Zenni Optical vs. Frames Direct

Zenni offer stylish eyeglasses and sunglasses for men, women and kids. As well as providing a wide range of frames to suit every budget and style, they even have an innovative personalisation service. Shopping with the company online is extremely straightforward thanks to their numerous helpful guides and resources. Furthermore, international shipping only costs $9.95, no matter where you’re located in the world.

Frames Direct is a one-stop shop for everything eyewear-related. From a variety of contact lens options to hundreds of designer glasses on offer, you’re truly spoilt for choice. The customer service team is made up of qualified opticians and always on hand to help. Also, for every pair of eyeglasses bought, the company will donate a pair to someone who needs them.

Most online eyewear retailers provide free domestic shipping, but it will cost you $4.95 with Zenni and your order might take a rather long time to get to you! Plus, customers are expected to pay the shipping costs if they wish to return an item for any reason. Even though there are a variety of glasses to choose from, none of the styles are named and just given a general description, like “aviator eyeglasses.” This can make them difficult to refer to.

The site has a very basic Face Shape Guide and Glasses Size Guide. There’s no way of telling whether your chosen pair of specs will suit you until they arrive at your doorstep and you’ve tried them on. Plus the Frames Direct standard shipping times can vary depending on what you’ve ordered and where you’re located.

Zenni deliver a simplistic online shopping experience due to their array of informative resources. As well as providing a virtual try-on service, you can easily browse their vast collection of glasses using different filter and sorting options. With frames starting at $6.95, the company is currently one of the most affordable eyewear retailers on the market and offer plenty of choice to suit every budget. Their customisation service is also rather unique. It’s a shame that Zenni charges for domestic shipping, unlike their competitors, but international shipping costs are kept nice and low to compensate. However, the fact that customers have to pay for shipping to return an item seems a little unfair.

Frames Direct offer an abundance of fashion-forward designer brands at incredible discounted prices. You can tell that they’re part of a company that has been in the business for a long time and know what they’re doing, just by how informative and extensive their website is. There’s no doubt about it: Frames Direct is an eyewear innovator.