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One of my colleagues recently told me about an online prescription glasses retailer that has a business model that caught my eye. Whenever you go online looking to purchase glasses whether it be prescription glasses, or non-prescription glasses, what is the biggest problem you encounter? You can’t try the glasses on.Â
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Warby Parker Home Try-On Review
Warby Parker, a company whose founders were tired of the eyewear industry being dominated by a single company that was keeping the prices of eyeglasses high and reaping huge profits from consumers of prescription eyeglasses who essentially have no other option.
They started their company to be an alternative to the high prices not only by the optical industry but even private optical offices. So how are they revolutionizing the online prescription eyeglass industry? Along with providing one of the most affordable prices for prescription eyewear on the market, this company allows you to go to their website and pick out 5 different frames, they will then ship you those 5 frames, and you have 5 days to try them on, for FREE!
I was extremely fascinated by this business concept that I had to give this a try, let’s give Warby Parker’s home try-on program a go.
Picking Your 5 Try at Home Frames
When you first get to the website you are greeted by a very clean and elegant designed website.
Right away you see them advertising their Try 5 frames for free, the second line of word cycles through things like “on the phone”, “in your pajamas”, “in your own mirror”, and a couple of other funny little phrases.
So from here, there is a button right there that says “Take a Quiz”. This is where you would head next from here.
When you click to take the quiz, the first question you will be asked if you were looking for Men’s style frames or Women’s style frames. I choose Men’s style frames because that is what I prefer, you would just choose your preference here. You may only pick 1.
After you make your preference between Men’s or Women’s style frames it takes you to a screen where you pick you fit. I found this an especially awesome feature as I have a wider fit head, and smaller frames do not fit right so it was nice that I was able to pick a preference here. You may only pick 1.
After you pick which size you prefer you are brought to a screen where you are asked what frame shape you like. You are able to pick between round, rectangular, and square. For this one you may pick as many shapes as you like.
After you pick your preferred frame shapes you are presented with a variety of colors options including bright, neutral, black, tortoise, crystal, and two-tone. You may pick as many colors as you like.
After you have made all the selection of colors that you want, you are presented with 3 different frame materials for you to pick from. The material options you can pick from include acetate (plastic), metal, and mixed material. You may pick as many material types as you would like.
After you are done selecting all the frame materials you want, they ask you when your last eye exam was. You are only able to select one here, so select the appropriate selection.
After that, you have the option of entering in your email here to save your quiz just in case you want to revisit this later, and you don’t want to have to go through all that hassle again.
After you are either done entering in your email or skipping that part then you are presenting a page with some basic instructions about picking your frame and trying them on at home. Whenever you are ready when you hit the button to show the results.
All the frames that will appear are based on your answers to the quiz that you just took. The frames that appear will all be eligible for the try on at home program. From here you would just go through the selection of frames and pick the ones you would like to try on at home.
After you have made your selection and left a credit card (Don’t worry they aren’t going to charge you unless you don’t return the frames, the postage is free there should be no reason why you don’t return it) and checked out, all you have to do now is wait for the frames to arrive so you could try them on.
Home Try-On Shipping Time
I was super excited to try these frames on so of course, I was a bit impatient, but I placed my order for my 5 frames on a Wednesday, and my glasses arrived on the following Tuesday. It might have been a bit slower due to the Monday of that week being a holiday.
What is in the Box
The frames arrived in a black box with the words “Good things await you” on it along with the Warby Parker logo above the text. When you open the box you are greeted with a bit of information on how to go about getting your glasses ordered, or if you needed any help. 
Right on top, there is your home try-on handbook. Inside the handbook, there is useful information on the outside such as how to order your glasses on Warby Parker’s website, and how to send back your home try-on glasses. On the inside of this handbook, on the left-hand side, it explains to you how to tell if your frame fits.
Right below that they explain that their glasses come with a one-year no-scratch guarantee. They replace the lenses for your glasses if they get scratched up for free within 12 months. They also offer a 30-day return or exchange policy if you have any issues or you wanted to change the frame.
