Know Your Prescription When Buying Glasses Online

Buying prescription glasses online may seem complicated if you usually buy them in-store after an eye exam, but the truth is, choosing and buying your prescription glasses online couldn't be easier! There are many benefits to buying your prescription glasses online as opposed to shopping on the high street.  

Benefits of purchasing online

Take your time

Choosing the frames you like or finding the perfect shape of glasses for your face can take some time, and there's no need to rush when you're shopping online. You can shop by color, brand, shape or style, and even use valuable resources like virtual fitting tools to see if the glasses you choose will fit your face shape.

Convenience

If you can't make it to the store or don't have the time, buying prescription eyeglasses online means you can order them with just a few clicks and have them delivered through your mailbox within a few days.  

The luxury choice

Shopping online gives you an unlimited number of options to find frames you absolutely love and can see yourself wearing for a long time. 

Save money

With a wide selection of frames and lenses to choose from, including designer options, you can save cash by using discount codes and taking advantage of special offers and deals to shop online. 

Expert quality

Reliable eyewear brands will guarantee the authenticity of their products and offer exclusive custom lenses in partnership with trusted optometrists. This way you can rest assured that your prescription will be filled to the exact specifications.   

Reading an eyeglass prescription

Eyeglass prescription layouts vary depending on the optometrist you go to and can sometimes be confusing, but you don't need to know the details of how to read your prescription to order your glasses online. There are just a few key pieces of information that you can use to measure your pupil distance using a helpful online tool. 

OS and OD

OS refers to your left eye and OD refers to your right eye. 

Positive and negative numbers

This is about distance. This is the correction for farsightedness or nearsightedness. The number will appear in increments of 0.25 and will be preceded by a plus sign or a minus sign. The plus sign indicates farsightedness and the minus sign indicates nearsightedness. 

Cylindrical and Axial

CYL stands for Cylindrical and refers to the presence of astigmatism. This is scored in increments of 0.25 with a plus or minus sign. The axis score ranges from 0 to 180 and indicates the angle of astigmatism.

If there are any other abbreviations or fractions on your prescription, such as prism readings, please contact our dispensing optician for some guidance. 

Get a prescription for your sunglasses

Most sunglasses can be glazed to fit your prescription, or you can have prescription lenses built into a pair of sunglasses to give them the corrective quality you need. Prescription sunglasses mean you can protect your eyes from the sun and benefit from the ability to see clearly. 

Our simple ordering process means you can choose the frames you like and we'll walk you through all your options at checkout. You can add the lenses of your choice and enter your prescription details, or simply upload a copy of your prescription and leave the rest to us!