Where is the Best Place to Find Contact Lenses Today? If you wear contacts, you know that keeping up with your contact lenses can be its own full-time job. Whether you get disposables or the more costly long-term options, you'll need to replace your contacts pretty regularly (especially if you're someone who has a frequently-changing prescription). So, if you're considering buying your contact lenses online, you're not alone. It's one of the easiest ways to buy or reorder your eyewear. But finding the right contact lens store to trust with your eyesight? That can be harder.
Best Option
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Contact Lens King is the budget-friendly option for buying contacts, offering brand-name lenses at some of the lowest prices around. The contact lens store website is a bit outdated and doesn't support insurance directly, but you still get access to over 200 lens options and a simple return policy for unopened boxes. With excellent customer feedback and consistent positive reviews, Contact Lens King is our top pick for anyone who wants to save money on contacts without relying on insurance.
Great
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Glasses USA is a standout one-stop shop for all things eyewear, offering contacts, glasses, and sunglasses with a smooth and reliable shopping experience. It offers a competitive range of contact lens products and brands, and the free shipping and 60-day return policy make the overall costs quite reasonable. With a 4.4-star average from over 100,000 Trustpilot reviews, Glasses USA earns a near-perfect rating in our review as one of the best all-in-one contact lens stores you can find.
Great
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LensDirect is a budget-friendly contact lens store that has been around since 1992 and is a smart pick for shoppers who want low prices and a price match guarantee. With benefits like free shipping and discounts for subscribers, it stands out from the pack. While insurance is not accepted, the 90-day return policy and high customer ratings on Trustpilot help LensDirect earn a strong score in our review.
Very Good
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Eyeconic is a top choice for anyone with vision insurance, offering a smooth shopping experience and access to over 100 contact lens options. Prices are on the higher end at this contact lens store, but the site helps you save by suggesting lower-cost alternatives and applying insurance benefits automatically at checkout. With free 30-day returns, responsive customer support, and strong reviews for ease of use, Eyeconic earns a recommended rating in our review.
Average
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ContactsDirect offers a wide range of popular contact lens brands at solid prices. The site is easy to navigate in theory, but some glitches during checkout and repeated popups can make the process more frustrating at this contact lens store. On the upside, insurance is easy to use and the generous 6-month return policy adds peace of mind, giving ContactsDirect a decent spot in our rankings.
Fair
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Designer Optics is a contact lens store that also sells glasses and sunglasses, offering a smaller but easy-to-browse inventory. Prices are a bit lower than average here. However, with a less impressive return policy, Designer Optics falls behind the pack a bit. While the prices are fair, the lack of built-in insurance support and mostly negative customer reviews for this retailer may have you opting to buy your contacts elsewhere.
Subpar
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Discount Contacts offers a simple shopping experience and competitive prices, but it doesn't make up for its less-than-stellar feedback. While the return policy at this contact lens store is solid, recent customer complaints about long wait times and poor service have lowered Discount Contacts' rating in our review. It may be safer to check out one of our higher-rated contact lens stores instead.
Subpar
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LensCrafters is a convenient option if you want to order contacts online or schedule an eye exam. It offers a decent number of contacts in its inventory, but its price is more costly than competitors. While shipping is free and insurance coverage is strong, poor in-store experiences at this contact lens store and a concerning "F" rating from the BBB drop LensCrafters' overall score in our review.
Weak
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1 800 Contacts makes it easy to shop for contacts online, with the option to apply your vision insurance right at checkout. The store even lets you exchange unopened contacts or return them if your prescription changes. However, growing complaints about poor product quality and frustrating customer service at this contact lens store make it less appealing than it used to be, which brings 1 800 Contacts' rating down in our review.
Poor
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For Eyes offers a convenient way to shop for contacts, glasses, and sunglasses all in one place. Prices are higher than average at full cost, but regular promos can help bring the total down, and shipping is free. While insurance is well-supported at this contact lens store, the "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau and almost no feedback about contact lens orders make For Eyes a less reliable choice, earning it one of our lowest ratings.
Continued from above...
