Buying glasses online can be quite scary, especially if it’s your first time trying them. Of course, there are a lot of things that you should be keeping in mind while finding your perfect pair of glasses online, but it’s really not as scary as you might imagine. The most important thing really, is to know exactly what you want and to spend a lot of time finding exactly that. Here is a beginner’s guide to buying glasses online, including all of the dos and don’ts and everything you should be keeping in mind.
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Do #1: Find the Retailer That’s Right for You
Some of the benefits of buying glasses online include larger online catalogs, more affordable prices, and getting your glasses faster. Of course, this doesn’t apply to all online glasses retailers, so it’s important that you find a trustworthy one that includes all of these benefits. Make sure to check how long it takes for them to make the glasses and ship them. Some online glasses retailers do take the standard 2-3 weeks, but some can ship you your glasses as soon as the next day! You can get fast glasses online at Overnight Glasses. Besides that, check their return policy and whether or not they take the glasses back for repairs.
Don’t #1: Don’t Shy Away From Contacting Your Retailer
You may have a lot of questions that aren’t answered anywhere on your online glasses retailer’s site. If you do have unanswered questions, the best thing to do would be to contact your retailer. Some people make the huge mistake of shying away from contacting them, and end up having a lot of problems when their glasses arrive. To avoid these problems, contact your retailer asking every question you have, so you know whether or not this is the retailer for you.
Do #2: Get Your Prescription Updated
If you haven’t been to your optometrist for over a year, you should definitely visit them before ordering your new pair of glasses. There is a good chance that your prescription has changed during that time. Even if it hasn’t changed, it’s always a good idea to visit your optometrist frequently, because besides giving you your new prescription, your optometrist always checks your eyes for any diseases. It’s always better to find out sooner rather than later if you have any diseases, and start treating them early on. This gives you a much lower chance of vision loss. Your optometrist will also help you decide the coating and treatments for your lenses that would be best for your eyes.
Don’t #2: Don’t Get a New Pair of Glasses With Your Old Prescription
It’s not a good idea to reuse your old prescription. Even if you don’t have any noticeable changes in your vision, your prescription might have changed even slightly and can change even more and quicker, if you don’t get a pair of glasses with the right prescription. You’ll be paying a good amount for a new pair of glasses that won’t even be able to serve you for longer than a few months.
Do #3: Spend a Lot of Time Looking Through the Catalogs
Choosing a frame is probably the hardest part of ordering glasses online. With so many options to choose from, it can be very difficult to choose just one. You should spend a good amount of time looking through all of the catalogs and all of the options available. You should be considering what looks good with your face shape, your style, your wardrobe, your color scheme, etc. Choosing the perfect frame is a long process and you definitely shouldn’t rush it.
Don’t #3: Don’t Buy the First Frame You Like
You might want to save time, and just buy the first frame you like. This really isn’t a good idea. With so many options to choose from, you should be taking your time to look through each and every one of them, so you can really find your perfect pair. This is something that shouldn’t be rushed, considering it’s a huge commitment (you’ll be wearing these glasses for at least the next two years) and you’re going to be spending a lot of money on them.
Do #4: Choose the Lenses, Coatings, and Treatments Right for Your Eyes
The two usual options for lenses are polycarbonate and 1.67 high-index lenses. 1.67 High-index lenses are more expensive but are usually recommended for people with higher prescriptions. If you have a higher prescription, it would be a good idea to spend the extra money. Besides choosing the right lenses, you have to choose the right coatings and treatments for your lenses.
The standard options include blue light, UV protectant, anti-glare, anti-fatigue, and light responsive. The best thing to do would be to talk to your optometrist to see which coatings and treatments would be right for your eyes. There you have it! These were all the do’s and don’ts for buying glasses online. After following these tips, you’ll be a pro!
