The best time of year to get deals on glasses and sunglasses

By Allie Johnson

When is the best time to get eyeglasses for cheap?

Many online and brick-and-mortar glasses retailers offer big seasonal sales several times a year. The best times to get deals on glasses include late summer and early fall for back-to-school, major holidays, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The best time to buy sunglasses is summer and winter.

Back-to-school glasses sales

Late summer into early fall is a great time to study ads and look online for back-to-school glasses offers. It’s an especially good time to shop for eyewear for one or more kids. Many brick-and-mortar and online retailers offer glasses sales with a focus on kids’ styles or “deals for the whole family” at this time.

EyeBuyDirect back-to-school sale

This popular online eyewear retailer offers a yearly back-to-school sale. It’s a great time to get cheap glasses for your kids (and yourself). In 2022, EyeBuyDirect offered a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal on glasses, perfect for a family in need of updated vision correction for the new school year.

Target Optical back-to-school glasses sale 

Target Optical offers a yearly back-to-school sale for prescription glasses. In August 2022, they were offering 50% off their “best lenses.” Frames and prescription lenses start at $79 for adults and $59 for kids.

Holiday glasses sales

Major U.S. holidays throughout the year also tend to be great times to find deals on glasses and sunglasses. These holidays occur over the course of the year. So if you miss one, you can easily jump on the next holiday sale. 

Some of the big retail shopping holidays when online and in-store retailers often hold sales on prescription and non-prescription glasses and sunglasses include:

• Memorial Day

• 4th of July

• Labor Day

• Presidents Day

For example, LensCrafters told us they offer “super weekend deals” during “key holidays,” such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. LensCrafters also offers monthly promotions, and the deals are the same in-store and online.

And Liingo Eyewear often has sales for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, a customer service representative confirmed.

Black Friday glasses sales

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the best times to buy glasses. Many in-store retailers have Black Friday glasses sales. And many online retailers offer deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

In fact, these two days of the year are some of the most popular times for eyewear retailers to offer sales in stores and online.

Online and in-store glasses retailers that offer Black Friday and Cyber Monday glasses sales:

• Sunglass Hut offers Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

• EyeBuyDirect has online Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

• LensCrafters holds a Black Friday sale every year

• Liingo Eyewear had sales on both days last year

• Target Optical has Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales

While your mind might be more on holiday gifts than vision correction at this time of year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great days to save. Shop on Black Friday at brick-and-mortar stores and look for deals for both days online.

Hot summer sunglasses sales

Many sunglasses retailers offer sizzling summer deals to take advantage of the seasonal nature of sunglass sales. They have a limited window in which to sell, and sales are a big opportunity to bring in customers.

Costa del Mar summer sunglass sale

Costa offers summer sunglasses sales and promos. For example, in August 2022 they had an offer for 50% off a complete pair of prescription sunglasses or glasses when you buy both frames and lenses. One example: You could get the popular Costa Fisch sunglasses with single vision silver mirror prescription lenses for $444 instead of $888.

Sunglass Hut summer sale

In summer of 2022, Sunglass Hut offered a promotion of up to 50% off select styles through September 5 for its semiannual summertime sale. Examples from summer 2022 include:

• Women’s cat-eye Ray-Ban sunglasses in four colors for $66 (originally $133) 

• Women’s Armani Exchange aviators for $48 (originally $97)

• Men’s green tortoiseshell Costa sunglasses for $153 (originally $219)

The Sunglass Hut summer sale is a great time to get a cheap pair of sunglasses or get a great deal on that pricy pair you’ve been eyeing.

Is winter the best time to buy sunglasses?

It may seem odd, but winter is also a great time to get deals on sunglasses. You might not always find hot sales and promotions on the newest styles like you would during the summer. 

But you may find great markdowns on last summer’s styles. And Sunglass Hut holds a semiannual sale that happens in winter as well as in summer.

