GlassesUSA Review

GlassesUSA is one of the largest online eyewear retailers in the world. They have a huge catalog of eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses from budget to name brands. 

GlassesUSA has been rated a top online retailer by Good Housekeeping, cnet, Forbes, and verywellhealth. They have a virtual try-on tool and provide free shipping along with a money-back guarantee. Customer reviews are generally positive. 

In this guide we’ll talk about the pros & cons of GlassesUSA.com, along with any other essential information.

Visit GlassesUSA

Pros & Cons

GlassesUSA provides consumers with an alternative to brick-and-mortar retailers. You’ll need a prescription from your local eye doctor, but with that information, you can order prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contacts from their website. 

Here are some of the biggest positive and negative aspects of the GlassesUSA experience.

Pros

• Huge selection of frames. GlassesUSA has the second largest collection of frames (after Zenni) on the internet. They also have a sizable selection of contact lenses.
• Money-back guarantee. GlassesUSA provides a 14-day money-back guarantee and 365 day warranty.
• 24/7 customer service. They have a customer service line open 24/7 at 1-844-244-1186.
• You can use insurance. GlassesUSA is an out-of-network provider on many vision insurance plans, including United Health Care, Spectera, EyeMed, Cigna, DavisVision, Anthem, Aetna, NVA, Humana, Lincoln Financial Group, and MediGold.
• Shipping is reliable. Your frames usually arrive within 10 to 20 days, or they have a rush option that will get them there in 3 to 5 days.
• Never leave your home. You can browse their entire catalog and even use their Virtual Mirror to “try on” new glasses before buying them.
• Sales and discounts. GlassesUSA is constantly running sales and providing discount codes that can significantly reduce your overall cost.  

Cons

• Certain prescriptions are more expensive. If you have astigmatism, need bifocal or multifocal lenses, or want to upgrade to premium lenses, it can up the price of your pair of glasses quite a bit.
• Short return period. The 14-day return policy isn’t long enough for some people. Some customers have reported difficulty with the process, even though GlassesUSA claims it is hassle-free.
• You don’t get to actually try on your frames. Some online retailers, like Warby Parker, will ship you several pairs of glasses and allow you to try them on and send back ones you don’t like. GlassesUSA doesn’t offer this option.
• Some descriptions are missing. Many of the product descriptions are very minimal or even empty. This requires you to do your own research on some frames or contacts before ordering.

Product Catalog & Pricing

GlassesUSA’s catalog is their strongest attribute. They have over 7,000 frames available. You can browse through featured categories such as New Arrivals, Bestsellers, Designer Glasses, Kids Glasses, Sports Glasses, etc.

You can also start by browsing their entire catalog and using filters to narrow your search. Their filters include:

• Glasses Type 
• Gender
• Frame Shape
• Size
• Color
• Lens Features
• Material
• Lens Type
• Frame Type
• Brand
• Price
• Clearance
• Frame Measurements

There are a number of lens options available at an additional cost. You can add anti-scratch coating, UV coating, anti-reflective coating, transitions (light-adjusting), polarizing, or tinting to any prescription or non-prescription lenses.

While their selection of frames and lenses is vast, their selection of contact lenses isn’t quite as large. Competitors, like 1800 Contacts have a much larger selection of contacts. However, you can find most name brands at competitive prices on the GlassesUSA website.

Ordering Process

The only thing you need before ordering is a copy of your prescription from your eye doctor. (They also sell non-prescription glasses). 

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose your eyewear. If you’re ordering frames, you can use their Virtual Mirror tool to “try them on” using your webcam or an uploaded photo. This is a great way to test out different shapes and sizes, though it’s not a perfect replacement for actually trying them on in person.

Once you’ve chosen your frames or contacts, you’ll have three options for adding your prescription. The first is to skip it for now and have them ask for it later. However, you won’t be able to get an accurate price until you’ve finalized your prescription and lens options.

