The 6 best places to buy low-cost prescription eyeglasses for kids
It's back-to-school season, which means you'll probably need to spend a lot on new clothing and school supplies to get your kids ready for the new academic year. To provide the students in your life with the biggest advantage possible when it comes to success in school, make sure they have eyeglasses with the most current and accurate prescription to ensure crystal-clear eyesight.
Luckily, with the back-to-school deals on prescription eyewear that are currently available, now is the perfect time to get everyone in your household new eyeglasses: You can spend less than $100 for a quality pair of single-vision prescription eyeglasses.
Companies like GlassesUSA, Zenni Optical, Warby Parker, LensCrafters and EyeBuyDirect offer affordable glasses that'll serve you and your family members well. These companies also offer prescription sunglasses. You can upgrade your eyewear with fancy frames and premium lenses. For younger kids and teens who are athletic, there are frames and lenses designed to provide extra durability, which means saving money on future repairs and replacements.
Our team of in-house shopping experts has found the best places to shop online for inexpensive prescription glasses. And don't worry if there's a problem with the glasses you order online. This roundup only features companies that offer a money-back guarantee and easy exchanges. And most offer a virtual try-on feature, so your kids can see how their new glasses will look before you place an order. Since it takes time to custom-make prescription eyewear, don't wait until the last minute to place your back-to-school orders.
Where to buy cheap glasses
Whether you, your child, or other household members need single vision, bifocals, or progressive lenses, prescription sunglasses, or lenses that automatically darken in the sun, shopping online has serious benefits. It's easy, saves money and gives you a much larger selection than what's typically available from an optometrist's office.
- Best overall place to find the cheapest prescription glasses: GlassesUSA
- Best place to find sales on prescription glasses: Zenni Optical
- Best place for style selection on a budget: Warby Parker
- Best place for everyday prescription glasses, contacts and beyond: LensCrafters
- Best place for prescription glasses starting under $25: EyeBuyDirect
- Best place for extra-durable prescription glasses: Ombraz
Pro tip: When you're shopping for prescription glasses online, be sure to see if the company offers discounts to students, teachers, active military, seniors or first responders. And most of these companies offer an extra discount if you buy more than one pair of glasses at the same time.
Best overall place to find the cheapest prescription glasses: GlassesUSA
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: No | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Yes
GlassesUSA offers a vast selection of prescription eyewear just for kids and teens. You're guaranteed to find various sales and promotions there, whether it's a BOGO deal, a 50% off frames sale, a discount of up to $150 off when you buy progressive lenses, or up to 50% off prescription lenses and upgrades. Plus, GlassesUSA offers discounts to first responders, nurses, teachers, medical providers, military members, hospital workers, senior citizens, government employees and students.
From the GlassesUSA home page, we suggest clicking on the Sale page. But even without a sale, you'll find single-vision prescription glasses costing as little as $38 (for the frames and lenses). The price increases if you opt for bifocals, progressive lenses or choose a premium lens material. Lens options, like blue light protection and a photochromic feature (which means the lenses automatically darken when exposed to sunlight), also cost extra.
GlasesUSA.com is also great for designer frames (from Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, Coach, Versace, Gucci and 54 others). Designer frames are typically sold at up to 40% off of retail, and lens upgrades are offered for up to 50% off. New customers who sign up for a newsletter get a coupon good for up to 50% off the first pair of frames. All glasses come with a 14-day money-back guarantee, as well as a one-year warranty.
Best place to find sales on prescription glasses: Zenni Optical
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: No | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Submit receipt for reimbursement
Zenni Optical is known for ultra-low-cost frames, which range in price from a mere $6.95 to $59.95 with single-focus, basic prescription lenses included. Bifocals, progressives, lens filters and coatings all increase prices; adding lenses that change color in sunlight will add about $160 to the cost, while a blue-light filter increases the cost by about $47.
