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Coastal is an online retailer selling eyeglass frames, sunglasses, contact lenses, and accessories. When Coastal had its own standalone retail site, they also carried their own line of designer frames, Derek Cardigan.

In 2021, Coastal merged with another eyewear retailer, ContactsDirect. ContactsDirect and Coastal are owned by the same Italy-based parent company, Luxottica Eyewear. Not only did this merger change the name of Coastal, it also changed what products are available and how customers interact with the brand.

If you’re looking to order directly from the online store called “Coastal,” you won’t be able to do that anymore. Here’s what you need to know about the merger and what it means for you.

As of this writing, the domain name for the website “Coastal.com” is owned by another eyewear retailer, EyeBuyDirect. EyeBuyDirect and ContactsDirect are actually competitors, so this was a move by EyeBuyDirect to attract Coastal’s former customers. When you type “Coastal.com” into your browser, it will bring you to EyeBuyDirect’s site.

You have to visit ContactsDirect directly for information from the company about Coastal.com and the merger.

Coastal used to sell prescription glasses, prescription reading glasses, sunglasses, lenses for glasses frames, and contact lenses. Now that Coastal has merged with Contacts Direct, the new website only sells contact lenses and accessories.

Popular contact lens brands that Coastal/ContactsDirect sells include Acuvue, Biofinity, SofLens, and Air Optix.

Coastal also sold premium brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley, Brooks Brothers, and Michael Kors, among many others. These eyewear brands are not available at ContactsDirect, but you can purchase through another Luxoticca property (and ContactsDirect sister site) Glasses.com.

Coastal also carried a brand called Derek Cardigan, which was unique to Coastal.

Fans of that brand will be happy to know that they can still purchase those types of frames. Canadian-based eyewear retailer Clearly still carries the Derek Cardigan line. Longtime Coastal buyers may also like Clearly because of their commitment to give away a pair of frames for every pair sold, something Coastal was known for.

If you had store credit from Coastal, you can still redeem it with ContactsDirect. However, you will need to reach out to ContactDirect’s customer service to get access to those credits. Transferring your credits will require a phone conversation with a representative.

If you had an account with Coastal, that account information did not transfer over to ContactsDirect. That means you will need to make a new account to shop with ContactsDirect.

Prescription contact lenses from Contacts Direct cost about the same as they do on other online direct-to-consumer retailers. The pricing structure does not appear to have changed much.

In general, these contact lenses prices start toward the lower end of what you would pay for the products they sell. You can learn more about what ContactsDirect offers by reading our comprehensive ContactsDirect review.

The Coastal name may be gone, but if you’re buying contact lenses, not much has changed about the buying process.

Here is what you generally need to order contact lenses. (Remember, contact lenses is the only thing that this merged version of the retailer currently sells.)

  • If you’ve ordered prescription eyewear or contact lenses, you’ll need to at least know your prescription before placing an order.
  • You’ll also need to decide upon special preferences for your eyeglass lenses. Do you need an anti-glare coating for driving at night? What about progressive lenses that get darker when you go outside? Knowing your must-haves will keep you from overspending on features you don’t need.
  • Finally, you’ll need to look into your vision insurance, HSA, or FSA policy. Coastal will give you a receipt for reimbursement or let you pay with your HSA or FSA debit card, but the company won’t work directly with your insurance to coordinate payment.

The ordering process is very similar to when Coastal was not a part of ContactsDirect. However, if you gave your information and prescription to the website when it was Coastal, you’ll have to submit those again. ContactsDirect did not get access to that data in the merger.

Tip: If you have a copy of your prescription, you can send ContactsDirect a photo so they don’t have to call your eye doctor. Sometimes, this means you get your order faster.

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Can you still shop at Coastal?

You can no longer buy Coastal products at Coastal.com. You can shop at ContactsDirect for the same contact lenses that were sold by Coastal. The merged version of the company does not sell eyeglasses or frames.

Is Coastal Contacts legit?

Coastal Contacts was a place where you could buy prescription contacts as well as eyeglasses and frames. Coastal Contacts no longer exists as a stand-alone retailer. Instead, they have been absorbed by the ContactsDirect retailer.

What happened to Coastal Contacts?

Coastal Contacts, also known as Coastal, merged with ContactsDirect. The two retailers had the same parent company, Luxottica Eyewear. Coastal sold all types of eyewear, but post-merger, you can only use ContactsDirect to buy contact lenses.


Kathryn Watson is a freelance writer covering everything from sleep hygiene to moral philosophy. Her recent bylines include Healthline, Christianity Today, LitHub, and Curbed. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and her website is kathrynswatson.com.