I’ve been wearing glasses most of my life, but it’s only recently that I’ve really started loving them. Now, I see glasses as a way to complement my outfits and change up my look — I wouldn’t be without them! Over the years, I’ve ordered from Glasses Direct several times and have always been happy with their products and service. This time, they kindly sent me two new pairs to try, so here’s my full review.
About Glasses Direct
Founded in 2004, Glasses Direct is an online eyewear specialist offering a wide selection of affordable glasses. What makes them stand out is their free Home Trial, excellent customer service, and hassle-free returns.
Buying glasses online used to be tricky because you couldn’t try them on first — an important step since glasses are worn all day. Glasses Direct solved this with two brilliant features: a free Home Trial where you can try up to four frames for seven days at home, and a Virtual Try-On tool to see how frames look on you before ordering. Plus, they offer a 30-day free returns policy, including for glasses with your prescription. Their combination of quality, speedy delivery, and great prices makes buying glasses online easier than ever.
Frames I Tried
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London Retro Albany – These tortoise frames are a favorite of mine; I’d owned a different color before but lost them to a mischievous dog! I love the style so much I had to replace them. They also come in ginger and black. Price: £89.
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London Retro Camden – These satin gold frames are a fresh style for me, and I absolutely love them. They’re also available in black and gunmetal. Price: £89.
Glasses Direct has a fantastic 2-for-1 deal on frames over £49, so buying two pairs is great value — essentially, the second pair is free!
Ordering and Delivery
I highly recommend using the free Home Trial first — it’s simple to select frames and have them delivered to try on for a week. Returning the trial frames is easy with a prepaid box. You do need to enter card details as a precaution in case you don’t send them back, but I’ve never had any issues.
The website offers helpful tools like a best-fit machine, style finder, virtual try-on, and face shape advice, which really helped me narrow down my choices.
After choosing your frames, you’ll specify the type of lenses you need — reading, computer, distance, bifocal, or varifocal. Options include clear lenses, sunglasses, transition lenses, or digital protection. You can also select lens packages (bronze to platinum) with extras like anti-reflective coating and scratch resistance. I went with the silver package for my glasses, which includes scratch resistance and anti-reflective coating. I can’t yet speak on the scratch resistance, but the anti-reflective coating is definitely worth it — it reduces glare, especially when taking photos or videos.
If you don’t have your prescription handy, you can simply email a photo of it later or request a copy from your optician.
Glasses Direct keeps you informed with emails throughout the process, from lab dispatch to delivery. Orders usually arrive within a week, with mine arriving in just 4 days!
Final Thoughts
I can’t recommend Glasses Direct enough. Many people hesitate to buy glasses online fearing poor fit or incorrect prescriptions, but the process is smooth and backed by a 30-day returns policy. The quality surprised me too — my first pair from 2015 still looks and feels great, proving that affordable doesn’t mean cheap.
If you’re thinking of buying glasses online, Glasses Direct is a brilliant option with excellent service and stylish, affordable frames.
