I've been using glasses from Zenni for a couple of years. Build quality seems to be the exact same as every other pair of glasses/sunglasses I've ever owned.

My current main glasses are a pair of ~ $10 Zennis. I've had them almost two years and they show no signs of wear whatsoever. My previous ones were also Zenni and I had them at least 3 years.

I'm sure certain frames are better than others but I've never had any damage with any of them. For the price, even if you did have to replace them more often, it'd be worth it.

I personally bought a second pair of the super cheap ones to have around as backups just in case, it's worth it at that price. (....They actually ended up becoming my main glasses because they looked better, I wear the $9 ones instead of the $35 ones I bought).

TIL that Zenni exists. Tomorrow I'm ordering a new pair of glasses. Been needing some, but been putting off the $150+ I was going to have to spend elsewhere.

May also depend how bad your eyes are. The zenni frames are really lightweight & cheap. If you have really bad eyes, like I do, you're going to have to deal with trying to get them adjusted constantly and they may break sooner from that. And thick lenses are going to look worse in cheap frames.

I have two pairs of $4.95 Firmoo glasses. I will never pay for Warby Parker’s. I feel like glasses are glasses. I can’t imagine the quality is anywhere near enough to justify such a high price, especially when I misplace mine so often.

In terms of quality, both WP and zenni are the lowest of the low.

If you want actual good quality glasses, go to a real optician.

Been using zenni for over ten years. Still happy customer. If you are ok with a sort of DIY ordering process might work for you.

These threads always bring in the brigade of THEY SUCK GO TO A REAL PLACE

I've used WP for years and now Zenni. Both are totally fine if you just want a pair of affordable glasses. Never had any complaints with either

My professional opinion? If your RX is low, WB and Zenni are probably OK.

And just OK.

If you have a prescription that is above normal, either in sphere(the first number of your RX) or cylinder(the amount of astigmatism; the third number is the astigmatism’s axis-the way the lens needs to set in the frame to correct the astigmatism), the online orders are absolutely NOT great.

The higher the RX, let’s just say anything over a -/+2.50 in the sphere, or over a -1.50 in the cylinder, the pupillary distance must be measured correctly in the monocular. Adding both PD(pupillary distance) measurements and just dividing the difference can cause something called unwanted prism.

Ordering no-lines(progressives, PALs) online is also going to be a possible mess. Dividing your binocular without the individual eye being measured will most likely cause your eye to not go into the channel with the best visual acuity/correction.

And getting the seg height(placement of the bifocal segment or the no-line in relation to the lower lid or pupil) where it needs to be can cause some unpleasant side effects.

Another issue is the type of lens. Usually around first or second generation lenses are used, ie outdated tech. We all got rid of our VCRs for a reason.

Patients have also brought in online glasses with crooked bifocals, lenses thicker than they should be, poor material quality or non glare(AR) coating that I could almost swear came from a spray can-and expect us to replace them for free because it was our RX in them.

This is all opinion from a 30 yr veteran. Believe it or not, I’m still learning.

And one more thing; I understand the financial reasons people go online. By all means, go. I never treat anyone poorly for that decision. But when you come in to ask us to take the PD measurement for you to take your business elsewhere, don’t do these two things:

1. Be a loudmouthed asshole about how we are “ripping you off,” are too expensive, or we “just don’t have anything out of your 1,100+ frames in stock that you like”. Admit you have a budget. You don’t have to treat us like shit when we are doing you a favor.

2. While we’re finishing up with another patient, getting our pupilometer, whatever, don’t walk around and sneakily take photos of the glasses you said you “didn’t like” to look them up online to get them cheaper. Again, just ASK, and we’ll write them down for you; you just look like a lying, cheap, POS. And, no, we probably won’t price match.

Zenni has a range of frames at different price points. I've only laid my hands on one WP frame, but it didn't look much better than a $20 Zenni pair. Maybe the coatings are better?

