Tips for Moms: How to Save Money on Eyeglasses by Buying Them Online

As more people age and spend time looking at screens, eye issues like nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (presbyopia) are becoming more common than ever.

Known as refractive errors, they’re the most prevalent vision problem out there. In fact, it affects over 150 million people in the US alone. Fortunately, they’re also among the most treatable conditions—just wear glasses!

As the cost of living continues to rise, however, procuring a pair of corrective specs can be easier said than done. Cost is considered one of the top barriers to eye care, as the high out-of-pocket expenses associated with eyeglasses deter many Americans from actually treating their refractive errors. If you’re a mom in charge of household finances, getting them for one or more members of the family can be even more expensive. However, untreated refractive errors lead to more serious issues. High myopia, for example, increases one’s chances of developing blindness-causing glaucoma.

If you play your cards right, though, you can get quality prescription glasses for cheaper by simply using the internet. Online retailers don’t need to pay to run a physical store location, allowing them to sell more affordable eyewear—and thanks to modern technologies, they closely replicate the in-store buying experience so you can find a perfect fit for less. To fully take advantage of that, keep reading for tips on how to save money on glasses by buying them online.

Secure your prescription

To make each online glasses purchase count, make sure they’re effective by getting an up-to-date prescription. The best way to do so is to book an eye test, especially if you or another member of your family is getting a prescription for the first time. The optometrist you consult will check your visual acuity, give you a copy of your prescription, and recommend what kind of glasses to get. That should give you all the information you need to shop online.

If you’re working with an existing prescription, Warby Parker offers a Virtual Vision Test app that you can use at home. It’ll remotely send the results of your test to a licensed optometrist who’ll determine if you need a new prescription. These basic online tests will be sufficient for upgrading glasses online. More importantly, they’re typically cheaper than the cost of in-person eye exams without insurance, which can help you cut down on how much you spend throughout the entire online shopping process.

Pick a website

Not all online glasses retailers are created equal. Many designer eyewear companies, like Ray-Ban, run their own online stores. However, the brand prestige that comes with them often means they offer more expensive glasses that can negate the potential savings you can get by buying specs on the internet. In the long run, it’ll be more cost-effective to get your glasses from websites that are either backed by actual eyewear professionals or are known for offering products at affordable price points.

Costco and Target are two examples of major retailers known for their low prices, and they both sell eyeglasses online. You can also get cheaper specs from the likes of Eyemart Express, which was founded by optometrist Doug H. Barnes. Other signs of a good, budget-friendly online retailer can be found on their website. As we’ll discuss later on, those that offer discount codes, reduce prices for bulk orders, or hold seasonal sales can help make glasses even more affordable.

Find your frames

Once you’re set on a website, head to their eyeglasses page. Here, you can use filter options to isolate frames that can accommodate prescription lenses, then arrange them in order of price to find the cheapest ones. As a general rule of thumb, opt for chunkier models if you have a higher prescription, as you’ll often need thicker lenses to ensure effective vision correction. For example, you can get plastic frames instead of wire-rimmed ones. If you still hold some reservations about buying prescription glasses online at this point, it may be because you can’t physically try these frames at home. After all, they need to look great and fit comfortably so you can get the most use out of them—especially if you’re buying them for kids who need to be encouraged to wear them more frequently.

To address this, Walmart’s website offers a virtual try-on feature for its prescription glasses. It feeds 3D data into advanced algorithms, allowing it to more accurately show you how different frames will look on you based on your unique facial features and measurements. That way, you can find a pair that perfectly fits you or your loved one in nearly the same way you would when shopping in person—but you’ll benefit from the affordability of online eyewear purchases in the process.

Customize your lenses

From here, select the product page for your chosen frames and you’ll see some dropdown boxes where you can put the specific strength your prescription requires for each lens. Another measurement you’ll have to input is pupillary distance (PD), or the distance between the centers of your pupils. PD does more than further personalize the fit of the glasses you buy online for added comfort. Without it, you may experience eye strain—and if you have a higher prescription, your glasses may fail to correct your vision at all. If you’re coming to your online retailer from a physical eye exam, your PD should be included in the copy of your prescription. If you’ve updated yours remotely, Costa Del Mar offers a PD measurement app and DIY guide so you can take it at home without extra cost.

Before finalizing your purchase, you’ll also want to look at lens materials and add-ons. Though useful, they can often pad the final price of your glasses, so only get them if you feel you’ll need them. For example, high-index lenses—which condense stronger prescriptions into thinner lenses—prevent the bug-eyed effect caused by thicker lenses. Meanwhile, anti-scratch and blue light-blocking lens coatings can be helpful for clumsy kids or parents who work screen-heavy desk jobs. To save money, you can also buy your pairs from the likes of Frames Direct, which offers many of these materials and add-ons across its prescription glasses at no additional charge.

Slash your prices

Depending on the retailer you’re using, you can make your glasses even cheaper with a few key tricks. For example, scouring a website can help you discover some buy-one-get-one deals, discount codes, or free shipping offers you can use upon checkout. You can also time your purchase to align with seasonal sales. In the lead-up to the 2024 holiday season, for example, Eyebuydirect is offering 30% off, as well as free shipping, on nearly all of its prescription glasses frames. You can benefit from similar sales at other times of the year, such as Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July, and Back to School season.

These aren’t the only ways you can save money on your final glasses purchase. Prescription eyeglasses count as eligible medical expenses if your employer lets you set aside pre-tax funds, meaning you can use FSA or HSA dollars to cover out-of-pocket eyewear expenses from retailers like Zenni Optical. If you’re using the former, make sure you buy your glasses before December 31. Many retailers also accept insurance plans from major providers like UnitedHealthcare and Humana, so take advantage of that upon checkout.

A final word: truly saving on eyeglasses

Though buying prescription glasses online is great for sticking to a budget, you’ll also want to think about your long-term savings. By proactively caring for your eyes, you can prevent refractive errors from worsening, meaning you can use the glasses you buy for longer. More importantly, you won’t need to pay for the more involved treatments necessary to address more serious eye conditions down the line.

A couple of best practices you’ll want to follow involve regularly wearing sunglasses and focusing on nutrition. The sun can accelerate eye aging and increase your risk of developing blindness-causing conditions like cataracts. For family members who need the glasses you’re buying online, the clip-on sunglasses from Foster Grant can be a cost-effective way to get 100% UV protection without procuring a separate pair of prescription sunglasses. Eating the rainbow is also crucial for the entire family. In particular, we’ve noted that green, blue, and purple fruits and vegetables like broccoli, eggplant, and blueberries contain antioxidants and nutrients like lutein and Vitamins A, C, and E, all of which are known to support eye health.

In today’s digital age, you can also take steps to minimize the negative impacts of excess screen time. Spending more time outdoors, whether you’re going for a swim or visiting the local park, is perfect for both family bonding and helping give the eyes a break from looking at things up close. For homework all-nighters and long work days, following the 20-20-20 rule—looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes—can similarly give your eye muscles opportunities to rest and recharge.

More importantly, book regular eye exams for everyone in the family. We’re not talking about the basic eye tests needed to measure refractive errors—instead, opt for comprehensive eye exams that use more advanced techniques to assess multiple aspects of your eye health. Here, eye care professionals can determine your likelihood of developing serious conditions—and, based on your unique biology and lifestyle, give you tailored advice for maintaining long-term eye health.