Best Places to Buy Glasses Online for 2024

Several CNET editors have bought their glasses from Warby Parker, which has a good selection of sharp-looking eyeglass frames. Glasses start at only $95 with a single-vision prescription, chances are you're going to pay a bit more — around $150 to $200 -- based on the type of frame options you choose, your prescription and type of eyeglass lenses. Prescription sunglasses start at $95, and progressive lenses in both eyeglasses and sunglasses start at $95. Based on my co-workers' experiences as well as my own, the finished products tend to be a step up from what more budget-oriented sites offer.

Notable site features: The company's mobile apps allow you to search the site by frame size and to try on various frames virtually (it works surprisingly well) and better yet, you can try up to five frames at home for five days for free. Once your five days are up, you place your box in the mail with the prepaid return label (hopefully, you find at least one style that you like from among the five you picked for the home trial). There's also a $15 online virtual vision test to renew prescriptions that are outdated. (Based on the test, you may not be eligible.)

Warby also has physical optical stores in some locations around the country if you want to go in and try frames that way. Some of these locations also offer eye tests and that prescription can be used at Warby or elsewhere.

The online glasses store also has a "buy a pair, give a pair" program, so for every pair of glasses you buy, the company distributes a pair to someone in need, either for free or for "ultra-affordable prices." (See details.)

Shipping times: According to Warby: "Single vision glasses take seven to 10 business days to reach you from the time we have all of your order information. Sunglasses and progressives take 10 to 12 business days to reach you." (These estimates jibe with the experience of CNET editors who have used the service, and my pair arrived in six business days.) You can pay more for expedited shipping.

Current discounts: Get 15% off when you buy two or more pairs of prescription eyeglasses or sunglasses, no promo code required.

EyeBuyDirect is similar in many ways to a lot of its competitors. Along with an in-house frame brand (Rflkt Eyewear) it has some Ray-Ban and Oakley frames. I went with a more affordable Rflkt frame and paired it with a higher-end lens. The price came out to around $150 -- you can go cheaper or more expensive. The most budget-friendly pairs are under 10 bucks. The frame quality was decent though not on par with Roka's frames, for example. Lens quality was good and the ordering process was smooth, with a standard virtual try-on feature where you upload a photo of yourself to help you find the perfect frame.

Notable site features: The site has a virtual try-on feature and a fit-and-style quiz that helps you pick out a frame. Frame types are sorted into six types: classic, artsy, eco-friendly, bold and street style. It's also worth noting that with every pair of glasses you buy, you can opt to have EyeBuyDirect donate a pair to a person in need somewhere in the world: You pick where.

Shipping times: EyeBuyDirect direct says its typical turnaround time is 7 to 14 business days but with single-vision lenses, you can get free two-day delivery that can cut turnaround times (many frames are available for two-day delivery).

Current discounts: All of EyeBuyDirect's deals and promo codes are displayed on its home page.

What do you do if you already have a pair of eyeglasses frames you like but your prescription is old (or the lenses on your frames are scratched) and you just want to replace the lenses? Lensabl is one of the few sites that allows you to send in your own pair of frames and get a new prescription lens for them. Its motto is, "Your frames, our lenses."

You upload your prescription online, pick the type of lens you want, and then Lensabl sends you a box with a prepaid return shipping label. You simply mail them your glasses in the box (shipping is free). First-time customers get 15% off. This site is also a good option if you have an old pair of glasses that you want to turn into prescription sunglasses.

Lensabl also offers full glasses packages with its own frames. Many of the options are free with an accompanying lens purchase.

Notable site features: For $25, you can renew your prescription online. Not everybody qualifies to take the online eye exam — you have to answer some questions to see if you qualify — but if you do, Lensabl says, "All you need is your computer, smartphone and about 15 minutes of time." Your results will be reviewed by an eye doctor or optometrist licensed in your state who will then issue you a new prescription via email.

Shipping times: Lensabl pledges "about two weeks" turnaround time from when you ship your frames to when you'll receive them back.

Current discounts: All of Lensabl's deals and promo codes are displayed on its homepage.

As its name implies, Overnight Glasses can make you a new set of prescription glasses quickly, and really quickly if you're willing to pay extra for it. If you buy a frame/lens package, fast three- to four-day service is available for $9. (It takes slightly longer for progressive and bifocal lens types.) The quality of the lenses I got was as good as that from other replacement lens sites, so there's no sacrifice on prescription eyewear quality for speed. Lenses and a new frame will cost you from $42 to $750.

As for new lenses, you ship your frames to Overnight Glasses and they'll replace your lenses with new ones in 48 hours. They can do polarized, blue light, Transitions and many other types, although progressive takes an additional two days (so 72 hours total from the time your frames are received).

If you're looking for a truly overnight option, its emergency, 24-hour rush service costs an additional $30 for single vision. As noted, a progressive lens order can take an additional two days, so the fastest you can get new progressive lenses is three days.

