Trying to shop for your next pair of prescription sunglasses online? The COVID-19 pandemic has impact all aspects of life—from health to traveling to dining and even shopping. With stay-at-home orders for nonessential workers in place, online ordering skyrocketed. Takeout, curbside grocery pickups, and online shopping all saw the effects. It’s now much more convenient to order everything possible online instead of going to a store.
Some things may still seem daunting to purchase online like prescription eyewear and contacts. Thankfully, many eyewear servicers now offer online vision assessments so consumers can get new prescriptions online. If it has been a while since you last had an eye exam, your vision requirements may have changed—you might find you need bifocals or a slightly stronger prescription.
Even with virtual eye exams available, it can be difficult to know what to look for regarding styles or types of lenses. Even narrowing down the choices can be difficult when you are also trying to navigate a website. Read on to learn what to look for when shopping for prescription sunglasses online.
Browse By Category
When you browse prescription sunglasses online, start by narrowing down your search. You can filter your results to show you only the most promising options by looking in specific categories for frame styles, lens styles, and lens colors.
On most sites, you can also select multiple categories to filter your search, so you can get results that match all your criteria. From there, you can further sort the results based on price point and brand.
Try On Your Top Picks Virtually
Ordering sunglasses online can make it more challenging to determine whether the frames you select will fit your face. Fortunately, most eyewear vendors also have a tool online allowing you to upload a picture, series of images, or short video and see how you’d look in your potential picks. Most virtual try-on tools will require photos of your face straight-on, as well as from both sides, to accurately superimpose the glasses over your image.
Using the tool will help you see how the glasses will look on your face before you purchase, so you can avoid dealing with disappointment and return policies.
Measure Your Pupillary Distance
Pupillary distance is the amount of space between the centers of your pupils. It is an essential measurement for purchasing glasses online. Without an accurate measurement, the lens’s optical center won’t line up with your pupil, which can make your prescription less effective.
You should be able to get your pupillary distance measured by your optometrist, but if you’re unable to make the trip to the doctor, you can also take this measurement yourself using a ruler or any card with a magnetic strip. If, like most, you don’t have a perfectly symmetrical face, you can measure from the center of the bridge of your nose to the center of your pupil in each eye.
Process Your Insurance and Order
When you are ready to place your order, make sure to have your insurance information handy. You might even be able to use funds from your FSA or HSA (both accounts that allow you to use pre-tax money from your salary to cover healthcare costs) for your new prescription sunglasses. Ensure you’re familiar with what your plan covers, so you know you’re making the most of your benefits.
Enjoy Your Sunglasses
Ordering prescription sunglasses online is much easier and quicker than purchasing in-person, and it’s simple to find the right pair, as long as you know what steps to take. Once you have your most up-to-date prescription, taking just a couple of minutes to narrow down your search will help you find the perfect prescription sunglasses. Then you’ll be ready to take on the warm, sunny months in style.
We hope you enjoyed this guide from one of our partners. Take a look at this glasses guide!
