It’s very easy to buy just about anything online, from books and groceries to clothes and even medicine. But what about glasses? You could save time and money by buying your glasses online. But if you do, how can be sure of the quality, style, and fit? What are the pros and cons of buying glasses online?
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How It Works
The exact way that you order glasses online will depend on the website that you buy from. With most of these sites, the idea is that you first choose the frame and colour that you would like. Next, you select features that you want, such as the kind of lenses.
Some lens styles are designed to be extra durable, which will be a good choice if you have an active job or play a lot of sports. You can choose lenses with special coatings, such as ones designed to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
The next step is to enter your prescription information. Enter the distance between your pupils, to make sure the lenses are placed properly in the frame.
To help you choose glasses that suit you some companies will send out examples of frames for you to try on at home. Others will let you upload a picture of yourself so you can see how the glasses will suit your face. Some companies will give you tips on which frames will be the best for what you need and the shape of your face.
Reasons To Buy Glasses Online
Like any kind of online shopping, it is very convenient to order new glasses online, using your computer or another device. There are some benefits to choosing to buy glasses online:
It’s easy to shop around on different websites before you decide which one you like best. There are dozens of sites that sell glasses, including eyeglasses.com, so you can find the one with the best range of styles, the best prices, and the best service, to help you get the best deal and the best glasses.
You can get lots of information about the glasses without having to drive to a store or office. This can save you a lot of time, and lets you do your research on your own time, without a sales pitch to go with it.
You get a wide choice of styles, colours, and extras. Most online glasses retailers have a huge range of frames, often from many different brands. Without the limits of a storefront, they can hold much more stock, so there are usually more frames to choose from that if you bought from an optician or bricks-and-mortar shop.
You can save money. With the ability to shop around, and the lower prices allowed by not maintaining a physical store, frames bought online are often much cheaper than other options.
Reasons Not To Buy Glasses Online
There are some cons to buying glasses online, however:
You might not be able to try the glasses on or have someone to help you in person. Some sites will send out frames for you to try on at home, but not all offer this service. Choosing without trying them on can be difficult. Even if you can try the frames on at home, you won’t have anyone to help. When you buy glasses from a store, the staff will able to advise on proper fit and make any adjustments needed to your frames. You don’t get this assistance when you shop online.
It can be hard to measure your own pupil distance, which you will need to do to order your own glasses. If you get it wrong, you won’t get the right fit.
It can be difficult to return the glasses. Before buying any glasses, make sure you check the company’s return policy carefully, so you know if you can send them back if you don’t get on with the glasses.
There’s a risk that the glasses will have the wrong prescriptions and other problems. An incorrect prescription will result in blurred vision or eyes that feel uncomfortable. Many shoppers report experiences like this, so choose your online retailer carefully. Read reviews, and make sure they are reliable and reputable.
Some websites don’t take insurance. If your health insurance does cover glasses, look for a site that will accept it, and check the details on your insurance for how you need to claim.
Tips For Buying Glasses Online
Sport your style. While the main reason for buying glasses is to improve your vision, you also want to choose a frame that complements your style. The selection of frame features, fits, styles, and brands is larger than the options in any store. This gives you the freedom to tailor your glasses to your style and needs. Whether you need glasses for long days at a computer, or frames that will stay put during exercise keep this in mind when looking at frames online. Glasses are an everyday necessity, so they’re an important discovery.
Face shape and features. Knowing which frames will most flatter the shape of your face will help you to buy glasses online. The right frames will flatter your face, highlight your best features, and hide some of your least-favourite ones. Round faces look good in square or rectangular frames, which add angles. Square faces should open for oval or round frame, to soften the sharpness of the face. Smaller frames are best on oval-shaped faces. A heart-shaped face can be shown off with rimless frames or balanced with a more bottom-heavy frame.
Comfort and performance features. The bridge of your nose largely affects how a frame will fit. Frames that don’t fit the bridge of your nose properly will slip off. Frames that are too small will be uncomfortable and leave marks on your nose. An improper bridge fit can also cause you to look through the wrong part of your glasses, causing headaches. Adjustable nose pads make it easier to adjust the fit. Look for frames with nose pads and temples with grips for a secure fit. If you will wear your glasses with a helmet, choose a style with straight temples.
General lens features. When you buy glasses online, you need to know the difference between different features. This helps you to accurately choose what you need your lenses to do. Digital lenses are made with a more accurate manufacturing process, which is helpful with higher prescriptions, larger lenses, or wrapped frames. Light-reactive lens will change in colour depending on the amount of light. Polarized lenses reduce glare by blocking light that comes in from different angles as it bounces from water, the road, or windows.
Lens coatings. The coating on the lens is what makes your glasses last longer and work effectively. Tints come from a dip process of adding colour to lenses to add contracts to your surroundings. Mirror coatings are reflective top coatings that are applied to the front of a lens. This reduces light transmission from harsh, bright light. This coating is useful for driving. An anti-reflective coating reduces glare from the surface of the lens, giving you crisper vision. Scratch-coating protects against scratches.
Reference your old glasses. Whether you love or hate your old glasses, it can be helpful to have them with you while you’re looking for new glasses. If you love your current pair, look for something similar. Having the size and fit available will make your online search much easier. If you don’t like them, you know what features and fit to avoid while you’re shopping.
Vision type. If you are shopping for prescription glasses, you will need to know what type of vision you have. Single-vision is one prescription all the way through the lens. Lined bifocal means two prescriptions in one lens, usually for distance and up-close reading. There is a visible seam on the lens between the two areas. Progressive vision needs a lens that has three areas; distance, intermediate, and near. There are no visible seams on the lens, as the power changes gradually.
Updated prescription. When you have chosen a frame that will work for your vision needs and style, you will need to make sure that you have an up-to-date prescription ready so that the online optician can create the prescription lenses that you need to go in the frames that you have chosen.
Pupil distance. If your prescription is going to provide the clearest visions possible, the centre of the lens needs to be in a position directly in front of your pupils. To determine where to place the centre of your prescription, the optician will need to know what the distance between your pupils, which is called your PD.
If you do decide to buy glasses online, make sure you do your research first. Make sure you know how to properly measure your pupil distance, and how to understand your prescription, so you can order your glasses correctly. Look for a reputable retailer and take the time to shop around.
