By Autumn Sprabary
Picking out a new pair of glasses can be equally exciting and stressful. Between in-store and online options, the possibilities are endless and, potentially, overwhelming.
To help you narrow down the top contenders, below are some of the best places to buy glasses online and in a store in 2024. We’ve also included some pros, cons and price ranges to make your shopping easy.
So, go ahead and click around the different options. You’re bound to fall in love with a pair (or two — we don’t judge 😉).
If you’re looking for the best places to buy prescription glasses online, here are some options that will fit any budget:
FramesDirect.com has frames for top brands, like Ray-Ban, Michael Kors and Oakley, for 20%-50% off the original price. They use high-quality lenses, which can cost as little as $23.99.
The website has a wide selection of prescription sunglasses and contact lenses, as well as children’s glasses. Due to the luxury brands being sold, FramesDirect may be more expensive than other online retailers. However, the discounted frame and lens price make it an awesome value. Insurance isn’t accepted, but you can use FSA or HSA dollars toward your purchase.
In addition to getting a fancy pair of specs, you have the opportunity to give back with FramesDirect’s Buy One, Give One initiative. Through Buy One, Give One, a pair of glasses is donated for every pair that’s ordered. After you place your Frames Direct order, you’ll have the option to donate a pair of glasses to someone in need. You can choose one of eight specific regions of the world to send your donation to.
Price range
Frames: $40 to $900+
Lenses: $23.99 to $127.99
Pros
Luxury brands at a discounted price
FSA/HSA eligible
Virtual try-on feature
Cons
More expensive than other online retailers
Doesn’t accept insurance
SEE RELATED: FramesDirect Review
EyeBuyDirect is a great online option for finding quality, inexpensive glasses. They have hundreds of frame styles and color options for men, women and kids. In addition to their personal frame brand, EyeBuyDirect also sells Ray-Ban, Oakley and RFLKT.
The website offers 2-day delivery on select frames, and often has promotions like “buy one, get one free” on eyeglasses. While EyeBuyDirect does not accept insurance, their products are FSA and HSA eligible.
Like FramesDirect, EyeBuyDirect will donate a pair of eyeglasses for every order you place. So, you can feel good about giving back while looking good in your new glasses.
Price range
Frames: $6 to $300+
Lenses: $6.95 to $119
Pros
Budget-friendly
FSA/HSA eligible
2-day shipping available
Virtual try-on feature
Cons
Doesn’t accept insurance
SEE RELATED: EyeBuyDirect Review
Perhaps you prefer the in-person customer service of a brick-and-mortar store. Look no further; these retailers are some of the best places to buy prescription glasses in-store:
While LensCrafters also has an impressive website, its in-person experience is worth mentioning. The retailer offers brands like Gucci, Prada and Ralph Lauren and will give you 50% off the cost of lenses with every frame purchase.
LensCrafters gives customers the option to bundle select frames and lenses for a price point of $99 or $179, and they offer 50% off additional pairs of glasses.
Most LensCrafters locations have a clinic attached to them, where eye exams can be done and ensure your glasses have an updated prescription. LensCrafters accepts insurance for purchases online and in their store.
Price range
Frames: $16 to $699
Lenses: $75 to $180+
Pros
They accept insurance
FSA/HSA eligible
Convenient eye exam clinic
In-person frame try-on
Cons
May be more expensive than other retailers
America’s Best has become known for its eye exam and two-pair bundle. Customers can get an on-site eye exam and two pairs of eyeglasses for as low as $69.95.
However, this deal only applies to select frames. Higher price-point bundles are available and depend on the brand of frames you choose.
America’s Best accepts vision insurance and allows you to use FSA/HSA funds on eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Price range
Eye exam + frame and lens bundles: $69.95 to $200+
Pros
They accept insurance
FSA/HSA eligible
Convenient eye exam clinic
In-person frame try-on
Budget-friendly bundle pricing
Cons
Must choose two pairs of frames that fall within the same price point, or the total cost defaults to the higher price point.
