Eye care providers now provide online shopping options with FSA and HSA accounts that accept prescription eyewear purchases, often creating a seamless buying experience and optimizing vision insurance savings.
Moscot offers an easy 14-day return window (for store credit only) and has a massive selection of premium frames with an FSA-friendly website, providing virtual tool and search features.
Frames
Many online retailers offer a selection of frames and are willing to sell you one even if you have not been fitted by an optician. Whether purchasing through insurance or just looking for backup pairs, this can be an ideal solution; just make sure that you know both your pupillary distance (PD) and style preferences before beginning.
Frames can be costly, but many sites provide discounts and promo codes to keep their prices affordable. There are virtual try-on apps and home try-on kits to help narrow down your options before ordering. Some also provide information about lens height which is not usually included as part of standard sizing information but could be particularly relevant if you have a high nose bridge or other facial features that make wearing glasses challenging.
GlassesUSA offers easy-to-use virtual tools and an excellent search function, along with a vast selection of frames from premium brands to their house line – plus, they’re in-network for most plans while providing links for out-of-network reimbursement on others.
Warby Parker stands out as an independent direct-to-consumer glasses retailer. Their offerings of stylish frames at fair prices compare favorably with larger chains; additionally they have a very helpful home try-on kit and retail locations for additional fitting services if necessary.
Independent retailers such as Moscot and Zenni offer unique selections of frames and can be an excellent place to begin your search if you need something specific. Moscot boasts one of the shortest return policies among online glasses retailers (14 days!) though you only get store credit instead of receiving a full refund.
Alexander Daas is one of several high-end brick-and-mortar opticians that has also ventured into online sales, offering their extensive selection of glasses (their own line as well as luxury fashion and lifestyle brands unavailable locally) online for purchase. Prices begin at about $240 without lenses while premium progressive lenses with blue light coatings may cost as much as $700 for one pair.
Lenses
Lenses are a key part of purchasing prescription glasses online, and it is advisable to visit a website offering an estimate for each pair of frames with and without lenses before beginning shopping.
Some sites allow you to enter information such as your lens prescription and pupillary distance (PD), so they can provide a full price quote. Others even provide virtual try-on features which show what the glasses will look like once delivered.
Most online retailers will verify your prescription during the checkout process, either by allowing you to upload or scan it, or contacting your eye doctor directly for verification. While this can take some time, it’s vital that retailers verify prescriptions so they’re not selling anything that won’t meet your needs.
Shopping glasses online is an ideal solution for anyone who values quality at an economical price. Zenni offers fully featured pair of glasses equipped with high index progressive lenses and multiple coating options for around $300 (even without coupons or discounts!).
Maintain a comprehensive vision care routine to help keep your eyes healthy, such as regularly visiting an optometrist for exams and appropriate nutrition for your eyes. Learn more about eye health and wellness at The Vision Council website.
Employers that offer flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts (FSA/HSAs) are an effective way to leverage tax-deduction investments into eyecare by using FSA/HSA dollars and major credit cards as payments for eyewear purchases. Most online eyeglass retailers accept FSA/HSA funds.
Opticians online offer convenient and safe eyeglass purchases that maximize your pre-tax investment in vision care, unlike physical optical shops which often have limited hours and require appointments to get prescriptions and order glasses. Furthermore, online opticians offer 24-hour services and deliver right to your door!
Try-On
Many online glasses retailers provide virtual try-on features. This tool allows customers to upload an image of themselves, then superimpose that onto different frames to see how they look on their face shape and personality. This virtual tool works best with photographs with clear, well-lit backgrounds; for best results remove any hats, scarves or jewelry before uploading your picture for use with this virtual try-on tool.
Use this tool on any device, including smartphones. It is an efficient way to save time and avoid driving to stores for glasses purchases or having to squeeze an additional task into an already hectic day. Plus, its user-friendly design makes shopping for glasses much simpler!
JINS offers an easy and fun virtual eyeglasses try-on tool that lets you shop a variety of eyewear styles, including sunglasses and prescription glasses. Available on their website and mobile app, this simple yet user-friendly virtual try-on tool makes browsing and shopping for eyewear effortless – whether from the comfort of home or work! Choose from different frame shapes, sizes and colors until you find your ideal match; in addition to high-index, anti-reflective lenses as well as tints and polarized options on offer the site as well.
Once you’ve selected your frames to test out virtually, click the Virtual Try On button on their product page. A prompt will appear asking permission for access to your camera; after accepting, click and rotate frames around your face until they look perfect from every angle before saving a photo or video to your account and sharing with family and friends for opinions.
GlassesUSA is an expansive online retailer offering an expansive selection of frames and styles from familiar brand names as well as house brands like Muse and Ottoto. GlassesUSA features an interactive style quiz to assist shoppers in choosing frames suited for their personal aesthetic and preferences; there is also a virtual try-on tool and indications of pupillary distance ranges appropriate for each frame, although these tools failed us in our search efforts.
Purchase
Once you find a pair of glasses you like, purchase them! Depending on your insurance plan and online retailer, the costs of frames may be reimbursed (at least partially). Some retailers even provide trial pairs so that you can see how the glasses look while being worn; make sure you familiarise yourself with their return policies in case any problems arise with what arrives.
All of the major online eyeglass retailers that we researched provided excellent selection, pricing and frame selection options; but Zenni stood out as our preferred shopping tool with its flexible prescription entry tool allowing us to manage orders for multiple family members at once. If you want great glasses at competitive pricing then Zenni should definitely be on your radar screen!
Apply a discount code at checkout to save on frames – many online glasses sites provide this option – to reduce their cost and often tie their codes to specific holidays; such as LensCrafters offering coupons for trendy frames like aviators sunglasses at great discounts or GlassesUSA offering deals on classic styles like these aviators ones at reduced costs.
Most online glasses retailers will accept your FSA or HSA funds when buying eyewear and contact lenses, making these accounts the ideal way to reduce overall costs associated with your new glasses purchase. Make the most of any remaining balances you may have by using them to purchase another pair; you might be amazed how affordable new eyeglasses can be!
