Nov. 04, 2024
Be sure to double-check the retailer's return policy in case you need to make a return.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website optec.
If your doctor prescribed a particular brand of contacts, it's best to stick with a retailer that offers that brand.
If your insurance policy covers vision care, check to see if the retailer you're considering accepts your insurance.
To order any type of contact lenses, you'll first need a prescription from your doctor.
With over four years covering health and eye care products, we consider availability, shipping and return policy to determine our roundup of best places to buy contact lenses.
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How we testWith over four years covering health and eye care products, we consider availability, shipping and return policy to determine our roundup of best places to buy contact lenses.
What to Consider
Lens prescription
To order any type of contact lenses, you'll first need a prescription from your doctor.
Insurance policy
If your insurance policy covers vision care, check to see if the retailer you're considering accepts your insurance.
Contacts brand
If your doctor prescribed a particular brand of contacts, it's best to stick with a retailer that offers that brand.
Return policy
Be sure to double-check the retailer's return policy in case you need to make a return.
Running out of contact lenses used to mean a visit to your eye doctor, but now it doesn't have to. If you know your prescription, you can save time and money by ordering your contact lenses online. There are plenty of online stores that'll deliver your contact lenses to your home. Many offer free standard shipping, as well as faster shipping options. You can save time and money compared to going to the eye doctor for lenses. Shopping online also lets you compare prices, and you can see multiple providers at once.
Drawing from years of experience, CNET&#;s team of writers and researchers have compiled this list of the best online stores for buying contact lenses -- whether you&#;re after low prices, useful coupons, specialized lenses or excellent customer service. Trying to get your lenses before the holiday shopping season rush kicks in? Here are our top picks of the best places to buy contacts online.
Read more: Best Online Glasses and Contacts Deals: Savings You'll Have to See to Believe
Topping our list is Warby Parker, which we think is the best place to order contacts online. As one of the most popular eyewear brands, Warby Parker offers a seamless and hassle-free buying experience for filling your prescription. Additionally, the company carries most major contact brands so you can shop around for a lower price. If you choose to buy your contact lenses at Warby Parker, you can buy in bulk, like getting an annual supply, to save money.
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Save 20% off on your first order of contacts
See at Warby ParkerPros
Cons
Shipping Info
Free, takes 5-7 business days (most brands)
Return Policy
30-day hassle-free returns or exchanges on unopened products
Insurance Accepted
Yes
Number of Contacts Brands
12
Type
Accepts Insurance
See at Warby Parker
Save 20% off on your first order of contacts
See at Warby ParkerWarby Parker doesn't just sell affordable and stylish eyeglasses, the company sells contact lenses too. You can pick from Scout, 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 $52, 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.
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30% Off Contact Lenses with code:
CNET30
See at GlassesUSA.comPros
Cons
Shipping Info
Free, takes 7-10 business days
Return Policy
30-day free returns or exchanges on unopened products
Insurance Accepted
Yes
Number of Contacts Brands
18
See at GlassesUSA.com
30% Off Contact Lenses with code:
CNET30
See at GlassesUSA.comGlassesUSA.com 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.
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See at 1-800 CONTACTSPros
Cons
Shipping Info
Free, takes 5-7 business days
Return Policy
Free returns and exchanges on unopened products (or if prescription changes)
Insurance Accepted
Yes
Number of Contacts Brands
11
Type
Accepts Insurance
See at 1-800 CONTACTS
As one of the best-known contacts stores, 1-800 Contacts stocks 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.
1-800 Contacts will price-match 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 your contact lens prescription, which speeds up the ordering process. 1-800 Contacts also offers 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 1-800 Contacts. If you need to exchange your unopened lenses for any reason, 1-800 Contacts will cover the shipping cost.
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See at ContactsDirectPros
Cons
Shipping Info
Free, takes 7-10 business days
Return Policy
Free 6-month return on unopened products
Insurance Accepted
Yes
Number of Contacts Brands
9
See at ContactsDirect
A popular source for cheap contact lenses among my fellow CNET editors is ContactsDirect, because it often sends out coupon codes to customers. It has a wide selection of lens 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 vision changes and you need a correction from your doctor. ContactsDirect also sells contact lens solution, as does 1-800 Contacts.
