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EyeBuyDirect

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6.4

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: January 31st, 2025

EyeBuyDirect is an online eyeglasses retailer based in Austin, Texas. Since 2006, this retailer has offered affordable in-house eyeglasses. It doesn’t sell brand name frames, but does offer a premium designer brand called RFLKT Eyewear.

In 2013, the company was acquired by the Essilor Group, a huge international eyewear company.

Shop EyeBuyDirect’s more than 1,200 frames by size, shape, rim, material, color, and special features like bifocal or progressive-friendly frames, adjustable nose-pads, and spring hinges. There is even a fit and style quiz to help you understand your preferences. While it does offer more than 200 sunglass styles, adults and kids frames can be used for prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses, plus reading or computer glasses. You can virtually try them on with the EyeTry virtual mirror.

Customers can create an account with their already existing Amazon or Facebook credentials. You need to have a valid prescription and pupillary distance measurement to order and glasses are delivered within 7–14 business days.

Keep reading for pros and cons of shopping at EyeBuyDirect.

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The Good

  • Affordable Frames and Lenses
  • Lots of Prescription Lenses
  • Free Shipping
  • Return Policy
  • 365-Day Guarantee
  • Buy One, Give One
  • Loyalty and Discounts

Affordable Frames and Lenses

EyeBuyDirect offers low-priced glasses, with an average total purchase of $65. It is direct sale only. All manufacturing is under one roof, so overhead is low.

Frames range from $6–$70, with 1.50 index single vision lenses included. From there, there is an added cost for upgraded frames:

  • Bifocal — $29
  • Progressive — $49
  • Premium Progressive — $69

Not only are the frame prices low, but that price includes standard 1.5 single vision lenses. On top of that, the site even has a Coupons section to see what current discounts and promos are. You don’t have to wait until a specific code is emailed to you

Lots of Prescription Lenses

Not only does EyeBuyDirect offer affordable prices, but it also offers a wide variety of lens options, including single vision distance and reading glasses, and progressive lenses as well as fashion glasses with non-prescription lenses. You can even buy bifocals, which is a lens type that other online eyewear retailers exclude.

Two options for blue light filtering glasses to help with eye fatigue and digital eye strain include EDBlue and SightRelax.

Indexes available:

  • 1.50 standard
  • 1.57
  • 1.59
  • 1.60
  • 1.67
  • 1.74

Lenses automatically come with anti-scratch coating, but you can add-on the following coatings:

  • Anti-reflective coating
  • Light-adjusting photochromic lenses
  • Premium photochromic Transitions™ coating, light-adjusting, UV protection, anti-smudge, AR, scratch resistant
  • Four color tints, and two intensities
  • Gradient-tinted coating, darker tint at the top and lighter at the bottom
  • Polarized coating in three colors (dark green, brown, or gray) for reducing reflections
  • Mirrored tinting in three colors (blue, gold, silver)
  • Water repellant
  • UV protective coating (free with 1.59 polycarbonate)

Free Shipping Over $99

Orders over $99 ship free. If your order total is less than $99, it’s still a bargain, but you do have to pay $5.95 for standard USPS shipping (7–14 business days) You can upgrade to faster shipping for $19+ via UPS and UPS Next Day Air, but that won’t expedite your processing time.

Return Policy

Customers can return or exchange their glasses within 14 days via the fit and style guarantee.

If you return after the 14-day policy, you will have to pay for return shipping.

This isn’t the longest return or refund policy (many other online eyeglass stores offer 30 days), but at least you can return for a refund, with no fees.

Customers have a variety of ways to contact EyeBuyDirect. Customer service is available via email, chat, and phone, seven days a week: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to midnight (Eastern) and Saturday and Sunday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern).

365-Day Guarantee

EyeBuyDirect also offers a product guarantee for 12 months if there is a defect in materials or workmanship. However, this doesn’t cover mistakes and scratches.

This guarantee is probably a big reason why the site boasts a 95 percent satisfaction rate with customers.

Keep in mind that it is a one-time replacement. It can’t be used for replacements multiple times within that first year.

Buy One, Give One

For every order, EyeBuyDirect will donate a pair of prescription glasses through an organization called Vision for Life.

Loyalty and Discounts

If you spend over $99 in a calendar year, you are eligible for EyeBuyDirect’s Focus Loyalty Program, which comes with cool benefits and discounts:

  • Buy One, Get One Free Offer
  • 15% off any purchase
  • Free U.S. Shipping
  • Free premium glasses case
  • 30% off sunglasses discount
  • 20% off a single purchase
  • Exclusive offers
  • Exclusive early access to limited collections

Additional discounts are available at eyebuydirect.com for lots of groups:

  • Student Discount — 20% off plus free shipping
  • Veterans’ Discount — 20% off
  • Referral Discount — When you refer a friend, you get $10 (and they get $10 off their first order). There is a $50 bonus when you add five new referrals. You can track your progress through your EBD account.

