If you wear contacts, then you know how pricey they can be -- even with vision benefits. If you're looking for cheap contact lenses, you likely know that buying them from your eye doctor or local optical shop is not the way to go. More often than not, you'll be paying full retail price for your lenses. Instead, you'll want to buy contact lenses online to get the best deals.
There are many online stores that offer every contact lens brand you can think of, often at discounted prices or with rebates. We've rounded up some of the best places to buy contacts online below. I wouldn't say that any one of them is better than the other, but by shopping around, you can get the most savings and find a store that lets you use your insurance to help offset the cost.
So, ready to ditch the frames and dive in? Here is where you can find contacts at an affordable price.
Scout by Warby Parker
Warby Parker doesn't just sell affordable and stylish eyeglasses -- the company sells contact lenses too. You can pick fromScout, Warby Parker's own contact lens brand, or get contacts from Acuvue, Biotrue, Air Optix, Dailies and other major brands.
A three-month supply of Scout daily contacts (a total of 90 lenses) starts at $47, which is a good deal for daily contact lenses. Depending on where you shop and the brand you use, prices online can vary from $60 to $200. You can get a six-day trial pack of Scout contact lenses to see if you like them before committing to a full supply.
Depending on your vision insurance, you may be able to use your benefits to pay for your Warby Parker contacts purchase. If your insurance company doesn't directly work with Warby Parker, you can instead file a claim with your insurance to be reimbursed for any qualified orders.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Lens.com
Lens.comhas excellent customer service is great and the prices are often lower than other shops for prescription contact lenses. It has an impressive selection of brands -- including Acuvue, Air Optix, Dailies and Biofinity Toric for astigmatism -- plus it takes returns and covers the cost of shipping unopened boxes back. 'Nuff said.
Lens.com is an out-of-network provider for vision insurance, so you can't use your benefits to directly pay for your order. However, you can submit the receipt to your insurance company for reimbursem*nt (and always check with your insurance company to see what it covers).
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
As one of the best-known contacts stores,1800Contactsstocks all of the most popular brands, and you can even get hard contacts through its call center. One CNET editor praised the company for providing customer service that went above and beyond.
1800Contacts price-matches any competitor, so if you find a better price, you can let the company know and it will do its best to match it (with some restrictions).
Like Lens.com, you can text or email your contact lens prescription, which speeds up the ordering process. 1800Contacts also offers discount contact lenses for students and free shipping on all orders, and allows you to update your prescription through an online test (only available for adults between 18 and 55 years old). You can also buy colored contact lenses from 1800Contacts. If you need to exchange your unopened lenses for any reason, 1800Contacts will cover the shipping cost.
Accepts vision insurance with a valid prescription.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
A popular source for cheap contact lensesamong my fellow CNET editors isContactsDirect, because it often sends out coupon codes to customers. It has a wide selection of lens type options, including multifocal lenses, colored contacts, soft contact lenses for dry eyes and toric lenses for astigmatism.
ContactsDirect offers returns on products that were purchased within one year if your eye vision changes and you need a vision correction from your doctor. ContactsDirect (and 1800Contacts) also sells contact lens solution.
Accepts vision insurance.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Eyeconichas a wide array of contact lens brands to choose from, including Acuvue, Air Optix, Biotrue by Bausch and Lomb and Extreme H2O. Like others on this list, it offers free shipping and free returns.
Accepts VSP, MetLife and Cigna Vision vision insurance.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Last but not least isGlassesUSA.com, which sells both contact lenses and glasses and will price-match other sellers. Like every other retailer on this list, GlassesUSA.com has all of the popular lens brands, including Acuvue, Biofinity and more, and offers free returns and free shipping on prescription lenses.
Accepts select insurance providers.
Buying online contact lenses: Your guide
Buying contact lenses online is just as safe as buying them from your eye doctor, as you get the same lenses you'd find at the optical shop. The process requires a little extra effort than getting them from your eye doctor, but you'll be rewarded with savings.
To get started, you'll need your contact lens prescription (more on that below). Simply search for the brand and model of contacts from your prescription at any of the stores above to find your specific lenses. Disposable contacts are sold in boxes, and most online shops give you a deal if you buy a six or 12 month supply, rather than one box at a time.
During the checkout process, you'll enter your prescription information to select the correct lenses and then submit verification of your prescription. Most stores allow you to upload an image or PDF of your prescription, or you can opt for the company to contact your doctor to verify it. This process can take as little as a few minutes or up to a few days if the store contacts your doctor. Once that process is complete, your order will be finalized and cleared to ship directly to you.
Do you need a prescription to buy contacts online?
Yes. Contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription for you to purchase them -- either online or in person. Before you start shopping, you'll first need to get an eye exam and contact lens prescription from your optician or optometrist. An eye doctor can help you determine the best prescription lenses for your specific needs, whether that's daily contacts, soft lenses, hard lenses, lenses for astigmatism or multifocal lenses.
Your eye doctor will also help you decide which brand of contact lenses will work best for you, and your prescription will include the brand name. That means you cannot buy a different brand if you find a better deal, but you can request a new prescription for a specific brand, at your doctor's discretion.
All of the stores on this list require a valid prescription to dispense your contact lenses, and they won't ship your order without one. Keep in mind that most contact lens prescriptions are only valid for one to two years (depending on your eyes and age), so if your prescription is expired, you'll need a new one to shop.
What's the best place to buy contacts online?
With so many stores to choose from, how do you pick where to buy your contacts online? Here are some things to consider:
- Price: Do some comparison shopping to figure out which store has the best price for your specific lenses. Prices can change often due to sales, promotions and manufacturer rebates, so the store that had the best deal last year might not have the lowest price now.
- Return policy: Many of the stores above allow you to return unopened boxes of contacts if your prescription changes. Check the terms of the store you're thinking of buying from to understand your options.
- Insurance coverage: Some online contact lens stores allow you to pay through your vision insurance, some do not. If that's important to you, look for shops that accept your benefits.
Is it expensive to buy contacts online?
Contact lenses are expensive, full stop. But you can save money by shopping online.
Disposable contacts will cost you more money in the long run over a pair of glasses. For example, Acuvue Oasys, one of the most popular brand of soft lenses, average around $25 to $40 for a box of 12 lenses at the stores above. That box of 12 is enough for three months (one lens per eye, thrown away every two weeks). That adds up to around $160 per year for contacts.
The full retail price for a 12-pack of Acuvue Oasys is listed as $88.99 onLenscrafters.com, so you stand to save quite a lot of money by shopping around online.
How to save money on contact lenses
Pro tip: Right after your contact lens exam, it's almost always worth it to get a year's supply of your current prescription. Regardless of whether you're buying daily disposable contacts, monthly lenses or even multifocal contacts, buying in bulk will help you save money.
If your prescription changes sometime during that year, many of the retailers above will allow you to exchangeunopened boxeswith a new prescription. You don't have much to lose by buying a full year supply. Though it can be a higher up-front cost, you'll save money over buying one box at a time.
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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
