Whether you’ve been wearing glasses for as long as you can remember, or you’ve just started, finding frames at your local optometrists office is always a gamble as far as style goes, and they’re almost always overpriced (minus a select few places).
But nowadays, with the luxury of having the internet at our fingertips, we also have the ability to browse, what seems to be, an endless list of reasonably priced and fashion-forward eyeglasses.
Here are the top five places to buy affordable glasses online:
Clearly
Instagram/@clearlyca
Clearly isn’t only known for their trendy and affordable frames and lenses —they also advocate for people in other parts of the world who may not have access to glasses. So, you can shop all your favourite, economically-friendly looks, whilst knowing that with every pair purchased, the company is donating a pair to someone in need. With prices as low as $29, and a countless list of designer brands to choose from, such as Derek Cardigan, Joseph Marc, Love, and Michelle Lane, you can have a fresh new set of spectacles, or sunglasses, delivered to your front door, and the priceless feeling of knowing you contributed to a noble cause.
EyeBuyDirect
Instagram/@eyebuydirect
EyeBuyDirect’s easy-to-use website and first-purchase incentives are enough to make you want to buy a pair of glasses, even if your vision is 20/20. Their entire selection is designed and manufactured in-house, so there is no middle-man. Your order will come straight from the factory to your front door. Like Clearly, you can rest easy knowing that with every purchase, you get to donate a pair to a country of your choice. You can narrow down your search by gender, shape, size, colour, material, and rim, to figure out exactly which ones will compliment your eyes and your face. With styles as low as $9, and a site that allows you to carefully choose your prescription and PD effortlessly, you really can’t go wrong.
Zenni
Instagram/@zennioptical
The Zenni motto is that they believe eyeglasses should be affordable enough for everybody. They truly live up to that belief, with prices starting at $6.95 for single vision prescription glasses, in any colour, shape, or size you’d like. If you’re not sure what type of frame would be best suited for you, you can always take their Face Shape Quiz to find out. All designs are manufactured in-house, and delivered straight to your door.
iLook Glasses
Flickr/barnimages.com
iLook Glasses is a Canadian company that prides itself on exceptional customer service. They offer stylish and affordable eyewear, starting at $39. But that’s not even the best part — the best part is their return policy. If you aren’t pleased with your new set of glasses, for any reason, you have 365 days to return them!
SmartBuyGlasses
Instagram/@smartbuyglasses
Another reliable Canadian company, SmartBuyGlasses is a trendy, online eyewear company that provides a highly interactive, modern, and personalized approach to choosing the right glasses for you. Whether you’re looking for a more popular brand of frames such as Kate Spade or Michael Kors, or you’re looking for something more niche and inexpensive, such as Polaroid, Clear Readers, or a SmartBuy in-house design, they’ve got you covered. With over 100 brand options, prices starting at $22.95, and a virtual try-on feature, you are sure to find the perfect prescription glasses, or sunglasses for you, that can be delivered right to your home.
Featured Image: Instagram/@siu_the_oracle
Buying sunglasses and glasses online has been something many Canadians are becoming more comfortable with. While five years ago many of us may have shied away from taking the plunge and buying glasses online, technology and great company’s have made the process easier and worry free.
One of our go-to places to buy sunglasses online is SmartBuyGlasses who are coincidentally celebrating 10 years in the business, supplying sunglasses and eyeglasses to the masses at affordable prices.
Originally launched in Australia, SmartBuyGlasses went on to set up a logistics centre in Hong Kong and partnered with Unite for Sight, a non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Additionally, SmartBuyGlasses incorporates the buy one, give one model. If you buy a pair of glasses they will give a pair to someone in need. At this point, it’s our opinion that SmartBuyGlasses developed the trifecta for making a successful online brand. They launched a robust and helpful e-commerce website, they secured themselves as a logistical powerhouse and partnered with charitable companies looking to change the world.
The later additions of great content and a Virtual Try-On feature, SmartBuyGlasses turned themselves into a small s-commerce player in Australia into a global powerhouse providing stylish glasses, in a fun online environment at great prices.
We don’t like to give kudos to any website or product that we haven’t tried, so lucky for us we did and we were very pleased with the selection, service, and price.
When you visit the website you’ll notice that SmartBuyGlasses offers a wide selection of your favourite designer glasses at really affordable prices.
So here’s what you really want to know:
Selection
The selection of products was very robust. The easy to navigate SmartBuyGlasses.ca website houses every brand you could ever want. Ray Ban, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Balmain, Burberry, Fendi, Kate Spade, Porsche Design, Persol and so many more. While we couldn’t’ find the newest of the new, SmartBuyGlasses did have a great selection of current models.
Additionally, SmartBuyGlasses houses a collection of their own brands of sunglasses. The in-house collection stands out with a couple of key brands. LMNT glasses are modern interpretations of the most coveted styles of glasses and look to cater to the fashion-focused. Our favourite house brand would have to be Oh My Woodness! which crafts glasses out of wood. Not only are these glasses uber stylish, every item purchased from the Oh My Woodness! Collection will help plant life-saving trees in Haiti, Madagascar or Nepal! The program helps rejuvenate areas. Trees give life, they’re essential for not only animals but also for millions of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Every item purchased from the Oh My Woodness! Collection will help plant life-saving trees in Haiti, Madagascar or Nepal! Trees give life. They’re essential for not only animals, but also for millions of the world’s most vulnerable people…
The prices are good. Not only is most of the inventory already 10% -30% off, SmartBuyGlasses offers a Best Price Guarantee on many of their models. That means that if you find a lower price, SmartBuyGlasses will match it.
Ordering Process
The ordering process was pretty simple. If you’ve ever ordered something online before you will be able to navigate the website. Additionally helping to make your decision process easier, here is a Virtual Try on tool that allows you to see the glasses on your face before you make a purchase and there is a section to easily input your glasses prescription information.
Delivery Process
From order to door the process took about two weeks. The products arrived in a nice clean white box and game with everything you could want with your glasses. Branded case, cleaning tools and carrying case.
If you are looking for a pair of sunglasses or eyeglasses, SmartBuyGlasses is a great option. They have all the designer brands, the website is easy to use and best of all for StyleDemocracy readers, the price is good!