Visit Site

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The Bad

  • Glasses Only
  • Try-On
  • Insurance
  • Trifocal Lenses

Glasses Only

While EyeBuyDirect has a huge selection of frames and lenses, you won’t find contact lenses among its inventory.

Try-On

You can virtually try on glasses when you upload a photo through the EyeTry option, but you can’t try on frames at home without purchasing.

Remember, if you don’t like them, you can return within 14 days.

Insurance

EyeBuyDirect does not partner with any vision insurance providers. So, if you want to use insurance, it will have to be an out-of-network benefit. However, FSA and HSA cards are accepted, if they are branded with a major credit card.

Trifocal Lenses

While you can definitely buy progressive lenses, you can’t get lined trifocals at EyeBuyDirect.

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The Bottom Line

EyeBuyDirect offers a huge selection of its low-price, self-branded frames. You can get single vision glasses for as little as $6. This is pretty cheap, when you consider that most eyeglass stores selling nationwide brands can cost hundreds of dollars for the same thing. Most customers will be able to find a good option.

EyeBuyDirect offers a 14-day return policy, a 1-year warranty, and lots of discount opportunities, on top of the retailer’s already low prices.

Have you ordered a pair of glasses or sunglasses from EyeBuyDirect? Tell us about your experience with a quick review below.

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Star Rating

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4.6

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951 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

76%

4 grade

15%

3 grade

6%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

1%

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Grace M Columbus, GA

I like the styles they provide. I do not like that they were physically unable to fulfill my order and instead of refunding or letting me know what was going on, they sent me a tracking number after waiting the initial 2 week max wait, as promised by the company. I then received a phone call 5 days later, stating they were shipping out my product within 48 hours. It wasn't until 21 days after purchase that the product was ordered, that I recieved an email confirming shipping and an estimated date of arrival. With all of this, and my reaching out to customer service to ask for clarity on when I would get my product, I was given a coupon for my next order with this company. They were unable to fulfill my initial order in the time frame promised, then lied and strung its customers on in order to keep from having to refund customers. With the multitude of competitors, I see no reason to try to redeem my experience with EyeBuyDirect.

5 years ago

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Nabih Bedewi Rockville, MD

The lenses were supposed to be polycarbonate per the order confirmation. Turns out they were not. I fell and one of the lenses shattered. Required major surgery to my face to remove the lodged pieces and repair the muscle and nerve damage below the eye. Over $25,000 in medical bills. Expert examination of the lens showed that it was an acrylic and not polycarbonate. Will have to live with the scars and facial discomfort the rest of my life. If you purchased glasses with polycarbonate lenses from EyeBuyDirect I highly recommend that you have them verified by an optometrist.

4 years ago

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Leslie D. Chicago, IL

I've tried to return these glasses twice and still haven't received the return prompt it said would be coming within 24hrs of those attempts. Also, I was under the impression that these glasses were returnable, no questions asked, but when I went to return it said only store credit is available? That's pretty misleading. And there aren't any smaller frames that appeal to me, so I basically just got tricked into throwing $50 down the drain.

5 years ago

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Jasmine Soto Chino Hills, CA

I am a first time customer and my only issue/complaint was the shipment process. I paid for regular shipping that guaranteed less a than 14 days process yet the product took over 20 days to arrive. Also, I couldn’t track my order because my order either said: “hasn’t shipped” or “preshipment”. The product is nice but it took too long to receive it.

5 years ago

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Evan Patterson Virginia Beach, VA

the glasses prescription was wrong have tried emailing multiple times tried calling to request a return and have fix, they refuse to respond back. worst customer service ever. been 3 weeks now with no luck on getting them so I have now file a report with the BBB.

4 years ago

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sammyrae1991 Southfield, MI

I ordered a pair of glasses. They are not working for me. Tried to process a return and the company won't email me back the return instructions. Did everything I was supposed to do online to beging the return and was told support would email me what to do next. That was 3-4 days ago...

5 years ago

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Heather Do Nascimento Houston, TX

I understand there were some issues with some companies in China, this should have been told to customers earlier instead of 2 weeks after not receiving the eyeglasses on time. I appreciate the discount code, but communication should have been better. Other than that, the glasses were perfect, just didn’t fit my style.

5 years ago

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Kim Sawtell Saint Paul, MN

One of the lens prescription was not correct. We checked it at an optical store and it was wrong. Have had no communication returned from the company. Need to return them for a refund.

5 years ago

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gloria ford Crete, IL

The prescription is way off... I’ve tried to reach out and understand how to return or exchange but no response so far

4 years ago

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Heather Shelby, NC

I could not see the computer with the glasses. I called and another pair are being made. I am sorry it is such a long wait to get them.

4 years ago

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Istvan Balog McHenry, IL

I've ordered a bifocal progressive glass. The reading part of the glass in not good. I can't read with this glass.

5 years ago

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Jeffrey Reynolds New York, NY

The glasses are not the right prescription. I must send them back. Very disappointing.

5 years ago

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Damon Himes Pittsburgh, PA

More expensive with service that wasn't as good as other sites.

4 years ago