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Featured content:For more Powell Lensinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
See at Lens.comPros
Cons
Shipping Info
$10, takes 5-7 business days
Return Policy
30-day free return
Insurance Accepted
Considered out-of-network by most providers
Number of Contacts Brands
20
Type
Fast Shipping
See at Lens.com
Lens.com's 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 for unopened boxes.
Lens.com is an out-of-network provider of vision insurance, so you can't use your benefits to directly pay for your order. But, you can submit the receipt to your insurance company for reimbursement. (Always check with your insurance company to see what it covers.)
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See at EyeConicPros
Cons
Shipping Info
Free, takes 8 business days
Return Policy
30-day free returns or exchanges
Insurance Accepted
Yes
Number of Contacts Brands
15
Type
Accepts Insurance
See at EyeConic
Eyeconic has a wide array of contact lens brands to choose from, including Acuvue, Air Optix, Biotrue by Bausch + Lomb and Extreme H2O. Like others on this list, it offers free shipping and free returns.
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To narrow down our list of best places to buy contact lenses, we considered factors like:
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 just need to follow a few easy steps.
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 exchange unopened boxes with a new prescription. You don't have much to lose by buying a full-year supply. Although it can be a higher up-front cost, you'll save money compared to buying one box at a time.
Show moreIf you are considering buying contacts online, keep these things in mind to ensure you make a safe purchase.
Yes. 1-800 Contacts is a real online retailer. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau and all lenses are FDA-approved.
Show more
Most online retailers that sell contacts are safe. Just be sure that they fulfill your exact prescription.
Show more
No. It is illegal to sell contact lenses to anyone without a valid prescription.
Show more
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.
Show more
With so many stores to choose from, how do you pick where to buy your contacts online? Here are some things to consider:
Contact lenses can be expensive, but you can save money by shopping for contacts online.
Disposable contacts will cost you more money in the long run than a pair of glasses. For example, Acuvue Oasys, one of the most popular brands of soft lenses, averages 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 $95 on Lenscrafters.com, so you stand to save quite a lot of money by shopping around online.
Show moreBuying contact lenses online comes with a few key benefits that you don&#;t get from in-person shopping: It&#;s more convenient and faster, and the contacts are typically cheaper than buying at the optometrist&#;s office. There are plenty of lens suppliers out there, so we compared dozens of eyewear retailers to suss out the best places to buy contacts online. Our overall winner is 1-800 Contacts, due to its excellent variety, streamlined ordering process and helpful customer service. For bifocal and multifocal contacts, we recommend GlassesUSA, which carries a wide range of popular brands.
We named 1-800 Contacts as the best place to buy contacts online thanks to its Best Price Guarantee ... [+] and stellar customer service.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: RetailersTo help you find the best place to buy contacts based on your particular needs, we highlighted whether each online retailer accepts insurance, FSA or HSA funds; offers virtual prescription renewals; and accommodates returns within a reasonable timeframe. Below, you&#;ll find our top nine picks, as well as a helpful shopping guide to make the process as seamless as possible.
1-800 Contacts
Shipping: Free standard shipping, plus expedited and one-day options | Return policy: Free exchanges and returns with no time limit | Insurance accepted: Yes, accepts FSA and HSA | At-home prescription renewal: Yes
Best for:
Skip if:
One of the most well-known of the bunch, 1-800 Contacts makes ordering lenses online convenient and painless. I&#;m a longtime 1-800 Contacts user because it&#;s easy to submit a prescription, and the website saves my info, so I can easily reorder when I need new lenses. You can digitally or text your prescription, or you can arrange for someone to contact your doctor directly. If you have an expired prescription, for a $20 fee&#;and in just 10 minutes&#;you can take the virtual ExpressExam to update your prescription without having to go to the optometrist. (Note: This is only eligible for prescription renewals, not changes.) The company price matches, offers free shipping, has free returns and also takes vision insurance. You can even return opened boxes of contacts or return ones that are a decade old or older, which is basically unheard of. If you subscribe, you save 5% on orders, and you don&#;t have to worry about running out.
