Best companies to buy glasses online – Comparison guide 2021
I have been wearing glasses since I was a child. I can’t imagine my life without them, and must have gone through hundreds of pairs till now. While trends come and go, the only thing that has remained constant is my poor eyesight. In the past few years buying glasses online has become so much easier, removing the need to even step out of the house. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can save hundreds of pounds by buying prescription glasses online through the right website.
I have gone through a dozen websites to find new frames. I compared them on the basis of –
- Price
- Variety of designs
- Ease of use
- Complimentary services
After a lot of research, I narrowed the list down to 4 brands. Read till the end to find where I eventually bought my new glasses from!
- Specscart.
The youngest on this list, Specscart was founded in 2017 at the University of Manchester by Sid Sethi. They are well awarded and have a great variety of fashionable pairs. What I like the most about them is their underdog status among these eyewear giants. According to their About Us section, they have a vision to change the way glasses are perceived by people. With trendy choices, low prices and quick turnaround, they want to promote glasses as a fashion accessory, rather than a boring optical tool.
Interesting!
I came across it while looking for next day delivery of glasses; they have a service called Specscart Rocket which dispatches glasses within 24hrs. The best choice when you have broken or lost your existing pair!
Key features –
-
- Glasses starting from £29.99.
- Complimentary services like Free Shipping worldwide, Free Try At Home, Free Protective Coatings (anti-UV, anti-glare, anti-scratch).
- Unique Free Home Trial service – they are the only company I know which provides 4 frames plus 3 types of lenses (Clear, anti-blue light and Light Adaptive) to try at home for 7 days – for free.
- Fastest dispatch in the UK.
- Glasses Direct
Glasses Direct was founded by James Murray-Wells in 2004, as a part of the MyOptique group. In 2016 it was acquired by Essilor, the industry giant in the lenses market. Murray-Wells also stepped down from his role in 2016. In 2018 Essilor merged with Luxocitta, which is similarly an industry giant in eyewear space, owning brands like Ray-Ban, Burberry, Coach, Chanel, Armani Exchange among others. Phew!
They have a wide variety of frames starting at £9. They are also known for their discount offers, like the “2 for 1 from £49” offer.
Key Features –
- Cheap Glasses
- Lots of clearance discounts
- Owned by a giant conglomerate.
- Free Home Trial available
- Ace & Tate
A play on the word “acetate”, Ace & Tate was launched in 2013 by Mark de Lange. It is a Dutch eyewear brand based in Amsterdam. Like Specscart, it is another ‘Direct-To-Customer” brand with no middlemen in between. Its prices are on the higher end, with frames starting from £100.
Key features –
- Also offers contact lenses.
- Limited selection of frames.
- Free Home Trial available
- Specsavers
The most recognised name here, Specsavers was launched in 1984 by Doug and Mary Perkins. It has a wide global presence, with more than 2700 partner stores across the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Apart from frames, it also offers contact lenses and hearing aids.
Key Features –
- Wide variety of brands
- Oldest eyewear company in the UK
- Free Home trial not available
Final Winner
*drumrolls*
As you might have guessed, I decided to buy a pair of new glasses from Specscart. With all the features combined, it was the only brand on the list which offers the best of all worlds. It is a Direct to Consumer label with affordable glasses, unique free home trial, free prescription lenses and free delivery. It’s like an underdog trying to change the industry dominated by giants, while making glasses right here in the UK.
Although it is relatively young, its 5 star reviews on Google and TrustPilot convinced me.
Verdict on glasses
As promised, I received the new frames the very next day after ordering. I decided to go for these classy metal glasses with anti-blue light lenses –
The build quality is great – these titanium glasses are lightweight yet sturdy. I also feel a difference while working on my laptop with lesser eye strain.
