My Clearly Contacts Experience

UPDATE: "Clearly Contacts" is now called Clearly. After finding out that my most recent pair of glasses bought online weren't cut in accordance with my pupil height (not distance), I went into the Clearly store on Queen West and realized that they do not process returns for online orders. The company is going through many changes, and I am now going to visit Costco for my prescription eye wear since the entire experience is a bit more personal and professional. 

Today I am sharing my experience with a 100% Canadian brand, who just recently opened their first store on Queen St. W in Toronto. Clearly is amazing. I have now made 3 purchases through their site, and have not once been let down. Their shipping is super fast- packages arrive within one business week from the date of purchase. Packages come equipped with a high quality glasses case and a very handy cleaning/care/repair kit. They also offer full returns, but if you follow the correct steps, you really won't be needing that.

I took advantage of their Facebook "first pair free" offer, since my prescription is quite low (-1.75 for both eyes) and the total ended up being $18 after shipping and tax. Now, to keep the price low, I got the thickest lenses, with no anti-scratch or anti-glare coatings. That being said, if you are just looking for cheap and fun frames, you really don't need the frills. For glasses that may get scratched and dirty from intensive daily wear, consider the protective coatings. I got the second and third pair during some of their sale days, and still payed around $50. For glasses, this is an unheard of deal. A great benefit for Toronto residents is the ability to head over to their retail store at 317 Queen St W and try on all of the available frames. To get an idea of my choices, check out the pictures below.

My first pair, purchased in November of 2012: Love, Black and Pink Square

Second pair, purchased March of 2013: Vintage, Tortoiseshell Round

Third pair, purchased December of 2013: Love, Cotton Candy Cat Eye

So now, I need to stop buying from Clearly Contacts... Until my actual contacts run out.

On that note though, contacts are discounted on the site and they carry almost every single style and brand. I get the Air Optix Night & Day monthly contacts and as long as you have your correct prescription, buying from the site can save you a good amount of money.

My one complaint is in regards to the "try on" feature on the site. It's supposed to connect via webcam or by uploading a pre-saved photo to allow you to virtually try on frames from home. The program overlays the frame shape onto your photo to see how you look with them on. I have tried to make this feature work for the past 2 years, and it NEVER does. Talk about frustration! I have settled by using the site-provided face images to compare shapes so I can get a general grasp of the frame size. I also use all of the measurements provided on the product listing to compare to frames I already have. My face is rather slim so I always have issues finding frames that aren't too wide. I narrow down my options on the site by refining my search options (on the left sidebar of the webpage) to only show frames with 50mm lens width, for example.

Another difficult feature comes along with pupil distance calculation. This measurement is crucial since it determines the proper curvature of the lenses to fit your eye distance. I can't master the manual pupil distance calculation using the print-out ruler from Clearly Contacts, so I've found a good alternative. The trick is using an electronic pupil distance calculator, such as this one at finestglasses.com. It isn't the easiest site to navigate, so search for "pupil distance calculator" on google if you find yourself in this rut also.

For people with very complex prescriptions, bifocals, astigmatisms, etc. consulting an optometrist before trying to design glasses is a very good idea. Headaches, nausea, and other terrible consequences can arise from wearing faulty glasses. I am rather sensitive to lenses and have never encountered a problem with mine from Clearly Contacts- keep in mind that I only have a -1.75 prescription.

After two years of wearing my first black and pink pair, I only have great things to say. Amazing quality, unheard of price, wonderful customer service and very trendy frames. Despite not paying extra for the more high quality lenses, I have not experienced any major scratches or defects. It is also a bit time consuming to get the proper pupil distance, but it is definitely possible to achieve. If you have the opportunity to take advantage of the "first pair free" coupon code (it can be found on the Clearly Contacts Facebook Page) or any other one of their discounts, I would highly recommend doing so.

Keep Smiling :)
xx