Where to buy prescription glasses for kids online
When it comes to shopping for prescription eyewear for kids and teens, you'll likely face two challenges: The young person you're shopping for might want expensive designer frames worn by favorite influencers. And you'll want to make sure the frames and lenses can take a beating.
We're about to make your eyeglass shopping easier, by guiding you to the best places to buy prescription eyeglasses for kids and teens. And right now, many of these companies are offering generous back-to-school sales and promotions that can save you some serious cash.
- Best selection of eyeglasses for kids overall: GlassesUSA
- Best deals on eyeglasses for kids: Jonas Paul Eyewear
- Best durable eyeglasses for kids: Firmoo Co.
- Best everyday wear eyeglasses for kids: 39DollarGlasses
- Best eyeglass options for teens: Warby Parker
Pro Tip: Most eyeglass companies offer an added discount when you buy more than one pair at once.
What are the best deals on prescription glasses for kids?
Our team of expert shoppers has done the research and found kid and teen-friendly prescription eyewear that checks all the boxes in terms of style, durability and affordability.
Best selection for kids overall: GlassesUSA
Durable frame options: Yes | Accepts vision insurance: Yes | Home try-on: No | Virtual try-on: Yes | Beyond 30-day warrantee: Yes
GlassesUSA is now offering glasses for as low as $19. You'll find glasses for two- to five-year-olds, six- to 10-year-olds and 11- to 14-year-olds in a wide range of styles and colors. And verified college students can get a bonus coupon for 65% off their new glasses, plus get free shipping.
Once you choose your frames, they can be custom fitted with single vision, reading, progressive, bi-focal or non-prescription lenses. There's an upgrade fee for progressive and bi-focal lenses, although basic, single vision lenses are included with all of the basic frames offered by GlassesUSA.
A variety of lens upgrades are available, each with its own fee. We're talking Transitions lenses (that darken outdoors and fade back to clear indoors), blue light block, which protect your eyes from screen fatigue; super hydrophobic, which repel water from lenses; custom tints, polarization, which blocks glare; and mirrored.
All eyeglasses ordered from GlassesUSA come with free shipping and returns, a money-back guarantee and a 365-day warranty. For many of the frames available, you can take advantage of a virtual try-on feature to see how they'll look before placing your order.
GlassesUSA accepts most vision insurance, as well as FSA and HSA payments. First responders, nurses, teachers, medical providers, military members, hospital workers, senior citizens and government employees are entitled to an extra discount.
Best deals on eyeglasses for kids: Jonas Paul Eyewear
Durable frame options: Yes | Accepts vision insurance: Yes | Home try-on: Yes | Virtual try-on: No | Beyond 30-day warrantee: Yes
As part of its back-to-school promotion, Jonas Paul Eyewear is currently offering an extra $10 off orders over $119, $25 off orders over $159, or $50 off orders over $199, with no promo code required.
One thing that caught our attention about Jonas Paul Eyewear is that the company promotes a $1 trial "7 frames for 7 days" offer. You can select any seven eyeglass frames to have shipped to your door. Your child can then try each of them on. Choose the frames you want to order with prescription lenses, and then return the sample frames using the supplied prepaid shipping box.
Jonas Paul Eyewear offers a vast selection of frames designed in-house. Choose between clear (prescription) or sunglass lenses, as well as the lens type (Trivex, polycarbonate or high-index).
For an additional $30, you can purchase the JPE Care warrantee, which is a no-questions-asked one year warrantee that covers all repairs. In addition to the frames designed specifically for kids, Jonas Paul Eyewear has a separate selection of eyeglass frames for teenagers.
Best durable eyeglasses for kids: Firmoo Co.
Durable frame options: Yes | Accepts vision insurance: Yes | Home try-on: No | Virtual try-on: No | Beyond 30-day warrantee: Yes
At Firmoo Co., prescription eyeglasses for kids and teens -- between 5 and 15 -- are the company's specialty. For younger kids, the company offers frames with bendable arms and an enhanced scratch-resistant coating on the lenses.
During the company's back-to-school sale, you can save 60% off frames, plus 20% off lenses when you use code KIDS60 at checkout. All frames come in a wide range of colors and sizes. You can also select Super Flex lenses that are flexible and impact-resistant. You can also add a blue light-blocking filter and anti-reflective coating to the lenses for an additional fee.
There's even an option to order photochromatic lenses for any of Firmoo's kid-friendly frames, so the lenses will automatically darken when exposed to sunlight. The company offers a 60-day return or exchange policy and a one year warrantee. Head over to Firmoo's website to discover a handful of other back-to-school deals and promotions currently being offered, including a BOGO offer for eyeglass frames when you use code BOGO at checkout.
For a limited time, new customers can purchase eligible eyeglass frames for just $4.95 per pair and get 20% off on custom prescription lenses.
Best everyday eyeglasses for kids: 39DollarGlasses
Durable frame options: Yes | Accepts vision insurance: Yes | Home try-on: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Beyond 30-day warrantee: Yes
The company's name says it all. Well, sort of. 39DollarGlasses offers an impressive selection of prescription eyeglasses starting at $39, including basic, single vision lenses that offer 100% UV protection and a scratch-resistant coating. You can also choose between clear, gradient or sunglass lenses. Lens upgrades cost extra. Bi-focal or progressive lenses range between $119 and $238.
The glasses are crafted in the USA and come with a 100% worry free guarantee. Some are priced at $48 or $59, plus the cost of any selected lens upgrades, but on the plus side, many of the frames are promoted as being unbreakable.
