Why are glasses so expensive?

Well, it’s a pretty good question! Anyone with a visual impairment knows that eyewear doesn’t come cheap. Of course prices vary depending on the brand and design you select, but a pair of prescription glasses can easily set you back several hundred dollars.

And the reason is pretty simple: the eyewear industry is a near-monopolistic, $140-billion industry, dominated by a single giant company who keeps prices so high they are bearing no relation to reality.

Glasses were invented more than 700 years ago — yes, they did evolve (thankfully!) and lens technology is constantly improving to offer your peepers the best possible comfort. But the truth is, glasses are still 3 pieces of plastic and some bits of metals, and lenses are almost entirely made of plastic as well — with a production that is mostly automated. 

Bottomline is, quality frames cost around $10 to produce. And you’re paying a markup that would make a luxury watch dealer blush. 

So why is that?

Because most brands you know are owned by the same company — and because this company casts a lengthy shadow over all sectors of the vision care industry, from lenses to insurances to retail channels — they have the power to maintain prices that are 10 to 20 times what frames and lenses actually cost.

But it doesn’t even stop there.

Let us explain your glasses’ journey before landing on your nose:

When you buy glasses from a traditional optician, you’re not just buying the frames and lenses — you’re also paying big money to cover the retailer’s hefty outsourcing costs, which include manufacturing, warehousing and distribution on top of those brands’ expensive licensing fees.

All in all, the high cost of frames reflects a market that is severely lacking in meaningful competition, especially innovative new entrants that would think of a more efficient distribution system and keep reasonable margins.

We’re here to be that change. We cut out the middlemen and design our own frames to pass huge savings on to you instead.