We Shopped Around To Find The Best Prescription Glasses Online

Turnaround time: 10 to 16 business days (expedited shipping options available) | Return policy: 14 days, no questions asked | Insurance accepted: Yes, as well as HSA/FSA | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: Yes | Ships to: U.S., Canada and U.K.

• What’s notable: GlassesUSA offers a variety of name and house brands, including designer frames, blue light glasses, sunglasses, safety glasses and sports glasses.
• What could be better: Only your first pair of glasses is eligible for the 14-day return policy.

GlassesUSA is one of the largest and best online prescription glasses retailers, offering hundreds of designer frames from Ray-Ban, Gucci and Oakley, along with less expensive house brands in every frame style and color you can imagine. It was the winner among three of our panel testers, who were impressed by the ease of the ordering process. Prices run the gamut from $39 up to $700, depending on which brand you choose. With its virtual try-on feature, you can upload a photo directly to the website and see what each frame looks like on your face before you commit. GlassesUSA also has an app that scans your prescription through your current lenses, and those with expired prescriptions can get a renewal via the company’s virtual vision test.

All lenses are made to order in-house and then put through a series of inspections to check for quality, clarity and proper alignment. You also have the option for upgrades like progressive lenses, anti-reflective coatings and transition lenses for up to $169 more. One of our testers describes the selection and checkout flow as “sleek and intuitive,” and was pleased with the speedy delivery time. Another notes that her glasses arrived nine days after her order, which was pretty impressive given that the window included Thanksgiving weekend. If you’re unhappy with your new glasses for any reason, GlassesUSA has a 14-day, no questions asked return policy—but you can only take advantage of this for your first pair.

Turnaround time: 8 to 18 business days (expedited shipping options available) | Return policy: 14 days for refund (excluding shipping costs) or 30 days for store credit | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No | Ships to: Over 200 countries worldwide

• What’s notable: Zenni has a wide selection of prescription glasses at impressively low prices. The site also has a great virtual try-on feature.
• What could be better: Standard U.S. shipping costs $6.95 no matter how much you spend, and it’s not refundable with returns.

Zenni is all about making prescription glasses affordable, with house designed frames starting at just $7 and capping at $50—and that price includes standard prescription lenses. “With my complex prescription, the cost adds up fast so a lower-priced frame is a nice bonus,” says one tester. While the retailer now sells designer brands as well, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by sticking with Zenni’s line. 

Another panel tester is a fan of the site’s try-on feature, saying, “It’s very advanced to give you a well-rounded view of what your glasses will look like. It was a seamless experience from beginning to end.” In addition, you can filter frames by pupillary distance, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. Zenni also offers low-bridge options and ANSI Z87.1 safety glasses with prescription single vision and progressive lenses. You can add upgrades, like polarization, that start at $33.

Turnaround time: 7 to 10 business days | Return policy: 30 days for a return or exchange | Insurance accepted: Yes, as well as HSA/FSA | Virtual try-on: Yes, as well as in-home try-on | Virtual Rx renewal: Yes | Ships to: U.S. and Canada

• What’s notable: Warby Parker offers a wide selection of prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, blue light glasses and sunglasses, as well as a variety of contact lenses including in-house and third-party brands like Acuvue, Bausch + Lomb and Biofinity.
• What could be better: Kids’ glasses are only available in store or over the phone.

Warby Parker offers designer-style glasses at affordable prices. One of our testers has been ordering her prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses from the site for over a decade. All frames start at just $95, an impressive price that includes basic prescription lenses. You can try on virtually, but one of the brand’s biggest claims to fame is its at-home try-on program. Pick up to five frames to receive, for free, to physically try on before you buy. “The size accuracy, feel and fit are always excellent in my experience,” says our panel tester. “The frames I wear regularly are blue light-blocking, which seem to do their job (as far as I can tell) to help prevent eye fatigue.”

