Readers.com Eyeglasses Review | Everything You Need to Know
Readers.com is an online retailer specializing in affordable non-prescription reading glasses. They offer several lens types that can be difficult to find elsewhere, including reading sunglasses.
History of Readers.com
Readers.com started in 2012. It is an online eyewear retailer with a focus on readers, and they frequently discuss the importance of customer happiness in their marketing materials.
Discussed more later, the glasses they sell come in up to 14 power options, some of which can be difficult to find in physical stores and with other online retailers.
The company also regularly engages in charity work, partnering with various nonprofits to improve access to eye care and similar resources in underserved communities.
The Types of Readers They Provide
The company sells readers in unisex, men’s, and women’s styles. Their frames come in many different shapes and styles, and they have several different lens options. A customer can get bifocal, blue-light blocking, and fully magnified lenses.
Depending on the glasses chosen, customers can get lenses in the following powers:
- +1.00
- +1.25
- +1.50
- +1.75
- +2.00
- +2.25
- +2.50
- +2.75
- +3.00
- +3.25
- +3.50
- +3.75
- +4.00
How Does Readers.com Work?
Readers.com has a page on their site discussing the basic process of ordering with them. It is a straightforward process, much like ordering with any other online retailer.
You first find items you want on their site and add them to your cart. Then, you can view your cart to adjust any options available for your chosen items, such as editing the lens power or color of the glasses.
Once you’re ready to place your order, you can check in as a guest or log into an account with the company. If you create an account, it’s easier to manage your order, as you can easily reference it later. You’ll enter appropriate shipping and billing information, and decide how you want to ship with the company. Finally, review your order, enter payment information, and complete the order.
Cost & Insurance
Readers.com frames start at around $20, with the cheapest frames available at $19.95. Their frames all stay in this budget tier, with the most expensive frames costing $37.95.
Lenses don’t seem to be customizable beyond allowing a customer to select the power of their readers, which didn’t affect the price. If you want a specific type of lens, such as blue light blocking lenses or lenses of a certain niche power, you will need to use the company’s robust search tool to narrow your frame options and choose a frame that can come with the type of lens you want.
Insurance won’t typically cover non-prescription reading glasses, even if a person has an eye health condition that makes magnifying reading glasses useful.
Additionally, purchases made from online glasses retailers typically count as out-of-network purchases. Purchases that might be covered need to be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. The specifics of the reimbursement process will depend on the policies of your insurance company.
Shipping & Return Policy
Readers.com offers most standard shipping options at prices comparable to other retailers. They offer free standard shipping, which in this case means USPS First Class, for orders over $35 to U.S.-based customers. This means the majority of customers are likely to qualify for this free shipping option. Orders over $50 are free if being shipped to Canada or Australia. Shipping otherwise costs $3.95 or $4.95 for international orders. The company notes that there may be additional shipping charges for international and expedited shipping orders.
Customers can request a return or exchange within 90 days of a purchase from Readers.com. The item needs to be “like new” for the company to accept the return.
To make a request or exchange, you can either call 1-800-210-3975 or email info@readers.com to get in contact with the company’s customer service team. If the return is accepted, shipping generally won’t be refunded, although the company notes “some exceptions apply.”
How to Get Started With Readers.com
If you’re considering getting started with Readers.com, consider what you’re looking for in your glasses. If you’re looking for non-prescription reading glasses on a budget, it may be an option worth considering. Otherwise, you might want to do some research about the companies known for the specific type of glasses you want, as Readers.com doesn’t offer much beyond that.
The process of getting started with them is easy and much like starting with any other online retailer. We usually recommend getting your vision tested before buying glasses online, just to make sure you know the current state of your eye health and whether you might benefit from prescription glasses. If you’ve already been tested recently or know that you only want non-prescription readers, this may not be necessary.
Reviews & Brand Reputation
Readers.com doesn’t appear to have a particularly positive online reputation. On Trustpilot, the company currently rates at 2.1 stars out of 5, a number that comes from 180 reviews of the company. Of this pool of reviews, 63% were 1-star ratings, the lowest score Trustpilot reviewers can give.
Common complaints include that many items are frequently out of stock, products break on customers, and an overall decline in the quality of what the company is offering.
Admittedly, there are other areas where you can find positive reviews. The company’s website and Facebook page tend to show a good collection of more positive reviews, but there is an obvious risk of bias from these sources.
The brand also doesn’t seem particularly well-known. Many of the sites we review have thousands of customer reviews available from multiple sources. In researching Readers.com, there weren’t any sources with a huge pool of reviews. There were only one or two with enough for us to draw meaningful conclusions.
Ultimately, if you know you only want non-prescription reading glasses with few customizable options, it might be worth considering Readers.com due to the low price point. But take the negative reviews into consideration in terms of what could potentially go wrong.
References
About Readers.com. Readers.com.
Best Sellers. Readers.com.
Happiness Guarantee, Shopping & Ordering. Readers.com.
Returns & Exchanges. Readers.com.
Readers.com™. Trustpilot.