If you wear contacts, you know that keeping up with your contact lenses can be its own full-time job. Whether you get disposables or the more costly long-term options, you'll need to replace your contacts pretty regularly (especially if you're someone who has a frequently-changing prescription). So, if you're considering buying your contact lenses online, you're not alone. It's one of the easiest ways to buy or reorder your eyewear. But finding the right contact lens store to trust with your eyesight? That can be harder.
Before we get into finding the right fit, let's look at the benefits: shopping at an online contact lens store for contacts gives you access to better prices, a wider selection, and the freedom to order from anywhere. You won't have to feel tied to buying your lenses right after your eye exam (because ouch). Instead, you can take the time to think over what you need and take your prescription to the site with the best prices or best fit for your eye shape. The same lenses your eye doctor offers can often be found online at a fraction of the price. Recent research shows that many online contact lens stores take insurance too, which can keep costs down.
Online contact lens stores also tend to offer a much broader selection than local shops. You can find lenses for nearly every prescription and lifestyle. Whether you need extended-wear lenses for astigmatism or just a convenient daily disposable option, chances are you'll find it online. Plus, if you're someone who loves costumes or cosplay (guilty as charged), buying your contacts online is a must. You won't find the colorful selections for prescription cosplay contact lenses at your local optometrist.
Finally, the best contact lens stores will help you keep on top of your prescription. Reordering is simple, and some sites send automatic reminders, while others offer subscription services that ship new lenses on your schedule. That means no more running out or pushing your lenses a few days too far. It's one of the easiest ways to stick to good eye care habits without a lot of stress.
If you're not sure where to take your eyewear needs, don't worry about it. We've done the research to put together a helpful list of factors that can get you started. If you're not sure how to choose, consider the following as you browse the contact lens stores out there:
To help you find the best eyewear for your prescription, Top Consumer Reviews has rated and reviewed the best online contact lens stores available today. This way you can find the perfect fit, stop worrying about how you look with your glasses on in photos, and enjoy that picture-perfect vision you deserve!
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The Latest Trends in Contact Lenses
Contact lenses have come a long way since the earliest blown-glass creations in the late 1880's. It was not until the 1950's that lenses were crafted that could be worn all day. Even so, lenses were fragile and expensive, and contact lens insurance was common.
The cornea in the eye does not contain blood vessels, so oxygen must be directly absorbed by the cornea from the air. In the late 1970's, doctors developed rigid gas permeable lenses that allow oxygen to pass through the lens material. Also in the 1970's, chemists developed contact lenses made from soft, flexible material, and these have become the most popular types.
Current contact lens research is involved in finding ways to increase oxygen transference to the cornea. Scientists are also working on ways to include antimicrobial ingredients in the lenses themselves. This helps with the identification and prevention of conditions resulting from contamination by foreign organisms and reduces bacterial infection.
Contact lenses must be periodically cleaned, then rinsed and disinfected before reuse. Lenses must also be stored in a liquid solution when not being used, for example overnight. In the past, each of these functions was performed by a separate formulation. More recently, multipurpose cleaning solutions have been developed that perform all these functions. There are even devices that clean and disinfect lenses using ultrasonic, ultraviolet, or vibration. The latest multipurpose solutions are effective against bacterial and fungal growth, and include ingredients to increase surface moisture and provide greater comfort to lens wearers.
Other areas of patient compliance also present a challenge. For example, if lenses designed for daily wear are worn overnight, there is an increased risk of corneal infection. The use of daily disposable lenses helps reduce contamination by inadequate cleaning or improper storage. A lens case lined with silver has been developed to help eliminate germs that might come in contact with the lens case.
Perhaps the most radical and exciting development in contact lenses is the work being done to create "bionic lenses". Still in the testing stage, these lenses include electronic circuits and infrared lights incorporated into the lens material itself to create a virtual display similar to a heads-up display in modern aircraft. Scientists are experimenting with using radio signals to power the lenses instead of conventional power sources, like batteries. With a built-in antenna, these lenses could communicate with a personal computer or other electronic device and be used for playing video games, education, training, or perhaps to provide warnings to people who are hearing-impaired.
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