Browse, try on, and shop online
The disrupters in this industry now allow you to browse, try on, and shop online an enormous variety of frames and lenses from the comfort of your own home. Rather than making the drive down to your local eyewear retailer, you can simply peruse the web for a new pair of specs that match your prescription and style. If Warby Parker doesn’t have what you’re looking for, Jins, a popular Japanese brand valued at over $1.7 billion, is another great option. Searching for the perfect blue-light filtering specs?
Felix Gray and Blokz can help protect your eyes from digital strain. For the younger members of the family who are perhaps in need of something more fun and durable, D2C startups such as Pair Eyewear and Fitz Frames specialize in making custom eyewear for kids.
Enjoying the convenience of online shopping, but not sure which shape or color suits you best? Before making a decision, Warby Parker’s “Home Try On” program will send to your doorstep five pairs of frames of your choice to try on free of charge. You’ll, of course, have to return the ones you don’t like via mail. This was the first of its kind, which really blew the e-commerce door wide open for Warby. Other companies, such as Zenni Optical, allow you to virtually ‘try on’ any of their frames using webcams and imaging software before adding them to your cart. Either way, you’ll never have to leave the house.
Cutting out the middleman
In addition, D2C startups offer eyewear and contacts at a significantly more attractive price than Luxottica brands (i.e., Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, LensCrafters) and Acuvue and Alcon. Luxottica Group was acquired by Essilor for $24 billion in 2017 and is by far the world’s largest eyewear retailer. As such, they’ve been able to control industry pricing and demand hundreds of dollars for a single pair of glasses, prescription and non-prescription alike. I don’t wear contacts, but my understanding is that a month’s worth of retail brand contact lenses can cost just as much.
D2C eyewear brands are very much aware of these big price tags and are working to make them a thing of the past. You can find prescription eyeglasses for as low as $6.95 (!!) on Zenni Optical’s website or get a 3-month subscription of Scout by Warby Parker contact lenses (both eyes) for only $110. Hubble, another low-cost contact lenses manufacturer, will send you your first box of contacts for just $1. That’s fantastic news for your budget.
Eye Examinations remain IRL
There is one major optometry service, however, that has yet to transition entirely online: comprehensive eye examinations. Many healthcare professionals will still encourage you to visit your optometrist in person for eye exams, especially if you are of a certain age or if you suffer from chronic eye disease such as glaucoma or other conditions that might impair your vision.
Due to the fact that the seamlessness of the online D2C eye care experience heavily relies on you having a valid vision prescription that can be quickly uploaded at checkout to complete your purchase, you may have an issue if you’re overdue for an exam. Luckily, if you need to renew but don’t have the time (or if you’re weary of sitting in a waiting room amongst other patients or customers), the Prescription Check app, Warby’s telehealth partner, may be able to help. Using the app, a virtual eye exam, you can renew your prescription for $15. Unfortunately, these types of virtual eye exams are only recommended for those between the ages of 18 and 50 and can only be used to renew distance prescriptions for glasses.
But, do not despair! “Tele-optometry” will soon be the new norm, according to Texas State Optical president John Marvin. It’s only a matter of time and technology before online refraction is taken seriously and adopted by optometric practices.