It’s also important to remember that you need to protect your eyes from the sun year round, including in the winter. If you live in a snowy area, the sun’s reflection off the white snow can make it harder to see. And eye protection from the sun’s UV rays is essential in any season.

Other ways to save on glasses

Some retailers we contacted, such as Warby Parker, told us they don’t have any annual seasonal offers. Instead, they hold periodic sales such as a recent “add a pair and save” limited-time offer of 15% off two or more pairs of prescription glasses.

If you like a retailer that doesn’t offer seasonal sales, or you don’t want to wait for the right time to buy glasses, there are other ways to save. 

Tips for getting the best deal on eyewear online or in stores at any time of year include:

• Sign up for the list. Many retailers will send you a discount code immediately when you sign up for their email list or text alerts. They will then email or text to let you know about special offers and seasonal sales throughout the year. For example, EyeBuyDirect recently offered 15% off for sharing your email address.

• Shop discounted styles. Most retailers offer a sale or clearance section with discounted prescription glasses frames and sunglasses styles. For example, the Readers.com clearance section offers clearance reading glasses for as little as $1.99. At that price, you could easily stock up and keep spare pairs in key places.

• Leave glasses in your cart. Many retailers use tracking to follow up with a customer who was interested enough to put an item in their cart but did not buy. Abandoning your cart can be a great trick to get a special offer to entice you to make a purchase.

• Stock up and save. Many retailers offer discounts when you buy multiple pairs of glasses. For example, Target recently had an offer for kids glasses complete with frames and lenses starting at $59 for one pair or starting at $99 for two pairs.

• Look for special discounts. Are you a student, teacher, nurse, first responder, military member or veteran? Many retailers offer special discounts for members of certain groups year round. These discounts range from 10% to 15% and vary by retailer. For example, Sunglass Hut offers 15% off to: students, teachers, government employees, first responders, active duty and retired military and their family members. 

As you can see, there are many ways to get discounts on new glasses, so you should really never pay full price if you can help it.

Does timing matter if you have vision insurance?

Keep in mind, it’s a good idea to wait for the best time to buy glasses and shop seasonal sales even if you have vision insurance. 

That’s because many vision insurance plans cap the amount they will cover for frames and lenses. For example, the frame allowance with VSP vision insurance ranges from $150 to $250, depending on your vision plan and which frames you choose. 

So if you can wait for a good sale that lowers the price of your chosen frames to fit within your frame allowance, you can minimize out-of-pocket costs.

No matter who you are or what kind of glasses you’re looking for, timing can be everything when you’re on the hunt for the best eyewear deal.

Best Time of Year to Buy Glasses

It’s already super affordable to buy glasses online, but you can get even bigger discounts by ordering them during a sale. We’re cutting to the chase and telling you the best time of year for eyeglass sales.

Back-to-School

Before the school year, there are always sales on school supplies, apparel, and footwear. What some people may not know is that it's also one of the best times of year to take advantage of eyewear sales. Eyeglasses and blue light glasses are essential for students and teachers, especially when using digital devices and being under LED lighting all day. On top of the back-to-school sales in July and August, students and teachers can save even more with student and teacher discounts.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales offer steep discounts on everything from electronics to clothing to even glasses. Retailers will most likely advertise their glasses deals before the big days, so search for what you’re interested in beforehand. Whether it is in store or online, you’ll know exactly what to shop for once the sale starts in case any styles sell out quickly.

Other Holidays

Other Holidays around the year with the big sales include Memorial Day, Independence Day (4th of July), Labor Day, and President’s Day. Whether they are just for the day or all weekend long, don’t forget to check for holiday sales.

The New Year

New Year’s sales are also popular for eyewear. At the end of the year or on New Year’s Day are great times to find deals on glasses. For those with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), in most cases, all of the money contributed will need to be spent before the year ends or else it will go to waste. So using the rest of the money during an end-of-year sale is a win-win situation.