The last part of the bottom part talks about glasses adjustments. I thought this was amazing of them, this is seriously over the top customer service. If you need your glasses adjusted and you are not near a Warby Parker retail location and you go get your glasses adjusted somewhere within the first 30 days and that place charges you, Warby Parker will reimburse you up to $50 dollars for the adjustment. That is some seriously amazing customer service.
On the right side of the handbook, the page talks about Warby Parker’s frames and how they are in-house designed and made. Right below it there is a bit about how you could get your insurance money reimbursed if you have out-of-network benefits, and how you could use your FSA and HSA health savings cards on Warby Parker’s website
On the back of the handbook, it just gives a brief summary of Warby Parker’s work with nonprofit organizations.
Right below the handbook in the box is your return shipping label that you use to send the frames back after you are done trying them on. Right below that was the 5 frames that I had picked out. Each neatly individually wrapped.
5 Days to try on Frames
This was the first time that I had ever touched a frame made by Warby Parker and let me tell you I am VERY impressed with the quality of the frames from Warby Parker. Being an optician for many years I know exactly what a quality frame feels like as soon as you touch them. The photo on the right there you can see me with the “Crane” frames.
All of these frames from Warby Parker feel like sturdy frames, and the material that is used to make the frame is very high quality. The hinges feel really sturdy, and do not feel like they would be able to be broken easily. 4 out of the 5 frames I had chosen had extra reinforced hinges. 
Check out this short video from Warby Parker showing how their frames are designed and made every step of the way. After watching the video and seeing how much craftsmanship they put into these frames I understand why they feel high quality as they do.
As you can see everywhere from the initial design to the material itself there was a lot of care that was put into creating these frames. For my 5 frames, I picked 3 pairs of sunglasses and two regular pairs of glasses. You can check out the photos of them below.
Prescription Glasses
After you have your frame picked you could actually head over to the Warby Parker website and place the order for your glasses yes, even before you send back the home try-on frames. 
The majority of their glasses start at $95 dollars, now you might think like Woah Woah $95 dollars seems high. Well for that amount you are getting a polycarbonate lens WITH anti-reflective coating. That is a great deal, considering if you were to go to your local Walmart to get that the lenses alone for polycarbonate with anti-reflective coating is $110 dollars without the frame. I can tell you that their inexpensive frames are nowhere near the quality of the frames from Warby Parker.
Takeaway
As of right now, Warby Parker is my new favorite online prescription glasses retailer by far. Warby Parker was able to solve a huge problem with purchasing your prescription glasses online by offering the home try-on option for their customers. Not only that they offer top-notch customer service everywhere from their return policy to their scratches warranty, and even with something as minor as the adjustments they are willing to take care of you if you don’t live near a Warby Parker retail store.
So if Warby Parker’s home try-on worth your time? Absolutely! If you are in the market for some new prescription eyeglasses I would definitely give Warby Parker a look. With the home try-on feature you can be sure that the frames that you are getting will fit and look like you imagined. With that great price for single vision lenses with anti-reflective coating along with the high-quality in-house made frames from Warby Parker, there is no better deal.
Do you see some frames that you like? Try the home-try on program for yourself. I mean there honestly is no risk to it, just make sure that you return the frames within 5 days.
Have you tried Warby Parker’s home try-on service? What did you think of it? Let me know below! As always thank you all for reading, if you have any questions, or comments don’t hesitate to leave them below and I will get back to you.
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Love the idea behind this that you can try on glasses that are not able to be tried on in stores.
It is a wonderful idea, they are truly revolutionizing the industry with this program.
Awesome info, yes i used glasses i am at the age of 61 now and my vision is not as good as it used to be. Very informative website, the differnt types og glasses you can get after getting your eyes tested. Having glasses is very important as you get older, keep up the good work.
Hi Gaylene, thanks for stopping by. Yes, glasses are definitely vital as you get older. It is great that there are so many different companies offering affordable eyewear for everyone.
