I'd heard of Coastal.com through a few friends on Facebook, and I knew they had a "FIRSTPAIRFREE" promo code for new customers, so naturally, I ended up on their site almost immediately upon realizing my glasses weren't able to be fixed. I called up Sears Optical to have my prescription sent to my house, and the rest of the weekend was spent figuring out which frames I wanted. Their handy "try-on" feature, which allows you to upload a picture of yourself and virtually try on frames, ultimately made my decision for me. I wanted the Love L736 Purple frames, and nobody could change my mind. Yes, you read that right—purple frames!
Once my boyfriend got paid on Friday, July 12th, I made my purchase on the website. My order came to a grand total of $14.67, after shipping and handling. I couldn't believe I was able to spend less than $20 on a brand new pair of prescription glasses! (Keep in mind, my old glasses were closer to $200.) After submitting my information, I received a confirmation number and e-mail. My order was shipped on Monday, July 15th, via USPS. It was estimated that I would receive my package 7 days later. However, my glasses arrived only 2 days after being shipped from Washington state. I was extremely surprised they arrived so soon, and I was over the moon with excitement! A hard glasses case, cleaning spray, cloth, and a mini screwdriver on a key chain were included, too. I thought that was a nice touch. The best thing was that my new glasses fit even better than my old ones, and I adored them! They were so much better than I could have imagined! Overall, ordering glasses from Coastal.com was a great experience, and saved me lots of money, too. I would definitely recommend it!
Here's a few tips that really helped me choose frames that fit and look great:
- Look for frames that have the same or similar dimensions (bridge width and arm length) to your current glasses. This will ensure your new frames fit well, like your old ones. The dimensions of your frames are written on your glasses—you just have to know how to read them!
- Upload a photo of yourself to use the feature to virtually try frames on. It gives you a much better idea of how your new glasses will look on you, and it should help to narrow down your favorites.
- Find out your pupillary distance (PD) from a professional, if possible. They ask for your PD to make sure your lenses are formed correctly, and your pupils look through the right place in them. Your eye doctor may not include yours unless you specifically ask for it. I know mine didn't! There are ways to measure it yourself, but it's a much better idea to have a professional do it, because it's super easy to mess it up.
- Read reviews about the frames you like. If people talk about them breaking easily or anything about them being flimsy, you might want to steer clear. Aside from that, you can also see what others like about your favorites!
- Check, double-check, and even triple-check that you entered in your prescription correctly! It would really suck to receive your new glasses and find out they're not right for your eyes. If you're unsure of anything on your prescription, call your eye doctor—don't just guess! You could easily end up with a useless pair of glasses, so be careful!
If any of you have ordered glasses online, tell me about your experience! I'd love to hear some stories, whether good, bad, or indifferent. Also, here are before and after pictures of me in my glasses. Do you like the change?
Before (October, 2011)
After (July, 2013)
