As technology reshapes the eyewear landscape, finding the ideal pair of glasses is thrilling yet complex. Here, we unravel the mysteries of shopping online for eyewear, ensuring your experience is smooth and satisfying.

Welcome to “The Ultimate Guide to Buying Glasses Online” by The Optical Superstore!

Join us as we explore five crucial elements that will empower you on your eyewear journey:

1. Top Benefits of Buying Glasses Online: Discover the unparalleled convenience, affordability, and variety online eyewear shopping offers.

2. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Glasses Online: Learn about the common errors customers often make and how you can sidestep them to make a well-informed decision.

3. Understanding Lens Options When Ordering Glasses Online: Demystify the world of lenses. From anti-glare coatings to specialized filters, grasp the benefits of various lens options.

4. Adding Your Prescription Correctly: We’ll guide you through the verification process.

5. Tips for a Successful Virtual Try-On Experience: Learn how to try on different frames using our virtual program, ensuring you find a style that complements your face shape and personality.

Let’s dive in!

[1] Top Benefits of Buying Glasses Online

There must be reasons why many of our spending and buying experiences have pivoted from brick-and-mortar stores into the online realm, right? The same can be said for making purchases regarding eyewear, prescription sunglasses, and contact lenses—there are tangible benefits to the process. Here’s 4, top of mind:

• Total Convenience: It’s incredible how effective online shopping has become. No need to leave your home! Browsing our vast collection of eyewear from your couch makes the entire process hassle-free and time-efficient. Our updated website design lets you see which glasses frames and sunglasses are in stock and which frame colours we have on hand (some sell out rather quickly). With the rising cost of petrol & the hassle of finding a car space (or a decent coffee out there) dealt with—buying glasses online is practically a dream.
• Cost-Effective (Save on the Ka-Ching!):

Online platforms often provide competitive pricing due to reduced overhead costs, ensuring you get high-quality glasses without breaking the bank. You’ll regularly get our best deals and pricing on eyeglasses and sunglass frames—bookmark our Optical Superstore Offers Page here to keep in the loupe (it’s not spelt wrong… it’s just an optical joke).

Super Duper Service | Super Duper Savings!

• Exceptional Choice:

Explore our wide array of styles, colours, and brands. Our online Optical Superstore is a stand-alone virtual store, carrying a broader selection than many traditional outlets, guaranteeing you find glasses that perfectly match your taste and personality.

Without the confines of a brick-and-mortar store, you can see everything available within our stock through our warehouse and lens laboratory chain. You don’t miss out!

• Virtual Try-On Tools:

Often, the biggest concern is being able to try items on—straight away, you may think of shoes, jackets, dresswear and shirts. How do I look in the various glasses and sunglasses frames I’m considering?

DID YOU KNOW? You can experience the eyewear virtually! Our user-friendly online tools allow you to see how different frames look on your face, making the selection process enjoyable and stress-free.

You can jump straight into the Virtual Try-On program here and give it a go–it’s super!

There’s nothing to hold you back regarding the assured confidence of making successful, high-quality eyewear purchases from the comfort of your home (or on your lunch break at work). But you may well know someone who purchased glasses online, and they’ve vowed never to make that mistake again–so what happened, and why?

Let’s discuss that next.

[2] Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Glasses Online

In the vast online world of eyewear, a few pitfalls await the unsuspecting shopper. Here’s a heads-up and an “A-B-C” on the common mistakes you should steer clear of when buying glasses online:

A.  Neglecting Prescription Details: Ensure your prescription is up-to-date and accurate. Double-check every detail to guarantee your new glasses provide the clear vision you need. And remember: your contact lens prescription is not automatically the same as your spectacle or glasses prescription (and the same applies vice-versa). If you’d like further input on interpreting your prescription details, we’re only a free national phone call away: 1300 626 774

B.  Ignoring Frame Measurements: Don’t overlook frame measurements! Eyewear fit is crucial for comfort. Always refer to the frame dimensions provided to find the perfect fit for your face shape. You’ll find three critical measurements (in millimetres) referred to for any individual pair of glasses (sunglasses included):

• Eye Size: The eye size refers to the width of one lens in your eyeglasses. It’s a crucial measurement, ensuring your lenses cover your eyes comfortably and effectively. Selecting the right eye size ensures your glasses look good and provide the optimum field of vision.
• Bridge: The bridge measurement determines how well your glasses fit the bridge of your nose; the wider the bridge of your nose, the wider the bridge of your glasses should be, naturally. The bridge width between each lens plays a significant role in ensuring your eyewear stays in place comfortably. A properly fitting bridge provides stability and avoids uncomfortable pressure points on your nose.
• Temple: The temple measurement, also known as the arm or temple length, is the length of the temple from the hinge to the ear tip. This measurement determines how the glasses will fit around your ears. Correct temple length ensures your glasses stay securely on your face without causing discomfort, making them essential for style and comfort.

Eyewear will come in myriad combinations of these measurements–often dictated by trends and design, but should always be considered for your unique face shape and size.

C.  Skipping the Virtual Try-On: Our virtual try-on feature is your best friend. Don’t skip the chance to see how the frames look on your face. It’s like trying before buying but from the comfort of your home.

Many glasses-wearers may feel somewhat self-conscious about trying on frames (it requires taking a selfie, after all), but remember–you’re in the comfort of your own home. It’s all good! The Virtual Try-On was made for you !