Shopping outside of the bundle option can be expensive.
SEE RELATED: America's Best eye doctors
Finding glasses that your child will want to wear can feel like an impossible task. The retailers below have options that even the pickiest kids will love.
The Glasses USA website has tons of options for children — from eyeglasses with clip-on sunglass lenses to sports goggles for kids on the go. They also conveniently include the cost of basic lenses into the price shown on the website. If you want to upgrade the basic lenses to polycarbonate or Transitions lenses, you can do so for 50% off.
Another perk of Glasses USA is that you’re able to use your vision insurance and apply your FSA/HSA funds toward the remaining cost. They also offer extra discounts for college students, teachers, nurses, first responders and military members.
Price range
$24 to $140, including the cost of lenses
Pros
They accept insurance
FSA/HSA eligible
Pricing on website includes cost of lenses
Extra discounts for those who qualify
Cons
Kids don’t get to try on the frames before ordering
As if Target didn’t already have everything you could ever want, Target Optical is a convenient place to buy glasses. And you can shop in-store or online. You can also order glasses online and pick them up in the store, for added convenience.
First-time customers get 20% off their first purchase. They also offer a $59 price point on select kids frames with single-vision ComfortLight Kids lenses, which makes finding glasses for your child easy and affordable.
Insurance is accepted, as well as FSA/HSA funds to cover the cost of glasses.
Price range
Frames: $59 to $120
Lenses: $25
Pros
They accept insurance
FSA/HSA eligible
Many store locations
Order online, pick up in-store
Cons
$59 deal only applies to select children’s frames
More kids frame options are available in the store than online
SEE RELATED: How do I choose glasses for my child?
You can find a pair of reading glasses just about anywhere. Drug stores, grocery stores and bookstores alike usually have a small variety of readers for when you’re in a pinch.
However, there are some online retailers that specialize in reading glasses and give you more options than what you may find at your local drug store.
This website has just about every style of readers you can think of, in a wide variety of colors. You can filter your search based on your lens strength and preferences, to make sure you find what you’re looking for.
In addition to reading glasses, Readers.com also sells reading sunglasses, so you can comfortably and safely enjoy your reading materials in bright conditions.
Enjoy free shipping on orders of $35 or more, and no-hassle returns if you’re not happy with your order.
Price range
$3 to $40
Pros
Affordable
Wide variety of colors and styles
Happiness guaranteed policy
Cons
They do not accept insurance or HSA/FSA as payment. However, reading glasses transactions are eligible for reimbursement.
SEE RELATED: Are Readers.com glasses good? Read our full review
Not everyone has vision insurance to cover the cost of eye exams and glasses. However, there are still plenty of options that can provide vision and eye care services for uninsured folks.
Costco is known for providing quality products and services at competitive prices. Eye care and eyewear are no different.
Costco Optical has a large selection of frames and lenses, ranging from designer brands to Costco’s Kirkland Signature products. Each Costco location has its own inventory, which means frame style options are not included on the Costco Optical website.
Eye exams can be done by a third party eye doctor in an optometry clinic attached to the Costco. You do not need a Costco membership to schedule and receive an eye exam. However, a membership is needed to purchase any eyeglass frames or lenses from the Costco warehouse.
Insurance is accepted for Costco eye exams and eyeglasses, but is not required.
Price range
Eye exam: $50 to $100
Frames: $45 to $200
Lenses: $59.99 to $200+
Pros
Affordable
Does not require insurance
Eye exam can be done at the same location
Cons
Does not have their inventory shown on the Costco website
You must have a Costco membership to use the optical services
For those wanting an inexpensive, no-fuss online option to buy glasses, 39DollarGlasses.com is right up your alley. The website offers frame and lens bundles starting at $39 for single vision and reading glasses. They have a selection of kids glasses, as well as prescription sunglasses and contact lenses.