Senior updates editor Karen Tietjen has been a loyal 1-800 Contacts customer for years, namely because of its Best Price Guarantee: If you find the same product from a legitimate retailer at a lower price, 1-800 Contacts will beat that price by a dollar. &#;The site has a live chat feature that I always use when I want to request a price match,&#; she says. &#;I&#;ve also used the ExpressExam feature to renew my prescription, and yes, it was as straightforward as advertised.&#; (Check out Tietjen&#;s in-depth 1-800 Contacts review here.)
GlassesUSA
Shipping: Free standard shipping, plus expedited and express options, no overnight shipping | Return policy: Within 60 days if in original packaging | Insurance accepted: Yes, from several major providers, accepts FSA and HSA | At-home prescription renewal: No
Best for:
Skip if:
There&#;s nothing quite like that panicked feeling realizing you&#;re down to just a couple contact lenses and haven&#;t remembered to order new boxes. It always seems to happen just before a big trip or work presentation. But you&#;ll be back in business quickly with GlassesUSA&#;s wide variety of name brands and price match guarantee. And of course, if you need frames too, this site is a great option; we named it the best overall retailer on our list of the best places to buy prescription glasses online.
Contacts Direct
Shipping: Free standard shipping and store pickup, plus priority and express options | Return policy: Unopened boxes accepted for up to six months with shipping fee | Insurance accepted: Yes, accepts HSA and FSA | At-home prescription renewal: No
Best for:
Skip if:
If you&#;re someone with less-than-perfect vision, you&#;ll appreciate that ContactsDirect is about as consumer friendly as a retailer can be. It offers discounts and conveniently highlights its rebates process. Reviewers love that the site often sends out coupon codes, price matches and gives 15% off to military members, first responders, nurses and teachers. ContactsDirect also accepts most insurance, and the site makes it easy to understand your options for in- and out-of-network benefits.
If your order isn&#;t a simple nearsighted or farsighted prescription, ContactsDirect offers a wide variety of specialized lenses, including colored contacts, multifocal and bifocal contacts, monovision and toric lenses.
Discount Contacts
Shipping: Free shipping on orders over $99 ($7 shipping if order is below $99), plus expedited and overnight options | Return policy: Free returns for up to 365 days from ship date | Insurance accepted: Out of network for some providers, accepts HSA and FSA | At-home prescription renewal: Yes
Best for:
Skip if:
A major plus for this company is its willingness to accept returns for a whole year, which is convenient if you&#;re one of those people who takes ages to get your act together and return things. It&#;s also helpful if your prescription changes mid-year and you&#;ve got boxes of expensive, unopened contacts you can&#;t use filling your bathroom shelves.
Discounts, promos and coupon codes are another hallmark of this site. New customers receive 15% off with a promo code, and Discount Contacts will price match up to seven days after the purchase date. It also offers a totally free online vision test to renew your prescription from home (with some exceptions), which is a big plus.
Contact Lens King
Shipping: $10 to $13 for USPS first class mail | Return policy: 30-day return policy on original, unopened boxes | Insurance accepted: Doesn&#;t accept insurance (Contact Lens King recommends submitting an invoice to your insurance company) | At-home prescription renewal: No
Best for:
Skip if:
With a 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot, this company features a wide variety of premium brands, including Acuvue, Biomedics, Biofinity and Dailies all at affordable prices. Options include daily, weekly and monthly disposables along with colored and astigmatism lenses.
Through its referral program, Contact Lens King offers existing customers a $10 credit towards their next purchase. More importantly, the site encourages you to make bulk purchases to really maximize savings. It looks like every product listing suggests buying more boxes to get a greater discount. The only caveat: Shipping costs at least $10, which will set you back, especially if you aren&#;t purchasing lenses in bulk.