[3] Overlooking Lens Options

Understanding lens options is also vital. From coatings to materials, each choice impacts your vision. Therefore, if you have a moderately strong prescription (think a prescription over +3.00 or -3.00 in power) or a high astigmatism correction (anything over -2.00 in the CYL power), we strongly advise you to discuss upgrading the lens material or take an option to upgrade your lens choice from a Stock lens to a Grind lens.

Note, too, that the stronger your prescription is, the heavier and thicker your complete set of glasses are if you opt for more oversized frame styles. Indeed, whilst the trends often advocate for large, generous frame styles and shapes, this impacts glasses-wearers with stronger prescriptions. Definitely look at your options—and remember: the money you save on shopping for glasses online means you can spend a little more for those lovely lens upgrades. Awesome results for the win!

As we’re discussing prescription information, let’s take a mini-deep dive into this further…

[4] Understanding Your Prescription Information For Glasses

It’s a frequently asked question, that’s for sure: How do I read my prescription? What’s with the boxes, numbers, and the plus and minus symbols?

Here’s one we prepared earlier!

So, what are we looking at here? Let’s break it down.

RE (Right Eye) SPH -0.75 / CYL -0.50 AXIS (x) 130:

• -0.75: This number represents the sphere (SPH) value and indicates nearsightedness. The minus sign indicates nearsightedness, a common condition where distant objects appear blurry. The number -0.75 shows the degree of nearsightedness, with higher negative numbers indicating stronger prescriptions.
• -0.50: This is the cylinder (CYL) value, indicating astigmatism. Astigmatism is a condition occurring where the cornea has an irregular shape, causing distorted vision. The cylinder value corrects this astigmatism. A higher cylinder number indicates a more significant degree of astigmatism.
• x 130: This is the axis value, denoting the orientation of the cylindrical correction. It ranges from 1 to 180 degrees, with 90 degrees indicating vertical astigmatism and 180 degrees indicating horizontal astigmatism. In this case, 130 degrees signifies the angle at which the cylindrical correction should be placed in the eyeglass lens.

LE (Left Eye) SPH -0.25 / CYL -1.00 AXIS (x) 45:

• -0.25: Similar to the right eye, this is the sphere value and indicates a mild degree of nearsightedness in the left eye.
• -1.00: This represents the cylinder value for astigmatism in the left eye. A higher number indicates a more significant astigmatism correction.
• 45: This is the axis value for the orientation of the cylindrical correction in the left eye. An axis of 45 degrees signifies the angle at which the cylindrical correction should be placed.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are putting your prescription into an online program, ensure you put the information on the paperwork into the correct boxes on the screen. Some programs will allow you to get it wrong (almost as if they don’t want you to have fabulous new glasses that work!)

Another element crucial to your glasses order is your PD—this stands for your pupillary distance (how far apart your eyes are). Your lenses need to be spot-on regarding the power and where they are positioned in the frames in relation to each other.

Have you ever had to look through a set of binoculars and you have to move the lenses out or in? This highlights how we each have a slightly different pupil distance. If the optical centre of your lens doesn’t line up precisely, your vision suffers.

Your PD measurement can be tricky to measure. With each printout of your prescription, we are delighted to provide your unique PD measurement for you, too! Don’t hesitate to ask.

Lastly, let’s provide a brief overview of using the Virtual Try-On program–it truly brings your online eyewear buying experience to life!

[5] Tips for a Successful Virtual Try-On Experience

In the world of eyewear shopping, the Virtual Try-On (VTO) experience stands as a revolutionary tool, ushering in the future of personalized eyewear selection. Imagine trying on various frames from the comfort of your home, eliminating the hassle of traditional in-store visits. With the VTO, you’re not just browsing but virtually stepping into the store, equipped with various frames to explore.

HOW THE VTO IS YOUR MVP:

• Endless Frame Exploration: The VTO opens the doors to an extensive gallery of frames, showcasing diverse styles, colours, and designs. Whether you prefer trendy aviators, classic wayfarers, or sophisticated cat-eye frames, the VTO offers a comprehensive selection to match your taste.
• Personalized Styling: Not just limited to face shape, the VTO allows you to experiment with your style. Have you ever wondered how you’d look in bold, colourful frames? Or are you considering a shift to more subtle, minimalist designs? The VTO lets you visualize these transformations, empowering you to make confident, style-savvy decisions.
• Convenience Redefined: Say goodbye to the hassle of multiple store visits. With the VTO, you can virtually ‘visit’ several optical stores within minutes, all from your device. This convenience means you can explore frames any time, whether relaxing at home or during your lunch break at work.
• Interactive Try-On: The VTO isn’t just about static images. It provides an interactive experience, allowing you to move and see how the frames sit on your face from various angles. This dynamic feature gives you a comprehensive view of how the frames complement your facial contours.
• Confidence in Your Choice: By virtually trying on frames, you eliminate the uncertainty often accompanying online shopping. You can confidently select frames, knowing exactly how they’ll look on you, enhancing your overall satisfaction with your purchase.

There’s really nothing in your way! We hope that our Ultimate Guide to Buying Glasses Online empowers you with confidence and knowledge—ready to tackle the world of eyewear your way. Of course, if you’d love our trained expertise in-store to get you started, we’d love to assist.

Find your nearest Optical Superstore location now, or head to the Virtual Try-On and look for your next favourite pair of glasses or sunglasses; your eyes will thank you for it.