NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Buying glasses online has never been easier, but should you do it?
You may have thought about ordering glasses online but worried will they fit and what about the quality? But Consumer Reports found you can buy good quality glasses online and have a good experience with just a few clicks.
Pamela Shelby has eight pairs of glasses. You could say it’s her thing.
“I work virtually so it’s my only statement piece," she said.
She hasn’t spent a fortune making a statement. Pamela pays less than $70 per pair. She shops online.
“In our ratings, prominent online retailers such as Eyebuydirect, Warby Parker, and Zenni Optical received high marks from our members when it came to price," said Consumer Reports' Catherine Roberts. "At Zenni Optical, members reported paying a median of just $87 after insurance. In addition, research suggests that the quality of glasses from online retailers has markedly improved.”
For Roberts, who covers glasses at Consumer Reports, this topic is personal. She bought the glasses she’s wearing online for only 33-dollars.
Some retailers will let you exchange frames that you don’t like for little or no cost, but online shopping can have drawbacks, particularly once prescriptions get more complicated. If that’s you – it’s probably best to buy in person!
Consumer Reports members report the median price at a doctors’ office after insurance was $262 and independent glasses stores: $346.
But there are still ways to save shopping in person.
“Consumer Reports members told us when they bought glasses from warehouse clubs like Sam’s and Costco and superstores like Walmart and Target, they paid anywhere from $150 to a little more than $200,” Roberts said.
Pamela says she’ll keep shopping online because the savings are easy to see.
Some glasses come with special coatings as part of the standard price. But if you want to add scratch resistance, anti-reflection, or UV protection, that will cost you more — anywhere from $10 to $150.
