Around 45 million people wear contact lenses in the US to improve their vision. 22-30% of people bought lenses online in 2018 instead of buying them from a store or a health professional.

The reasons for this include:

1. Convenience
2. Affordability
3. Fast delivery
4. Wider selection

Are Contact Lenses Medical Devices?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers contact lenses as medical devices and keeps them regulated for safety and effectiveness for vision correction. For safety reasons lenses should be bought from reputable sources only. We’ll be providing details about the best choices for online contact lens retailers in this article.

It is important to note that plenty of eye doctors as well as people who wear contact lenses advise against buying them online for fear of low quality and incorrect contacts.

How Have We Selected Online Stores for Contact Lenses?

The sites we have included in the list have a good reputation with customers.

We have excluded retailers who have a history of complaints about customer service and product quality among other areas. We have also omitted the ones that had low ratings and any history of fraudulent practices.

We went through customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau before compiling this list.

We shortlisted sites that offer a wider selection of lens brands from only trusted manufacturers that use modern lens materials.

We included retailers that offered money-back guarantees and price match guarantees.

Best Online Sellers For Contact Lenses

GlassesUSA.com has made a name for itself in the online market by offering a wide range of eyewear including contact lenses eyeglasses sunglasses and glasses that block blue light.

Their category of contact lenses includes:

1. Dailies
2. Weeklies
3. Monthlies
4. Bifocals
5. Multifocals
6. Single vision lenses

They have also been offering a price match guarantee and 100 a percent money-back guarantee.

GlassesUSA.com is excited to let you know that we have launched our very own contact lens brand Vista plus which is currently available on our website. Developed through extensive research testing the latest technical advancements and endorsed by top vision experts Vista plus contact lenses are designed with comfort as a top priority and to fit anyone’s active lifestyle. Not only are they great for your eyes but they are good for the environment too as the packaging and foil are recyclable. So everyone can enjoy this product at an amazing price ($32 per month) which is less than half the price of comparable contact lens brands on the market. 

What is Vista plus:

1. The lenses include hyaluronic acid that helps the eyes retain moisture & hydration.

2. They protect against the transmission of harmful UV-A and UV-B rays.

3. For single vision and dailies only (more products with this series to come!)

4. FDA approved.

5. Free Shipping and returns

6. 100% money-back guarantee

7. You can only get it at GlassesUSA.com. 

How it works:

1. Vista plus contact lenses are available for a 10-day trial for $1 and then $32 per month with no subscription commitment. That’s 10 pairs of daily contacts to get you started!

2. After your trial lenses will arrive at your doorstep every 1 3 6 months.

3. You can cancel/edit your subscription at any time.

4. Get a free pair of prescription glasses with your first shipment.

Consumers give high marks to ContactsDirect for running sales regularly and sending out coupons to existing customers.

They accept most of the major vision plans including:

1. Aetna
2. Blue View Vision
3. EyeMed
4. Humana
5. Superior Vision

They also carry specialized lenses like:

1. toric lenses for astigmatism
2. monovision contact lenses
3. multifocals and bifocals
4. colored contacts

ContactsDirect has made it super easy for their customers to shop by brand or by lens type.

Clearly.ca is a Canadian-based online eyewear company that has reached international status by offering hundreds of hand-selected eyewear.

They have a huge variety of contact lens brands that can be filtered on the website by lens type which makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

They have a good range of contact lenses to choose from some of the biggest brands like:

1. Acuvue
2. Dailies Total
3. Biofinity
4. Air Optix
5. Splash
6. Ever Clear

Clearly offers free returns and a price match guarantee that has earned it really good reviews from its customers. It is also very easy to get in touch with their customer care to have your queries answered.

LensCrafters is a big name in selling disposable lenses but in addition to that they are one of the few online sites that still sell conventional contact lenses that are designed to be used over several months.

They also sell eyeglasses and sunglasses.

They offer a wide range of products from leading brands including specialty lenses like:

1. MyDay Toric
2. Soflens Daily for Astigmatism
3. 1-Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal

AAA members and AARP members can get special discounts from LensCrafters. They even accept vision insurance from major plans like:

1. Humana
2. Aetna
3. EyeMed

One of the first sellers to enter the online contact lens market was 1-800 Contacts. With their huge selection of brands and lens types they are still one of the largest sellers in the domain.



