How Much Can You Save Buying Eyeglasses Online?

Buying eyeglasses can set you back serious cash. The average cost of glasses from an optometrist runs about $350 before insurance, according to SightMD, and extra features like progressive bifocals or anti-reflective coating can run your bill up to $1,000.

Near the turn of the 21st century, retailers selling eyeglasses online changed the financial equation for folks needing vision correction. Stores like ZenniOptical, EyeBuyDirect and Goggles4U started selling glasses for less than $20, sometimes as low as $7. And in 2010, Warby Parker entered the discount market with glasses you could try on at home and return.

You still need a prescription from an optometrist to buy glasses online, and you won't get the same professional custom fitting, but the potential savings are tempting. How tempting? We've done the math so you can know exactly how much you could save by purchasing your eyeglasses online.

How much cheaper are discount eyeglasses online?

To calculate the savings for buying glasses online, we looked at three of the longtime discount retailers -- ZenniOptical, EyeBuyDirect and Goggles4U -- as well as Warby Parker. Because the pricing systems at optometrists' offices are rarely transparent, we compared prices at those discount retailers with prices at LensCrafters, one of the largest retail chains for eyeglasses in the US.

Comparing prices for single-vision eyeglasses online

Retailer FramesLensesCoatingShippingTotal CostZenni $7 – $50$0 – $30$0 – $15$5 – $19$12 – $114EyeBuyDirect $6 – $335$7 – $59Included in lens price$0 – $19$13 – $413Goggles4U $7 – $118$0 – $60$0 – $25$6 – $10$13 – $203Warby Parker $95 – $195$0 – $100$0 – $100$0 – $25$95 – $420LensCrafters $36 – $2,150$89 – $270$0 –$90$0 – $10$125 – $2,520

While the difference in frame prices might not be eye-opening, the prices for lenses certainly are. Purchasing glasses from one of the discount retailers can save you about $100 or more right off the bat because of cheaper lenses. Add-ons like UV resistance are also less expensive.

At each retailer's basement prices for basic eyeglasses, you can save up to $113 buying glasses from a discount store compared with the cheapest possible price at LensCrafters.

Comparing prices for traditional bifocal eyeglasses online

Retailer FramesLensesCoatingShippingTotal CostZenni $7 – $50$24 – $73$0 – $15$5 – $19$36 – $157EyeBuyDirect $6 – $335$36 – $109Included in lens price$0 – $19$42 – $463Goggles4U $7 – $118$30 – $80$0 – $25$6 – $10$43 – $233Warby Parker* $95 – $195$200 – $250$0 – $50$0 – $25$295 – $520LensCrafters* $36 – $2,150$179 – $319$0 – $90$0 – $10$215 – $2,569

* LensCrafters and Warby Parker offer only progressive multifocal lenses.

Once again, it's the cost of lenses that creates a big advantage for discounters. The potential savings on bifocals from eyeglasses from Zenni, EyeBuyDirect and Goggles4U is even greater than the savings for standard-vision glasses. 

Although LensCrafters doesn't offer traditional bifocals with a dividing line, you can get basic multifocal glasses for up to $179 cheaper at discount retailers compared with LensCrafters' multifocal prices.

Comparing prices for progressive bifocal eyeglasses online

Retailer FramesLensesCoatingShippingTotal CostZenni $7 – $50$38 –$126$0 – $15$5 – $19$48 – $210EyeBuyDirect $6 – $335$56 –$138Included in lens price$0 – $19$62 – $492Goggles4U $7 – $118$60 – $100$0 – $25$6 – $10$73 – $253Warby Parker $95 – $195$200 – $250$0 – $50$0 – $25$295 – $520LensCrafters $36 – $2,150$179 – $319$0 – $90$0 – $10$215 – $2,559

The price difference between discount retailers and LensCrafters narrows a bit when you compare progressive bifocal glasses, but there's still a big advantage for the discounters. For the cheapest possible progressive multifocal glasses, you can save up to $167 by purchasing from an online discount store.

Can you use vision insurance to pay for online glasses? 

While some major online retailers of eyeglasses partner with specific vision insurance plans, most discount glasses sites won't accept vision insurance in lieu of payment. Instead, you'll need to submit a claim for reimbursement to your vision insurance provider after you purchase your glasses.

If you'd like to use your vision insurance for buying glasses online, check with your provider first to learn how your coverage works with online retailers. 

Zenni doesn't accept vision insurance for payment, but it will provide an "emailed invoice copy" that you can use to request reimbursement from your vision insurance provider. Zenni also explains how to use your flexible spending account or health savings account to pay for glasses online. 

EyeBuyDirect makes it easy to submit your insurance claim, with detailed instructions and links to major vision providers' forms.

Googles4U also doesn't take vision insurance, but the site says that it can give customers a "detailed itemized receipt" for filing a vision insurance claim.

Warby Parker partners with six vision insurance plans -- UnitedHealthcare, Spectera, DavisVision, Blue Cross Blue Shield FEP Vision, CareFirst and Guardian Vision -- that will discount your payment at checkout based on your coverage. The site also provides links to reimbursement claims for insurance plans that are out of its network.

The bottom line

If you're looking to save money on your next pair of glasses, online discount stores can make a big impact, with some glasses selling for prices that are more than $100 cheaper than LensCrafters' cheapest options.

About 80% of all glasses brands are owned by one company -- Luxottica -- so you won't see the exact same selection of frames at online retailers as you will at shops like LensCrafters, Pearle Vision and Target Optical (all also owned by Luxottica). However, you can find some Luxottica brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley on EyeBuyDirect, at comparable frame prices as at LenCrafters, and your lenses will still be much cheaper.

