Smarter: Should You Buy Glasses Online?

By Pang-Chieh Ho
Senior Home & Appliances Writer

November 2, 2022

It’s often cheaper to buy prescription glasses online, but does that mean you should? This week I’m looking into the things to be aware of before you do so. Also in this issue: How to deal with hair loss, and what happened when we raced Uber against Waymo.

THE BIG STORY
'A Sight for Sore Eyes’

Have you ever bought your prescription glasses online? Thirty-nine percent of the participants in our Instagram poll said yes. I’ve never bought glasses from an online retailer, but I’ve always been curious about whether it’s a risky move.

Well, so is it?
If your prescription is not very strong or you’re looking for a cheap pair of single-vision reading glasses, then shopping online can be a viable option, says David N. Ciccone, OD, president of the New York State Optometric Association and a partner at Weiss, Savedoff & Ciccone, an optometric practice in Syracuse, N.Y.

But if that’s not the case, then it’s probably safer to visit a traditional eyeglasses retailer or an ophthalmologist or optometrist. For instance, if you’re a first-time progressive lens wearer, it might be better to visit a local store to receive proper measurements as well as instructions on lens usage, says Rose Mandel, OD, an optometrist at the NYU Langone Eye Center.

In general, measurements that are crucial in making sure your glasses are a good fit include pupillary distance (PD), the horizontal distance between the center of your pupils, and optical center (OC) height, the vertical distance between your pupil’s center and the bottom of the lenses. Both help ensure that the center of your lenses align with your pupils so that you have the best clarity of vision, David says.

Another thing to consider before buying glasses online is the physical fit of the frames. If they’re too tight or too loose, the frames could be uncomfortable or have a hard time staying on your face. If you need to adjust the glasses you bought online, you could visit a walk-in retailer or local optometrist, though they might charge you for the service.

But regardless of whether you buy your glasses online or in person, the most important thing is that your prescription should be no more than a year old and from a comprehensive eye examination, David says.

If I’m buying glasses online, what things should I be extra careful about?
It might seem obvious, but make sure you enter the prescription accurately when ordering. Prescriptions often come in positive or negative numbers that indicate farsightedness and nearsightedness, respectively. One of the most common mistakes people make is that they might forget or put down the plus or minus signs incorrectly when they’re inputting their prescription online. Doing so can change the overall prescription strength and make the glasses unusable for the wearer, says Sean Pate, brand marketing and communications officer for the online glass retailer Zenni Optical.

Another mistake people often make is ordering the wrong type of lenses, for example, by ordering bifocals when they really want progressives, which seamlessly transition from the near- and far-distance part of the lens.

Always make sure you have an accurate measurement of your PD. In certain states, it’s mandatory for eye doctors to give you your PD when you receive your prescription. But if you can’t obtain yours, many online stores have tools to help you measure the distance on your own.

And finally, you should look at the retailer’s return and warranty policy and find out if it will remake your lenses if there’s a problem.

Bonus link: Here are the best and worst eyeglass stores, according to CR’s 2020 survey. (Available for CR members.)

THE GOOD STUFF

We raced an Uber against Waymo’s driverless taxi in Chandler, Ariz. See which won.

The Uber took 10 minutes to travel 6.46 miles and cost $10.99, says CR auto engineer Alex Knizek. The Waymo, by comparison, cost $13.05 and took 15 minutes to drive 6.14 miles.

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READER'S FEEDBACK

Previously, when I offered tips on how to speed up your Chrome browser if it’s been slowing down, a reader mentioned that Chrome is known for tracking users’ activity.

Here’s what our experts said. It’s true that Chrome is notorious for grabbing users’ data for advertising, says Amira Dhalla, CR’s director of security and privacy programs and partnerships. If you want a browser that has features that protect your privacy and digital security better, consider using Firefox and Brave.

However, if you prefer to use Chrome, you can use extensions such as Privacy Badger, which blocks trackers from following you around the web, and uBlock Origin, which blocks ads, says Yael Grauer, program manager of CR’s Security Planner, a guide that offers personalized recommendations on how to stay safer online.

You can also adjust your privacy and security settings. Here’s how to change them to limit the personal data Google collects.

HERE'S OUR VERDICT

As the holiday shopping season approaches, it’s good to keep in mind the five things our shopping expert would never do.

QUICK FACTS

Today I learned that air conditioning is key if you want to defog your car windows fast.

"Foresight is 20/20."

Pang-Chieh Ho

Pang-Chieh Ho is a senior content creator at Consumer Reports who writes about the intersections of home products and health. She has been working in the media industry for almost 10 years. Books are her first love, but movies come a close second. You can send tips to her at [email protected].