According to ophthalmic news source Vision Monday, more than 200 million Americans required a vision assistance tool in 2022. In this category, prescription glasses were the most popular product, with over 60% of consumers requiring vision correction. In recent years, this high demand has led many consumers to look for easier ways to acquire their eyewear. Due to busy schedules and increasing transportation expenses, more people have considered buying their glasses online.
Since only 14% of prescription eyewear purchases were made online in 2022, it’s evident that there is still a long way to go before it becomes the preferred option. If you hesitate about buying glasses virtually, this article explores the benefits of getting prescription eyewear online. Keep reading for more information below.
Accessibility
One of the best things about buying prescription glasses online is its convenience. You don’t need to get ready to leave your house and travel to your optician for new glasses. On average, a person spends an hour choosing a new pair of glasses, but this time can stretch up to several as some stores take a while to craft their lenses. Compared to this, buying glasses online can take just a few minutes. Take top brand Oakley, who have many different models and customization options. Rather than fighting to find the pair you want in a store, you can quickly take their Frogskins model, add tight low bridge fitting, red arms, blue frames and your NFL team’s name etched into them. You’ll ensure you’re getting ahead in the fashion stakes with your customized glasses, and what’s more, you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home when shopping online as it only takes a few clicks from any Internet-connected mobile device. Once done, you can simply exit the browser and spend the rest of your time productively.
Prices
Buying online also brings unique advantages that aren’t available when purchasing in person. Research shows that buying prescription glasses online can be up to 50% cheaper. This is due to the absence of markup costs caused by the rent and equipment fees attached to physical stores. Instead, online orders usually offer special payment options, which also accepts most insurance plans. For example, their site has a dedicated tab where you can select your provider and immediately redeem the benefits of getting glasses at a lower price without the need to submit a claim form. Meanwhile, other sites like Warby Parker have specific deals where you can get 15% off your next purchase if you buy two or more glasses from them. These online promos and payment options are valuable since prescription eyewear can be expensive, and these purchases add up in the long run.
Virtual Try-ons
Recently, online retailers have also found a way around letting their customers see what frames they prefer by offering virtual try-ons. This allows consumers to digitally fit a variety of eyeglass frames and decide on which style they prefer. It reduces the issue of which frames suit specific face shapes as consumers can scroll and try all types of glasses. Additionally, this circumvents the issue of being unable to try out the styles you want because they’re not currently available in-store. As seen in online eyewear provider Eyebuydirect, to use this feature, consumers only have to use their phone or laptop camera to record a video or upload a picture to the site. The website then automatically projects the frames onto their face, and they can see if the style fits their liking. Besides being less tiring than trying a handful of glasses in-store before settling on a pair, users also don’t have to worry about missing out and being unable to fit a model if it’s out of stock. Having the virtual try-on feature significantly expands the eyewear choices that consumers can have.
Shipping options
Apart from frame styles, online buyers are also given a lot of flexibility when shipping their eyewear. Depending on the website, many eyewear providers offer discounted or even free shipping. When it comes to delivery time, most prescription glasses purchased online don’t take more than a week to arrive. In fact, there are a lot of retailers that take as little as three days to send you your new prescription glasses. However, for express orders, most sites will ask for a small additional cost. In the case of returns, a lot of these sites offer free returns within 30 days if you find an issue with your purchased eyeglasses. This feature highlights that every part of buying eyeglasses online, from selecting frames to shipping, has been optimized for accessibility and maximum customer satisfaction.
