Zenni Optical

Quick notes:

• Sub-$20 pricing – Zenni’s always been amongst those with low pricing. They currently have some of the lowest prices starting at $6.95.
• Most popular – You’ll have no issue finding other customer input and reviews about Zenni (heck, the reader-reviews section on this site is full of them). Nearly anyone who’s bought glasses online has done so from Zenni at some point.
• BBB-accredited with an A+ rating.
• Can not check out as guest (must register).

Introduction:

Zenni Optical is located in the US (California), although orders may be shipped from either the US or from HK. Pricing in USD. They sell single-vision and bi-focal/progressive lenses. They a 1-800 number, fax number, email address, mailing address, and online form for contact. Payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Diner’s Club, JCB, Carte Blanche, Australian Bankcard, Discover/Novus, Switch, Solo, and enRoute. They are BBB-accredited with an “A+” rating.

Impressions:

Zenni is generally considered to be the most popular online eyeglass retailer. They’ve been around for a number of years and it’s virtually impossible to find a list of retailers (whether current or historic) that doesn’t include Zenni. It’s worth noting that they had some severe shipping (and customer-service-related) issues back in 2009 that were poorly addressed, though all indications seem to be that they’ve worked to improve since then – complaints appear to have decreased substantially, and they are now a BBB-accredited business. Their record isn’t by any means spotless, but they remain extremely popular and the “go-to” retailer for many customers.

While in the past I’ve referred to Zenni’s website as “simple”, they’ve made a number of improvements over the years while still maintaining the ease of navigation.

Frame selection is quite good. In total, roughly 4000 frames exist, with 76 frames at the lowest ($6.95) price point. They also have a variety of frames for $9.95, $12.95, $15.95, and $19.00+. Beyond that, they also carry memory titanium, rimless, aluminum alloy, and quite a bit more in the way of options although prices vary in those categories, quite a few beyond the $19.00 mark. All in all, there’s a huge selection and prices generally are quite low.

Basic single-vision lenses (either 1.50 or 1.57 index) come free with the frames. Bifocals add $17 and Progressives add $21.95 to the price tag. A number of indexes are available (up to 1.67 for single vision), in addition to Transitions-branded photochromic lenses & Polarized lenses. Polycarbonate lenses are available for $9. Anti-scratch and UV are free, but an AR coating is extra ($4.95 for the basic coating, $14.95 for a more premium coating). Tint can be found for $4.95.

They’ve essentially covered all the basics when it comes to lens options.

Website and Ordering:

As mentioned earlier, Zenni’s maintained a simple layout while adding functionality to the site. The search/sort feature is quite strong and is designed to help you find what you’re looking for quickly. You can use sliders to narrow down a price range, limit compatibility to bifocal/progressive, choose certain frame types/shapes/materials, select certain sizes or colors… you get the idea.

A try-on feature has been (finally) added. Zenni was one of the last holdouts here, but when they finally got around to adding a try-on, they did a pretty good job. It appears to be java-based (rather than the more common flash-based ones), which was a pretty smart move on Zenni’s part. Zenni’s works flawlessly in nearly every OS and nearly every browser – it even works on the iPad.

The ordering/prescription page isn’t terribly pretty and doesn’t seem to fit in with the visual theme of the site, but it’s quite functional. Little ? bubbles exist beside every option – mousing over a “?” brings a pop-up with further information/explanation.

Once you’ve added the glasses to your cart, a rather complicated-looking chart shows up with the details. While your prescription information is correctly shown, the layout/presentation is just awful. It looks like something from the 90′s. Like the prescription page itself, it doesn’t jive with the visual theme of the site.

Unfortunately, to place an order you’re required to create an account (there’s no “checkout as guest”). In addition, before placing an order, you’re required to accept a Terms of Use agreement that binds you to “Arbitration” if there’s a dispute. This last part (forcing the customer to agree to arbitration) ticks me off to no end. Instead of conveying that “if there’s a problem, let us know – we want to take care of it and make sure you’re pleased“, it comes off as “if something goes wrong, we’re more concerned about making you jump through hoops than anything else, really“.

To be fair, I haven’t heard any complaints about the “arbitration” requirement being used against a customer yet. And I really hope it’s something that a legal department insisted on rather than something Zenni intends to use against customers. Arbitration agreements are supposed to be for businesses making deals with each other – they don’t have any place in customer agreements as far as I’m concerned. If a customer has a problem, you’re supposed to… you know… work things out.

Pricing and Value:

Zenni remains extremely competitive price-wise. With frames starting at $6.95, free lenses, and shipping at $4.95 within the US ($9.95+ internationally), it’s quite possible to get a pair of glasses for under $15.

Lens offerings:

(prices based on $6.95 frames)

Shipping within the US is $4.95. Canada is $9.95. Other countries vary between $9.95 and $38.95.

The price charts are created by hand. If you notice any errors, please contact me.

To sum them up, Zenni’s the most popular retailer, has incredibly low-prices (both for offerings and addons), and is BBB-accredited.

Click here to visit the Zenni Optical website / Click here to go to the Zenni Optical purchase review