Try kits.com Their lab is in the Pacific Northwest (not sure if bc or wa), and they have a first pair free deal (just pay shipping).

That's rough about Warby Parker. For alternatives check out Zenni Eyewear Lensdy or EyeBuyDirect.

I’ve been waiting over six weeks for a replacement pair of glasses, and this whole experience has been a disaster. The pair I received was so scratched up that every time I wipe them, they get worse. They’re now so bad they’re actually messing with my eyesight.

I’ve spent weeks on the phone with their customer service, and all they do is apologize. No solutions, no urgency. I made it clear that I was leaving the country on September 23 for a month, and they promised me I would have my glasses before then. Well, today is the 22nd, and guess what? Still no glasses.

Now I’m stuck. I either risk my vision or spend $400–$500 out of pocket for a new pair I shouldn’t even need. This is insane, unfair, and completely unprofessional.

Warby Parker is quick to sell you on “stylish, affordable” glasses, but when something goes wrong, they leave you stranded. If you value your eyesight, do not trust this company.

I feel like I read the same post (complaint) before. Did you post this earlier in the Warny Parker subreddit?

That’s the thing about investment, private equity and becoming a public company. Eventually, the need for higher profit margins come due.

The game plan is always offer a superior product and experience at low prices to increase your market share, draw customers from competitors and increase revenue. Once you’ve locked in the customer base, slowly increase prices, increase profit margin and decrease quality and user experience. It’s a repetitive process in this hyper consumeristic, capitalist system we have going.

Look into r/EyewearEnthusiasts for brands that many people follow and have good quality. Not always the cheapest glasses but better than the Luxoittca crap that’s out there.

How much are yall paying through zenni for Lens & frame. I keep getting confused on sales on sights because it will end up being frame only and lens a lot more (I don't have insurance). I don't ever really see people say how much the total cost for new glasses is, usually just cheap or frugal. So I'm just wondering. I see from the comments you have to be careful for the quality too. :/

I just got some glasses from eyebuydirect and they're very high quality.

I continue to use them for over ten years, happily. But you will not find total agreement in this sub to this question.

Simple fact, their prices have opportunistically gone up dramatically for identical products/specs, in parallel with their rise in popularity. Now they're a ripoff.

I just recently purchased a pair of glasses from Zenni Optical and it was a completely terrible experience. To summarize, I ordered readers with a certain percentage with purple tinted lenses and received brown tinted glasses. No matter how many times I asked why I ordered purple tinted glasses and received brown lenses, no one could tell me how that happened. All they would say was it was my computer resolution or the lab made the glasses you ordered - but how could that be? They also show you online from their website how your glasses should look and my pair online from their site shows purple tinted lenses not the brown lenses I received. I also had probably 15 people from Zenni Optical contact me to find out what was going on but not a single person offered to explain to me how to get the glasses I actually ordered. They also provided no solution. Then they would email me asking me to rate my experience??? They used to be a great company - probably ordered 5 pairs of glasses over the last 15 years and now - I will never do business with them again. Buyer Beware!

My sister has ann unusual prescription and uses Costco (one nearsighted, one far sighted) I use zenni because I like being able to get multiple pairs of glasses and zenni is cheap. I've never tried warby parker.

Costco is good. But have been well served by zenni for several years.

You will find a range of opinions on this question.

Here is a Consumer Report survey…

https://www.reddit.com/r/glasses/comments/glidlq/consumer_reports_march_2020_58k_members_review/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

Costco is best. Then WP. Then a dumpster. Then Zenni.

"My lenses are damaged"

*Doesn't use the free warranty

"I've been a customer for years"

*Has this argument worked for you in any other retail space?

You got prescription sunglasses for less than $150? When? Minimum would be $195 during the last few years, at least. Polarized or non-polarized started at frame price + $100. Only recently have they changed polarized to frame price + $150...