Once you have your frames picked out, you can add basic prescription lenses, which another tester describes as “perfectly accurate” and “not too thick,” despite his strong prescription. You can also choose from various upgrade options, like progressive lenses, blue light filtering or light-responsive lenses, which add up to $200 to the total price. If you don’t like your new glasses, you can return them for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of receipt. And if your lenses get scratched in the first 365 days, you can get new lenses made for free.

Turnaround time: 11 to 14 business days | Return policy: 30 days for a return or exchange | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No | Ships to: Over 140 countries worldwide

• What’s notable: Frames Direct has an impressive collection of high-end designer styles, including pairs from Gucci and Versace.
• What could be better: You have to pay shipping for refunded returns. There are also limited product photos on the website.

Frames Direct claims to have the largest selection of designer eyewear online: There are almost 5,000 frames from high-end brands like Gucci and Versace, as well as Oakley and Ray-Ban (in a wide variety of colors, too). Our tester mentions that her Armani Exchange glasses arrived with a “certificate of authenticity” that guarantees the glasses are genuine. Most brands sell for 20% to 80% off the retail price, and you can often score prescription lenses at a discount. “The value of these name-brand eyeglasses, with all the additional add-ons to my lenses, is very impressive,” our tester says. Another tester, who wears progressives, adds, “The lenses themselves match my prescription and have one of the best fields of vision of any of the glasses that I tried.” The Frames Direct site also has a virtual-try on feature, so you can see what each pair would look like on your face before committing to a purchase.

As far as lenses go, choose single vision, no-line progressives or non-prescription readers. You can also select different lens materials, from thin polycarbonate to lower-cost plastic, as well as optional upgrades like digital light protection or scratch-resistant coating. And before your order goes through, an optician will review everything to make sure you picked the best selections for your prescription. 

Turnaround time: 7 to 14 business days | Return policy: 14 days for a one-time replacement or refund | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No | Ships to: U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and more

• What’s notable: Eyebuydirect has a wide selection of prescription sunglasses, eyeglasses and blue light glasses at prices to suit any budget.
• What could be better: You can only receive a refund or replacement once, and there’s currently no way to renew your prescription through the site.

Eyebuydirect’s wide selection of frames can be outfitted with tinted prescription lenses, so you have thousands of options to choose from. If you’re not sure where to start, the company also has its own line of prescription sunglasses, and everything from concept to design to manufacturing is done in house to keep prices down. Since one of our testers only wears large, rectangular frames, he mentions that the ability to filter on these preferences was super helpful during testing. Shades with prescription lenses start at $39 and cap at under $100, which is reasonable for the high quality you’re getting.

When you find a frame you like, you can click “try on” to upload a photo and see what it looks like on your face. The photo stays uploaded as you navigate the site, so you can quickly see what other options look like. Our testers note that their eyeglasses arrived promptly and safely in a compact cardboard box. If your glasses don’t work out, Eyebuydirect offers a 14-day “no questions asked” return policy for a one-time replacement or refund, but its 365-Day Product Guarantee covers defects for a full year.

Turnaround time: 8 to 18 business days (expedited shipping options available) | Return policy: 14 days for refund (excluding shipping costs) or 30 days for store credit | Insurance accepted: No, but HSA/FSA accepted | Virtual try-on: Yes | Virtual Rx renewal: No | Ships to: Over 200 countries worldwide

• What’s notable: Zenni makes it easy to shop for kids' glasses by separating them into different categories based on age.
• What could be better: The color selection could be expanded upon, particularly for the brand's more basic frame styles.

Kids and tweens are picky—really picky. Zenni offers a wide selection of children’s frames at wallet-friendly prices, which is why it topped our list of the best kids’ glasses. Frames start as low as $6.95 for basic prescription lenses, with a majority of frames costing between $16 to $30. This is great news for parents: If your child happens to misplace or damage their frames, a replacement isn’t super costly. 

There are flexible frames for toddlers, options with kid-friendly straps and cool-looking styles to win tweens over. Using the website’s virtual try-on feature, your kiddo can see what the glasses will look like on their face, so you can make sure they’re happy before purchasing. Like its adult offerings, Zenni’s glasses for kids can be customized with add-ons like specialty coatings, extra accessories or engraving.