Finding the Best Deal on Designer Frames

One of the great things about "brand name" frames is that, often, you can try them on before you buy them. Whether you visit local stores to see what's out there or participate in Glasses.com's home try-on process, it's reassuring to know what you're buying before you order. Although going the designer route is almost* always more expensive than buying "house brand" frames from discount retailers such as Zenni, for some the designer specs are a better investment. Even if you pay $100-$200 for them online, it's frequently still a steal compared to traditional prices. So how do you find the designer frames you want online? 

1. Know the brand, the frame name/size, and the frame number (if applicable). Usually this information is printed on the inside of the frame, typically on the temple arm. Once you have this information, you can always just do a Google search if all else fails. 

2. Check the "big three" of the online vendors who carry discounted designer frames: Frames Direct, Glasses.com and Coastal. Although Coastal has a reputation for being the boss of big deals, I have actually found certain frames cheaper on Glasses.com once the lenses were configured and shipping was calculated. So do the due diligence and make sure you are getting the best deal if you find your frames at more than one store. 

3. Beware sketchy websites. Stick with the tried and true instead of trying to save an extra $5. If a site has no real or verifiable reputation online, stay away!

4. Be patient. Frames arrive on sites all the time. If you know you like a specific pair, add them to your favorites cart and then check in on them periodically. Prices fluctuate, and there are often sales and special offers available. Bide your time if you can, and it might save you a mint.      

*The "almost" refers, in this case, to options such as Coastal's First Pair Free promo.

MyOpticalShop.com Review (Rimless!)

For those of you who can't quite get behind the heavier (by comparison) plastic frames and adore the lightweight wonder that is a titanium rimless style, this post is for you. Myopticalshop.com may have a limited selection of styles, but they do rimless very, very well, and all for a pittance. I paid $67 for my glasses, with hi-index 1.61 lenses, A/R coating, and shipping included. For titanium, air-locked, rimless frames, that's unheard of. Luckily for you, now you've heard of it!

Tortoise & Blonde At-Home Try-On Review

I was very impressed by the frames I received from Tortoise & Blonde. All five pair felt great, none of them were stiff or creaky, and none were crooked or misshapen. Having now ordered from three of the start-up $100-ish retailers, I must say that T&B had the best dedicated women's frames. The Laurel and Lola were decidedly feminine, and the Melrose worked well as girly choice, too. The more ambiguous "unisex" frames were also great. Overall, very pleased. Just wish my order had arrived sooner!

  

Coastal.com Purchase Review

Much has already been said by bloggers (and others) about Coastal.com, and I wanted to see if my experience would go well as a "regular" buyer. I bought my glasses through the website like any other customer, and overall I have no complaints. I actually have a few raves. 

The glasses were delivered in five days. Yes, you read that correctly. FIVE.

I ordered them through the "First Pair Free" promo in which you only pay shipping, and they cost me a few cents shy of $15. For designer frames. And optically perfect lenses. 

Pardon me while I do a happy dance. Feel free to watch the video while you wait. 

Needless to say, I was pleased as punch with my Coastal experience. Obviously, the prices are much higher when purchasing frames that are not part of the free promo, but Coastal does seem to have sales and special offers on a regular basis, and the cost is still much lower than what you'd pay for designer frames elsewhere (in most cases). You can always do an online search for coupon codes, as well. 

If I have any small, nit-picky, vaguely negative thing to say about Coastal, it is that they did not send me an email confirmation when I ordered. They waited until my glasses were ready to ship to send me a shipping notification and a receipt. So I wasn't quite sure my order had gone through until I got that. Also, the place to enter your promo code is in the next-to-last step in the order process, after you have entered your address but before you enter payment info. That was kind of annoying.

If you are considering ordering from Coastal, here are a few tips:

1. Create an account and save all of the frames you like as "favorites." The free pair promo frames change, so just because the ones you like are not offered for free now does not mean they won't be in the future.

2. Use the stellar size-finding features on the lefthand menu. If you know you look good in 52-18-135 frames, Coastal lets you search for those by size. I love this feature. 

3. When it says "low stock," it means it. I lost out on a pair of frames because I figured they'd be there later. Coastal is WAY more popular than you realize, so if you know a pair is perfect for you, don't wait. 

4. If you find a pair of frames you like in a physical store but cannot afford them, make a note of the brand, style and size. If they are a major brand, you may seem them on Coastal at some point.