You don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of prescription glasses. But low prices online can come with catches. Here's how to tell a good deal from a bad one.
Check what the price includes
A frame-only price isn't the price of glasses. Look for a price that includes prescription lenses. Some sites advertise a low frame price and add lenses, coatings and shipping at checkout.
At Fast Eyeglasses, the price is simple: $79 for the frame plus single vision prescription lenses ($149 for prescription safety glasses), with free shipping to the states we serve.
Red flags
- No place to enter a PD. Lenses need to be centered on your eyes.
- No frame measurements. Without lens width, bridge and temple length, you're guessing at fit.
- No way to reach a person. Look for a real contact email.
- An insecure checkout. The address bar should show https, and payment should go through a trusted processor.
Fit is free, so get it right
The cheapest way to avoid a bad pair is to match the size of glasses you already like. Here's how to read frame sizes. Choose a lens width within about 2 mm.
Double-check your prescription
Most "wrong" glasses are really copying mistakes: a missed minus sign or a swapped axis. Upload a photo of your prescription along with your typed numbers so it can be checked. Our checkout also flags numbers that look unusual.
Single vision is the best value
If your prescription has no ADD, you need single vision lenses, the simplest and most affordable lens type. That's where ordering online saves you the most.
Pay safely
Use a payment method with buyer protection. We use PayPal: you can pay with a PayPal account or a card through PayPal, and your card details never reach our site.
Shop frames from $79, including men's, women's, kids' and safety glasses.
