Guide to Buying Prescription Glasses Online
1. Introduction to Buying Prescription Glasses Online
The trend of purchasing prescription glasses continues to grow. Like many consumer items, getting the glasses you want or need is as close as your personal computer or mobile device, whether you’re shopping for fashion glasses or safety glasses with prescription lenses. Trading in traditional brick-and-mortar establishments for e-commerce shops has its pros and cons. Shopping online is easy and can be done 24 hours a day in the comfort of your own home. Before beginning the online shopping process, there are a few things to keep in mind. While it may seem like an easy purchase to make online, there are a few important tips to follow to ensure you find the perfect-fit glasses.
Buying glasses in person versus online offers the shopper two distinct experiences, and the cons are the exact inverse of one another. In a traditional brick-and-mortar store, getting the fit you need is easy. Perfect for kids' glasses or glasses for a unique face shape with 'hard to fit' features, fitting glasses are tailored to your face and needs. The downside to physical shopping is that you may be limited to that store’s selection, and many times it costs more due to a number of reasons. Most online retailers do not offer custom adjustments to glasses to suit your face shape. Making returns that accommodate a crooked frame or poorly fitting sunglasses can be challenging, making it important to know just a bit more before making a purchase.
2. Benefits of Buying Prescription Glasses Online
Lots of people question whether they can save money and still get good glasses if they order prescription glasses online. The answer is an enthusiastic "yes." Prescription glasses can be bought online for a fraction of the cost of purchasing them from your local eyewear store. Lower overhead, from a retailer's point of view, equates to lower prices for the customer. Buyers are attracted to the internet by the possible savings. Many people, especially those with busy working schedules and kids at home, enjoy the convenience of being able to shop online 24/7 from the comfort of their homes. When buying online, the choices are numerous, much more than are available in most brick-and-mortar eyewear stores. While the eyewear business is just as filled with branding as any other, the eyewear market provides many authorized dealers of designer brands. For numerous consumers, the possibility to simply browse and buy these designs in the privacy of one's own home is a tremendous advantage of purchasing glasses on the internet.
In addition, the capacity to read customer reviews before making a purchase can be invaluable. This helps ensure that the item looks as illustrated and is of high quality. Many online optical shops also provide a "virtually try on" option, allowing the potential buyer to upload a picture of himself and then actually place the glasses on the image until he finds a style that flatters his face and head. Another popular benefit of online eyewear shops is that they often cater to specific tastes, needs, or even individuals. Some offer sports eyewear, some offer glasses for kids, some offer glasses specifically for prescription sunglasses, and so on. Some of the former can be purchased from local retailers, but limitless varieties and brands are only a few clicks away.
3. How to Choose the Right Frame and Lenses Online
Choosing the right pair of glasses online starts with finding frames that suit your personal style. Narrow down your search by considering your face shape and whether you prefer to complement your features or make a bold statement. You might also decide on the color of the frames you like best. Once you have decided on the frames, you need to ensure that the glasses will fit your face correctly. This requires getting your key measurements like pupillary distance as well as frame width and length. Many online eyeglass retailers offer a virtual try-on feature that you can use to see what a pair of glasses looks like on your face. You may need to upload a photo or use your webcam to try on different frames.
The most important thing to consider when choosing lenses is what they will be used for. Are you nearsighted, farsighted, or do you have an astigmatism? Are you trying to protect your eyes from the sun? In general, distance correction for those who need eyeglasses to see things far away is called single-vision lenses, and those who require two levels of correction will have either bifocal or progressive lenses. Bifocals will have a line in the center of the lens, while the stronger prescription for near work is generally on the bottom of the lens. A trifocal lens has three parts for distance, intermediate, and near vision. Progressive lenses are also known as no-line bifocals, and they offer an enhanced elegant appearance and more functional vision correction. They have the same options as standard bifocals, and invisibility makes this lens type a popular choice. Another thing to consider is getting the following add-ons: anti-reflective coating, light photochromic lenses, blue light protection, or transition and mirror-coated lenses. Each lens coating has unique characteristics that would suit the needs of some more than others.
