Everyday Carry

Sponsored: The EDCer's Guide to Glasses on a Budget

presented by GlassesUSA.com

Authored by:
Everyday Carry
Reviewed by:
Bernard Capulong
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
14+ Years Reviewing EDC Products
Sponsored: The EDCer's Guide to Glasses on a Budget

Lots of us carry and wear glasses on a daily basis to help us with just about everything we do: working, reading, driving, and so much more. So it’s not hard to see why it's important to find a pair that meet your personal needs. It might come as a surprise, but the same features you’d look for in any other type of EDC gear apply to your daily specs too. In this guide, we’ll narrow in on the most EDC-focused factors to consider to help you buy prescription glasses online that'll last long and look great without breaking the bank.

The Best EDC Glasses Are…

Durable: If you’ve ever worn glasses, you already know how amazingly easy it is for them to just mysteriously disappear once you take them off. And if you’re less lucky, you might be familiar with that stomach-sinking CRUNCH sound when you finally do find your glasses — under your shoe. Short of that, they can still easily get bent, scratched, and abused unless you carry them in a case all day. Wouldn’t you rather wear them instead? It's crucial to keep them in top-condition. It’d be annoying to always be looking through scratched lenses with the frames falling off your face.

Lightweight: A common EDC practice is to slim things down, focus on only the essentials, and shed extra weight. You can do the same with your specs. A lighter pair of glasses is easier to carry and more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

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FlexLife Troy Gunmetal ($109)

For example, these flexible gunmetal frames offer both durability and light weight. You won’t have to worry about the frames snapping as much if you accidentally sit on them or knock them around in your bag thanks to the strong, flexible titanium material it uses. ($109)

Comfortable: EDCers take ergonomics seriously in their essentials, and most of them only end up in their hands. You’ll have glasses on your face for hours at a time. And unless you’ve got the right pair, that can get fatiguing if not downright painful. Keep comfort in mind to let you wear and use your glasses for longer. Why put up with soreness or resorting to taking your glasses off and taking a break when you don’t have to?

Secure: A secure, yet comfortable fit is important as well. The frames should be slightly wider than your face so the arms can be in their proper position. The arms need to be long enough so that they comfortably fit slightly around the ears to ensure they don't fall off. The bridge of the glasses should rest firmly on the bridge of your nose, but not to the point where you feel like they're squeezing. All of these aspects of fit keep the glasses where they should be — on your face. This is hugely important, especially if you’ve got a more active lifestyle or work that requires you to look around and turn your head often. Few things are more annoying than having to adjust frames every five seconds due to poor fit.

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Academy Black ($84)

For a comfortable fit, check this pair out. Although they may look a bit bulkier than you'd think, a nicely fitting pair of acetate framed glasses will be a pleasure to wear. The thicker arms are comfortable and the integrated nose pads won't dig into your face either. Larger lenses mean you're covered on peripheral vision too. The timeless look of these frames adds a bit of old school cool as well. ($84)

Affordable: You can find a pair that balances durability, weight, comfort, and fit, but it won’t be of much help if it’s got a prohibitive price tag (and that’s often the case). Because glasses are one of those things that are so easy to lose, it also helps to have an affordable pair so you at least know you’re not out a ton of money if they’re gone for good.

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Muse Fox Trot ($89)

The Muse Fox Trot is a modern, yet refined pair of glasses that balance all of the key features that make for a good pair of EDC glasses. They’re constructed from metal for increased durability and have a slimline frame for a comfortable weight. ($89)

Where to Buy Glasses Online

The example glasses we’ve shown here are from GlassesUSA.com. They offer plenty of frames with the right features to get the job done, and they actually come in at or below the $100 price point, lenses included. You can pick from luxury designer brands and popular crowd favorites like Ray-Ban and Oakley as well.

Buying glasses online might seem like a pain, but GlassesUSA.com have a few features and services that make it easy. They’ve got a tool that makes recommendations for glasses that look and fit you the best based on the shape of your face. There’s free shipping, a 365 day warranty, and free returns just in case things don’t work out 100%.

Now that you know what to look for, you can find a new pair of glasses worthy of your EDC setup. One last thing — GlassesUSA.com offers 50% off all frames with basic prescription lenses if you use the coupon code WELCOME50 (some exclusions apply). That'll leave some cash in your pocket to get that new flashlight or key organizer you’ve been eyeing.

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Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Reviewer
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (11 total)

James Weilhammer ·
I see...sponsored post. Almost missed that! GlassesUSA is still quite high priced. Zenni, Firmoo, Goggles4U, EyeBuyDirect have much more reasonable prices. I usually steer away from stores that sell Ray-Ban, Oakley - it usually means they're another face of the Luxottica cartel.
NotoriousAPP ·
Fully agree. I buy all my backup glasses from Zenni.
Ashley Woo ·
Love the cleanness and repetition in this composition; also super helpful tips on investing smartly in such an essential (re: sunglasses, I specifically started buying Spitfire's this year as nothing beats their design-to-pricepoint value--I've featured them in my first two submissions). Great info! :-)
kacamata ·
Love this Comment @Ashley
reina mitchell ·
Warby Parker has some pretty cool styles and you can try them at home. I think its like 5 pairs for a week and then you return the ones you do not want. However, the best pair of glasses I have bought have been my Persols which aren't exactly budget glasses, but I love them.
Lance Hill ·
I've been a big fan of Warby Parker, and their customer service is impeccable.
Patrick LaFollette ·
Warby Parker also sells good glasses at excellent prices. Might be a little bit more than those here, but honestly anything under $200 is probably good value for most people.
Patrick LaFollette ·
Also forgot to mention that WP has an excellent at-home try-on service. They send you up to 5 frames at a time to try, and there's no cost for it.
Mahrezza F ·
I got more access to Japanese brands eyeglasses like Ogi and Eterna, they're affordable, somewhat reliable, and pretty good for its price since I carry at least 1 backup in every pack :D Love the one with magnetic clip sunglasses
Geredd ·
Need one on sunnies now
Ulyan ·
Nothing can beat the Oakley prescription glasses. Light, durable and stylish!