Are Online Shops for Prescription Glasses Worth It?

It goes without saying that one’s eyesight is of the utmost importance to a person’s quality of life. As demand for prescription glasses rises, many companies have begun to sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity. 

Studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that nearly 3.5 million Americans aged 40 years and up are visually impaired in some capacity. The CDC expects this number to double by 2030. In recent years, glasses have become more accessible to the masses in offline and online outlets, leaving room for potential buyers to consider taking their business to the web. Is it worth shopping the Internet for lenses, or should customers stick to the brick-and-mortar stores that they’re used to?

Why Do People Need Prescription Glasses?

Aside from the most common reason, the correction of blurry vision, prescription eyeglasses can aid many other ocular issues. If you’re not sure whether or not you need prescription glasses, consider this brief list of complications that could warrant purchasing some:

- Double vision- primarily caused by conditions such as stress, weak eye muscles, tumors, and even strokes. Prescription glasses can resolve some cases of double vision.

- Eye strain- traditionally occurs from stress and can simply be described as overworking the eyes. Designating prescription glasses for computer usage or reading can help further reduce eye strain.

- Old prescription- wearing a pair of lenses with an outdated prescription can be dangerous, leading to seemingly endless symptoms. These symptoms include dizziness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, double vision, headaches, inability to focus, nausea, and more.

- Refractive errors- a refractive error is an abnormality in the shape of the eye, which could lead to additional eyesight issues down the road.

There are many justifications for seeking and purchasing prescription lenses, but it can be difficult to determine whether or not you legitimately need them. Shopping for new glasses is also awfully tedious, which encourages many lens wearers to pursue online ordering options.

Can Prescription Glasses Be Ordered Online?

Not only can you purchase prescription glasses on the Internet, but the process often extends convenience to customers. Online shops for prescription lenses are much easier to navigate than contemplating in-person purchases.

Understandably, there are a few factors to keep in mind when shopping for your glasses online:

- complicated prescriptions

- longer wait time

- Being unsure of the size

- decreased durability

Despite these risks, online shopping for glasses can still greatly benefit potential customers.

Why Might You Buy Prescription Glasses Online?

Many online stores offer a user-friendly interface and a completely customizable shopping experience. You may be able to select everything from shape, size, and color to brand and material. 

Shopping online for prescription glasses may also be more cost-effective. Many online stores will offer coupons for first-time customers or even free shipping and returns.

Overall, purchasing prescription lenses online is possible and reasonable. Some internet shops offer exclusive styles, frames, and glasses types to their online customer base, motivating you to keep your options open.

Final Observations

With visual impairment rates on a steady increase, eyeglass wearers may want to examine their online options as in-person stores begin to crowd. Although many brands work to produce sustainable and functional prescription glasses that serve as more than style inspiration, the industry equally labors to make that eyewear available on the web. 

Investing in eyewear pays off in many ways. With features such as blue light blockers and economically friendly materials like bamboo or recycled plastic, shopping online for your prescription glasses may be worth your vision and your time.

This post was authored by an external contributor and does not represent the opinions of “Stocktwits” and has not been edited for content.  The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice. “Stocktwits”  does not make any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company.