Where To Buy Contact Lenses

If you have made the decision to buy contact lenses, you may be wondering where you can turn to find contact lenses.  In this day and age there actually are a number of places through which you can make the purchase of contact lenses.  In this article, we discuss with you some of the options that are available to you when it comes to making the purchase of contact lenses.  Of course, if you have some more specific questions about contact lenses, you do need to consult with an eye care professional.  An eye doctor can provide you with all of the information that you will need when it comes to contact lenses and your own vision needs and eye care.

Locations Where You Can Purchase Contact Lenses

Contact lenses can be purchased from an eye doctor, over the Internet, at an optical store or through some pharmacies.

Do Your Homework Before You Make a Purchase of Contact Lenses

With so many options on where to purchase your contact lenses, there is not a single best place to buy.  By doing some research you will be able to determine the best option for you.  Make sure and be prepared to check out all your offline and online sources for contacts.  When doing your search, keep in mind what overall value each option offers.  Factors such as availability, customer service, convenience and price are a few.

See What Your Health Insurance Plan May Cover

If you have a health insurance plan that includes vision coverage, make sure and first check what benefits you have through the policy.  Some vision plans offer a flat discount at specific stores, usually around 15%.  Other vision plans may offer a mail-order discount from a provider that they have an arrangement with that will give you a reduced cost.  Nonetheless, find out what the cost would be using your insurance benefit first before you continue your research.  The prices may or may not be better than others you will find.

Talk to Your Eye Care Specialist

Talk to your eye care specialist next and find out what options and pricing they offer. If your eye care specialist sells large quantities of lenses, it is possible their costs will be very competitive with other sources.  Quite often eye care specialists will offer package deals that include eye examinations and a year’s package of lenses at a reduced cost.  The overall value may even be better than competition if you take into consideration the cost of the eye examination.

Consider the Chain Stores

Stores like Pearle Vision or LensCrafters are optical chains and have multi location eye care practices.  These companies generally have optometrists on premises and offer the advantage of providing the eye exams as well as the contact lens fittings and a large supply of lenses as well.  If you already have a valid prescription, these companies can be a good option because there’s no waiting for your lenses.  This type of company has large volume and generally offers competitive pricing and also the benefit of having an in-person transaction.  Their store hours usually include evenings and weekends, which is also convenient.

Consider the Department Stores

Large department stores like Cosco, Sears or Target, have optical stores within their stores.  These stores are normally subcontracted out to eye care specialists and offer the same benefits as many of the larger independent optical companies.

Buying Contact Lenses on the Internet

The Internet is always an option but buying anything online involves some risk.  That doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea but make sure you are working with a reputable company and know that if you need your contacts quickly, they will need to be shipped.

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