Warby Parker isn't the only place you can purchase stylish, affordable glasses online anymore, but it does still offer one of the most flexible buying experiences.
Inspired by its founders' frustration with a then-monopolized eyewear industry, Warby Parker launched in 2010 as an alternative to optical boutiques and their expensive markups. By cutting out the middleman and designing its own glasses, then selling them online, the company was able to pass on huge savings to its customers. (This direct-to-consumer approach is pretty mainstream nowadays, but it was mega-disruptive at the time.)
A key part of Warby Parker's early success was its introduction of a guesswork-eliminating Home Try-On program, which lets customers choose up to five frames they can test out at home before they making a purchase. The entire process is free, including shipping and returns.
Warby Parker has since gone hybrid with its business model and opened brick-and-mortar retail locations across the U.S., giving customers the opportunity to try on frames in person. (It had over 200 locations across the U.S. and Canada as of early 2023, with big plans to add hundreds more in the coming years.) The company has also expanded upon its Home Try-On program with an AR-powered Virtual Try-On feature in its iOS app.
As of mid-2023, Warby Parker carries hundreds of different frame styles in a rainbow of colors and up to five different widths (starting at $95 with prescription lenses), including readers, blue light glasses, light-responsive glasses, and sunglasses. Each pair comes with a six-month, no-scratch guarantee and can be brought into a Warby Parker store for free adjustments for as long as you own them.
If you're in the market for a new pair of glasses, here's a step-by-step guide to trying on and ordering them from Warby Parker.
Total TimeFive to 10 minutes to pick out frames, five business days to receive your Home Try-On kit, and seven to 10 business days to receive your glasses (once your prescription is approved)
What you needA computer or smartphoneyour eye prescriptionvision insurance (if you have it)
Step 1: Visit WarbyParker.com and browse its selection.
Warby Parker's eyeglasses and sunglasses catalogs are categorized by men's and women's styles on its website, but all of them are technically gender neutral. You can filter them by different frame widths, shapes, colors, materials, prices, nose bridge fits, and prescription types. (If you get totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available, you can take a quiz for some guidance based on your face shape and style preferences.) Skip to step four if you see a pair of glasses you're confident will fit and look great — otherwise, head to step two to find out how to try on some contenders.
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Credit: Screenshots via WarbyParker.comStep 2: Pick some frames for Home Try-On.
Add up to five frames to your cart and head to checkout. (If you like more than five options, you'll have to order another Home Try-On kit after you send the first one back.) At this point, you'll be prompted to sign into a Warby Parker account if you haven't already. You'll then be taken to a page that prompts you to enter your shipping and payment info; you won't be charged unless you don't return the frames. Finally, click the "Place your free order" button at the bottom of the page to do just that.
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Credit: Screenshot via WarbyParker.comStep 3: Try on your frames (and then send them back).
A Home Try-On kit containing your frames, a free return label, and a newspaper-style "handbook" with fit advice and ordering info will arrive on your doorstep within five business days. You'll then have five more days to take them for test drives before sending them back. (Again, Warby Parker will charge you the full cost of each frame without prescription lenses if you don't — to the tune of $85.50 to $130.50 apiece.)
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Step 4: Choose and customize your favorite frames.
Once you're sure which style you want, pull up its product page and click the button that says "Select lenses and purchase." You'll then pick a frame width, a prescription type, a lens type, and a lens material before being prompted to add the glasses to your cart.
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Credit: Screenshot via WarbyParker.comStep 5: Add your prescription (or defer it for later).
If you don't have a current eye prescription, you can renew it from home with a 10-minute Virtual Vision Test for $15 (via the Warby Parker mobile app). You won't be charged if your prescription is out of date.
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Credit: Screenshot via WarbyParker.comStep 6: Review and place your order.
You can review your delivery and payment details and add your eye insurance info (if you have it) at checkout; shipping is free. Once your order's been placed and your prescription's been verified, your new glasses should arrive with a hard-sided frame case and a lens cloth within seven to 10 business days. You'll have 30 days to return or exchange them.
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Credit: Screenshot via WarbyParker.com
