Pair Eyewear Review: What to Know Before You Buy
Pair Eyewear is an online eyewear retailer that originally specialized in customizable glasses for kids but has since adapted their model to serve adults as well. Their unique selling point is their customizable magnetic frames that allow customers to easily swap out the top frame layer to match their mood or outfit.
How Do They Work?
The basics of the Pair Eyewear model is that first a user selects a base frame and then they choose from hundreds of tops that can be applied to the frame, customizing its look further. These top frames can be swapped out, meaning a user doesn’t have to commit to a single look with a given pair of glasses the way one normally does.
What Does Pair Eyewear Offer?
Pair Eyewear’s glasses and sunglasses are different from traditional online retailers. If you have a specific “standard” type of frame in mind, they likely don’t offer it. Instead, you can select from a small selection of frames priced at $60 that come in a variety of colors. These frames are then compatible with the top frames the company sells, which is the major selling point of their model.
While they don’t offer a large selection of base frames, there are hundreds of these top frames that come in a wide variety of both reserved and striking color schemes, depending on what you want. These tops can be swapped out regularly.
Pros & Cons
Pair Eyewear is a company that offers customizable frames for glasses, particularly aimed at children. Unlike traditional eyeglasses, Pair Eyewear offers a unique approach to eyewear customization. Their frames feature a snap-on design, allowing users to switch up the look of their glasses quickly and easily.
While some users may be disappointed that Pair Eyewear doesn’t offer traditional glasses frames, the company offers something that can’t be easily found elsewhere: personalized, interchangeable eyewear. Pair Eyewear offers users the ability to mix and match frame fronts and arms, creating unique looks that reflect their style and personality.
The customization options offered by Pair Eyewear are particularly appealing for children and teens, who may want to change up the look of their glasses frequently or have difficulty finding frames that fit their individual tastes. With Pair Eyewear, children can choose from a wide variety of colors, patterns, and designs to create frames that are truly their own.
In addition to their customizable frames, Pair Eyewear offers prescription lenses and blue light blocking lenses, making their frames a practical choice for those who need corrective lenses or spend a lot of time in front of screens.
Costs & Insurance
The base frames sold by Pair Eyewear are set at a standard $60 price point. The top frames, used to customize the look of the glasses, tend to range from $25 to $30 each.
Single-vision, reader, and non-prescription lenses don’t add to the total cost of a pair of glasses, although progressive lenses add an additional $199 to the total cost. Lenses can then be further customized, with premium, ultra-thin lenses, and blue light filtering lenses costing between $49 and $59. Light responsive lenses are more expensive, adding $149 to the total cost of the glasses.
Like most online glasses retailers, Pair Eyewear isn’t affiliated with any medical and vision insurance company. However, it can still generally be treated as an out-of-network provider, meaning many plans will let you get reimbursed for some or all of your total glasses cost if you submit a claim.
How Do They Compare Pricewise to Competitors?
Pair Eyewear pricing is comparable to its competitors, although the fact that its frames are all priced at $60 means it can’t compete with the lowest cost, bargain options available elsewhere.
At the same time, the glasses it offers are admittedly unique in that they can be customized with the top frames they sell. If a buyer wants more than one top frame, it makes these glasses a unique value proposition, as most other sites would require you to buy two pairs of glasses if you wanted two different looks for your eyewear.
Shipping Information
Pair Eyewear offers free shipping on orders over $45, which will be virtually all glasses purchases as their frames start at $60. For orders less than this, shipping is generally $6.
The company also offers faster, more expensive shipping options, including 3-day guarantee shipping for $30 and rush shipping for $60.
How Does Ordering Work?
Ordering on Pair Eyewear is a simple, comparable process to ordering from most other glasses retailers. You first select a base frame you want, along with the lenses you want. If you don’t want top frames, the site doesn’t require that you add them before making your order.
Once your order is almost complete, you can put in your prescription, either through a photo or have the company contact your doctor.
How to Get Started
As with ordering, getting started with Pair Eyewear is easy. The only real obstacle is that you will first want to get an eyeglass prescription, as the company doesn’t offer any type of online testing at this time. Beyond that, it’s as simple as going to their site and finding frames and lens options that suit your needs.
If you want to get the cost of your glasses reimbursed, make sure to also research how the process works with your insurance company. It’s usually pretty easy but does require that you actively submit a claim for the reimbursement.
Reviews & Brand Reputation
Pair Eyewear has a fairly solid reputation, and their offerings tend to review well. The two biggest complaints we saw online are that lens upgrades seem a bit pricey and that the frames sometimes feel flimsy. However, the company is also praised for its large selection and long 30-day trial period to try out your glasses and make sure you’re happy with them.
Is Pair Eyewear Worth It?
Pair Eyewear offers a unique and customizable approach to eyewear that allows users to create personalized frames that reflect their individual style. While the idea of customizable eyewear may seem expensive, Pair Eyewear’s pricing is relatively competitive and definitely worth considering if you want highly customizable but still affordable glasses.
Compared to traditional eyewear brands, Pair Eyewear’s frames are competitively priced, with most frames starting at around $60. Additionally, Pair Eyewear offers bundle deals that can save you money on multiple frames, making it more affordable to create a variety of looks.
Pair Eyewear also offers prescription lenses and blue light blocking lenses at an affordable price point. This is particularly appealing for those who need corrective lenses or spend a lot of time in front of screens.
Alternatives to Consider
While the ideal online store to purchase glasses will vary depending on personal preference, it is worthwhile to consider Eyebuydirect and Warby Parker as potential alternatives. These two options have received positive reviews and are well-established brands.
Eyebuydirect boasts a wide selection of frames for customers to choose from, while Warby Parker is often praised for its user-friendly interface. At the same time, neither can offer the high level of customization that Pair Eyewear’s products allow for with their top frames.
Pair Eyewear FAQs
These are some of the most frequently asked questions about Pair Eyewear:
Is Pair Eyewear a legit company?
Pair Eyewear is a legitimate online retailer. Their products are well received online and extremely customizable.
Was Pair Eyewear on Shark Tank?
Pair Eyewear was on Shark Tank, with its founders Nathan Kondamuri and Sophia Edelstein pitching their company well, impressing the Sharks, and getting an investment roughly on par with what they were hoping for. Their model has since evolved somewhat from how it was pitched on the show but is still recognizably the same basic idea discussed on Shark Tank.
Is Pair Eyewear sold in stores?
Typically the best way to get Pair Eyewear products is online, as they have very limited physical locations. However, they do have five locations a person can visit if they want to make an in-person visit: one in California, two in New York City, and two in Midwest Hy-Vee stores.
References
How It Works. Pair Eyewear.
Do You Accept Medical/Vision Insurance? What About HSA/FSA Cards? Pair Eyewear.
Shipping and Returns. Pair Eyewear.
Are Pair Eyewear’s Customizable Frames the Perfect Pair for Your Face? USA Today.
The Best Places to Buy Glasses Online of 2023. USA Today.Pair Eyewear. Shark Tank Blog.