The best part about them is that they accept vision insurance. Their in-network insurance partners include:

1. Anthem
2. United Healthcare Vision
3. Davis Vision
4. Spectera

In case your prescription has expired you can spend $20 to update it with their online vision exam.

They also offer 24-7 online support in addition to free returns and exchanges.

With its feature of an express Rx renewal exam the 1-800 Contacts app for iOS has been getting 5-star ratings consistently.

Users can save 20% off their first order at 1-800 Contacts

Warby Parker is best known for its selection of stylish eyeglasses and sunglasses both in stores and online.

They even offer a big selection of contact lenses online including their their own daily lens: Scout by Warby Parker. You can easily check out Scout but you should talk to your doctor first to see if your prescription and eye needs are being covered.

They sell daily biweekly and monthly lenses from brands like:

1. Acuvue
2. Bausch + Lomb
3. Air Optix

They offer free shipping for contact lenses.

Get 15% off your first order of contact lenses at Warby Parker. (The bigger the supply the bigger your savings!)

If the cost of the lenses is beyond your budget you can select Affirm at checkout to set up interest-free monthly payments.

Warby Parker app for iOS is also highly rated and can be used to shop for contacts and eyeglasses.

With a wide variety of eyewear products ranging from prescription glasses to contact lenses to sunglasses Coastal has become a leading name in online retailers in the field.

Coastal offers free shipping with orders over $50 and free returns up to 30 days after your lenses are delivered.

They offer a good selection of lens options from reputed brands like:

1. Acuvue
2. Biofinity
3. SofLens
4. Air Optix

Customers have been giving high ratings to them because you don’t need a copy of your prescription while ordering from Coastal.

ContactLensKing.com is known for carrying popular contact lens brands from manufacturers like:

1. Hydrogel Vision
2. Alcon
3. Bausch + Lomb
4. CooperVision

Their impeccable customer service 100% money-back guarantee and everyday discounted pricing has earned them superior marks from their customers.

They carry a wide variety of specialty lenses like multifocal for astigmatism plus daily weekly or monthly disposables.

Established in 1995 Lens.com is known for carrying a wide variety of contact lens brands at wholesale or near wholesale prices.

Some of the most loved brands they sell include:

1. Acuvue
2. Bausch + Lomb
3. Bioflex

They offer weekly disposables and monthly disposables that their customers can buy in single packs or in bulk. They manage their prices in a way that the more someone buys the less it costs them.

Their customer service easy return process and delivery speed has been much appreciated by their customers.

It is important to note that users have complained against their gift card rebate program as well as higher than expected service charge fees.

How To Choose an Online Seller for Contact Lenses?

When choosing an online retailer for contact lenses, it is best to check their reputation. Even the best business will have bad reviews but if the reviews are consistently bad, that can be a red flag. It would help if you also took note of the dates of the reviews.

Shopping after price comparison is great but sometimes retailers that give heavy discounts can also have a bad reputation. In these cases, less expensive lenses can end up costing more if they come ripped or unsealed or are of inferior quality.

To avoid any such situation, it is best to select a retailer that offers a money-back or price match guarantee.

Notes For Buying Contacts Online 

Buying In Batches or Subscriptions

Most sites would offer deals and discounts on bulk buying. Signing up for a monthly subscription is an excellent way to save money. But you should only choose a retailer that allows you to opt-out of the subscription at any time without penalty.

Checking In with Your Eye Doctor

Some online sites offer a prescription check. You can use them if you want to extend the gap between your doctor’s visits. But it is important to get your eyes checked regularly by a doctor because online prescription checks don’t include overall eye health and can’t detect conditions like macular degeneration or glaucoma.

Even sites with chat features can’t provide much support when deciding the best course of action for your eye health.

Buying contact lenses online isn’t for everyone. If it isn’t for you, you can purchase them through your optometrist or ophthalmologist. They may sometimes partner with suppliers to have your prescription mailed to you.

Buying where your vision insurance is accepted

Not every site will accept your vision insurance, but you should try to find a retailer that does. This way you’ll be able to save hundreds of dollars annually.

The Takeaway

There are many retailers online that sell contact lenses, but not all of them stand the test of customer service and product guarantees.

However, the sites on this list have shown consistently good reviews. Many of vision insurance even offer monthly plans for payments. A lot of them even offer price match guarantees and free shipping on returns.