All glasses come with a 30-day full refund (less shipping) policy or a 90-day full exchange policy. This means if you're not happy with the glasses for any reason, they can be returned.
Best eyeglasses for teens: Warby Parker
Durable frame options: No | Accepts vision insurance: Yes | Home try-on: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Beyond 30-day warrantee: No
Warby Parker is a one-stop shop for all of your prescription eyewear for teens and adults. Most frames, which include single-vision prescription lenses, start at just $95. Progressive lenses start at $295.
The company sells only its own collection of frames and offers an easy virtual try-on feature. There's also a home try-on option that allows you to select up to five frames and have them shipped to your home for free. Choose the frames you want, order your prescription glasses and return the samples in a pre-paid box.
You also get a wide range of lens options, so you can pick only the add-ons you need -- whether it's a blue-light filter, anti-fatigue filter, or light-responsive lenses that darken in the sun. An anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating is included for free. The company uses polycarbonate lenses, but these can be upgraded to 1.67 high-index lenses for an additional fee.
You'll be asked to either upload a copy of your prescription or provide contact information for your optometrist.
Warby Parker accepts virtually all vision insurance and HSA/FSA payments. If you order two pairs of glasses at the same time (one of which can be prescription sunglasses), you get an automatic 15% discount. And for every pair of prescription eyewear purchased, Warby Parker donates a pair to someone in need. All glasses come with a 30-day guarantee and can be returned or exchanged for any reason during this period.
What do I need to order prescription glasses online?
Regardless of where you shop, you'll need:
- A current eyeglass prescription (less than one year old) from an optometrist. If you don't have a copy of your prescription, be prepared to share your optometrist's contact information.
- Your pupillary distance (PD) measurement. This something your optometrist can provide, or you can measure it yourself. The Zenni website offers a Custom Dual PD ruler that you can download and print for free.
- Your vision insurance information.
Types of lenses include single-vision, bi-focals (sometimes called multi-focals), or progressives. These lenses can be made from optical glass, CR-39 plastic or polycarbonate. There are several types of optional lens materials that impact their thickness, weight, clarity, reflection resistance and the level of protection they offer.
Once you pick a lens type, you'll typically move on to optional lens coatings or treatments -- think scratch resistance, an anti-reflective coating, UV blocking, a blue-light filter, tinting, polarization, or a light-responsive filter. Those options usually affect the cost.
What happens if the glasses don't fit or the prescription is incorrect?
Virtually all sellers, including those featured in this roundup, offer a 14- or 30-day exchange or return policy. If the frames don't fit, or your child can't see clearly, you can return the glasses for a full refund or have the glasses remade. After the return or exchange period, many of the online sellers offer at least a six-month to one-year "no scratch" guarantee, which means the company will repair or replace the lenses if they get accidentally scratched.
In some cases, you can purchase an extended warrantee, which will cover any damage to the frames or lenses during a predefined period. These extended warranty plans do not cover the glasses if they're lost or stolen.
What if my kids lose their eyeglasses?
If your child has a habit of leaving their prescription eyewear lying around and forgetting where they've been left, we recommend attaching a low-cost Bluetooth tracker to their eyeglass case. The tracker can then be paired with a parent's smartphone, making the glasses easier to locate.
For iPhone users, we recommend using an Apple AirTag. This tracker can anonymously tap the entire network of iPhone users around the globe to help find missing items that have an AirTag attached. A single AirTag costs under $30, but they often go on sale on Amazon.
Another Bluetooth tracker option that works with iPhone and Android smartphones is the Tile Mate ($18 on Amazon). For Android smartphone users, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 ($22) is a viable option for keeping tabs on items that tend to be misplaced frequently. For $50, there's also the Dolphin Eyewear Finder that slips onto the arm of any eyeglasses. It can be located using any iPhone if the glasses get lost.
How to choose the best frame for your child
Beyond ensuring that the eyeglasses you provide to your children have the best possible prescription to ensure crystal-clear eyesight, you want to select frames that properly fit their face. Choosing a frame design should be based on the shape of your child's face. Whenever possible, we recommend using a website's virtual try-on feature or a company's home try-on feature to ensure a comfortable fit and to make sure the frames you choose will look great on the person who will be wearing them.
Here are some basic recommendations from the folks at Jonas Paul Eyewear when it comes to matching face shape with eyeglass frames:
- Round faces - For someone with soft angles, a lightly curved jawline and a slightly narrower forehead, consider frames with a rectangular, square or rounded shape.
- Oval faces - For someone with well-balanced proportions, high cheekbones, or a chin that's a bit narrower than their forehead, rectangular or square frames will likely look the best.
- Heart faces - Rectangular or square frames also often look the best on people with high cheekbones, along with a wider forehead that narrows down to a smaller, well-defined chin and a tapered jawline.
- Square faces - Rounded, cat-eye or oval frames typically look the best on people with angular features, including a strong jawline and cheeckbones that are about the same width as their forehead.
Of course, these are general guidelines. Since everyone's face is different and people have unique personal taste when it comes to eyewear, we highly suggest you provide your child with the opportunity to participate in the eyeglass selection process.
For more help finding and buying prescription eyewear, be sure to check out our coverage of the six best places to buy prescription glasses online in 2024, the best prescription sunglasses for 2024, the best places to buy cheap prescription sunglasses online, the best back-to-school deals on prescription glasses from GlassesUSA and the best places to buy cheap prescription glasses online.
