How does Warby Parker work, exactly?

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How does Warby Parker work, exactly?

If you’re a glasses-wearer, you’ve probably heard of affordable designer eyewear company Warby Parker(opens in a new tab). If you haven’t tried out their glasses yet and are still picking from the small selection at your optometrist’s office, you’re probably overpaying and you’re definitely missing out on some pretty cool frames.

Warby Parker(opens in a new tab) was founded in 2010 by Wharton School students who noticed that most of the “designer” glasses are simply licensed to a few giant eyewear companies and sold in bulk to optical shops. They realized that if they cut out the middle man by designing their own glasses and selling them online, they could pass on huge savings to the customer.

That was almost a decade ago and Warby Parker(opens in a new tab) is still living up to its promise to provide high-quality, affordable eyewear to its customers. Glasses start at $95 (including frames and lenses) and if lenses are scratched within a year, Warby Parker will replace them for free. You can even try on up to five pairs at home before you buy them, so you have the experience of trying them on and seeing how they feel.

Warby Parker is also firmly committed to social good(opens in a new tab), joining the ranks of other socially-conscious brands like TOMS(opens in a new tab), Thrive Market(opens in a new tab), and Bombas (opens in a new tab)socks. With every pair of Warby Parker glasses sold, a pair is distributed(opens in a new tab) to someone in need. Warby Parker also works with non-profits that train volunteers to administer eye exams in underserved communities. As one of the only carbon-neutral eyewear companies on the planet, they care about the environment as well.

Credit: Warby Parker

If you’re ready to bring your eyewear into the 21st Century (and help do some good along the way). Here’s a step-by-step guide to ordering glasses with Warby Parker.(opens in a new tab)

Step One — Pick out your frames

You can browse Warby Parker’s selection of frames in men’s(opens in a new tab). And women’s(opens in a new tab) styles to get a feel for their aesthetic. There’s a pretty good mix of simple classics and more trendy statement pieces. If you’re really overwhelmed, you can take their quiz(opens in a new tab) to get some recommendations based on your preferences. If you find a pair that you know you want, skip straight to ordering them at step three. Otherwise you’ll have the chance to try out your favorites.

Step Two — Home Try-On

This is the fun part. Pick out five frames that you’re interested in and Warby Parker(opens in a new tab) will ship them to you for free. I highly recommend the Laurel(opens in a new tab) in Tea Rose Fade (pictured bottom left). Seriously, these glasses look good on everyone. Once you get your frames, you can test them out for five days to figure out which ones are for you. Once you’ve found the frames you love, just send your home try-on box back with the included pre-paid label.

Step Three — Ordering your frames

As soon you know which glasses you want, you can go ahead and order them on Warby Parker.(opens in a new tab) Frames start at $95 for standard single-vision lenses. Of course you’ll need to pay more if you want progressive or transition lenses.

Step Three-and-a-half — Filling out your prescription

When checking out, you’ll need to fill in your glasses prescription. If you have a prescription already, the easiest way to do it is to upload a picture of your prescription. You don’t have your prescription readily available, Warby Parker can call your eye doctor for you. But it might take longer to get your frames. If you don’t have a prescription or your current prescription is expired. You can go get a quick exam from an eye doctor (available at Warby Parker’s storefronts(opens in a new tab) in a few major cities). Or download this app(opens in a new tab) that apparently checks your eyes for you ($40 if you get an updated prescription.)

Step Four — Dealing with insurance

Warby Parker(opens in a new tab) is in-network with UnitedHealthcare. But an out-of-network provider for most insurance companies. So you’ll need to submit your receipt for reimbursement if you want to use your insurance to pay for your frames. Warby Parker has instructions (opens in a new tab)and forms for most companies reimbursement on their website. If you have a Flexible Spending Account (opens in a new tab)or Health Spending Account. Then you’re in luck: you can use that for your Warby Parker frames as well. Just enter your FSA/HSA card number at checkout.

Step Five — Wait for your frames to arrive

That’s it! Now you just have to sit back and wait for your new glasses to arrive on your doorstep. Get ready to be flooded with compliments on how great you look in your new frames.

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