This is a great idea! Thank you for walking us through the process. I actually don’t need prescriptive glasses, but really dislike choosing sunglasses in a shop, so having a few to try at home could be an option!
Hi Joanne, thanks for stopping by. Yes, the try at home option would be great for you because you would be able to try them in the comfort and privacy of your own home. thanks again.
I have been short sighted since the age of 8 and I always had a problem when choosing frames because I couldn’t see what they looked like from a distance – being anything more than about 6 feet. I wish someone had been able to solve that problem..!!
As it happens I’ve just had a double cataract removal, so now I don’t need glasses any more, which does solve my problem, although not in the way I had thought..! 🙂
Cheers,
Martin.
Hi there Martin, yes it is night and day once you have those cataracts removed. I have not experienced them myself but I had a family member go through it and they no longer wear glasses either. Thanks for stopping by!
I really love this concept of try before you buy, i live in a small town and I usually have to wait until i need a big purchase before we make the journey into the city. This is a must try for my family and I. Thanks for opening my eyes to a better way for glasses .
Hi Stephen, yes they have done a great job with this concept. It really solves a big issue when it comes to purchasing glasses online.
This is a neat concept that I have not heard of before. I recently started wearing glasses and didn’t like paying the prices at the local store. I wondered about ordering them online, but never knew how to size or couldn’t imagine how they would look on me. This gives me another option.
Thanks
Hi Jim, yes the prices at local stores can be quite high. There are ways to figure out your eyeglass sizes before you make your online purchase.
Check out this article where I explain all the different things you should have ready before you make your online prescription glasses purchase.
You can check it out here.
Nice article.
I really need to look into getting glasses. I’ve been in front of a computer screen the past 10 years either with school, gaming or work and my sight is getting pretty rough. This is a pretty cool idea and something I deeply need to do!
Hi Brandon, if you are in front of a computer screen all day then you would benefit from having a pair of glasses even if you didn’t need a prescription. Thanks for stopping by!
This is great. My wife and I wear glasses and I two years ago we spent a FORTUNE on 3 pairs (2 regular pairs and 1 pair of sunglasses). She’s now looking to get another pair for the office for reading and doesn’t know what to get. The process of going store to store last time was daunting (literally took MONTHS). I’m going to send her here and see what she thinks.
I’m assuming they can assist with the measurements as well – that’s been my biggest issue with buying glasses online.
Hi Dave, there are definitely a lot more resources to help with the measurements these days. Reading glasses are a lot easier to purchase online because there aren’t too many measurements required.
Ok…you’ve got me hooked. I have a well to do aunt who swore by Warby Parker so I had heard of them before. My assumption was that they were unaffordable. After reading your post not only have you informed us on a stellar purchasing experience, but that these babies are in my price range and are of good quality. I especially appreciate your insight because of your industry knowledge. Thanks for letting us know exactly what to expect on the website. I will most definitely be making my next eyeglass purchase from them!
Hi Melo Ann! That is great to hear that your aunt was recommended Warby Parker as well. It is quite a game changer with their home try-on program I am surprised that there isn’t more online retailers following the same business plan.
What an excellent service!
If I had just seen the website without seeing your review I would have been concerned about the quality but knowing that you are a qualified optician and that you rate them makes all the difference.
Unfortunately, I am in the UK and it seems that at the moment these are just available in Canada and the US. Am I right?
Perhaps sometime in the future these might be available worldwide.
Another question- I have vari-focal lenses – would I have been able to get these?
All the best!
Hi Julia! Thanks for stopping by.
Yes you are correct that they currently only service Canada and the US but hopefully in the future they might expand.
As far as the lenses, Warby Parker does not seem to carry a standard bi-focal lens with a line, however they do offer a progressive bi-focal lens.
We have 3 glass wearers in the family and this is definitely good information. I like the convenience of being able to try it at home and send it back when you don’t like it. How recent does our prescription have to be to be able to use this service? Do they have a family discount? Thanks for your expertise.
