Shopping for Glasses Online: Good or Bad Idea?
These days it’s so common to shop online. Whether it’s groceries,
electronics or clothing, there is almost no limit to the things you can buy
with the help of the internet and a computer. But there is one thing that is
still better to buy in person…glasses! The idea of buying glasses from the
comfort of your couch might sound super appealing, especially with some
programs that allow you to upload a photo of yourself and virtually try on
different frames. But there are some serious drawbacks to choosing prescription
frames this way.
First, you lose the experience of
trying on the frames in person and getting our optician’s opinion of what frame
suits your face shape the best. If you buy online, there’s no way to know how
they’ll feel on your face. It’s possible that they may sit too tight on your
face or slide down the bridge of your nose. When shopping in-store you can
always get your frames adjusted by the opticians to ensure a personalized and
comfortable fit.
Second, shopping online does not
include the meaningful interaction and knowledge provided to you by your
optometrist. By buying in person, Dr. Farah Naz makes sure that your
prescription is accurate, and your pupillary distance is measured correctly.
One study (https://www.uwhealth.org/eyecare/a-closer-look-at-ordering-eyeglasses-online/47616)
even found that almost half of all glasses ordered online had the wrong
prescription! Pupillary distance and your optical center are other factors that
an optometrist needs to measure to ensure a perfect fit. Most online retailers
place the optical center at the center of your lenses, but depending on the
frames, this should actually be placed higher or lower than the center. Making
an error in these placements can negatively impact your vision. When buying
online there is a very good chance that you’re not even dealing with an
optometrist in the first place and thus your vision may not be as clear as it
should be.
Additionally, when buying
anything online you always run the risk of receiving something that is a lesser
quality than it was presented to be. The same is true when it comes to buying
glasses online. Your glasses should be of the highest quality as you wear them
every day for hours. Since different countries have different laws when it
comes to product testing, there is a good chance that your new glasses wouldn’t
stand up to Canadian standards. Additionally, shopping online for your lenses
can lead to lower quality lenses which increases the risk of them breaking or
becoming scratched. In fact, purchasing eyeglasses online might be downright
unsafe, as reported in the national news (https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/buying-glasses-online-may-be-cheap-but-not-necessarily-safe-doctors-warn-1.1806422).
In addition, many of these
retailers won’t accept insurance. At Eye Zone Optometry, we can direct bill
your insurance company which can considerably lower the out of pocket cost for
you!
While shopping from your couch in
your pj's can be fun, heading out to a retail store to try on frames and get
some opinions from the people in the store is part of the fun! If you’re a fan
of online shopping, there is nothing wrong with using a website to virtually
try on some frames. Once you have an idea of what you like, you should head to
a retail store to purchase your frames. What can start out as a convenient way
to buy glasses can turn inconvenient very quickly if they are slipping off your
nose or the prescription has you seeing double.