a healthy sleep cycle. \nNot every online shop carries these glasses, but they\u2019ve grown in popularity, so many retailers have added them to their inventory.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Sunglasses<\/strong><\/td>\n
Fashion Frames<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Most online retailers offer a few pairs of sunglasses, along with prescription lenses and frames.<\/td>\n
Love how glasses look but don\u2019t need a prescription? These trendy frames don\u2019t necessarily require lenses. In fact, some may be impractical to fill with lenses. \nIf you want to make a statement, a retailer that offers frames without a prescription will let you fill your closet with a variety of eyewear colors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Eyewear Features to Consider<\/h2>\n
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Shape<\/strong><\/td>\n
Eyeglasses come in a number of different shapes\u2014round, square, rectangle, oval, and cat eye. Your preference plays a significant role, but your face shape also influences the frame shape that looks best on you. \nFor example, those with oval faces can wear almost any frame they want due to the symmetry of their facial shape. \nThose with round faces generally avoid round glasses. Rectangular and square frames tend to balance out round faces better. Look for online retailers that offer tips on finding the right frame shape for your face. Some may even offer software that analyzes your face shape to provide suggestions. It can help you narrow down your choices and avoid a pair of glasses you regret.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Width<\/strong><\/td>\n
The frame width is measured from the inside of one hinge to the inside of the other. The right width depends on the width of your face. All eyeglass measurements are done in millimeters. If you already own a pair of well-fitted glasses, you can measure the frame width and match that number when choosing a new pair of glasses. \nWidth makes a big difference in fit and how the glasses look. Your pupils should be centered in each lens. Frames that are too big will put the pupils towards the nose piece, while a pair that\u2019s too small will put the eyes toward the outside of the frames.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Arm Length<\/strong><\/td>\n
Arm length keeps the glasses in place and prevents them from sliding down your nose. Like width, the right arm length varies from person to person. \nEyeglasses often have three numbers printed on the inside of the arm. The third and largest number in the sequence of three is the arm length. Once you know an arm length that works for you, you can narrow down your choices by filtering the frames by the arm length.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Style<\/strong><\/td>\n
Glasses come in a wide range of styles. Trends come and go, from wide, round lenses to oversized cat-eye frames. \nMany people opt for a classic plastic or wire frame in an oval or rectangular shape frame for everyday use. You may want a backup pair or a pair that\u2019s fun and funky to give you extra options.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Weight<\/strong><\/td>\n
Extra weight on the bridge of your nose can contribute to headaches and nasal pain. Some materials like plastic and acetate are lighter weight than metal or wood frames.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Special Len Types and Coatings<\/strong><\/td>\n
Online glasses retailers often offer lenses made of glass, plastic, high-index plastic, and polycarbonate. Your prescription may influence or even determine which material is most appropriate for you. Some eye conditions and defects are better suited to different types of materials. For example, those with high prescriptions requiring thick lenses are better served by lightweight high-index plastic. To make the same glasses in glass or traditional plastic would make them too heavy to wear. \nLens coatings are another consideration to keep in mind. Not all online retailers offer every type of coating. Photochromatic, UV protection, anti-reflective, anti-scratch, and anti-fog coatings are the most common options. \nNot every online brand offers the same lens upgrades or coating types either. If you have a high prescription or know you need certain coatings, you may narrow down the places to buy glasses online based on whether or not they carry the features you need.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
What to Look For When Buying Glasses Online<\/h2>\n
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Selection<\/strong><\/td>\n
Some online eyewear brands carry a little (or a lot) of everything, while others specialize in certain types of frames. Online sellers may only offer sports and performance frames, plastic, wood, inexpensive, or designer frames. Of course, the more selection offered, the better your chances of finding glasses within your budget and personal style. \nHowever, you may get better quality on a site that\u2019s specialized in a specific type of glasses. Sometimes smaller retailers have better return policies, home try-on, or virtual try-on options.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Return Policy<\/strong><\/td>\n
Pay close attention to return policies. In the past, online glasses companies did not offer any refunds or store credit even though they also didn\u2019t offer home or virtual try-on. Return policies have come a long way since then, but there are still some that are better than others. \nOnline retailers that offer a full refund if you\u2019re dissatisfied with your glasses have the most lenient and comprehensive return policies. You\u2019re more likely to get a full refund if there\u2019s a defect in the frames or lenses, but check to see what options the return policy gives you. There are enough online sellers these days that you can usually purchase from a retailer that does offer an exchange or store credit.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Try-On Policy<\/strong><\/td>\n
Some online glasses shops work around strict return guidelines by having excellent try-on policies. Several eyewear ecommerce brands allow you to choose three to five frames to test out at home for four to seven days for free. You really can\u2019t beat that. You get to see if the frames fit, how they look on your face, and feel the quality. \nVirtual try-on isn\u2019t as good as trying on frames from the comfort of your home, but they\u2019re the next best thing. With a virtual try-on, you upload a photo of yourself and try lenses on your photo to get an idea of how the frames will fit. It\u2019s not a perfect science, but it\u2019s better than no trial at all.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Price<\/strong><\/td>\n
Make sure you know what\u2019s included with the quoted frame price. Some retailers include the price of lenses in their quote, while others only quote the frame\u2019s cost. Prices that include lenses reflect the base lens option, which is usually plastic. Lens upgrades and coatings will add to the price of the glasses.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Can you find glasses of good quality online?<\/h3>\n
Glasses of all qualities are sold online. Designer frames with top of the line lenses and scratch-resistant coatings are as easy to find as bargain frames with glass lenses. While price doesn\u2019t always reflect quality, $6 frames aren\u2019t likely to last for five years. Retailers with at-home try-on policies let you get your hands on the frames, so you can really see and feel how well the frames are made.<\/p>\n
How can I make sure the glasses will fit?<\/h3>\n
A fair amount of measuring goes into getting a good fit. Online fit guides can teach you how to take your own measurements, which often include width, pupillary distance (PD), arm length, bridge width, and lens width. Often, the best place to start is to measure a pair of glasses you already own and that fits you well. They may still have the lens, bridge, and arm length printed on the inside of the arm too. \nTaking measurements like pupillary distance is a bit trickier. If you\u2019ve just had an eye exam, they can tell you your pupillary distance. Some brick and mortar eyeglass stores will take the measurement for you for free. Otherwise, you might have to get fancy and use a mirror to measure from the middle of one pupil to the middle of the other.<\/p>\n
What if my prescription changes?<\/h3>\n
If you really love your frames, some retailers offer lens replacements for a fee. Online retailers that also run brick and mortar stores give you the advantage of taking your frames in for inspection to see if they\u2019re worth replacing the lenses or if you\u2019d be better off getting entirely new frames.<\/p>\n