Another cool perk the website offers is the ability to re-lens your frames. So, if your prescription changes, but you don’t want to say goodbye to your tried-and-true frames, you can have them updated with your new prescription.
Select insurance providers are accepted, and FSA/HSA funds can be used to purchase glasses.
Price range
$39 to $69
Pros
Affordable
Wide variety of colors and styles
Customer-friendly return/exchange policy
FSA/HSA eligible
Cons
Bifocal and multifocal lenses are an additional cost.
Once an eye doctor determines that you need vision correction, it’s important that you continue to have regular eye exams to monitor any changes. Vision prescriptions are usually good for two years from the date of your eye exam.
If your prescription changes, be sure to update your glasses and contact lenses to get the clearest vision possible.
READ MORE: 5 signs your glasses don’t fit
The first thing you need to buy prescription glasses online is a prescription. The best way to get an accurate prescription is to visit an optometrist and have an eye exam, which tends to cost around $100. After the test is complete, you need to make sure you get a hard copy of your prescription so you can retain it for your records. Alternatively, you can pick up a device like the $99 EyeQue Vision Check to use your smartphone to check your vision and create a prescription that many online glasses stores will accept, though some do require an Rx from an optometrist.
Get your pupillary distance number from your optometrist or measure it yourself. Be aware that sometimes optometrists won't give your pupillary distance because they'll say they want to measure you for a specific set of glasses. But insist on getting one because it's required to order glasses online. Note that you can also measure PD yourself using an app on your smartphone or download a PD ruler that most online stores have available for download with instructions on how to use it. Pupillary distance is key, because when lenses are made it's important to know where your eye is in relation to the center of the lens.
Make sure your prescription isn't out of date. If you haven't had a vision test in a while, it might be a good idea to get another one. Some sites like Warby Parker offer an inexpensive virtual vision test if your prescription is out of date but you feel you're seeing well out of your current glasses (but still want to replace them). You take a five-minute vision test, looking at an eye chart from home. An eye doctor then reviews the results and responds within 48 hours to let you know if you've qualified for a prescription renewal.
Some but not all stores accept dollars from Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts. If you have money you want to use from an FSA or HSA, or have vision insurance, you need to check on the store's insurance, FSA and HSA policies before making a purchase. Many do accept them.
Go to an online retailer and select a pair of frames that you like. This can be the hardest part of the process, because it's tricky to know exactly what you'll look like in the glasses unless you try the frames on in person and look at yourself in a mirror. Some online retailers have virtual try-on applications or, even better, they'll ship you a few frames to try on at home before you select one or more to buy.
Provide your prescription. With some online retailers, you can simply take a picture of your prescription with your smartphone and upload the image to the site. And most prescription glasses sites also allow you to manually input your prescription numbers, which is typically what I do. When a site asks for your prescription, it will also ask for your PD number.
Select the type of lenses you want. You can buy complete basic single-vision prescription glasses for less than $20 online. And in most cases, they'll work fine. But you will certainly notice a difference when upgrading to higher quality lenses in terms of clarity and weight (thinner, lighter lenses tend to cost more). I personally have a few cheap sets of prescription glasses that I keep in my car or in a backpack as backup glasses in case something should happen to my main pair. However, what I've found is that often the best thing to do is spend a little more for a higher-grade lens and not go for the cheapest option.
Before making your final purchase, read the fine print on the site's return policy. Many sites are good about letting you return glasses if the lenses you ordered (based on your correct prescription numbers) aren't good for some reason or the frames just don't fit right. But read the fine print on the return policy. In some cases you can get a full refund and in others a store credit. However, sometimes stores will only offer a partial store credit. You don't want to be surprised if something goes wrong. I've only had one company screw up my order with a wrong prescription in one lens.
Input any discount codes at checkout. Glasses sites constantly have promos running with discount codes that you input at checkout, though they sometimes exclude premium frames from name-brand companies. And sometimes you'll see slightly sweeter deals around a holiday, with online glasses stores using almost any holiday as an excuse to offer a new discount code.