The next is to use their Prescription Scanner app. However, the app has some serious limitations. If your prescription is complicated or stronger than usual, it probably won’t work. The app won’t read prescriptions that contain more than one prescription, prism lenses, or extra-strong prescriptions. GlassesUSA does sell progressive, bifocal, and multifocal lenses, but the app won’t help you.

The third and most convenient option is to upload your prescription info yourself. First you’ll choose single vision, near vision, progressive, bifocal, or non-prescription lenses. Then you’ll enter all your prescription information.

You’ll then choose your lens package. You can pick from Value, Standard, Polycarbonate, or a Premium package. The Value package is free and all the others have an extra cost.

The next step is to choose your lens type. The options are Clear, Clear - Blue Light, Photochromic (Transitions), or Sunglasses. You can also choose a Super Hydrophobic coating that helps keep water and fingerprints off your lenses. The last option is to add a One Year Enhanced Coverage Plan which covers damage from wear and tear, accidental damage, or prescriptions changes. 

Once you’re finished with your selections, you can checkout using a credit card, PayPal, or Amazon Pay. You can choose from Standard (7 to 10 business days), Expedited (5 to 7 business days), or Express (3 to 5 business days). 

*These shipping times are estimates. Actual shipment times may vary. 

Here’s a video from GlassesUSA detailing their ordering process:

Deliveries and Returns

You can expect approximately 3 to 6 days of processing time to make your new pair of glasses. Multifocal or extra strong prescriptions, along with sunglasses may take longer. 

Once they’re ready, then you can expect your glasses to arrive in the time expressed in your shipping choice. Standard (7 to 10 business days), Expedited (5 to 7 business days), or Express (3 to 5 business days). 

Your frames will arrive in a hard case with a prescription card and some coupons.

Returns

GlassesUSA claims to provide a “hassle free” return policy. You can return your order for a full refund, 100 percent store credit, or a product exchange. 

Just go to their Returns Form page and follow these four steps:

1. Enter the Order ID and Email address associated with your order.

2. Print a prepaid return shipping label

3. Place all the items you’re returning in an envelope

4. Put the shipping label on the envelope and mail it

Here’s a video from GlassesUSA detailing their return process:

Customer Service

GlassesUSA has 24/7 customer support. You can contact them via:

1. Live Chat on their Website
2. Phone number: 1-844-244-1186
3. Email: service@glassesusa.com  
4. Their Contact Form

The majority of customer reviews that mention customer service say that the experience was satisfactory. However, some customers express that they had difficulty connecting to or dealing with GlassesUSA customer service.

Reviews and Reputation

GlassesUSA has been in business for over 10 years. Many reputable brands, including Good Housekeeping (1), cnet (2), Forbes (3), and verywellhealth (4), name them a top online vision retailer. Customer reviews are generally favorable. 

The most common complaints mention difficulty with customer service and returns.

As of March 2021, GlassesUSA received the following scores on review sites:

Trustpilot: 4.5 / 5

Reseller Ratings: 4.53 / 5

Sitejabber: 4.15 / 5

Alternative Options

Alternatives to GlassesUSA include:

• Warby Parker designs and produces their own glasses. Every frame is hand assembled and polished. They will ship you up to 5 frames to try for 5 days. Then you return all the frames or just the ones you don’t want. Shipping is free both ways.
• Zenni Optical is the only online retailer with a larger selection of frames than GlassesUSA
• AC Lens is one of the cheapest online eyewear retailers. They often have the best price on designer frames, budget glasses, sunglasses, and contacts.
• 1800 Contacts has the best selection of contact lenses on the internet. They are our top choice for ordering contacts online.
• LensCrafters is a reliable company that has a huge brick and mortar presence. Their website is also convenient and reliable.

Bottom Line

GlassesUSA is a reliable site to order glasses, sunglasses, and contacts from. Their prices are competitive and the ordering process is convenient. Their 14-day return window is a bit short, but is effective. Their 100% money-back guarantee makes them a great choice for your first time ordering online.