FRAMEBUYER / ONLINE EYEWEAR TEST RUN

ONLINE EYEWEAR TEST RUN

Curious how online sellers of Rx eyewear stack up? We take three of the eyewear sales disruptors for a test run to find out. Up first, Warby Parker—online and in-store

To get started with my hybrid online/in-store test run, I perused the Women’s section of the WP site to choose five frames for the At-Home Try-On. There were about 75 styles, mostly acetate, and shapes were on-trend but basic, primarily modified rectangles plus some rounds. Color options were also basic—each model is offered in just two or three color options.

After a few clicks my five frame picks were on their way home for my At-Home Try-On—to be delivered in about five days. In the meantime, I headed to New York City for business meetings, with the additional goal of buying a pair of eyeglasses at a Warby Parker store.

WP has carefully chosen cool-kid locations for its 37 stores, and the WP store I’m at in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District is no exception. With pulsing music, hard-to-pin-down salespeople, and a throng of shoppers milling about the cavernous space, it is almost painfully hip. Yet clearly popular.

I enter the store and no one greets me. Salespeople chat amongst themselves and with a few browsing customers. I approach a salesperson and he quickly provides the details of how I actually order Rx frames.

Almost everything is $95, including Rx lenses and free shipping. Arguably, that’s a price most folks can live with. Despite the fact that it’s clear I’m in purchasing mode, my short-lived salesperson scurries off and I try on frames alone.

The eyewear styling is basic but good, and the quality level is also noticeably basic. Of course, this is how WP keeps it cheap—the company designs and sources its own frames, keeps the design, quality, and color palette simple, and saves on designer licensing fees.

I hit the restroom, which is next to the optometrist’s exam room, only to find a mess of toilet paper and paper towels strewn on the floor—feels much more nightclub than optical shop bathroom. Back to trying on frames, I am greeted by an informed, helpful salesperson, who helps me choose a pair.

When I’m ready to pay, he departs for his scheduled break and I am passed off to a slightly surly woman. She tells me my frames will arrive in seven to 10 days and that if I need adjustments I should “take them to my optometrist’s office.” She also says I will receive an email that will explain how to upload my Rx. I never receive that email, so I email the main WP service help desk over the weekend and receive a quick, responsive email providing the information I needed.

Back at home, I am greeted by a nicely packaged WP box of five frames to try on. When my Rx eyewear shows up, it too is well presented, with a solid, hard case. My Rx is good but the frames keep sliding down my face; they definitely need adjustment. But I can’t bear the thought of taking them to my O.D.’s office.

—Erinn Morgan

ORENISAAC.COM

Spend $98, get basic SV Rx lenses plus choice of frame

Do I want to be like Celia, “versatile, appealing, and one-of-a-kind,” or more like Ashley, “inspiring double-takes and envy”?

This is the question running through my mind as I peruse the selection of frames at OrenIsaac.com, a new addition to the growing community of online retailers. It’s imperative that I answer that question, or at least narrow it down, because I have to choose a maximum of five eyewear alter egos.

Scrolling through frame options, I see that Oren Isaac’s are all acetate, and relatively the same weight and width, so the choice comes down to shape and hue. The look is subtle, mature, and elegant.

“I believe in simplicity,” says Oren Isaac’s founder, Emmanuel Aboucaya. “I wanted the glasses of the first collection to be easy to recognize but also have their own identity, their own story to tell.”

Oren Isaac may be a new addition to the online eyewear space, but the founder has a notably long history in the optical industry, including 18 years of experience as an optician in Paris who has designed eyewear for celebrities—including Michael Jackson.

I choose to order up Jacques, Lulu, Celia, Ashley, and Lior for home try-on.

When my selections arrived a few days later, the frames felt smooth and sturdy, yet delicate. I liked them all, but there wasn’t a clear favorite. I realized that I missed having the feedback of a professional to tell me whether or not a frame was too large or small, too dark or narrow.

Still, the frame-and-lens package is considerably cheaper than in a typical retail setting. The standard package, which includes frame and Rx lens with anti-scratch, UV, and anti-reflective coating, is $98.

But the bevy of optional a la carte upgrades—premium AR ($29), Blue Light Protect Lenses ($50), an optional $15 one-year warranty—make for a range.

To me, the thing that truly helps Oren Isaac stand out in its market is a commitment to people beyond its customer base. It’ll trade your old pair of glasses for a $15 coupon and then recycle your old lenses and polish, reshape, and donate the frames to charity.

Though my finished prescription glasses took a few weeks to arrive, when they did it was in a secured box and they came with a soft, gray flannel zip-top case.

Out of the box, the frames and lenses looked great. Though the fit was good, one of the arms creaked slightly whenever I put them on.

Was that fine? I wasn’t sure. Home alone, there was no expert to assure me one way or the other.

—Emily Teel

DITTO.COM

Subscribe for $34 monthly, get unlimited sunwear and Rx eyewear rentals

Ditto is a new model in the field of online eyewear. Think of Ditto as Netflix or Rent the Runway for specs—the company rents both plano sunglasses and prescription eyewear.

Thirty-four dollars a month buys you unlimited swaps of loaner designer sunglasses or frames fitted with your prescription, each available to keep as long as you’d like. The frames themselves are by familiar labels: Prada, Selima Optique, Jason Wu, Ray-Ban, and more.

I paged through the options, growing more excited. The sign-up process took no more than 10 minutes, and then I could either manually enter my prescription, submit a photo of it, or enter my optometrist’s contact information and have them call and solicit relevant information directly.

Then on to the fun part. I selected for my first trial run a frame by Jason Wu. Two clicks later, it was on its way to my house. Immediately, I realized that I was willing to be far more daring with eyewear rental than I was when making the commitment of ownership.

They arrived a few days later, and I loved that people noticed them. Why yes, I did get new glasses, thank you. Quickly, I realized that someone could get used to this feeling.

When I logged back in, there they were, the pair I had at home, and they could stay with me forever for only $340, 15% off retail. I had to send them back before I got attached.

Round two was a bit more difficult. Using their online tool, I took a short video of myself. From then on, anytime I clicked on a frame to see the details, my own face appeared, wearing a projected version of the frame, slowly turning to show each temple.

I selected the Jessica by Selima Optique. When a few weeks had passed without their arrival, I reached out to Ditto customer service. Unfortunately, the frame had been discontinued. They reset my account so I could choose again.

This customer service hiccup made me wonder whether or not there isn’t still some work to be done on the back end. Still, the site is easy to use, design-forward, and visually stimulating. It’s playful—there’s even a helpful online quiz to help determine your preferred frame selection.

There are a few drawbacks: If a particular frame is popular, it might be unavailable (like a book at the library), having only one frame at a time doesn’t allow for side-by-side comparisons, and lenses themselves aren’t customizable. Plus, I wonder about the sustainability factor of tossing so many lenses.

Still, for some, $34 might be a price worth paying for the frequent thrill of novelty.

—Emily Teel