If you’re shopping for eyeglasses, you’re in good company. The Vision Council estimates about 164 million U.S. adults wear prescription eyeglasses. There are many retailers to meet the needs of this vast customer base, including both online and brick-and-mortar stores.
D.L. Eyewear, founded by actor Dan Levy, has an interesting hybrid model. They sell sunglasses and optical frames online that you can then take to your local optometrist’s office and have them fitted with your prescription. Read on to learn more about D.L. Eyewear and how ordering works.
Since 2013, D.L. Eyewear has offered designer frames at lower price points than high-fashion brands. Their glasses are designed to flatter a range of face shapes and sizes.
Pros
- D.L. Eyewear offers more contemporary styles.
- They have a 30-day return policy.
- Every D.L Eyewear purchase supports the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit that offers emergency relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- D.L. Eyewear aims for environmental sustainability by reducing their carbon footprint whenever possible.
Cons
- Customers requiring prescription eyewear will need to go to their optometrist’s office to have their frames fitted with prescription lenses.
- D.L. Eyewear frames are $135, which is more expensive than online retail competitors but less than many designer brands.
- Their selection of frames is limited, and some frames are out of stock.
- It’s not possible to try on the frames in person.
D.L. Eyewear sells nonprescription eyeglass frames. They offer about 10 sunglass frames and 10 optical frames in various colors and lens tints. Many of the optical frames are also available as sunglasses.
D.L. Eyewear regularly adds new releases to their lineup of designer frames, which you can find in the New Releases tab of their website.
Remember, the company offers frames that you can take to your optometrist or an optician to have fitted with prescription lenses. Read more about their process on the D.L. Eyewear website.
D.L. Eyewear’s frames are $135. This does not take into account the cost to fill the prescription, which can run hundreds of dollars depending on your prescription needs and your optometrist’s office.
Note that with buying nonprescription frames, or glasses that don’t have prescription lenses, you should expect to pay sales tax on your frames.
D.L. Eyewear shipping costs $10.
The D.L. Eyewear website has straightforward navigation. You can choose from the New Releases, Optical, or Sun tabs at the top of the website to browse their collection. There are no fancy filters — simply scroll down to see their frames. If you want to know more about what the D.L. Eyewear brand is all about, click the Brand and See with Love tabs.
If you see a pair of eyeglasses that’s out of stock, submit your email and ask to be notified when the item is back in stock.
Ordering
Before browsing the D.L. website, you may want to consider the type of frames you’re looking for — whether that’s a chunky, oversized frame like the Macpherson or a round frame like the Beaumont.
D.L. Eyewear does not provide any try-on features, but you can always go into an optometrist’s office or a retailer first to try on a variety of frames and see which shapes and styles you like the best.
Once you have a general idea of which frames work best for your face shape, you can start browsing through their collection. The description on the product page also offers a handy summary of the face shape best suited for the frame.
Note that each frame comes in a selection of colors. For example, the Whitehall is a thick wayfarer that comes in honey tortoise, matte black, matte tobacco, Oxford tortoise, and smoke.
When selecting your frames, choose the color you want and indicate whether you want blue-light-blocking lenses. Once you’re happy with your selection, click “Add to cart” and then “Checkout.” Since D.L. Eyewear does not fill prescriptions, nothing more needs to be uploaded.
The website does not provide any information about when people can expect their eyeglasses to arrive, but if you have issues getting your order, contact customer service at [email protected].
Customers who are not happy with their frames can return them within 30 days of their purchase. Note that your return does not cover the cost of shipping.
D.L. Eyewear has a strong brand presence, in part due to the profile of its founder: actor and writer Dan Levy. The company has no Trustpilot or BBB rating, but it does have an Instagram page with 85,000 followers where you can find posts about their products.
At the heart of their brand is their motto, “See with Love,” which refers to the company’s philanthropic efforts. Every year, they donate a percentage of their profits to the nonprofit LISC, which offers financial relief to small businesses negatively affected by COVID-19.
The company also follows a sustainable business model and attempts to reduce the carbon footprint of their sourced materials. This is why, according to the company website, many of their frames have limited runs and are often out of stock.
Most other online eyeglass retailers can fill a vision prescription, and doing it all in one go may be cheaper in the long run.
For example, BonLook, which offers designer frames that are similar to D.L. Eyewear, can provide a frame and fill a basic prescription for $100 to $150.
Another similar retailer is Warby Parker. They design their products in-house and can set you up with frames and a prescription for $95.
Of course, the tried and true method is to go to your local optometrist’s office. Not only will they know your prescription, but they can advise you on the correct fit and size. Some measurements, such as segment height in bifocal and progressive lenses, are best done in person based on the frames you want to buy.
Keep in mind that frame selection is not just a matter of style. Where the frame sits on your face, specifically where your pupils sit in the center of the lenses, is of critical importance to whether the glasses can meet your eye correction needs and be comfortable.
In one
D.L. Eyewear offers a small but mighty range of fashion-forward specs for those who want haute couture without the cost. These may be best if you want to don a particular look without prescription lenses.
If you want to have your prescription filled by an optometrist or optician, but you don’t like their frame options, D.L. Eyewear could be a good option.
Johanna Sorrentino is a writer, editor, and wayfarer. Her appetite for empowering information and great storytelling is matched only by her appetite for cheese and chocolate. Learn more about her at johannasorrentino.com.