You can order glasses for as cheap as $5 from Eyebuydirect — we tried their frames and the quality was surprisingly great

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Glasses are just as much a fashion accessory as they are an essential tool for daily life. Being able to see clearly is important, but sometimes our choice in glasses has everything to with our personal style or even the day's occasion. There's only one major problem: the cost of prescription glasses often makes it incredibly unrealistic to create a collection of frames to accessorize with.

That's where online glasses retailer Eyebuydirect comes in clutch. The brand is looking to change the narrative around corrective vision by offering direct-to-consumer frames that are both stylish and affordable.

Eyewear options at Eyebuydirect

The company's mostly unisex frames, which are designed in-house, start at just $5. And yes, that includes standard 1.5 index prescription lenses. All of its glasses and sunglasses are available with various prescription options, including single-vision distance, reading lenses, Transition lenses, progressives, and bifocals. For a small additional cost, you can also add on a reflective digital protection coating that shields your eyes from your computer's headache-inducing blue light. (I highly recommend this upgrade if you spend hours daily on the computer). 

Each pair of Eyebuydirect frames are designed with current eyewear trends in mind and developed with meticulous attention to detail. Because the company does all the design and manufacturing itself, the cost-savings are transferred directly to consumers — which means lower prices for you. The brand  also developed its own in-house line called RFLKT that makes incredibly sleek, timeless frames and sunglasses with an added layer of detail and quality. They're slightly pricier than the rest of its options, averaging at around $65, but their Italian acetate construction is also a little sturdier, and they include the cost of upgraded lenses and coatings.

In the past name brands weren't an option, but now Eyebuydirect also stocks popular brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, Coach, Ralph Lauren, and more. 

Does Eyebuydirect take insurance?

Eyebuydirect doesn't take insurance directly, but they make getting reimbursed through your insurance provider easy. You'll get a detailed receipt in your order history and easy access to reimbursement forms from major insurance providers. You'll have to come out of pocket at checkout, but your insurance provider will pay you back. However, if you're using FSA or HSA dollars, you can spend them directly on the site. Just check out using your FSA/HSA card the same way you would with a credit or debit card. Learn more about using insurance at Eyebuydirect here. We've found that at such incredibly cheap prices, it's better to use your insurance (if you have it) o purchase a costlier pair you wouldn't be able to afford out of pocket, and use Eyebuydirect to build on your collection of cheap stylish pairs.

Using virtual try-on at Eyebuydirect

Eyebuydirect now has a virtual try-on feature. Granted, there isn't any virtual try-on function that's as good as being able to try glasses on for yourself, but it's easy to use. You can either upload a photo or use your computer's camera to try them on. If the virtual try-on isn't helpful for you, I recommend looking at the customers' pics section for a more realistic point of reference.

Sally's review of Eyebuydirect (standard prescription strength)

The quality is solid for the price. I've been buying, wearing, and testing EyeBuyDirect's pairs for about 6 years now, and over the years, I've been consistently impressed by the experience of ordering and the quality of the pairs I get. The pairs are sturdy and stylish, and you can't tell that most of them were under $100 (including the lenses!). The virtual try-on feature is also great and gives me a pretty accurate sense of what the styles will look like on my face. 

They're great for simple or more complex prescriptions. My prescription is pretty light (-1 and -2) so my lenses are already quite thin, which admittedly means there's much less that can go wrong for me. The brand also has a ton of upgrade options for the lenses, so even if you have a strong prescription, you can opt for the nicer ones that are cut thinner. But even light prescription lenses are not without challenges.

If your order isn't perfect, customer service will help make it right. This time, I tested the absolute most baseline lens option but added a blue light coating, and my lenses were still quite thin. For some reason, one of my pairs is very tricky to clean, but the others are totally fine. I also experienced an issue where my pupillary distance may have been improperly applied to the lens. But a quick email to customer service made it super easy to exchange for a different pair, and the next one I tried was great. I didn't even have to wait for the exchange to process before they shipped the new pair to me, which was unexpected. 

Amir's review of Eyebuydirect (strong prescription)

Eyebuydirect's prices are super affordable, but if you have a strong prescription, be prepared for the price to go up significantly. I have a strong prescription (-8 for both eyes), so high-index lenses are always a must-have when I'm ordering glasses. While Eyebuydirect's claim for affordable glasses as low as $6 is true, it doesn't apply to any order requiring a lens upgrade. I went with the Hathaway frames, which cost $42. Adding 1.74 index lenses will add another $110 or more, depending on your specific lens type. Even with the added cost, Eyebuydirect is still an affordable option for people with stronger prescriptions. It will cost you more at traditional glasses stores.

If your prescription requires a lens upgrade, plenty of options exist. Once you put your prescription in, Eyebuydirect will recommend a lens index for you. Since my prescription is strong, it's recommended that I get the highest index lenses to keep them from being very thick. You'll get to choose between Transitions, blue light-blocking lenses, clear lenses, sunglasses, and more. I went with Kodak Clean&Clear lenses, which, admittingly, is the most expensive lens upgrade at $199.95. But I thought it was well worth the upgrade with a coating that blocks UVs and is scratch-resistant, smudge-resistant, water-repellent, and dust-repellent.

The best part of the shopping process was knowing exactly what I'd be getting. With other online sites, you can choose your lens index or features like blue-light blocking lenses, but there have been instances where I've received glasses that have a noticeable blue glare or strong yellow tint. I wanted my lenses to be crystal clear, and I was able to get exactly that with all of Eyebuydirect's choices. 

I'm notorious for ordering the same exact frames with my new prescription, but Eyebuydirect made it easy to try something new. There are so many great options on Eyebuydirect that I was able to break out of my comfort zone with a new shape and style. If you can't find something you like from browsing, I recommend using the search filters. Most acetate or plastic frames don't have adjustable nose bridges, which was something I really wanted — and I was able to find a pair that worked for me. 

Cons to consider

The biggest con is that frame shapes come and go quickly. One of the styles I have been testing over the last few months is no longer available, and none of the styles I tested a few years ago are available anymore either. You can always get new lenses for your favorite frames, but if the frames break or scratch, you're sadly out of luck. — Sally Kaplan, Executive Editor, Reviews

Eyebuydirect's frames are cheap, but they're not the most durable frames I've worn. Compared to my Ray-Ban frames that I normally wear, my Eyebuydirect frames aren't as sturdy. I wear my glasses all day, every day, so durability is important to me. But as secondary pair, I don't mind the slight drop in frame quality. — Amir Ismael, Editor, Reviews

The bottom line

Eyebuydirect is a good value. Overall, I've had a great experience with Eyebuydirect, despite the couple of challenges I've experienced. The glasses are so affordable that you can almost treat them like jewelry to be paired with different outfits, and they always look much more expensive than they actually were. — Sally Kaplan, Executive Editor, Reviews

Eyebuydirect is well worth it, even if you have to spend more on lens upgrades. If you have a particularly strong prescription like me, there's no getting around paying for a lens upgrade (unless you're ok with thick Coke bottle lenses). Shopping at Eyebuydirect is still considerably cheaper than other places and options are plentiful. You don't have to be an expert in eyewear to choose either. They do a wonderful job at explaining each option, so you can decide which one is right for you. — Amir Ismael, Editor, Reviews

Shop all glasses at Eyebuydirect here.