If you’re ever had to buy prescription lenses or sunglasses, you’re probably well aware of the high prices of eyewear, all thanks to a single company – Luxottica – that dominates the industry. They own eyewear stores like Sunglasses Hut, LensCrafters, and Pearl Vision, and manufacture everything from Coach to Ray-Bans, all at their Italy headquarters.
But one company called Warby Parker has created a refreshing alternative, offering stylish, designer eyewear at lower prices (with most costing less than $100). They designs all their frames in-house, and use high quality materials to craft their signature, primarily retro-styled frames, fitted with scratch-resistant, impact-resistant lenses that provide 100% UV protection. Better yet, they give back through their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair Program (which has helped distribute over a million pairs of glasses to people in need).
Warby Parker has locations in US and Canada that you can visit, but the easiest way to try out frames is through their FREE Home Try-On kits.
Warby Parker’s Home Try-On – How Does it Work?
Warby Parker’s Home Try-On kits allow you to try out 5 sample frames – either sunglasses or prescription frames – in the comfort of your home, for free. Here’s how the whole process works:
- Visit Warby Parker and browse the different styles available for try-on.
- Add 5 frames that you’re interested in to your kit.
- Warby Parker will ship the sample frames to you for free.
- Try out the frame for 5 days and see which ones you like best.
- Once your 5 days are up, ship all the test frames back using the prepaid return label.
- If you find a pair you like, you can buy online at any time, and they’ll send you a fresh new pair!
I’ve been wanting to try the Warby Parker’s Home Try-On kits for some time now, and finally ordered myself a box. I was attracted to about 90% of their unique, retro sunglasses styles, but managed to narrow it down to 5 – some classic styles, some just for fun. In just a couple days, the box was on my doorstep! Here are my initial thoughts of the ones I tested out.
Warby Parker’s Sunglasses Try-On & Review
Warby Parker Raglan in Pearled Tortoise
The Raglans feature an oversized classic-meets-retro style with a slight cat eye. I love the shape, but these were just a tad too large for my face.
Warby Parker Winston in Ginger Lemonade
The Winstons offer a minimal, unisex style with a retro twist. The ‘Ginger Lemonade’ color is super pretty, but didn’t quite work with my light/medium skintone. However, I could imagine these looking amazing on someone with a darker skintone.
Warby Parker Piper in Striped Sassafras & Crystal
The Piper sunglasses feature a feminine cat eye with a unique mix of striped brown texture and clear crystal. These were my second favorite out of the five for their shape and gorgeous frames.
Warby Parker Reilly in Crystal
The Reillys are a slightly oversized, classic pair of shades with clear frames. I could see myself wearing these all summer, paired with practically any outfit. Next to the other four pairs though, to me they lacked some ‘flair’.
Warby Parker Ellison in Whiskey Tortoise
The Ellisons feature a classic retro style with steel-rimmed lenses and a straight acetate top frame. I’ve always wanted sunglasses in this style and these fit the bill! They’re also the only pair out of the five that came with warm brown lenses, which is my absolute favorite lens color.
Warby Parker’s Home Try-On Review
Overall, I love the concept of a home try-on kit. Rather than walking into a store and trying on glasses while the (often times intrusive) sales people eyeball you, you get to relax and test out trendy sunglasses in the comfort of your own home. Plus, the five day try-on period gives you plenty of time to experiment, dance around the house, and even ask around to see what your friends and family think.
Design-wise, Warby Parker’s mix of classic and retro styles are on point – the Piper and Ellison frames in particular were my favorites out of this bunch, and in the end, I decided to purchase the Piper ones!
Interested in trying out Warby Parker’s glasses? You can explore all of the sunglasses available for home try-on here, as well as the eyeglasses available for home try-on here!
What are your thoughts on Warby Parker Home Try-On kits?
