SmartBuyGlasses review: Glasses, contacts and cost
What brands does SmartBuyGlasses.com carry?
SmartBuyGlasses.com offers contact lenses, eyeglasses and sunglasses to fit a wide range of budgets, tastes and styles. From their affordable in-house SmartBuy Collection to more expensive designer brands like Gucci and Tom Ford, there’s a good chance you’ll find something you like.
SmartBuyGlasses contact lens brands
SmartBuyGlasses sells colored contacts, daily disposables, extended-wear lenses, toric lenses and multifocal contacts from the following brands (and many others):
These contact lens brands come from all the major contact lens manufacturers, including Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision and Johnson & Johnson.
SmartBuyGlasses glasses and sunglasses brands
SmartBuyGlasses also offers a wide selection of designer eyeglasses and sunglasses, many of which are already discounted. Top brands include:
Fendi
Kate Spade
In addition to these designer names, SmartBuyGlasses also carries dozens of other lower-cost brands. A wide selection of frames and sunglasses is one of the retailer's strong points.
Is SmartBuyGlasses.com legitimate?
SmartBuyGlasses is a legitimate online retailer of contact lenses, glasses and sunglasses. This seller has been in business for 14 years, offers a wide selection of optical goods, and gets mostly good reviews from customers.
The pros of SmartBuyGlasses include:
Wide selection of contacts, glasses and sunglasses
Virtual try-on tool lets you "try on" glasses online
Very good reviews on TrustPilot (4.7 out of 5 stars)
Free shipping on orders over $30
Full refund or exchange within 30 days
The cons of SmartBuyGlasses include:
A poor rating (D+) from the Better Business Bureau
Is not BBB-accredited
Does not take vision insurance directly
Customer complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau mention issues such as a difficult return process, surprise extra charges and problems with the price match guarantee. However, in the overall customer review star rating with the BBB, SmartBuyGlasses gets pretty good marks (3.94 out of 5 stars).
Considering the various pros and cons, take a look at the SmartBuyGlasses site, browse their product offerings and customer reviews, and decide whether or not buying from SmartBuyGlasses is worth it for you.
SmartBuyGlasses cost
SmartBuyGlasses has eyewear available to fit almost any budget. The price of glasses frames ranges from $7 for the cheapest SmartBuy Collection wire rims to just under $3,000 for the most expensive Bvlgari designer frames. The best-selling frames on the site range from about $30 to just under $300, including standard, 1.5 index prescription lenses.
If your SPH prescription is stronger than +/- 2.25, the site will automatically recommend a higher-index lens (in other words, thinner and lighter-weight) to better accommodate your needs. The thinner the lens, the higher the cost. Other added costs to consider include:
Progressive lenses, which start at $119, vs. single-vision lenses
Special lens coatings (anti-reflective, blue light filtering, etc.)
The cost of sunglasses also varies widely. You can buy a pair of generic non-prescription sunglasses on sale for less than $20, or high-end designer sunglasses from brands such as Balenciaga, Boucheron, Gucci and Linda Farrow that cost upwards of $1,000. The site’s best-selling sunglasses range from just under $50 to almost $300.
SmartBuyGlasses discounts
SmartBuyGlasses offers coupons, discount codes, deals and sales. For example, you can shop frames on sale from the home page by going to glasses and choosing "Sale" from the drop-down menu. You'll see a range of deeply discounted clearance frames. Some styles may cost less than half their original price. SmartBuyGlasses also has regular sales, such as their end-of-season sale.
The site also offers coupon and discount codes that may pop up while you shop. For example, the site recently displayed a discount code offering up to 60% off frames plus 20% off lenses.
SmartBuyGlasses also has a standing 10% discount for students and an ongoing 35% discount on progressive lenses for seniors. Check out their Coupons page for more coupon codes, special discounts and deals.
SmartBuyGlasses customer service
There are several ways to reach SmartBuyGlasses customer service:
Live chat 24/7: Click the orange chat icon in the bottom-right corner of any page on the SmartBuyGlasses site.
Call 888-979-2177 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time).
Request a next-day callback from a SmartBuyGlasses optician. Click “Do you still have a question? Ask here >” in the site’s Optical Center.
Fill out a form on the site’s Help page.
The site is easy to navigate, and the Help menu at the top of the page really does live up to its name. It’s full of direct links that you usually have to search for, including:
FAQs
Order tracking
Contact information
Virtual try-on
Online buying how-to guides (such as reading your prescription and measuring your PD)
Shipping, returns and warranty information
Thoughts on SmartBuyGlasses.com
SmartBuyGlasses is a legitimate online retailer of contact lenses, designer glasses and sunglasses. The site sells a variety of top brands, including Armani Exchange, Oakley and Tory Burch.
The site caters to a wide variety of budgets and offers numerous perks and pluses, including free shipping on most orders and the ability to consult an optician with questions.
While SmartBuyGlasses has mostly good reviews, the Better Business Bureau lists a number of complaints about the retailer, including:
Claims of orders taking too long to arrive
Issues with the price match guarantee
Problems with returns
No matter where you decide to buy your next pair of glasses, it’s a good idea to browse customer reviews to get a good idea of what to expect.
See your eye doctor
Before ordering any new glasses, schedule a comprehensive eye exam to ensure your eyes are healthy and to get an updated vision prescription. While it may sound like a good idea to use the SmartBuyGlasses lens scanner app to get your current glasses prescription, it’s better to have a current and accurate prescription directly from your eye doctor.
SmartBuyGlasses home page. SmartBuyGlasses.com. Accessed February 2022.
SmartBuyGlasses. Better Business Bureau. Accessed February 2022.
SmartBuyGlasses. TrustPilot. Accessed February 2022.
Page published on Wednesday, April 13, 2022
