Glasses are expensive. My first pair of glasses, a few years ago, cost me more than $400 and that was with insurance that covered the lenses and exam. What the freeeeaaaak? Thanks to online retailers you can now find affordable prescription glasses for less than $100. Yes, that includes glasses and frames. No, the frames aren’t hideous and the lens aren’t coke bottles.
Typically you can request up to five frames, they’ll ship them to you for free, you can try them on and decide which pair you like. Most of the sites also have virtual try-on where you upload a picture and the frames are juxtaposed onto your face. I’ve had a great experience with online retailers and I highly recommend them to anyone who is shopping on a budget but still wants to look good.
Some of the retailers even donate a pair or percentage of your purchase to charity.
Warby Parker is most people’s introduction to cheap, chic glasses. The downside of that of course is that basically everyone owns a pair of Warbys (I do), so you may run into a few peeps with the same glasses as you. The general style and attitude of Warby Parker is hipster-barista-realness (they reside in Williamsburg, naturally).
Bonus: Every pair purchased another pair is donated to someone in the developing world.
Mezzmer has easily accessible styles. They are generally minimalistic but right on trend. If you’re not into eccentric bells and whistles but require something not so generic then Mezzmer may be for you.
Bonus: Portion of purchase goes to charity. They also reportedly have awesome customer service.
Lookmatic has something for everyone. Editor-in-Chief Alex owns a pair of these and she be looking fierce. Each frame comes in a wide variety of colors and the frames range from classic to crazy hipster.
Bonus: Free shipping.
Classic Specs is classic indeed. If you can’t live without tortoise shell or earth tones then you’ll love this place. The frames are fashionable but you won’t be seeing any neons or floral engravings. This is for the bookish geek with an edge.
Bonus: 6% of each purchase goes to the charity New Eyes For The Needy.
These are probably the most unique and women-targeted frames. If you have a flirty, even vintage style, then I think you’ll really love Bonlook. They are not afraid of cat eyes, accent colors or interesting details.
Eyefly is similar to Lookmatic in that they have many color and frame options. What is great about Eyefly is that the styles range from hipster and trendy to ’90s Dad and mailroom clerk. If you’re not a trend follower, you’ll find something here and if you’re a risk-taker, you’ll find something here.
Bonus: Every pair purchased another pair is donated to someone in the developing world.
Zenni is great if you’re on a budget because you can find a pair for less than 10 bucks. The trick here is reading the fine print (they’ll get you on the shipping) but it’s also accepting the fact that the cuter the glasses the more they will cost you. The pair pictured above is less than $25 so I’d say you have a fighting chance. I’d recommend these for someone who isn’t a full-time glasses wearer. These may not give you your signature look but they will enable you to see when you need to.