Overnight makes lenses for Bose Frames and Amazon Echo Frames audio glasses.

Notable site features: The site has a clean look and is easy to use. Shipping options are one of the key focuses.

Shipping times: As fast as 48 hours from the time your eyeglass frame is received, while 24-hour rush service costs an additional $30 for single vision (progressives take an additional two days) or is free on orders $180 and over. Note that coupons and discounts do not change the original order amount so if your original order amount was $185 and you got 30% off, you're still eligible for the free overnight rush service.

As for lens-replacement orders, these are the ship times, according to Overnight: "Orders $150 and over get free second-day Air UPS delivery both ways, included automatically when the order reaches that amount. New lenses for single-vision prescriptions are delivered in five days or less if you send your frames the same day you order. Orders under $150 can add the speedy service for an additional $20 or get free ground USPS shipping."

Current discounts: Check out Overnight Glasses' coupons and promotions landing page.

One of our editors recently used glasses.com and reported a good experience. She said Glasses.com accepts a lot of vision insurance plans and automatically handles payment if your insurance provider is in their network (you can usually get one pair of glasses-free). If your vision insurance plan is out of network, like VSP and Spectera, the site automatically generates a bill (via email) that you need to submit to get reimbursed.

Notable site features: Glasses.com is a pretty no-frills site. It does have a quiz you can take that recommends what frames are right for you. You can also return frames and lenses within 60 days if you have an issue with them.

Shipping times: Expect around 14 days with the free shipping option or around eight days with expedited shipping ($15). 

Current discounts: Check out Glasses.com's coupons and promotions landing page.

Austin, Texas-based Roka branched out into the online prescription eyewear business a few years ago. The retailer's marketing slogan is "The most technically advanced eyewear that doesn't look technical," and its glasses are impressively light, durable and stylish looking. Like Warby Parker, these are at the higher end of the online prescription eyeglasses spectrum, with prices of around $200 for a completed pair of prescription glasses, depending on some of the lens upgrades you might add. But Roka has some of the best glasses frames out there.

Roka started out making athletic glasses for runners, bikers and triathletes, and many of its prescription frames are bendable at the ends and have rubberized tracks that help you get a more secure fit. The frames also come with three sizes of grippy nose pads to ensure a better fit. They are among the most comfortable glasses I've worn, and they really stay on your face. I personally like the small Oslo frame in clear.

Notable site features: Roka used to have a home-trial program, but that's no longer available. It does offer an online virtual vision test to renew prescriptions that are outdated (based on the test, you may not be eligible, however). Roka says it accepts "returns or exchanges on most items within 30 days of receipt. Returns of prescription eyewear are allowed — for a refund or store credit — and require a $20 restocking fee."

Shipping times: Roka has improved its turnaround times since it began cutting lenses in Austin. It says its standard prescription eyeglasses, readers, and nonprescription sunglasses "will generally ship by the next business day. Our prescription sunglasses and progressives will generally ship in 5 to 7 business days." For all its glasses, Roka offers free standard shipping in the contiguous United States, as well as optional expedited shipping options, including overnight shipping.

FramesDirect is similar to a lot of the other online glasses retailers, but it focuses more on offering decent discounts on premium brand frames, claiming to have the largest selection of designer glasses online. This eyewear retailer is also one of the few places that offers prescription lens inserts for the Quest 2 and other VR headsets.

Finally, the site has strong customer service ratings from TrustPilot.

Notable site features: Like its sister site EyeBuyDirect and others, FramesDirect has a philanthropic partnership with the Essilor Vision Foundation to improve the sight of people who can't afford glasses. FrameDirect says that "for every pair of glasses bought, we will donate a pair of glasses to someone in need," and you can select the region for the donated pair. Like Zenni, Warby Parker and others, it has a virtual try-on feature.

Shipping times: Expect around 14 days.

Current discounts: Check out FramesDirect's coupons and promotions landing page.

As you'd expect, SportRx caters to people looking for sports-oriented prescription glasses, with a wide variety of options from big eyewear brands such as Smith, Oakley, Ray-Ban, Costa and Nike. Not all the frames it sells have an Rx option, but most do. Although you'll get a better deal here than you'd get from your local sunglasses boutique, this is not a budget site and you can end up paying upwards of $250 or more, depending on your prescription. SportRx runs some deals on frames and also gives you access to a real optician to help you decide which glasses are right for your prescription and athletic pursuits. Making Rx lenses for sports glasses can be tricky.

Notable site features: SportRx says that instead of speaking (or live-chatting) to a run-of-the-mill customer service staffer hidden in some obscure call center, you're speaking with a "friendly SportRx Optician in sunny San Diego" who's gone through a rigorous training regimen (the SportRx Academy) and is well-versed in various aspects of optics: refractive light, myopia, presbyopia, astigmatism and everything else you can think of. "What's more," the site says, "they have extensive training on the best sports frame and lens options on the planet."

Shipping times: Around 14 days.

Current discounts: Check out SportRx's coupons and promotions landing page.