Warby Parker
Shipping: Free standard shipping | Return policy: Free 30-day returns if in original, unopened box | Insurance accepted: Yes, but insurance orders are not available for discounts or promotions, accepts HSA and FSA | At-home prescription renewal: Yes
Best for:
Skip if:
Warby Parker has specialized contact lenses that intensify your eye color with or without vision correction. The retailer offers a wider variety of colored contact lens options than many other sites, from brands such as FreshLook, Air Optix, Dailies, Acuvue, and ToriColors for people with astigmatism.
Warby Parker has competitive pricing with no hidden fees, and as a new customer you can save 20% off your first order. To note: Even if you just want to alter the color of your eyes and don&#;t need vision correction, you still need a prescription for colored contact lenses. You can renew your prescription online with its at-home eye exam, which costs $15.
Walgreens
Shipping: Free standard shipping, $20 overnight shipping | Return policy: Returns accepted within 30 days if order was incorrect or damaged, with some exceptions | Insurance accepted: Accepts HSA and FSA | At-home prescription renewal: No
Best for:
Skip if:
Walgreens offers easy ordering, fast home delivery and plenty of options for savings. As a new customer, you can save 30% off your first order, and you&#;ll often find promotional codes and coupons for 20% off or more. Another tip: Check out the rebates center for additional discounts. As with other online retailers, once you select your lens type and preferred shipping method, the customer service team will contact your eye doctor to verify your prescription.
Hubble
Shipping: Free standard, plus $3 on shipping and handling (and sales tax) after the first box | Return policy: 14-day return policy on original, unopened boxes | Insurance accepted: Out-of-network (Hubble recommends saving your receipt to apply for reimbursement from your provider) | At-home prescription renewal: No
Best for:
Skip if:
Hubble is making contact lens ordering cool and accessible with its direct-to-consumer model. The first shipment of 15 pairs of classic Hubble lenses costs only $1, and thereafter they&#;re $20.
If you don&#;t have a prescription, the company helps you locate a list of doctors in your area to schedule an eye exam. Hubble&#;s own contacts are disposable and made from methafilcon A hydrogel, which keeps your eyes feeling fresh and hydrated. The company also stocks eye care brands like Biotrue, Lumify and Alaway to complement your order. For other astigmatism, multifocal, color and bi-weekly contact lenses, Hubble suggests visiting its sister site ContactsCart.
WebEyeCare
Shipping: Free 5 to 10 business day ground shipping on all orders | Return policy: Can return most unopened items within 30 days for a full refund | Insurance: Out-of-network provider; submit invoice to insurance company for reimbursement | At-home prescription renewal: Yes
Best for:
Skip if:
WebEyeCare stocks over 14 brands, including popular ones like Acuvue, Biotrue and Dailies. Each product is deeply discounted compared to the retail cost, and their various promo codes and deals allow you to save up to 70% off.
If you don&#;t have a prescription, WebEyeCare charges $35 for an online vision test, which is comparatively less expensive than other routes. And unlike other subscription services on other sites, WebEyeCare conveniently offers 10% off every order. Bottom line: It&#;s hard to beat this site&#;s affordable pricing and free ground shipping.
At Forbes Vetted, we&#;ve researched and written a wide catalog of eyewear stories and roundups of the top personal care products on the market.
As we compared popular retailers, we took a deep dive into specs such as shipping prices, return policies and variety of inventory before making our selections.
While shopping for contact lenses is a highly personal endeavor, there are a few specific factors you should keep in mind when comparing retailers. Here&#;s what to consider.
One of the main draws of buying contacts online is the increased variety: The best retailers offer a wide array of brands and lens types. If you have a go-to brand of contact lenses, it may not matter if a retailer has a large selection; but if you ever need to switch your prescription, it&#;s nice to know the options are there. On the other hand, if you&#;re new to wearing contacts, the ability to browse through dozens of choices can help you easily find the best ones for you.
Many online retailers sell the same contact brands, so one of the biggest differentiators between websites is shipping policy. Since a box of contact lenses is a repeat purchase, picking a retailer that offers complimentary standard shipping can help you save money over time. Of course, if you&#;re in a rush, you can pay an extra fee for expedited or overnight orders. A generous return policy also adds peace of mind to the ordering process; Discount Contacts offers returns for up to 365 days following shipment, while 1-800 Contacts has no time limit for returning unused boxes of contact lenses.