Hi Maria, the convenience of being able to try it at home is great, I keep ordering it myself to try out different frames and have ordered 4 sets of home try on’s already haha.
Your prescription would have to be less than two years old to be able to order glasses at pretty much every reputable retailer on the internet. As far as a family discount I do not believe they have one.
How do they determine what type of prescription you need for your glasses? In other words, do they do the eye exams in an office or can they also do it at your house? It would definitely be a revolutionary concept if they can do eye exams by coming to you instead of the other way around.
Hi Jessie, in order for you to order prescription glasses on the internet, you will need to visit your local eye doctor and have an eye exam done, and request a copy of your prescription (They are legally suppose to provide you with a copy upon request).
Unfortunately technology has not gotten to the point where we are able to do eye exams on the internet, not yet anyways I hear that there are things in the horizon when it comes to this and it could completely revolutionize the industry, even more so than a mobile eye doctor.
This looks like a great option for prescription glasses and maybe even quality sunglasses. Thank you for your ace review – very thorough and well done with plenty of good pictures. The Warby Parker quiz looks real thorough to give me a quality try on at home selection. Do you know if they offer Sun Rx which is where the prescription glasses lenses auto transition to sunglasses when you go outside?
Hi Alexander, they are definitely up there in my picks, they do offer a photochromic lens that transitions into sunglasses when you go outside. It is a $100 add-on to whatever lenses you decide to go with.
Weldone for this great insights, am happy to know that this provision is for both medicated and non medicated, even sun shade as well. Now do there ship to every part of the world?
Secondly, you didn’t give prices or the approximate price this could go for since you have tried it, are there expensive?
I will like to give it a try if I get those questions above answered.
Thank you for all the information.
Hi Azogor, They are definitely a great option, unfortunately currently they do not service worldwide and only in the US and Canada.
Take a look at our in-depth review of Warby Parker here, we list pricing there.
Hi
Thank you for this review, I have always wondered how this worked so thanks for walking me through the process.
This is really good for those times when I am just too busy to go through the process of wanting to change my frames.
Because of your review I feel a little more confident in giving this process a try, so thank you for that. I will also be sharing this article with my friends and family so that they can become more informed.
Many thanks
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, thanks for stopping by! I am glad you found the article helpful. I truly think their home try-on program is an industry changer for sure and is great for busy people. The best thing is after you pick your frame you can get your order started before the home try-on frames even get back to them.
This business idea is so awesome! Giving customers the chance to have a feel of the product before buying is a great risk. I don’t actually need prescriptive glasses but getting one to reduce rays from my monitor will be helpful in my daily work. Thanks for the step by step guide in getting the frames.
Hi there thanks for stopping by! Yes, the best thing about the Warby Parker program is the fact that you can try on the frames risk free. This is something that has always been a difficult thing to overhome for online glasses retailers.
If you want some more information for glasses to help with your computer even without a prescription checkout our article on Gunnar blue light glasses. Take Care!
Thank you for sharing this information.
I can see that this type of service would be helpful to the elderly and people with issues that make them more comfortable in their own homes.
Sometimes hunting around a store trying on frame after frame only to discover them too small or too large is a long drawn out process. The questions section would eliminate a lot of the guesswork. Sometimes a retail store simply does not have frames that I like. I have been known to attend two or three retailers before settling on a frame.
As a user of prescription glasses, I have yet to find that I can use the same prescription for longer than 2 years. I assume that you would need to head into one of their stores to have an eye test.
Is there an option to have an eye examination elsewhere and have the prescription filled by Warby Parker?
I am not sure how the system works in your country. In Australia we can choose to use the retailer or an eye specialist to examine our eyes. I can see how such a service would benefit us here as well.
Hi KerryAnn, thanks for stopping by. That is a great idea and I don’t think is a marketing aspect of Warby Parker, but you are right elderly people that have a hard time getting around would definitely benefit from such a program.
Here in the US you are not allowed to use a prescription over 2 years so you would have to have an eye exam done if has been over that amount of time. For all of the online retailers you would pick an eye care practitioner of your choice and get the exam done to get a copy of your prescription.
