While consulting a physician is always best, the ability to shop contacts online is a convenient (and sometimes more affordable) option to build your stash of contact lenses. It’s true that vision changes are to be expected as you age, but finding the right prescription can reduce eye strain, help you see more clearly, and affect your brain health, too. Keep reading to learn why eye health is so important and to find our picks for the best online contacts. “Having the right contacts allows for your eyesight, perception, and your brain to function in a healthy manner,” Steele explains. “Straining and improper contact lens wearing can impact your eye health.” Whether you see an optometrist in real life or you opt for one of these online contacts providers, it’s imperative that you receive a proper prescription. Again, just be sure to talk to your doctor before you start shopping for contacts online. While most reputable brands require a prescription and eye analysis, wearing the wrong contacts can result in more than just awful vision. “The person could risk damage to their eye, infections, loss of eyesight, chemical reactions, and even blindness,” explains Steele. “Technically, even costume or fashion contacts are said to require a prescription to ensure safe manufacturing practices. That way, if there is a recall or an issue with a particular contact lens, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can quickly track down the manufacturer to ensure that people are not injured.” Another important thing to remember is that if this is your first time with contact lenses, online ordering is not a safe or practical route to go. You’ll need to have a full eye exam, and your doctor will need to train you on how to insert and remove your contacts safely. This site accepts insurance and is pretty much always having a sale (you can often get 20% off your first purchase). Once you’ve entered your prescription or taken the eye test, just pick out your contacts and place your order. Need a refill of an existing prescription? There’s even an option to text in your order, and it will be shipped out that night. Brands available include: Acuvue, Air Optix, Dailies, Biofinity, and more. Another major bonus is that the online eye exam is free. The vision test takes about 15 minutes and an additional 24 hours for your prescription to come through via email. You’ll need a computer and a smartphone to take the test. Just note, the vision test is not available for patients under 18 years old or over 55 years old. If you (or the person you’re ordering for) fall into this category, you’ll need to see a doctor and either go the old-fashioned route or enter your prescription online. The process for refills is extremely easy, too, and you can also sign up for a subscription to receive your lenses automatically on an interval that works for you, with an additional discount. Brands available include: Acuvue, Air Optix, Bausch + Lomb, Precision1, Biofinity, and more. To start your order, you’ll need to create an account. From there, either enter your prescription or take the site’s online vision exam. First, it will ask you to fill out a few brief questions to determine if you are eligible for an online prescription (i.e., when your last eye exam was, what type of eyewear you typically use, and your current prescription). You’ll also need to take a picture of your eyes (which you can do right from your computer or phone) so the doctors can check for redness or irritation. The whole process, including the eye exam itself, will take about 10 minutes, and you’ll receive your prescription within the next two days. All that’s left to do is order those lenses and they’ll be at your door in just a few days. Standard 7- to 10-day shipping is free, or you can pay to expedite. Brands available include: Acuvue, Air Optix, Biotrue, Precision1, Dailies, and more. For a vision exam, you’ll need to head to one of the company’s brick-and-mortar locations, so this is only a good option if you have an existing prescription you need to refill—in which case, ordering could not be easier. Simply choose your lenses, enter your prescription and insurance information, and add them to your cart. Once you’ve made an account, reordering only takes a few minutes, or you can save by ordering an annual supply. Brands available include: Air Optix, Dailies, Clariti, FreshLook, and more. Another bonus is that you can complete the site’s vision test to update your prescription. Just note, (as is typically the case) the vision test is not for people who have never worn contacts before. If you’ve had a previous prescription and are looking to refresh it, you’ll just need to answer a few questions to check eligibility first. Once you complete the test, a licensed prescription provider will send your prescription within the next two days. On the downside, this is definitely one of the more expensive online vision tests ($35)—and it’s important to note that an online vision test is not a replacement for a comprehensive eye exam, which will check your eye health, too. Brands available include: Acuvue, Dailies, Biofinity, Clariti, and more. Once you’ve picked out your contact lenses, you’ll just need to enter your prescription and add them to your cart to order. On the downside, there is no online vision test, and insurance is not accepted. If you’re looking for a site that’s easy to use, you have an existing prescription, and you don’t mind paying out of pocket, this could be a good place to start. Brands available include: Acuvue, Airoptics, Purevision, Proclear, and more. To order, you can share a copy of your prescription or take advantage of the site’s vision test to renew your prescription from home. The vision test takes less than five minutes and will add an additional $10 to your purchase. After you complete the exam, a doctor will take up to 24 hours to review your results, and you’ll get a copy of your prescription. From there, simply pick out your contacts and add them to your cart to order. Brands available include: Acuvue, Air Optix, Ultra, Optima, Biofinity, and more. To order, you can either have the company contact your eye doctor to verify your prescription or you can email or fax a copy. The site does mention that having the physical copy to fax or email speeds up the process significantly. That said, there is no online eye exam, so if you need to update your prescription, this is probably not the best option. You can go into one of Walmart’s vision centers if you’d like, but it might defeat the purpose of ordering contacts online. Brands available include: Acuvue, Air Optix, Bausch + Lomb, Eureka!, Biofinity, and more. If you’re still unsure where to look, Steele says a good rule of thumb is to go with a brand your [optometrist or] ophthalmologist recommends. “Many times, the ophthalmologist [doctor] will make a recommendation of an online retailer that they have worked with often,” she elaborates. “Look up the specific brand of contact your ophthalmologist [doctor] recommended, type, and always use your prescription. I tend to recommend places where you can upload your prescription rather than write it in just to ensure there is no confusion.” Another huge consideration is that, while ordering contacts online is a helpful way to save time and money, this convenient hack does not replace your need to see a doctor for your regular eye exams. Even if the company you order from offers online vision tests, these tests will only be checking your prescription, not your eye health—which, as we’ve mentioned, is incredibly important for your overall well-being.