The price of your lenses depends, in large part, on the type you&#;re buying. In general, daily disposable contacts are the more expensive option, as are lenses that do more than just address general nearsightedness or farsightedness, such as toric lenses for astigmatism, multifocal lenses or colored contacts. Contact lenses typically run between $200 and $1,500 per year, so it makes sense to find a reliable, safe, budget-friendly buying option online.
Whether you&#;re a new contact lens wearer or a veteran, it can sometimes feel like your prescription is written in a different language. Below, find our step-by-step guide to safely ordering contacts online&#;and being sure you&#;re getting the best ones for you.
Before ordering contacts online, you need an up-to-date prescription from your eye doctor. In general, a prescription is valid if it&#;s less than one year old. A contact lens prescription is different from an eyeglasses prescription because contacts sit directly on the eye and glasses sit approximately 12 millimeters away from the eye.
As part of your prescription, your eye doctor will specify a lens brand based on factors such as breathability, fit and your lifestyle. You&#;ll want to shop for contacts on a site that carries your brand.
Usually sites will allow you to order a one-month, three-month or six-month supply, and sometimes more. You&#;ll receive a greater discount when you order more lenses, but you run the risk of your prescription changing before you can use them all. The best time to order in bulk is when you have a brand new prescription, although some sites also offer returns on unused, unopened boxes.
Each contact lens prescription includes the lens brand, lens diameter and base curve for each eye. There are also abbreviations that indicate things such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, astigmatism and pupillary distance. Most sites offer tutorials on how to correctly read your prescription, and you can always call customer service if you have questions. Depending on the site you&#;re using, you have the option to , text or fax your prescription, and the site will reach out to your doctor directly to confirm it. If your prescription is expired, many sites offer the ability to take an online vision exam from home through your computer or smartphone.
Although several sites offer free standard shipping, take note that your order can&#;t be shipped until your prescription has been approved by your eye doctor, and this can take anywhere from a few hours to several days. Expedited shipping fees are steep, which should incentivize you to place your contact lens order well before you need it.
Deals are often highlighted at the top of the retailer&#;s main page, and some sites have specific rebate pages. Also, beware of things like hidden fees or additional pricing for shipping. Often, you&#;ll click through your order thinking you&#;re getting an amazingly low price, only to get to check out and see that the cost has doubled. If this is the case, call customer service and have them explain the situation to be sure there&#;s not another way to find a cheaper price. Sometimes you won&#;t see savings until you receive a rebate a few weeks after placing your order.
While it depends on your vision needs and whether you want a site that accepts insurance or not, there are number of top sites for ordering contacts online. Our best overal pick is 1-800 Contacts because of how convenient and hassle-free it makes ordering lenses online. Besides having an easy-to-navigate site, the brand offers price matching, free shipping, and free exchanges and returns. Plus, you can return old (by a decade or longer) or even opened boxes of contacts, which is rare and incredibly helpful.
Buying your contacts online is just as safe as buying them in person, as long as you purchase from a reputable seller. All of our recommended websites feature the same brands of contacts that you&#;d find at an optical shop, including Acuvue and Bausch & Lomb. The main difference is that contacts purchased online are often less expensive than ones bought in-store.
While your eye doctor&#;s office can offer rebate options, online contacts suppliers get lenses directly from manufacturers, skipping steps that add extra costs for you. Plus, they have access to massive warehouses, which allows them to give steeper discounts than you&#;d find at the doctor&#;s office. Further, several eyewear e-tailers offer price matching, meaning if you find your preferred contacts cheaper elsewhere, they&#;ll match (or beat) that price. This is the reason many people prefer buying contacts online&#;in addition to the convenience factor.
No, you need to have a valid, current prescription from an eye doctor to purchase contacts online. If your prescription has expired and setting up an optometrist appointment is too much of a hassle, certain retailers allow you to renew your prescription from home with a virtual vision test. For example, 1-800 Contacts offers an ExpressExam feature that costs $20 and takes just 10 minutes.
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