They've had $95 frames for 15+ years. This is the first major price increase ever in the company. Keep in mind that a SIGNIFICANT part of this is due to tariffs. Have you bought anything anywhere the last 4 months?

Prices are rising be of the Trump administration. Warby has to react and adapt.

Also, sounds like you just need to take better care of your glasses

You know you got a 6 month scratch warranty on every prescription pair right?

There are so many factors when purchasing glasses. Did you price out polarized versus non-polarized lenses this time? Were you in need of a progressive lens when perhaps you didn’t need it in the past? Was insurance involved in the previous purchase? Was there an RX change that may have caused your optician to recommend a different lens material or style? Did you choose a frame that may have been more expensive than your previous? And prices do change. Also, heat and chemical exposure can cause damage to lenses. Salt water, chlorine, improper cleaning, prolonged heat. There are just so many things that can happen to lenses.

Heat as in leaving them in the car. It can cause lenses to delaminate and deform. It can also cause the frame to come out of alignment which can damage the lenses depending on how the frame’s bent.

I am also a long time WP customer and came to this subreddit for some answers as I experienced something similar.

I have a pair of glasses that are no longer available in that size or color. But available in the same size other colors or same color other sizes, so of course I asked if I can have the lenses replaced for a fee and I’d send them Via mail.

They agreed to this but in the price quote, they told me I’d have to pay for the full frame price again, yes, on the frame that I already own and paid for.

Warby Parker has one of the WORST customer service experiences I've seen in my long life.

I went in on August 15 to a local branch with my new prescription for progressives. I was told that because of a "new system," there might be a 3 day delay on glasses.

I did not hear from WP by September 6, so I called the number for the local shop. This number took me to the customer service line overseas. The woman I was speaking to found my account and could not see what had happened. She said she would investigate what was going on with the glasses and call me right back. She did NOT.

Called again on September 9, and was told that "UPS never picked up the glasses." I expressed my disbelief about that - what does it even mean? If the glasses were made, wouldn't someone just send them out with the next shipment? The CSR told me she would put the order through again and expedite it, so I should get my glasses in 7-10 days.

I checked progress on the new order using the app. It said, "Building the fames" for a full 10 days. On Sept. 19, it finally said they were shipping to the store.

On Sept. 26, I checked progress again, and it still said, "Shipping to the store." Then, about an hour later, I got an email saying, "Thanks for visiting today! We will begin making your glasses right away!" And now when I checked the progress online, it was back to "Building the frames."

Called the number, woman again said that she would investigate and get back to me via email about what was happening with my order. She acknowledged that their "new system" does not allow them to track orders during shipping. (WTF?! Like... I buy a used item off eBay and I can follow its progress from some woman's basement to the post office to my house. But a huge corporation can't track their orders!?!) No further contact with the CSR.

Today (Sept. 27), I went to the store and was immediately given a refund by the employee who worked there. He was very apologetic and explained that the "new system" is causing many problems.

I'm not sure why a large company like WP would deliberately implement such a woefully bad and frustrating customer service system. CSRs cannot track orders or resolve any issues, and appear to openly lie to customers about tracking down orders or solving problems.

Beyond that, WP - a company whose mission is to BUILD AND SELL GLASSES! - seems to be unable to produce a pair of glasses and get them to a customer who has paid for them.

I will never use WP again.

I’ve been waiting over six weeks for a replacement pair of glasses, and this whole experience has been a disaster. The pair I received was so scratched up that every time I wipe them, they get worse. They’re now so bad they’re actually messing with my eyesight.

I’ve spent weeks on the phone with their customer service, and all they do is apologize. No solutions, no urgency. I made it clear that I was leaving the country on September 23 for a month, and they promised me I would have my glasses before then. Well, today is the 22nd, and guess what? Still no glasses.

Now I’m stuck. I either risk my vision or spend $400–$500 out of pocket for a new pair I shouldn’t even need. This is insane, unfair, and completely unprofessional.

