Warby Parker Glasses Review

I hate not being able to see without contacts or glasses. It leads to one inconvenience after another. Everything about going to the optometrist, getting a prescription, and picking out frames is a hassle, but nowadays it’s less of a hassle thanks to the internet; after I get that prescription in hand, I simply order my contacts AND my glasses online. This, my friends, has changed everything.

Buying contacts online is very straightforward and easy but glasses…online?!?! How? That was my first thought when my friend showed me her new glasses from Warby Parker. She told me how easy it was to get them, but I was still unsure.

The next week I had an eye exam. After the eye exam it was time to find frames. My kids were with me so I was in a rush trying to find the best frame with the best price. I remember hurriedly taking photos of the frames on my face, and sending the photos to my friends for opinions.

Finally, I thought I had found a price that beat my friend’s glasses at Warby Parker, but when we sat down and put all the features onto the lenses, the glasses rung up at 400 bucks…WITH INSURANCE. At this point my kids were toast, and I had to get out of there. I paid the money and left.

Later that day, I was lamenting the fact that I had probably gotten ripped off when my friend called. She empowered me to call the optometrist, cancel that order, and check out Warby Parker. So I did.

I will never go back to the old way of doing things. It’s just way more convenient and fun this way. Let me convince you!

**This post is not a paid review, but it does contain affiliate links. It’s just information I had to pass on because I love Warby Parker! If you decide to buy a pair, please click my link first and I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I’d greatly appreciate your support.

Why Warby Parker?

Price

Warby Parker glasses cost at least half of what I was paying at the optometrist, if not a third. That alone is worth the risk of buying them online.

Quality

It’s true, there are a lot of companies online that sell glasses. Some of them are cheaper than Warby Parker, and there is a reason for that. I know first hand because I have a pair of prescription sunglasses from a cheap place, and the materials used on the this pair are just that, cheap. The tint of the glasses barely goes all the way to the frame, and somehow the plastic seems less sturdy. If I were wearing them everyday, they probably wouldn’t last more than a year.

On the contrast, the glasses I bought from Warby Parker are on their 3rd solid year. That’s right. I’m going strong with these glasses for three years. My prescription hasn’t changed, and honestly neither have the glasses. They are as solid as the day I bought them.

Perks

If you need to get your glasses adjusted at a local optometrist and there is a fee, just send a copy of the receipt to Warby Parker and they will reimburse you.

In addition, they offer a no-scratch one year guarantee, so if they do get scratched (such as children getting a hold of them and doing everything that shouldn’t be done to lenses…) then they will replace it for free. Free shipping too because Warby Parker is awesome like that.

Which brings me to the thing that made me fall in love with this company: the customer service.

Customer Service

I can’t begin to tell you how many snarky optometrist assistants that I have had to deal with whenever I have a problem. Just dealing with these people is a hassle.

On top of dealing with this attitude, I have to spend 10 minutes driving there, wait 15 minutes to see someone, explain the problem, argue for another 10 minutes about the problem just to get them to take the glasses! Then I have to turn around, drive 10 more minutes home, go without glasses for a week, wait for them to call – which sometimes they forget to do (let’s be honest), drive back over there which takes 10 minutes, wait an unspecified amount of time for someone to help me, and rummage through their stock to find my glasses, sign some paperwork, and complete my final trek across town to get back home.

And I live in a small town where the commute is minimal!

Before Warby Parker, this was my life for 19 years. 

At Warby-Parker if I have a problem, I call the company where I am never put on hold. I talk directly to a person. They are always kind, they never argue that it’s my fault the lenses are scratched, they say sorry, send me an email with postage already supplied and addressed, I ship it to them, I wait, I get it back in the mail. It probably takes me about 10 minutes total.

It’s truly that easy. 

The only thing a local company has in common with Warby Parker is going without glasses for a week when you need a repair. That’s it. Can you see how much easier life gets if you don’t have to deal with the rest?!?!

Convenient

I can’t stand going to the optometrist because it is such a huge time commitment. Last time I went for just an eye exam, I had to wait for 45 minutes to see the doctor. By the time I got fitted for contacts and paid, I’d been there for almost two hours!

Does anyone have time after all this waiting to pick out a flattering frame and lense upgrades, especially when you have kids? There must be a better way!

Here is where Warby Parker stands out among all those other online glasses companies. The free try on box.

Don’t waste another minute trying on frames in a store with nobody’s opinion but your own.

Try on 5 frames at home

You read that right, you pick 5 frames (they don’t always have every style available) and they ship them to you for free. Then, you get 5 days to ask anyone you want which ones they like better. When you figure it out you send them back with the free return label.

It doesn’t get more simple than that. Last time I went to an optometrist, it was a nightmare. I took a million pictures, frantically sent them to to my friends while my kids were crying, and I was rushing to get out the door. Thank goodness I never have to do that again!

If the glasses you want don’t come in a try-on kit, you can always risk it. That’s what I did. I called and asked them if I could I return them if I didn’t like them and they said yes. So I went ahead and ordered them. I was at peace knowing that even if they looked terrible, I could send them back for a full refund! They didn’t look terrible, I loved them.

As a mom, this home try-on kit has revolutionized my glasses wearing experience. My one piece of advice from mom to mom: don’t leave this box around unattended. For some reason there is nothing more fun in the world to kids than trying on glasses. I don’t know what happens if you break a home try-on pair, but I don’t want to know.

When I get a package, I hide it in with the other mail or the kids beg to put them on. Here’s another pro-tip: either try on your frames when the kids are asleep, or be prepared for the begging!

But I want to support local businesses

Look, I understand. I am the exact same way. For me, I wasn’t getting the level of customer service at my local store so I took my business elsewhere. It just so happened to be an online company. Warby Parker earns every dollar you spend at their company with their amazing products and customer service.

If you absolutely must have a brick and mortar store, don’t give up on Warby Parker just yet. The company has been growing and they now have a lot of physical locations. There are two in the state where I live!

I have been to one, and it was just as awesome as dealing with the people online. Everyone is truly thankful for your business and they are there to help.

I appreciate these old school values in such a modern company.

One final note:

Warby Parker is also big about giving back. For every pair of glasses that is sold, they give one away. I don’t know of any optometrist companies in town that do that. At best, Wal-mart will give away old glasses to the needy. This company gives away nice glasses, and I appreciate that.

If you have any more questions about the Warby Parker experience, leave a comment below. Have you tried Warby Parker? What has your experience been like? I’d love to know!

Also be sure and visit this link so you can see all the awesome glasses and sunglasses Warby Parker has to offer!