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With more and more people shopping from home, you might have started thinking about ordering your contacts online.
There are a lot of online options for buying contacts, but since its start in 1995, Lens.com has been around longer than most.
We know what you’re thinking: Does this mean you should shop with them? How do their prices compare? What does their site actually offer?
We’ve compiled the answers to help you decide.
Lens.com advertises itself as an affordable way to purchase your contact lenses online and have them shipped to your door.
Lens.com pros
- Wide range of brands and prescriptions available
- Accepts HSA/FSA payments
- Numerous customer support options (1-800 number, email, and website chat box options)
Lens.com cons
- No matching of competitor pricing
- A fair amount of complaints with the Better Business Bureau
- Doesn’t sell glasses
Lens.com sells contact lenses from many major manufacturers.
They offer contacts from major brands like:
- Biofinity
- Acuvue
- Air Optix
- Optima
- Focus
- Dailies
- Boston
- Biotrue
- Clearsight
One thing Lens.com doesn’t carry? Glasses. There are no prescription glasses, reading glasses, sunglasses, or even frames available on the site.
Lens.com does offer online vision tests — but these actually aren’t recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
The AAO states that you should never use a home vision test to order contact lenses, and you should instead be fit by a professional trained to make sure your lenses fit properly. This can help you avoid complications such as corneal ulcers.
Do online vision tests work? Learn what they can and can’t do.
The short answer? An online vision test may check the sharpness of your vision, but it can’t tell you anything about your eye health.
These home tests aren’t a replacement for a checkup from an eye doctor. Experts recommend never using online tests for contact lens prescriptions.
Prices of contacts vary depending on brand and product. For example, a box of 30 can be from $20 to $100, and there are often sales or discounts. Lens.com also offers rebates.
In general, the prices are very competitive.
You should be prepared to pay shipping and handling on any purchases. This obviously will increase the cost from the advertised amount, so you’ll want to be prepared for that. (More on this below.)
Lens.com is a website-based service, so you order on the website, and the contacts are mailed to you shortly after.
To receive contacts in the mail, you’ll need a valid prescription. While the company offers online exams, the AAO recommends avoiding these for contact lens prescriptions, so you’ll want an up-to-date prescription from an eye doctor.
If you’re having trouble navigating the website, Lens.com has a help email, toll-free phone support number, and chat windows built into the site.
Before sitting down to place an order, you should gather:
- Your current prescription (This can be found on the prescription from your eye doctor or the side of your contact’s box.)
- Your eye doctor’s name and phone number
Ordering on Lens.com is a pretty straightforward process.
You can use the navigational toolbar at the top of every page to locate your prescribed brand of lenses. Once you choose a brand, all you need to do is input your prescription and click the order button to put your order in the shopping cart.
Clicking on the cart icon, you’ll enter your doctor’s name and phone number along with your payment information.
Lens.com will follow up with your doctor’s office to confirm the prescription, and your contacts will be shipped shortly thereafter.
Contact lens brands and manufacturers offer rebates for purchases through Lens.com.
To get these rebates, you:
- Order the lenses as described in the rebate on Lens.com.
- After your order ships, access the rebate center on Lens.com to print rebate forms and the appropriate invoice.
- Fill out the appropriate forms and mail them to Lens.com. (The mailing address will be on the rebate paperwork).
- Allow 12 weeks for processing. Then, you can expect a Visa Prepaid Card to arrive in the mail.
Interested in taking advantage of the rebates? Make sure to read the fine print!
You’ll need to order contacts that exactly match the deal within the specified time frame. Use the rebate as soon as you can. It’s easy to forget or not be able to find the information you need the longer you wait.
One thing to note about Lens.com is that only certain items ship free.
For the United States, standard 5 to 7 business day shipping costs $9.95. If you need your contacts a little faster, FedEx Second Day delivery is $17.95. For contact emergencies, next day FedEx shipping is $24.95.
Another thing is that Lens.com ships internationally. Canadian customers can receive their order in 3 to 5 business days, but international shipping can take up to 12 business days.
Lens.com has a money-back guarantee. They state that they’ll refund your purchase price if you’re unhappy with your purchase, but they also say that the box or contact vial must be unopened. You have 30 days to initiate a return from the shipping date.
