30 May, 2018
Why I Love Warby Parker’s Home Try-On Program
I hate shopping for new glasses. It takes forever, the stores are always crowded, and I can never really tell what looks good on me. It always seems like when I get home, the frames look different than they did in the store—but by then I’m stuck with them. When I find a pair that I think I look decent in, I feel forced to stick with them just out of the dread of having to shop for new ones. So, when I heard about Warby Parker’s Home Try-On program, I was more than ready to give it a shot.
Warby Parker is an eyewear company known for cutting out the middleman to provide customers with high-quality frames at an affordable price. Their frames are fashionable, and their Home Try-On program is pretty awesome. Basically, you pick five frames that you like, and they send them to you at no cost. From there, you have five days to try them on, get opinions from friends, and send them back (also for free).
This was perfect for someone like me. I answered a quick, six-question quiz so that they could get a better idea of my preferences and my style. They asked about my preferred fit (narrow, medium, or wide), my preferred shape (round, rectangular, or square), my favorite frame colors, and what material I wanted (acetate, metal, or mixed). Then, I just let them know when I’d had my last eye exam, and they gave me a bunch of options to pick from.
There were two styles (the Edgar frames and the Fletcher frames) that I was instantly drawn to, and they were exactly the kind I’d been looking for. They were simple square shapes, but they had slightly thicker frames with round edges, which I liked.
Normally, I shy away from buying anything that deviates from my usual style, since glasses can be so expensive, but Warby Parker glasses start at $95, so I had room in my budget for two. With Warby Parker, everything is free to try and there are no commitments, so I decided to test out a couple frames that would match my normal look and then three more adventurous pairs. For those three, I chose a pair of the Milton frames in Brushed Navy with a wire frame, the Percey frames in Striped Sassafras, which have a sleek shape, and a pair of clear Chamberlain frames. The frames arrived two days later—I loved that I could take my time trying them on and wear each pair for a full day. My girlfriend absolutely loved the Percey frames and the Fletcher frames. She said that the Fletcher frames made me look more professional, and I liked square shape, so I chose that pair for everyday wear and then Percey for special occasions. The decision was made, and in less than a week I had my two new pairs of glasses.
The entire process was easy from start to finish, and being able to try on each pair with different clothes was a big perk. I’m already thinking about ordering a second Home Try-On for a chance to test drive some more styles. I think I’m due for some new sunglasses…