More than 61 percent of Americans wear glasses, contacts, or use another visual aid. This percentage continues to increase over the years.
Are you one of these Americans and need new glasses? Have you ever considered buying your prescription glasses online?
Getting prescription glasses online is a tenuous proposition. If you do it wrong, you can end up with a completely unwearable pair of glasses. That’s why we’re here to help with 10 tips for buying eyeglasses online.
1. Update Your Prescription
You need to update your prescription before you can do anything. Most adult prescriptions are only valid for 2 years. You can always visit a local optometrist to make sure you have the right script.
Here is an outline of your prescription information:
- OD (Oculus Dexter) is your right eye
- OS (Oculus Sinister) is your left eye
- Sphere (SPH) is the lens power to correct nearsightedness (-) or farsightedness(+)
- ADD is bifocal power at the bottom part of the lens
- Cylinder (CYL) is the lens strength for astigmatism
- Axis is also for astigmatism and tells the cylindrical power on your lenses
Contacts have a different prescription than glasses, so you’ll need two separate prescriptions.
2. Measure Your Pupillary Distance
Pupillary Distance (PD) is the distance between your pupils. This measurement is in millimeters and falls somewhere between 54 and 68 mm.
Getting this measurement can be difficult. Ask a skilled optician when you get your prescription updated. You can also use Liingo Eyewear and get your measurement online. This number isn’t always listed on the prescription, so be sure to check and ask them to write it down.
3. Choose the Right Frames
Make sure you know your frame size before you order glasses online. You need to look at the following factors:
Best Frame for Your Face Shape
There are generic human face shapes in the following categories:
- Heart or Diamond with strong cheekbones, narrow chin, and large forehead
- Round with a circular face
- Square with a more linear jawline
- Oval with less abrupt lines
So how do you choose the right frame for your face shape? Check out some inspiration to enhance your face with the right glasses.
Are Your Glasses for Professional or Personal Use?
If you will wear your glasses for serious businesses, you should stick to more conservative frames and colors. Black, silver, brown, and gunmetal frames are nice conservative colors. You should look at the more classic shapes like rectangles, ovals, or almond.
Creative professionals can use more modern shapes and colors. Try some more retro or aviator shapes with fun colors like red, blue, or purple.
What Size?
This is the most important part of buying glasses. You want your glasses to fit in front of your eyes.
If you already have glasses, you can get the measurements on the inside of the frame. Sometimes the numbers are also behind the nose bridge. Here are the numbers you need:
- Eye size – the width of the lens (between 40 – 62mm)
- Bridge size – horizontal distance between lenses (between 14 – 24mm)
- Temple size – the length of the arm (a three-digit number between 120 – 165mm)
You need to match the shape and size of your eyeglasses to get a balanced look. If you have a larger face, you should probably stay away from smaller frames.
4. Finding Comfortable Glasses
Getting the right size will help you with comfort. You need to make sure the frames are not too big so they don’t keep slipping on your face.
You also need to think about lighter and thinner lenses. If your prescription is strong, there are options to make your lenses thinner, which will make your glasses more comfortable and lighter on your face.
5. Avoid Some Add-Ons When Buying Eyeglasses Online
There are some add-ons that can really add up such as anti-reflective coating, poly-carbonate lens, and anti-scratch. Determine what you really need.
You should figure out the full price before choosing an online retailer. Build the same glasses on multiple sites. There are some retailers who include add-ons.
Be wary of some advertised sales prices. Read the fine print to see what kind of glasses you get.
6. Read the Refund and Return Policy
You should always read the refund and return policy of any company. If the glasses don’t work for you, can you exchange them for the right style?
You don’t have anyone to give you immediate feedback. Sometimes you need help making the right decision since you aren’t trying the glasses on in the store.
7. Pay Extra for the Frames You Really Love
Don’t try to cheap out if you don’t have to. You will be wearing these glasses every day, so it is worth paying more for the better quality pair.
You may not have to replace them as soon. Divide the total price by the number of days you will wear them, and you will see the price difference is not that big.
8. Buy a Couple Pair of Glasses
Since you are buying prescription glasses online, you are cutting out the middleman, so the price is cheaper. You can get high-quality glasses at a lower cost because you don’t have to pay third-party fees, manufacturing costs, and distributor’s costs.
It’s always nice to have a backup pair of glasses. Several online stores offer you a price break if you buy more than one pair.
9. Buy a Protective Case and Microfiber Cloth
Glasses will come with a case, but you need a sturdy case. You should also have a soft microfiber cloth so you can clean them properly.
You need to take care of your glasses. Eyeglasses can easily break, so you should take care of your investment.
Take your glasses off with both hands. Check the screws regularly to make sure they are tight.
10. Check Your Vision Insurance
Does your vision insurance cover online eyewear retailers? Most plans consider these stores out-of-network. This means you will have to pay out of pocket, but there are some retailers in network.
You can also pay with a flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA). Just make sure you have a detailed receipt.
Looking for Other Advice About Glasses?
Now that you know about buying eyeglasses online, check out some other advice on different types of glasses such as finding the right reading glasses or picking out the right sunglasses. You can find other beauty or style advice beyond the glasses on Estilo-Tendances.