Thanks for this review and I’m indeed impressed with warby parker home try-on policies, it shows the have a great way of pleasing customers and appreciating them, I’m definitely getting a new frame from them as soon as possible but I’ve got to ask, is shipping also available for Africa?
Hi there Seun, unfortunately, Warby Parker currently only operates in the United States.
Will there ever be an end to the new and creative things that companies come up with to get customers. This is brilliant, but I would never think it could work. How do they insure that you will return the glasses to them? Did they ask for any personal information like your credit card info in case you kept them? I would think it would be risky, especially given the high prices on many frames these days.
What a fantastic idea, though, because you are absolutely right. People want to try their glasses on. I spend a long time at my doctor’s office trying on frames (yes I’m a bit picky). LOL! Now, if you don’t like the first 5 frames, will they send you another five?
This is such a great alternative to spending so much time picking out frames at the store. Thanks so much for letting us now about this cool new service!
Hi Babsie, thanks for stopping by! Yes, they do hold your credit card info, they don’t charge it at all but if you don’t return the glasses you will get charged for them.
If you don’t like your first 5 you can definitely go back and order another 5 after you have returned the first set. It took me 3 tries before I found a frame I liked.
Hi, I loved your very informative post on Warby Parker Home Try-On review. It’s always great to have another option other than a physical store.
My only concern is that I wear bi-focal glasses and wonder if Warby Parker does these. Because when I get my glasses fitted a mark has to be made on the glass insert to determine where the bottom of the top lens ends and the top of the bottom one starts.
If they do bi-focal glasses, I would definitely give them a try.
Hi there Suzie, the online retailer that I recommend when it comes to bifocal glasses is Felix+Iris, their home try-on kit comes with markers and instructions on how to mark your lenses. I do not have an article for them just yet, but there is one coming soon.
Thank you for the review! I have seen their commercials on TV and thought there is no way that would work. Glad to see form an expert that it does.
My only issue with WP is that I don’t believe they take Insurance. For example, my frames and lenses are much cheaper than $95.00 out the door. It seems that they are missing a huge segment of the market by not taking insurance. Thoughts?
Hi Nate thanks for stopping by! Warby Parker does take some insurances, you can check their insurance page to see if they accept your vision provider.
Thank you for sharing ¨Warby Parker Home Try-On Review – An Optician´s Honest Review¨. I had a different experience with Warby Parker (WP). I went to their website to save money and I did. I came away with satisfactory prescription eyeglasses in the end, but with some bumps in the road to get there. If you are going to order from WP, first figure out how you are going to get the frames adjusted. I sort of figured I would skip this step, or do it myself. Wrong!. The glasses hurt like hell . Twice, I drove to a WP store- the nearest one being pretty inconveniently far- to get them adjusted. The adjustment wasn´t good. Finally went to a local storefront optician and she adjusted them for free, and then they stopped hurting me. She remarked ¨They were way out of alignment. Did something happen to them?¨ I confessed I had tried to adjust them myself.
Hi Enrique, I always recommend just taking it to any local optician to get them adjusted instead of driving to the Warby Parker stores if it’s too far. Almost any optical place would be happy to adjust your glasses, and most do not charge. If they do charge you did you know Warby Parker will reimburse you the amount? It is listed here, under “Fit” Thanks for stopping by!
Hey greta post on the warby parker eyeglass company. i want aware of this company until now. As i sit here and type i cant wait to jump over and get my 5 frames to try on. just wanted to leave a quick message and say thank you for all the details in this post.
Hello I like this as I alreadyware glasses but you will want to change frames sometimes your frames will get worn out I like the step by step instructions on this sight.I may try this out myself. Thanks for the indepth review!
Thank you for the information. I have to try Warby Parker Home Try-On. They offer 5 frames to try on at home for free is amazing. I like their quiz. This makes the ordering process easier and better for us to get a good fitting frame.I think their prices for glasses are good. I paid more for my glasses at other places.