The 7 Best Places to Buy Contact Lenses Online for 2024
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
The only thing worse than dry, itchy eyes from wearing old contact lenses? Running out of replacements and being out of backup options, including extra glasses. When leaving the house for a blurry-eyed (read: potentially unsafe) restock isn’t an option, or you simply prefer to shop for new lenses at home, the best option is ordering contacts online.
More from Rolling Stone
How to Score a Deal on Streaming Services Like Max, Disney+ and Hulu
Here's Where to Stream Every 'Mission: Impossible' Movie Online
In This Article
Best Places to Order Contact Lenses Online
What You Need to Order Contacts Online
Buying Guide: How We Picked Where to Buy Contact Lenses Online
Best Places to Order Contact Lenses Online
Looking for the best places to buy contact lenses online? We’ve selected the top retailers based on offering a range of lens options (think from dailies to monthlies), good pricing, and shipping from popular manufacturers including Alcon, Bausch & Lomb, Cooper Vision, and Johnson & Johnson.
Most of our picks also offer additional savings if you subscribe to regular deliveries, and many offer discount codes regularly (think buy one get one free offers or deals when you order glasses). If you’ve been searching for where to buy contact lenses online, check out these top sites below.
BEST OVERALL: 1-800 Contacts
BEST FOR SPECIALIZED LENSES: GlassesUSA
BEST SUBSCRIPTION: Hubble Contacts
BEST WITH VISION TEST: LensDirect.com
BEST VARIETY: Lensabl
BEST DEALS AND DISCOUNTS: Warby Parker
BEST WITH INSURANCE: Contacts Direct
1. 1-800 Contacts
Long before the internet was the global general store that it is today, 1-800 Contacts was on speed dial for many contacts wearers. Founded in 1995, the popular contact lens retailer is known for stocking a wide range of brands (including Acuvue, Air Optix, Biofinity, Clariti, Dailies, Proclear, and many others) and its excellent customer service, which extends to its online and text ordering.
On offer are daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly lenses in options for single vision, astigmatism, bifocal, multifocal, color lenses, and more, and you’ll get 5% off when you subscribe every six or 12 months. If your prescription is expired, the retailer’s handy online vision exam will save you from leaving the house. Plus, get your first order at 20% off.
2. GlassesUSA
In addition to stocking frames from designer brands (think Gucci, Tom Ford, Ray-Ban, Versace, and more), GlassesUSA also carries single vision, astigmatism, and multifocal contact lenses. Brands include Acuvue, Biofinity, Dailies, Extreme H2O, Proclear, and others. The online retailer also accepts certain vision insurance companies and takes flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) debit cards. The site also has a ton of special deals and offers happening at any given time, so it’s worth browsing GlassesUSA.com before you check out.
3. Hubble Contacts
One of the first to bring the direct-to-consumer model to contact lenses, Hubble offers disposable single vision daily contacts that offer UV protection and are comfortable to wear all day. The company makes its lenses from high-grade methafilcon A hydrogel, which are soft and have 55% water content (translation: your eyes will thank you).
You can get a monthly subscription (which takes the hassle out of restocking) or modify the frequency of your delivery. The company also offers new customer promotions, ranging from $1 for your first box to 20% off your first order for other contact lens brands through their sister retailer, Contacts Cart.
4. LensDirect
In addition to prescription eyewear, sunglasses, and night glasses, LensDirect also offers a wide selection of contact lenses from trusted brands such as Acuvue, AirOptix, BioMedix, ClearSight, PureVision, and others. You can renew your contact lens prescription for $20 as well as get an online vision test by licensed ophthalmologists, so long as you’re between 18 and 55 and within a specific prescription range.
5. Lensabl
On top of offering Bose’s speaker sunglasses, HD camera-equipped Spectacles, and fashionable frames from Westward Leaning and Coco & Breezy (to name just a few), Lensabl also offers a variety of contact lenses for everything from single vision to astigmatism to presbyopia. Choose from daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly contact lenses from popular brands including Acuvue, Air Optix, Biofinity, Dailies, and many, many others.
You can also save 6% off when you subscribe to a three, six, or 12-month supply (depending on the brand). Eligible customers can take an online vision test (which is evaluated by a licensed opthalmologist or optometrist) to renew prescriptions for glasses and contacts.
6. Warby Parker
The beloved eyewear startup Warby Parker is now a one-stop clear-sight shop, with its own line of daily contact lenses, Scout, which launched in late 2019. The single vision lenses are made of hioxifilcon A lens material, so they’re breathable, resist dryness, and keep your eyes hydrated. Bonus: they come in super-slim lens packs and boxes, both of which are 100% recyclable.
You can start with a six-day trial for $5 (you’ll be able to redeem that value towards a future Warby Parker purchase), then stock up on three, six or 12-month supplies. If you’re loyal to another contact lens brand and want to stock up while you’ve already got Warby Parker frames in your cart, you can also shop daily, weekly, and biweekly, and monthly contact lenses from a range of third-party names such as Acuvue, BioTrue, FreshLook, Proclear, and many others.
7. Contacts Direct
This popular eyewear retailer accepts select vision insurance providers, making it convenient to buy new contacts online from brands such as Acuvue, Air Optix, Avaira, Focus, ProClear, SofLens, and others. On offer are standard, toric, multifocal, and color lenses in daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly options. Get a $50 discount when you buy an annual supply.
What You Need to Order Contacts Online
Before you order contact lenses online, note that you’ll need a copy of a valid prescription. If it’s expired, or your vision needs a look since your last Rx, many online eyewear retailers offer virtual appointments with an ophthalmologist or optometrist so that you can renew or update your prescription from home. You’ll want to make sure that you’re eligible for online vision tests, which do have some restrictions.
If you can’t get to an optometrist, consider an online vision test you can self-administer, like this one from 1-800 Contacts. This tests for visual acuity (I.e. how well your sight is), color deficiency, and contrast sensitivity (I.e. how well you see in the light vs. in the dark). The test will then help generate a clear reading to fill out a contact lens prescription online.
Buying Guide: How We Picked Where to Buy Contact Lenses Online
We chose our top picks based on sites that stock a wide range of products that cater to different prescriptions and eye needs. We focused on eyewear e-tailers that offered a simple ordering process, had user-friendly site features, and ample customer support.
The great thing about shopping for contacts online is you don’t need to have insurance (if you do, make sure to check if you can get reimbursed), so we included companies that accept payments from flexible spending (FSA) and health savings (HSA) accounts.
Best of Rolling Stone