Warby Parker is quick to sell you on “stylish, affordable” glasses, but when something goes wrong, they leave you stranded. If you value your eyesight, do not trust this company.

I was a part of their customer service team, and on May 30th, they let go of almost their entire US customer service call centers to hire only overseas. They started hiring them slowly about a year prior to this happening, and our jobs essentially became 50% cleaning up their messes. It was actually scary how truly bad they were at their job, and how little they cared about the customers whatsoever. They will blantantly lie to you, or tell you that they're going to do something and simply not do it without another thought. I never recommend WP to anyone who doesn't have a physical store to go in person, because you will never get proper help over the phone from them. I'm so sorry that you're dealing with that. I would call in and just ask to speak to a manager.

I’m here because of horrendous customer service issues and incorrect measurements on my glasses. I recently re-ordered the same pair and they are so tight they can’t even be adjusted. This is the same style as my last order which fit fine. Then the size up is so large they fall off my face after adjusting. I kept telling them I think original pair was labeled wrong and was a narrow instead of medium. They also coded my order wrong and this is after having a different rep give me skit level atrocious phone customer service to the point I was left in shock just trying to get my order! I’ve ordered from here dozens of times and they suck now. Also, the narrow, medium, wide dimensions change drastically with each pair. One pair was 132mm, the other 142mm and both were “medium” … it’s really frustrating when I used to have amazing service and no issues. I’ve had countless the past couple months just trying to get a pair of glasses

I think they’ve slowly been losing their edge since going public. There’s even been a huge decrease in customer service and overall optical expertise in their brick n mortar locations.

Yes, which is definitely why it comes down to WP just wanting to save money. It’s such a gross decision. Their cost of living is substantially less, so we can’t really compare their hourly rate to ours, but I understand what you’re saying.

I just received my first pair of glasses from Zenni Optical today! Titanium frames with blue-blocker progressive lenses. They were only $125 total. First time with progressive lenses, so there's supposed to be an adjustment period. But I can actually see with them! The pair that I bought originally from America's Best were over $400 (no blue-block) and I could not read a thing with them on. I took them back immediately. Oh, that $125 also included a pair of matching clip-on sunglasses (shaped just like the lenses on the glasses)

WP can do okay in person. Your rx is high enough I would never get glasses online because you can't get proper measurements done, and I would recommend going to an actual optician.

None of the companies you mentioned make good quality glasses. For a good quality pair, the only option is a real optician. As for your high Rx: in order for tour glasses to actually work, measurements need to be taken by a professional on you when wearing the actual frame. This is impossible to do online.

The prescription sunglasses from Eyebyedirect are very good quality. I was very impressed. I would say better than clearly

Zenni I love them ! Got my family to use them too.

Nice. I have used zennioptical for my glasses for over ten years. Still a happy customer.

I never buy glasses in store personally. I have a couple of times, but the slight quality difference in the lenses just isn’t enough to justify paying 5x as much for the same thing to me. Allegedly some people can’t get online glasses to work, but I personally think a lot of that is either customer error or hype by luxottica and its affiliates. I’ve bought my glasses online since the very beginning and I honestly don’t think I missed out on anything because of it. Only I definitely have a lot more money in the bank lol

That being said, zenni isn’t my favorite. I used them for a while, but they’ve definitely been hiking up their prices recently, and the prescription range is pretty limited. My go to store is Payne eyewear. They’re the only store that can fulfill my complex prescription ( prism progressives), at start up prices, and their quality and customer service have always been on par with my expectations. I also like firmoo a lot, because they also have good quality and they have the cutest frames hands down. I’ve used a few others but those are the ones that really stand out.

Btw if you’re unsure of quality, you can get the prescription checked at your eye doctor for free. I’m glad you’ve found something that works tho. It’s honestly such a sweet deal to but glasses online

I have two pairs from Zenni where the frames broke at the temples after about six months. There is no warranty. There are no replacement parts available.

They are very low-quality frames.