Eyeglasses can be expensive. The government has implemented various reforms to reduce the costs for users, but the costs remain high. In this sense, the appearance of online opticians is a breath of fresh air as they offer 50% cheaper deals for each pair. The only hitch is that the measurements are not always taken by the seller himself. Don't worry, our guide to the best online eyewear sites should help you make the right choice.
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Our selection
"Easy-verres is a very reputable site in the UK. It inspires confidence thanks to its operating system. This online eyewear seller is in partnership with…"
"With its measurement kit, the site takes care of the most complex disorders that require great precision. Experoptic is the most reliable for progressive lenses…"
"Lunigal has physical stores in addition to its website. It gets closer to its customers by all means. In addition, this optician seduces its customers…"
"Choosing eyeglasses is not done lightly at KLS. The measurements are correct and the customer does not risk to make a mistake thanks to the…"
Easy-verres is a very reputable site in the UK. It inspires confidence thanks to its operating system. This online eyewear seller is in partnership with reliable players (opticians, brands, suppliers).
See the offerEasy-verres works with more than 800 opticians in the UK to provide accurate and precise measurements. Customers order frames and lenses online. They then make an appointment with one of the site's partner opticians. The optician will make the necessary adjustments, taking into consideration the pupil distance and correction values. Consumers can purchase their lenses separately. Easy-verres will order lenses from subsidiaries of major companies such as Essilor, Kodak and Signet Armorlite.
With its measurement kit, the site takes care of the most complex disorders that require great precision. Experoptic is the most reliable for progressive lenses and strong corrections.
See the offerBuying glasses at Experoptic starts with the choice of equipment, i.e. lenses and frames. You can ask for a free estimate, which is delivered to you with a measurement kit to obtain precise adjustments. This online glasses website is approved by the mutual insurance companies. The estimate may be useful to validate a refund. To confirm the order, the site needs your photos wearing the accessories of the kit. These front and profile photos guarantee perfect glasses. The size of the frame, the measurements of the glasses, the tightening, the offset at the level of the ears and the pupillary height result from it. This kit replaces the home fitting.
Lunigal has physical stores in addition to its website. It gets closer to its customers by all means. In addition, this optician seduces its customers with its affordable luxury glasses.
See the offerThe quality of the frames sold online by Lunigal is impeccable. The site also sells glasses made by the best brands. You can get glasses without frames or frames without glasses to play on the quality/price ratio. Unlike its competitors, Lunigal does not charge for after-sales service. The same goes for delivery. Moreover, there is no minimum purchase to respect to take advantage of these benefits. However, the possibility of return in case of dissatisfaction is only 10 days. For the measurements, Lunigal uses a machine with 3D technology to have the most realistic reproduction of the anatomy of the face of the customers.
Choosing eyeglasses is not done lightly at KLS. The measurements are correct and the customer does not risk to make a mistake thanks to the help of the experts in visagism and colorimetry of the sign.
See the offerAny specific needs?
The best online eyewear site in 2021
The best entry-level online eyewear site
The best high-end online eyewear site
The online eyewear site with lots of innovation
Your guide :
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| TOP OF THE TOP | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
8/10 |
9/10 |
7/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Easy-Glasses
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Experoptic
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Lunigal
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KLS
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Easy-verres is a very reputable site in the UK. It inspires confidence thanks to its operating system. This online eyewear seller is in partnership with reliable players (opticians, brands, suppliers).
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With its measurement kit, the site takes care of the most complex disorders that require great precision. Experoptic is the most reliable for progressive lenses and strong corrections.
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Lunigal has physical stores in addition to its website. It gets closer to its customers by all means. In addition, this optician seduces its customers with its affordable luxury glasses.
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Choosing eyeglasses is not done lightly at KLS. The measurements are correct and the customer does not risk to make a mistake thanks to the help of the experts in visagism and colorimetry of the sign.
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Measuring system
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Minimum price
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28.91 euros
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39 euros
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99 euros
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129 euros
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Maximum price
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268.11 euros
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215 euros
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789 euros
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399 euros
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Brands
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9
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9
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+100
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Special benefits
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Tiers payant and reimbursement by the mutual insurance company
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Free measurement kit
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Free delivery. A multitude of frame choices
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French glasses for the whole family. Advantageous guarantee clauses
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To choose the lenses, you need to know the correction values for your case. They are different for the left and the right eye. Normally, they are provided by your ophthalmologist and should be written on the prescription that is given to the e-optician. The pupillary distance often accompanies the correction values, but it is mainly useful for measuring the frame.