With discount eyeglasses retailers, you won't get the same fitting for your glasses that you get at an eye doctor's office. Some optometrists may be willing to help adjust glasses purchased online (sometimes for a fee), but don't count on it unless you ask first.

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For now, you'll also probably need to measure your pupillary distance yourself. Only four states -- Alaska, Kansas, Massachusetts and New Mexico -- currently require PD on prescriptions. The Federal Trade Commission recently considered amending its "Eyeglass Rule" to make PD mandatory on all US prescriptions but decided against it.

For big savings on eyeglasses, give the frames at discount retailers a look to compare with what you'd get at your doctor's office. You might be able to find a pair of glasses you like for a small fraction of the price.

The glass types selected for an optical component or system can have a noticeable impact on price, lead time (both initially and on an on-going basis), manufacturing yield and performance.

In our experience of designing and manufacturing many thousands of custom optics over 40 years, customers come to us with designs that are optimized for performance but not always balanced by the impact on cost and delivery. The following are suggestions and things to think about to help you achieve that balance.

GLASS TYPES

There are currently hundreds of different glass types available with prices ranging from $9 to more than $780 per pound. The percentage contribution of glass to the total cost of the optic varies.

In the case of a large optic that uses rare glasses, it can be 70% or more. Typically, the range is 20%-30%. In either case it’s a significant cost factor. And, that’s just the direct cost. There are also the indirect costs of manufacturing yield and availability.

SET A PRICE CAP

The leading optical design software packages (e.g. Zemax and Code V) offer a feature that allows you to set a “not to exceed” price when the software runs its glass selection routine. If you don’t like the resulting performance you can always raise the price cap.

By starting with the lower price glasses you’re more likely to find the sweet spot between performance and cost.

Use the glass manufacturer’s Melt Frequency-Relative Price Chart to manually create custom glass substitution catalogs in your lens design software program. The program will only use glasses from this list when evaluating alternate glass types.

CHECK OUT GLASS AVAILABILITY

Each of the major glass manufacturers (e.g. Schott and Ohara) publishes melt frequency data (see Ohara example) for their glass types. Consulting this information is important since the preference is to use more readily available glass types. This will shorten initial delivery as well as improve lead time for subsequent production.

An additional step is to call your optics vendor. They buy glass regularly and are in contact with the glass makers and their resellers on an on-going basis. They have a good sense of glass availability and, if in doubt, can get in touch with their glass source for more information.

AVOID (IF YOU CAN) GLASSES THAT STAIN EASILY

Some glass types are more susceptible to staining during manufacturing. Stains can result from environmental conditions in the manufacturing area (e.g. high humidity) or from the polishing compounds used to make the optic. Optics makers are constantly improving their manufacturing processes and environmental controls to minimize these impacts. However, you can help your project by selecting glass that has good environmental resistance characteristics.

GLASS MANUFACTURERS

There are only a few companies that make a full range of optical grade glasses. Schott, OHARA, CDGM, Pilkington, Hoya are the principle players. They each have their pluses and minuses with respect to breadth of product line, consistency across melts, delivery, availability and price (as much as 30%).

SPECIFY A GLASS MANUFACTURER AS A LAST RESORT

The major glass makers offer comparable product lines of glass types which means you have options. It will help your optics manufacturing vendor do their best work for you if you give them the choice of which glass maker to use. They can apply their experience and knowledge about optical glasses to your products and build flexibility into your program throughout its lifecycle. If there is a shortage or delivery delay from a given glass manufacturer, you may be able to avoid late deliveries to your customer by switching to the more available equivalent glass.

ASK

If you decide that you need to specify a glass manufacturer for your optic, it’s worthwhile to get your optics manufacturer’s recommendations. You’ll be better served by specifying a glass manufacturer that has the confidence of your optics maker.

DISPERSION AND INDEX OF REFRACTION TOLERANCES

Customer will sometimes request optics with index of refraction and/or dispersion tolerances that are tighter than standard, and beyond what the application requires. Often the tighter tolerances are boilerplate on the customer’s drawing. In order to achieve tighter tolerances, glass manufacturer’s do a post-production sorting. This translates to more cost and potentially limited availability. The standard tolerances offered by the major glass manufacturers are adequate for the large majority of applications.

Unless your tolerance analysis suggests that the design is sensitive to index of refraction or dispersion variations, you should be able to use glass with standard tolerances and get great results.

Standard Index of Refraction Tolerance (Nd) = 0.0005

Standard Dispersion Tolerance (Vd) = +/- 0.5%

HOMOGENEITY

The smaller the optic the less likely it is that it’s worth paying for a higher than standard homogeneity classification. Homogeneity is the variation in index across the glass blank. Since the rate of variation is small, the smaller the optic the less value there is in having a homogeneity certification. Essentially you’re paying to certify something that you are getting anyway.

RULE OF THUMB

We use the rule of thumb that an optic with a diameter less than 1” or 2” does not require higher homogeneity. Larger sizes are dependent on the application requirement.

SIZE

The reasons size matters with respect to glass are twofold. First, the obvious – larger optics require more material resulting in a proportionately higher material bill. The other reason is based on the standard slab size of raw glass. Glass manufacturers produce raw glass in slabs. If your design requires an optic larger than the standard size will yield, the glass manufacturer needs to deviate from their normal manufacturing processes. This translates to higher cost, longer lead times and availability issues.

DESIGN TO STANDARD SIZES

If your application requires optics that clearly exceed the standard slab size, then it is what it is. If not, then it may be worth a few additional design iterations to see if you can get within that standard size.