Generally, if you're looking for the most basic glasses at the lowest price, Zenni is the place to shop. That said, some of the ultra-cheap frame options fall into the "you get what you pay for" category in terms of quality and durability. When you start adding optional upgrades, the final cost will be similar to what you get elsewhere.
What we like about Zenni Optical is that shopping is easy. Quickly narrow your search through filters based on price, style, prescription, color and frame material. You're guided through lens selection, too. Most of the frames have a virtual try-on feature. There are even some frames for kids that are designed for extra durability, and specific frames that can be crafted with custom lenses and shipped within three to five days. An additional 10% discount is offered to students, teachers, active military, first responders and medical workers. You'll also always discover a wide range of frames and complete glasses on sale.
Best place for style selection on a budget: Warby Parker
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: Yes | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Yes
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 there are many to choose from) and the website 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 automatically included for free. The company uses polycarbonate lenses, but these can be upgraded to 1.67 high-index lenses for an additional fee.
In most cases, you can select a color or color combination and size, before moving on to customizing your lenses. 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.
Best place for everyday prescription glasses, contacts and beyond: LensCrafters
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: No | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Yes
Beyond the vast selection of affordable eyeglass and sunglass frame options for teens and adults, the company has a line of durable and everyday wear kids eyeglasses. Right now, Lenscrafters is offering 50% off a complete pair of prescription glasses from its Kids Eyeglasses collection (for the under-20 crowd). The prescription glasses for kids and teens include blue light filtering lenses, which protects young eyes exposed to excessive screen time.
LensCrafts also sells designer frames (often on sale), and lots of specialized eyewear. Plus, the company offers discounts to AAA and AARP members and students. Of course, there are sales and promotions at LensCrafters available to everyone.
If you want designer frames from Ray-Ban, Oakley, Versace, Coach, Prada, Brooks Brothers or more, the place to shop online is LensCrafters. It's a one-stop online shop for prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, as well as contacts.
The website makes it easy to shop for glasses based on brand, style, color or shape. Once you find the frames you love, choose from a wide range of lens options. Once your eyeglasses arrive, they come with a 30-day happiness guarantee. For an additional fee, you can upgrade to a protection plan that covers frames and lenses against damage, scratches and other issues for a full year.
Whether you're shopping for prescription eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses, you'll find a vast selection of designer frames to choose from, with new options coming in all the time. Some frame and single-vision lens combos start as low as $100. You'll also discover some designer frames on sale for as much as 60% off.
Best place for prescription glasses starting under $25: EyeBuyDirect
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: No | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Yes
Like Zenni Optical, EyeBuyDirect offers an impressive selection of cheap prescription glasses -- with some frames selling for just $19 (which includes single vision, 1.5 index prescription lenses). You'll also discover premium brand frames from Ray-Ban, Oakley, Vogue Eyewear and more deeply discounted.
Right now, you can save up to 50% off on all prescription eyewear for kids and adults alike, plus get an additional 20% off on orders over $120 when you use code JOLLY120 at checkout.
There are always all sorts of deals and digital discount coupons. If you're a student, you're entitled to a 20% discount.
The least expensive options include EyeBuyDirect's own frames combined with prescription lenses, but when you're spending less than $50 for frames and prescription lenses, the quality isn't up to par with the more expensive designer frames offered by EyeBuyDirect and other companies. For people who need bifocals or progressive lenses, you can expect to pay a bit more. The progressive lens upgrade on most prescription eyewear is $49.
Best place for extra-durable prescription glasses: Ombraz
Single-vision prescription: Yes | Bi-focals prescription: Yes | Progressive prescription: Yes | Readers: Yes | Prescription sunglasses: Yes | Light responsive lens option: Yes | Blue light filtering lens option: Yes | Virtual try-on: Yes | Home try-on: No | HSA/FSA accepted: Yes | Vision insurance accepted: Yes
For high school and college-age students who are extremely athletic and active, the new Ombraz eyeglass frames are very unique. For starters, they have no arms. They're held snuggly in position using an integrated and adjustable cord. There are no hinges, screws that can loosen, or sidearms that can break. They also won't fall off or slip, plus they're designed to relieve all pressure points on the wearer's face.
