The first time you bought glasses, it probably went a little something like this: you sat in the vinyl recliner at your eye doctor’s office, received a piece of paper with your prescription on it, and were then ushered promptly into the optical retail section as if it were some sacred rite of passage. You were politely but firmly encouraged to pick from a wall of underwhelming frames while being upsold on lens coatings you didn’t understand. Sound familiar?
If so, let us be the first to tell you that you’re not stuck doing it that way forever. The world of prescription eyewear has changed. The internet, that modern marvel of late-night impulse buys and rabbit-hole research, is now the preferred way to buy your next pair of glasses. Yes, even if you need a complex prescription. Yes, even if you’ve always bought from your eye doc.
If you’re skeptical, allow us to put your mind (and eyes) at ease. We compared the experience of buying glasses online and buying them from your optometrist, because knowing the difference can help you see things a little more clearly. Metaphorically, of course – for literal clarity, you’ll need an up-to-date prescription.
The Experience: The Optometrist Route
You get your eyes checked, and before you can say “new frames,” you’re shepherded into a retail space with a rotating rack of frames priced like designer handbags. A staff member hovers while you awkwardly try things on. If you find something you like, they quote you a price that gives you goosebumps – and not in a good way. You reluctantly pull out your credit card anyway, because you’re already there, and well....you need to see.
You’re on the spot. You’re stuck trying to be polite. You’re squinting into a mirror the size of a cocktail napkin, and somehow, you’re expected to make a lifelong style decision in five minutes or less.
The Experience: The Online Route
You get your prescription from your optometrist (hot tip: always ask for your own copy) and head to a site like eyebobs.com, where you can browse to your heart’s content without anyone looking over your shoulder. You can filter by face shape, frame size, color, style, or even your current mood. Bold patterns and colors abound, from hot pink to vanilla chop and everything in between. Need readers, progressives, prescription sunglasses, blue light blockers, or any combination thereof? You’ll find it here.
And if you want help, you can get it, but it’s never overbearing. Our customer experience team is full of actual humans – ones you’d want at your dinner party – who know their stuff and love helping people find their perfect frame. It’s like having a style-savvy friend on speed dial.
It's shopping on your terms, and your terms only: coffee in hand, dog in lap, no upselling, no judgement. You can take your time, try on frames virtually, ask your friends for opinions, and sleep on it. Now that sounds like the way to find a pair that helps you feel like the best version of yourself.
The Cost: Buying from the Optometrist
Traditional in-office optical shops have overhead: rent, staffing, distribution, inventory. That gets baked into the price of your frames and lenses, which is why you’ll often pay $500+ for a single pair. And while insurance may cover part of the cost, you may find the selection of covered frames … uninspiring, to say the least.
Also, ever wonder why those designer brands all live in the same little corner of the store? Many of them are owned by the same parent company, so you’re often choosing between variations of the same thing. (And paying for the logo).
The Cost: Buying Online
When you shop online directly from a company like eyebobs, you’re cutting out the middleman. That means lower prices, better design, and more originality for your dollar. Our prescription frames start at $98 and top out around $255, all inclusive of our optical-quality lenses, anti-reflective coating, and hundreds of stop-and-stare styles.
We invest in what matters: the best artisans and technicians around, premium materials like Italian-designed acetate, spring hinges for maximum durability, and lenses that are as smart as they are sharp. We keep the rest lean, so you can keep more in your walle
The Options: At the Eye Doctor
The selection tends to be more conservative. You’ll find lots of blacks, browns, and grays in designs that don’t do anything for you. Perhaps you’ll see a few bolder styles, but still, nothing that screams you. And if you do find a frame that lights you up? You’d better hope it’s in stock and comes in your size. If by some miracle it is, then you’ll need to start counting down the days and be prepared to keep counting – they likely won’t arrive for three weeks or more.
The Options: Online
When you buy online with eyebobs, you get access to an entire buffet of originality. We don’t believe in predictable options. We believe everyone deserves glasses that match their personality, whether that’s an eccentric professor, a modern minimalist, or a unapologetic maximalist with a penchant for color.
And because we offer a range of fits for every head size, you don’t have to settle. Ever.
How to Buy Glasses Online
So, you concur that the online eyewear shopping experience sounds superior. But how do you know your prescription will be right when your glasses arrive? What if they don’t fit your face?
First: rest assured, your prescription is just a set of numbers. Our lab techs are the best at what they do, and they can read those numbers in their sleep – then translate them into lenses that are exactly what you need.
Second: our Fit Guide, style quiz, and Virtual Try-On tool make it unbelievably easy to find a pair that’s just right.
If you’re looking for a step-by-step, here’s the quick version. For a more in-depth guide, read more about buying eyewear online
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Know your measurements: that means your prescription, your pupillary distance, and your head size. Your optometrist will provide the first two, and you can refer to our Fit Guide for all you need to know about sizing up your noggin.
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Pick your lens type: you may know you need prescription glasses, but depending on how you plan to use your 20/20 vision, a specialized lens might be more your speed. From blue light coatings that clear up screen-inducing eye strain to progressives that let you see at all distances, we’ve got what you need to see how you want.
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Browse to your heart’s content: our selection of frames is vast and varied, and no matter your head size, face shape, or personal tastes, you’re sure to find a pair that suits you.
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Pick your pair and place your order: once you’ve identified the frame that makes you say “That’s SO me,” along with your measurements and lens of choice, you’re ready to hit “add to cart.” At checkout, you’ll need to provide us with your prescription by uploading it directly from your device, submitting it via email to rx@eyebobs.com, or authorizing us to get it straight from your eyecare provider. Your new glasses will then be crafted to your every specification in a state-of-the-art lab and delivered unto you with haste. Yes, it really is that easy. No, we don’t accept tips.
The Bottom Line
We’re not here to snub optometrists. Eye doctors are essential. We need them, we love them, and we recommend you visit them regularly.
Once they give you your prescription, though, it’s important for you to know you have options beyond the three meager racks of in-office offerings. Ones that involve you sitting on your couch, browsing frames that spark actual joy, and ending up with eyewear that feels just right.
So: online or optometrist? We say, get your eyes checked by the pros, but get your frames from the people who believe glasses can be more than mere tools.
Ready to see what you’ve been missing? Check out our in-depth guide to buying glasses online, or start browsing the styles that made us famous.