Under their hassle-free return policy, Lens.com promises to pay for the return shipping on unopened and unexpired boxes of contacts. You’ll need to contact them first before returning the lenses, so they can make sure everything is processed efficiently.
According to their return policy, after the lenses are received, you should expect your refund to be processed to the original payment method in 2 to 3 business days.
Although they’re not a member of the Better Business Bureau, Lens.com has received an average of 2.21 out of 5 stars from 365 customer reviews.
According to the BBB, in the past 3 years, Lens.com has responded to and closed 775 complaints. (697 complaints have been closed in the last 12 months.)
The company is also verified on Trustpilot with an average of 3.2 out of 5 stars.
Alcon filed a lawsuit against Lens.com, Allied Vision Group, and National Lens LLC in 2018 claiming that the companies were selling products in old packaging or discontinued.
In the past, there has also been a trademark dispute with 1-800-Contacts, but this probably won’t affect contacts available to buy.
Lens.com has a Best Price Guarantee, so it’s unlikely that you’ll find the same lenses for cheaper elsewhere. Still, if you’re looking for alternatives that offer glasses, beat competitor pricing, and have stronger reviews, check out these alternatives.
| Brand | Lens.com | 1-800 Contacts | ContactsDirect | AC Lens | Warby Parker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping cost | Between $9.95 and $39.95 | Free standard shipping | Free standard shipping | Free for orders over $99 and $6.99 for orders under $99 | Free standard shipping |
| Shipping speed | Between 1 and 12 business days | Between 1 and 7 business days | Between 1 and 10 business days | Between 1 and 14 business days | Between 5 and 10 business days |
| Takes insurance | Is an out-of-network provider for some insurance providers | Is an in-network provider for some insurance providers | Yes, accepts most vision plans | Is an out-of-network provider for some insurance providers | Is an in-network provider for some insurance providers |
| Accepts FSA and HSA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free returns | Yes, you can return unopened products within 30 days of the shipping date | Yes, you can return unused products, even if they’re opened, at any time | Yes, you can return unopened products within 6 months | Yes, within 365 days | Yes, unopened contact lenses can be returned within 30 days |
| Online vision test to renew prescription | Yes, for $9.99 | Yes, for $20 | Yes, for $29.99 | Yes, for free | No |
Is Lens.com legit?
Lens.com is not an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but it’s legit and has been in business for 24 years. Lens.com is a secure, encrypted website with measures for customer privacy and protection.
Is Lens.com based in the United States?
Lens.com is a U.S.-based company headquartered in Missouri. However, many of the products carried by Lens.com are manufactured in China.
Will Lens.com call your doctor to verify your prescription?
You need a copy of your prescription to complete an order on Lens.com. Lens.com can take care of this by calling your eye doctor and verifying the prescription with them if you don’t have a copy in hand. You will need to provide your eye doctor’s contact information. Expired prescriptions can be renewed on Lens.com for $9.99 through an online vision test.
Does Lens.com ship internationally?
Yes, Lens.com ships internationally using FedEx International. International shipping costs between $24.95 and $39.95 and can take 4 and 12 business days.
Does Lens.com have any hidden fees?
Lens.com doesn’t have any hidden fees. You can expect to pay for shipping on top of the cost of your Lens.com order. In some places, eyewear is subject to additional sales tax. Some international customers may also have to pay import duties or customs fees, but Lens.com doesn’t determine these.
How long does Lens.com take to ship?
Lens.com doesn’t offer free shipping but has multiple shipping options to choose from at checkout. The company advertises shipping speeds as fast as one business day or up to 12 business days for international customers. This doesn’t include the time it takes to process orders, usually one day.
If you’re looking for the best deals on contact lenses, Lens.com has the most competitive pricing. While the company doesn’t match competitor pricing, it claims to monitor competitors to actively beat their prices.
There are a few places where Lens.com falls short, however. The company doesn’t offer free shipping and has a stricter return policy than other online eyewear retailers. You’ll have to shop for those elsewhere if you use various eyewear products, such as glasses and sunglasses. Lens.com is great at making contact lenses accessible and affordable — but the type of products you can purchase here is limited.
On the bright side, Lens.com makes it easy to use your vision benefits and renew your prescription online. While it’s not free to use the online vision test, Lens.com offers this service cheaper than most competitors.
As its name suggests, Lens.com is all about contact lenses. If you only need contacts and want the best price, Lens.com is a trusted site.