These frames are also indestructible and come in a variety of styles, sizes and colors. They feature a patented design that's lightweight, extremely comfortable and that can withstand everything from harsh environments to an extremely active lifestyle.
You can buy them from Ombraz as non-prescription sunglasses with premium lenses. However, through Orbraz's partner, Lens & Frame Co., the Orbraz frames can be custom-fitted with any type of handcrafted polycarbonate or high index 1.67, clear, tinted, light-responsive or sunglass prescription lenses.
Is it cheaper to buy prescription glasses online?
Yes, in many cases, you can save a mint shopping for prescription eyewear online. The companies featured in this roundup are known for offering a wide range of single-vision prescription eyeglasses for $100 or less per pair. Plus, these companies offer ongoing discounts and sales. Most also accept HSA/FSA payments and vision insurance.
Even if you need bi-focals or progressives lenses (which adds cost to your prescription eyewear), these online companies tend to be less expensive than shopping for glasses at your optometrist's office or a local eyeglass store. Plus, you'll have access to a bigger selection and more upgrade options.
How to order prescription glasses online
The process couldn't be easier. First, you'll choose your eyeglass frames. Next, select your prescription lens options. Once you're ready to place your order, you'll need to upload a copy of your eyeglass prescription that's less than one year old from an optometrist.
One way to save money is to click on the "On Sale" or "Deal" banner or menu option found on most prescription eyewear sites.
Before paying, determine what additional discounts you're entitled to. Discounts are often offered to active military (and their families), students, AAA members or AARP members (and people over the age of 65). Several of these companies offer an additional discount when you order two or more pairs of prescription glasses (or sunglasses) at the same time. And many of these companies run continuous sales or promotions.
Upon making your payment, your prescription glasses will be custom made and shipped directly to your door -- typically within three to 14 business days.
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 you're not seeing 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 will 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 warranty, 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.
How to choose prescription glasses that fit
Eyeglass frames come in nine popular shapes -- rectangular, square, round, aviator, oval, cat-eye, browline, oversized and geometric. At Warby Parker or Vint & York, you'll discover guides for choosing a frame design based on your face shape. Of course, these are only suggestions. As long as they fit properly, the style and color of eyeglass frames you choose is a matter of personal preference.
- Round-shaped faces: Rectangle glasses, square glasses, geometric glasses, cat-eye glasses, browline glasses, or full-rimmed glasses are suggested.
- Oval-shaped faces: Just about any frame design will look good on someone with an oval-shaped face.
- Heart-shaped shaped faces: Oval glasses, round glasses, aviator glasses or semi-rimless glasses are suggested.
- Square-shaped faces: Round glasses, oval glasses, wire glasses, or semi-rimless glasses are suggested.
- Triangle-shaped faces: Rectangle glasses, browline glasses or cat-eye glasses are suggested.
- Diamond-shaped faces: Browline glasses, cat-eye glasses, round glasses, oval glasses or semi-rimless glasses are recommended.
Most eyeglass frames come in at least several sizes. If you look on the inner side of a frame's arm, you'll see numbers (which are measurements) engraved on it.
When you see three numbers on the eyeglass frame's arm, and they're separated by dashes or spaces, the first number is the lens width, the second is the bridge width and the third is the temple length. If you have existing eyeglass frames that fit well, you can typically use the same measurements for new frames. You can also often take advantage of a company's virtual try-on or home try-on options.
The average person will need a lens width of between 40mm and 60mm, a bridge width between 14mm and 24mm, and a temple length between 120mm and 150mm. Two other measurements you might need to consider include the frame width and lens height. Ultimately, how the frames feel while being worn and how securely fit on your face are the most important considerations.
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.