This information is requested once you log in to the merchant's site, and the type of lenses you need is added to it. Trimmed, coated or adjusted lenses, it's up to you depending on your needs and the aesthetic look you expect.
Choosing the color is definitely the easiest step. The choices are clearly displayed on the site. You don't have to put on glasses with a neutral color for fear of having an effect that clashes with your skin tone. The best online eyewear sites take the trouble to study a whole range of colors that is likely to match the eye and skin color of consumers. Find glasses that will brighten your complexion and hide small wrinkles and dark circles.
The choice of frame is quite tricky. Several parameters come into play. First, the frame must be comfortable. For this, the pupillary distance must be taken into consideration. But apart from that, the size and weight of the frame matter. There is no better way to evaluate this comfort than to try it on. That's why sites that offer an at-home fitting are more interesting. Beware, you may be wearing glasses with more or less pressure and this is really far from pleasant.
Then comes the question about the style and the shape. They must marry the morphology of your face so that you want to wear your glasses as it should be.
Your optical disorders influence the choice of the frame and the lenses. People with a strong correction are not adapted to a frame that is too big. In this case, you should choose a thin frame, preferably made of plastic. You should know that progressive lenses are the most delicate. They require a great deal of precision in order not to disturb your vision. Generally, they require a high frame, but not too high either, which aligns correctly with all areas of vision without giving a magnifying effect.
Some corrections do not require as much. This is the case with small myopia, which is suitable for all frames. People with presbyopia need a wide frame and aspheric lenses.
The quality of your glasses matters to enjoy them as long as possible. It depends on its origin. In other words, you can rely on the brand. Nevertheless, note that not all materials from China are reliable. In general, it is the frames that suffer. The lenses available on the sites are often reliable, in terms of quality, because they work with quality brands and suppliers. But this is not necessarily the case for their size.
For your information, the most common lenses available today are made of synthetic materials. They are very resistant to shocks, but a little less resistant to scratches. Organic lenses are therefore unbreakable, but not more so than their polycarbonate counterparts. Manufacturers use them for sports glasses.
On eyewear websites, the fitting is a problematic subject. Unless your online optician gives you the opportunity to try on a few pairs at home, it is not always easy to be totally sure of your choice. But since this market is flourishing in spite of this, it is obvious that the solution offered by its players still works.
It seduces consumers by the privilege of not moving from their home. Besides, this is the great advantage of the web, and this field is no exception to the rule. Everything happens quickly and quietly from home. If the customer is hesitant, he can always ask for the opinion of his relatives, because the sites present a realistic image for each test. In any case, nothing beats a visit to the store before or after the online fitting, in order to confirm your choice. However, this is only possible when the seller has a physical location in parallel.
In any case, the software used is compatible with almost all browsers. There are no limits in this respect. You need a photo that shows your face with a clear front view. It will be coupled with the virtual mirror thanks to the tool used by the optician. The frames you are interested in are shown one by one after you have filled in all the technical information. At the moment of the fitting, the frame can be adjusted through a few keys. Take advantage of this to get the right size.
Single vision lenses are the most commonly used. There are 2 types: aspheric lenses and spherical lenses. They correct all disorders ranging from myopia to hyperopia. On the other hand, only one correction zone operates to act on one problem at a time. The shape of the lens is not the same depending on the person's problems.
In any case, these lenses go with all frames.
With these lenses, it is the near and medium distance vision that are improved, and this in a simultaneous time. They are particularly comfortable and offer a wide and clear field of vision. This type of lens is particularly beneficial for people who need better near vision for certain activities, but also for hypermetropes. They are a good substitute for corrective lenses that only treat near vision without affecting a person's view of their surroundings.
Progressive lenses work in the opposite way to single vision lenses. While the latter treat one disorder at a time, this improved and more aesthetic version of bifocal lenses corrects several. The characteristics here depend on the degree of correction of each eye, but they are generally used to refine the vision of presbyopes. Thus, the effect of the lenses can be more or less powerful on near or distance vision. The three correction zones correspond to one vision each. The highest is for long-distance vision, the middle one focuses on mid-distance vision and the lowest is for near vision.
In most cases, it is always the lower part that is less powerful. However, a person wearing these lenses takes longer to adapt to the corrections made. Moreover, they are subject to extreme precision in their design.
