Sarah Mitroff is a senior editor at CNET, where she manages our health, fitness and wellness content

Sarah Mitroff is a senior editor at CNET, where she manages our health, fitness and wellness content. She has written for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld and VentureBeat.
In the past, wearing contact lenses was a huge inconvenience. You have to track and clean your contacts every six months, and the cost is so high that many people forego contacts entirely in favor of wearing glasses all the time. If you wear contact lenses, you can see for yourself how expensive they were at the time, even if they were good for your eyesight. Buying from your optometrist or local optometrist means you will most likely pay full retail price.
Luckily, there are many online stores that offer every brand of contact lenses you can think of, often at discounted prices or discounts to help you save some money. We have compiled some of the best places to buy contacts online below. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, but by looking at them, you can get the most savings and find a store that will let you use insurance to help offset the cost.
Please note that prior to purchase, you will need to be seen by your ophthalmologist or optometrist to check your eye health and contact lenses. An ophthalmologist can help you determine the best prescription lenses for your specific needs, whether they are everyday contact lenses, soft lenses, hard lenses, astigmatism, or multifocal lenses. All of the stores on this list require a valid prescription from an ophthalmologist to dispense your contact lenses, and if they don’t, they won’t ship them to you.
So, are you ready to drop the frame and dive into it? Here you can find contacts at affordable prices.
Warby Parker sells not only affordable and stylish glasses, but also contact lenses. You can choose contact lenses from Scout, Warby Parker’s own brands, or get contact lenses from major brands such as Acuvue, Biotrue, Air Optix, Daily and more.
Starting at $47 for 3-month Scout everyday contact lenses (only 90 lenses), this is a great everyday contact lens deal. Online prices can range from $60 to $200, depending on where you shop and what brands you use. You can get a 6-day trial of Scout contact lenses to see if you like them before purchasing the full supply.

Depending on your vision insurance, you may be able to use your benefits to pay for Warby Parker contacts. If your insurance company does not work directly with Warby Parker, you can file a claim with your insurance company to receive compensation for any qualifying orders.
Personal story time: I discovered Lens.com years ago, which I can’t remember now, and it’s been my search for cheap contacts ever since. I keep coming back because they have great customer service and the prices are usually the lowest I can find for prescription contact lenses. It has an impressive selection of brands including Acuvue, Air Optix, Dailys, and Biofinity Toric for Astigmatism, as well as accepting returns and covering the cost of sending unopened boxes back. ‘ Enough.
Lens.com is an out-of-network vision insurance provider, so you cannot use your benefits to pay for your order directly. However, you can send a receipt to your insurance company for a refund (and always check with your insurance company for what it covers).
As one of the most famous contact stores, 1800Contacts has all the hottest brands on offer and you can even get hard contacts through their call center. The CNET editor praised the company for its excellent customer service.
1800Contacts is priced like any competitor, so if you find a better price, you can let the company know and they’ll try to match (with some restrictions).
Like Lens.com, you can send your contact lens prescription via text or email to speed up the ordering process. 1800Contacts also offers student discounted contact lenses and free shipping on all orders, and allows you to renew your prescription with an online test (adults 18-55 only). You can also buy colored contact lenses from 1800Contacts. If for any reason you need to replace unopened lenses, 1800Contacts will cover the shipping cost.
In my CNET editorial, ContactsDirect is a popular contact source, as it often sends coupon codes to customers. It is available in a variety of lens types, including multifocal lenses, colored contact lenses, soft contact lenses for treating dry eyes, and toric lenses for astigmatism.
If your vision has changed and you need vision correction from a doctor, ContactsDirect offers returns for products purchased within one year. ContactsDirect (and 1800Contacts) also sell contact lens solutions.
Eyeconic offers contact lenses from a variety of brands including Acuvue, Air Optix, Biotrue and Extreme H2O from Bausch and Lomb. Like others on this list, it offers free shipping and free returns.
Last but not least is GlassesUSA.com, which sells both contact lenses and eyeglasses and prices will match those of other sellers. Like all the other retailers on this list, GlassesUSA.com carries all popular lens brands including Acuvue, Biofinity and more and offers prescription lenses with free returns and free shipping.
Basically correct. In the long run, disposable contact lenses will cost you more than glasses. I have been wearing Acuvue Oasys for many years and the average price for a box of 12 lenses is between $25 and $40. This box of 12 lasts for three months (one lens per eye, which I throw away every two weeks). This means that I usually spend about $160 a year on contacts.
You can easily get a pair of glasses for around $100, and as long as you don’t have to change your prescription every year, you can wear the same glasses as long as they fit you. Whether or not my vision changes, I will still need to buy more contact lenses each year.
Pro tip: It’s almost always worth buying a year’s supply of your current prescription after you’ve seen your contact lenses. Whether you’re shopping for daily contact lenses, monthly lenses, or multifocal contact lenses, buying in bulk can help you save money.

If your prescription changes sometime during this year, many of the above retailers will let you trade in an unopened box for a new prescription. You don’t lose much by buying a year-round supply. Although the initial cost may be higher, you will save money compared to buying one box at a time.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider for any questions you may have about your health condition or health goals.