Once you have determined which frames and lenses you want, the final step is making sure that the vision prescription is compatible with your selected choices. Look for a section that provides the measurements of the glasses such as frame width, height, lens width, length, and bridge size. There should also be detailed information about the lenses including base curve and thickness. Write down all measurements and visit your local optometrist to verify that your measurements are within range for your vision needs. If your current lenses have a specific measurement that is not a multiple of your chosen glasses, enter it in the additional comments field on the website. When in doubt, call customer support and explain that you want to purchase a pair of glasses after determining that they are compatible with both your frame spectacles and lenses. Ask customer service any questions you may have about the site or company's return policy. Go over any lingering uncertainties before making a purchase. If the customer service representative is unhelpful or does not make you feel as though your inquiries are valid, consider contacting a different eyeglass company.
4. Understanding Prescription Details and Measurements
When it comes to purchasing glasses online, one of the most crucial steps to take is understanding your prescription details and measurements. Though they may seem complicated at first, eye prescriptions are typically built around the same terminologies and concepts. On a standard prescription, four key fields are typically included: sphere (SPH), cylinder (CYL), axis, and addition (ADD). SPH refers to the amount of lens required to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness. The unit of measurement used is diopters. CYL, also measured in diopters, refers to the lens strength necessary to correct astigmatism. Axis values range between 0 and 180, describing where in a lens the cylinder prescription must be added. Finally, the spherical reading addition value is the extra magnifying power for people who use bifocals or progressives.
It is recommended that an eye care professional take a proper eye test to generate a medically correct prescription. However, if this is not an option, a self-administered eye test can generate an approximate prescription. This still leaves another detail to consider before purchasing online: the distance between the pupils. If not included on a prescription, pupillary distance (PD) values can be offered free of charge at many eyeglasses or eye care stores. Getting this right is crucial to ensure that the progressive lens will have the correct amount of nearsightedness and farsightedness for the wearer. Measuring this value is where the offline benefits end, as ordering glasses including a PD is something that can only efficiently be done online. As such, an accurate PD is recommended before ordering. Most forms provide assistance in this area, but measurements can be recorded with a custom ruler.
To fill out the form, a good starting point is to gather some background knowledge on what the prescription includes, what information is necessary, and what signs to look for when filling it out. Pupillary distance, for example, is located on the prescription under the segment height if it is included. Finally, always provide the prescription, as these signs are also easy for staff to decipher for customers who are unaware. Customer service is also available to answer any further questions. Most common problems include transposing an axis by mistake, placing the cylinder number in the wrong section, or adding the near vision (ADD) values into the sphere and cylinder boxes. While not all of these errors will impair the performance of the reading portion of the glasses, they will not function correctly for the distance section. Errors are cheaper to fix than the cost of buying another pair of glasses.
5. Tips for Ensuring a Proper Fit and Return Policies
Before you order those prescription glasses you've been pining after, take a second to evaluate fit. Look to the frame's measurements for solid indicators of fit. Bridge width and temple length are usually the key culprits for poor fit. Find your frame size by evaluating the numbers on the inside of the temple arm. Once you have a frame size, utilize this guide to narrow down the right fit for your face shape. Before hitting "buy," make sure you understand the retailer's return policies. Often, this includes a 30-day window, but "free returns" are indeed the optimal goal. "Free returns" start to blur into "satisfaction guarantee" territory, a process that's increasingly common among online eyewear retailers who can offer free returns because they store little stock and suffer minimal loss from returns. So, what makes for a satisfactory return experience? A 100 percent refund with up to 60 days of return, though we prefer shorter windows. Whether full or partial, it should be accompanied by clear return instructions, a prepaid return label, and the potential for the consumer to print their label at home. Online glasses shouldn't be a commitment; that's why we recommend consumers always keep their online glasses receipts and ship in the original packaging. No need to fully commit to a pair from purchase to delivery — take advantage of companies that offer "home try-on" options, which typically allow you to select a group of frames to wear and return for free when you've made a decision. Also, consider shopping at sites that offer warranty and guarantee coverage, and be sure to sign up for rewards programs at any online glasses retailers where you make a purchase.