The Best Affordable Glasses Online: Where to Shop

Stop spending hundreds of dollars buying eyeglasses at your optometrist’s office. Instead, purchase eyewear that has the same quality for a fraction of the cost online. With endless options, you’ll find the best glasses at the best prices (and actually have money after to enjoy a night out in them!).

We’ve outlined where to find the best affordable glasses online so you can snag awesome, durable frames within your budget.

Why You Should Buy Glasses Online

Online Glasses Are Affordable

The best reason to buy glasses online is that they’re much cheaper. Brick-and-mortar stores (like an optometrist’s office) have to cover higher overhead fees, which means they push the price onto the consumer. On average, people save at least $100 when purchasing eyeglasses online, with insurance or out-of-pocket.

Small Glasses Retailers Care

Big-name designers who charge over $200 just for the frames don’t see you as a person, they see you as a dollar sign. Small eyeglasses retailers create durable products without the expensive markup, yet the frames are made out of the same materials as designers. 

Plus, small glasses retailers typically have reliable customer service departments and clearly outlined return policies.

Shopping for Eye Glasses is Easy

Optometrists' offices may say that you have to go in person to ensure glasses fit. That’s simply not true. Shopping for eyeglasses frames is easy online because you can take your own measurements. 

Grab a pair of glasses you know and love and measure the frame width, temple arms, and nose bridge. Then, check the product listing online for the measurements of the cheap prescription glasses you’re looking at to find a similar fit. It’s that easy!

Brands to Shop for Glasses Online

Top Affordable Eyewear

WMP Eyewear

For the best affordable glasses online, check out WMP Eyewear. This small retailer in Tempe, Arizona produces quality frames made of durable materials such as acetate and polycarbonate. Unlike designer brands, WMP Eyewear offers finely crafted, on-trend prescription glasses for under $50 each.

Feel good about every purchase because WMP Eyewear gives a portion of every purchase to the Arizona Humane Society. To date, they’ve given over 100k of food to animals in need.

Good Prescription Frames

Zenni Optical

Zenni Optical is one of the oldest affordable online glasses retailers, opening its doors in 2003. They offer good prescription frames at insanely low prices. At Zenni, the cheapest frames start at $6.95. Zenni is perfect for people who choose price over style. The company also offers a virtual try-on tool, which can be a great way to see how glasses fit before ordering them.

Great for Blue Light

Privé Revaux

Privé Revaux was founded in 2016 by notable celebs Jamie Foxx, Ashley Benson, and Haileé Steinfeld. They wanted to make their favorite luxury looks affordable for everyone. Their best online blue light frames are chic and classy but have the durability to elevate them to the next level.

Protect your eye health from harmful blue light and UV rays with blue light and 100% UVA/UVB filtering acrylic lenses. They offer excellent optical clarity with an anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, and impact-resistant coating. And if you don’t like the glasses, they offer free returns and exchanges within 30 days of the original purchase.

Best Reading Glasses

Readers.com

For the best reading glasses, check out Readers.com. The company only sells reading glasses, and they have a team of experts on staff to ensure that each pair is perfect. And if for some reason you’re dissatisfied with your order, they have a Customer Happiness Team available by phone, email, or live chat.

Best Affordable Glasses Online

For Everyone

Some glasses are designed so well that they look good on everyone. If you’re not sure where to start, you can’t go wrong with quintessential styles like Abner and Tate.

Abner is a classic square frame available in cool retro colors that work for every occasion. These lightweight acetate frames come with comfortable stainless steel five-barrel hinges, making them the perfect choice for all-day wear. 

Perfect for anyone looking for a more groovy vibe, Tate features an iconic circular lens with a distinct notched nose bridge. Available in elevated neutrals such as Light Crystal Brown, you’ll look smart and feel great in these acetate frames.

Both of these cheap glasses come with shatter-resistant high-quality index thin polycarbonate lenses with anti-scratch and UV-blocking coatings.

For Progressives

Don’t fret if you need to have two prescriptions in one lens. Two options from Zenni Optical work great with progressive prescription lenses. The rectangle glasses are durable acetate frames with four fun color options to choose from. 

For a more professional style, check out the browline glasses. These high-quality mixed-material frames offer a distinct plastic browline with studious wireframes along the bottom half of the lenses.

Both come with options of premium progressive lenses, which offer a 40% wider viewing area, and standard progressives. All lenses include UV blocking and an anti-scratch coating.

For Blue Light

The best blue light glasses elevate every outfit to make you look your best. The Voyager offers the classic rectangular style in vintage colors such as Caviar Black and Deep Chocolate Tort. Made of injection-molded cellulose propionate, these affordable frames offer flexibility to bend the frame for a perfect fit.

A similar square style, the Nomad features a bold straight browline with abrupt angles and slightly winged corners. With modern colors like transparent Gunmetal Gray, these frames offer a bolder take on a business look.

Both options come with a foldable eyeglass case and microfiber cloth for secure storage and easy cleaning.

For Readers

Even though you don’t need to wear your reading glasses all the time, that doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on style. The Red Bluff from Readers.com is an iconic rectangular option, featuring a black or tortoiseshell plastic frame, spring hinges, and fully magnified lenses. 

If squares aren’t your thing, then the Actor Bifocal may be the better choice. These slightly oversized round frames are bifocals so that you don’t have to take them on and off all day long. With top-notch scratch-resistant lenses, these sturdy reading glasses are perfect for anyone who needs a narrow fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do These Affordable Online Glasses Compare in Terms of Quality and Durability?

These affordable online glasses are just as durable and of high quality as something you would find in your optometrist’s office. Designer glasses come with a high mark-up due to the Luxottica monopoly. Companies such as WMP Eyewear, Zenni Optical, and Privé Revaux use the same materials as designers but offer the product at a fraction of the cost.

Do These Affordable Glasses Come With Prescription Options, Or Are They Primarily Non-Prescription Fashion Frames?

The majority of these affordable frames come with prescription options. For single-vision prescription glasses, go for the stylish options from WMP Eyewear. If you need progressive lenses, Zenni Optical is the best bet. 

Do These Affordable Glasses Offer Customization Options, Like Different Lens Coatings or Tints?

Yes, these affordable glasses do offer multiple customization options. At WMP Eyewear, you can choose from four different colors of lenses: clear, G15, Amber, or Grey. You can choose to add a blue-light-blocking coating or premium lenses with an extra anti-glare coating. Zenni Optical offers similar options, as well as Transitions® sunglasses.