It goes without saying that this type of glasses is used especially for reading and working whether on paper or digital media. They are normally recommended at the onset of presbyopia. Reading glasses are worn more by adults, as the visual problem they treat most often appears with age. In some cases, they allow to do without progressive lenses which are more expensive and more difficult to access. However, this is only valid on the advice of your ophthalmologist. All the more so as the lenses can be of poor quality without a good adviser. And this is not without consequences on the vision. The person who wears them can have nausea or headaches.
It is quite difficult to find a good pair of glasses on the internet. The reason is that the most important step in the process can be omitted or not done properly on some sites. It is the measurement of the glasses. Nevertheless, there are efficient systems adopted by the best e-opticians. They use very realistic software to give their customers glasses with the right frame and lenses.
A traditional optician offers more guarantees as to the suitability of the glasses to the needs and health condition of the consumer. Not only does he rely on the prescription of a specialist, but he is also an expert himself. Of course, this expertise comes at a price. After all, you will better assess the comfort level and quality of glasses at a traditional optician.
Buying on the internet makes sense if you want to replace your pair after a theft or a breakage. It's easier to proceed in this case, because you already have all the measurements. On these sites, the prices are relatively cheaper and it is worth it in some situations. On the other hand, the traditional optician is preferable if you are concerned with a strong correction that requires strictly accurate measurements.
For cheaper glasses
The sites are exempt from various taxes, which explains their significantly cheaper prices compared to opticians who have physical stores. Their offers start at a little over 50 euros for classic glasses. Progressive lenses are more expensive as is also the case with regular opticians. This does not prevent consumers from making big savings on the sites, up to 50%.
A quick purchase
Like any purchase on the Internet, online glasses are accessible to all. The delivery and the order are faster. As soon as the information on your optical health is available, it is as if you already had your equipment.
Various choices
Whether it is for the frame or for the lenses, these sites offer unlimited choices to meet all needs. Each existing disorder is taken into account. The quality of service is irreproachable with e-opticians ranked as market leaders.
Buy lenses with or without frames
Of course, the sites available on the web do not offer the same services, as some only offer lenses. However, you can still find a wide range of glasses with lenses and frames on the Internet. You just have to go to the right sites.
Purchase regulated by law
The activities of online opticians are governed by the Consumer Affairs Act of March 17, 2014. They are in the obligation to respect certain rules to ensure the safety of consumers, among others the collaboration with a qualified optician.
The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).
However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.
We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.
Try on your pair in store
There are two possible cases: either you deal with an optician who has a website and a store, or you look for your model at a physical optician of your choice before looking for its reference on the web. In either case, you will be sure to have the right pair of glasses at the right price. It will be in accordance with your criteria.
Check the reimbursement system applied by the site
Make sure that the site respects the criteria of reimbursement of the Sécu and that it is subject to the systems of assumption of responsibility of your mutual health insurance. If this is not the case, buying on the Internet will not be any more advantageous than the proposals of traditional opticians.
Look at the terms of guarantees
The sales conditions of online eyewear sites are a criterion for choice in their own right. They concern guarantees, delivery and return conditions. They must be practical to facilitate returns in case of problems. Moreover, you should know that this process is complicated if the e-optician is not in the UK.
Learn to measure pupil distances
Although ophthalmologists are now obliged to mention the measurements on the prescription, some cases lead consumers to buy glasses without this document. It is important to know how to measure the pupillary distance yourself, especially if it is your first glasses.
Your old glasses are a reference for choosing the size
If you need to replace your glasses, it is easier to take the measurements. You can refer to those of your current pair knowing that the most important values are the width of the lenses, the width of the bridge and the height of the lenses.
The best online eyewear site depends on your needs and budget. Read our buying guide for the best products out there.
Of course they do. They determine how easy the return process is if the glasses don't match your order or if there's a breakage during delivery. Is there a return shipping fee? Do they provide a replacement if needed? Try to answer all these kinds of questions beforehand.
It's best to have the opinion of professionals. They will be able to guide you in your choice especially on technical points such as types of lenses, pupil distance and other essential adjustments. There are sites that propose you to get in touch with their specialist optician by email or by phone.
There are two possibilities: you ask for a refund or another replacement pair. It all depends on the sales policy of the site. It is necessary to inquire beforehand to see if the conditions applied suit you. But in the face of stiff competition on the web, some sellers make sure to offer attractive services such as a fitting period of one to three months for example.
It depends on the situation. If it's an emergency replacement, then yes, the online optician can provide a pair of glasses without necessarily asking for a prescription. But since 2016, this document has a longer validity period so that the measurements on it are taken into account when purchasing optical equipment.
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