Warby Parker Review
There is no doubt about the fact that we do take our eyes for granted sometimes. Taking care of our eyes is highly essential and this can only be done if we treat them with the right kind of glasses. No wonder, buying glasses can be a daunting and confusing task. With so many companies and varieties, things can be misleading. Also, not every retailer can offer the right kind of experience to every person. It is essential to find a brand that can offer you everything under one roof, be it sunglasses, reading glasses, or number glasses as all of these glasses are important in today’s world and offer the ultimate comfort to the eyes.
Our eyes go through a lot every day such as pollution, excessive screen time, harmful sunrays, and much more. This is the reason that one should get hands on the eyewear products which are great in quality and offer the utmost comfort. Since eyewear and shopping ways have evolved over the years, there is one brand name Warby Parker which has been growing with changing times. Since 2010, this American online retailer is dealing in glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, and much more. It is a modern as well as direct-to-consumer eyewear company which fulfills the needs of every type of customer.
About the brand
Warby Parker is a brand known for its exclusivity as well as convenience offered to the customers. This American retail brand came into existence in the year 2010 in Philadelphia by four people, Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, Jeffrey Raider, as well as David Gilboa. The name of the company is derived from two characters found in the book Jack Kerouac. Its official name is Jand Inc.
The company began in the Venture Initiation Program at Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of the University. It got around $2500 seed investment via the program and started in the year 2010. Shortly after its launch, the company got featured in Vogue. Soon after this, it got on the path of success and in 2011 it shipped 100,000 plus pairs of glasses. And by the end of 2012, it had more than 100 employees.
Warby Parker as a brand believes in the idea of an easy way of buying glasses which is fun as well. The brand aims to sell the glasses which leave everyone happy as well as good-looking without making a hole in the pockets of the customers. It offers both online, home try-on, as well as retail-store shopping experiences to its customers.
Brand story
Warby Parker came into existence in 2010 and it all started to find a simple solution to the problem that glasses are way too expensive. The founders of this brand, Neil Blumenthal, Andrew Hunt, Jeffrey Raider, as well as David Gilboa studied at Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of the University. One time, one of them lost his glasses on a trip. However, the cost of replacing the glasses was very costly that he ended up completing the semester without the glasses.
Also, other founding members had the same experience where they felt that getting hands on the best frames is very difficult. Later, they all decided to start this and create an alternative. They decided to follow traditional channels, design glasses in-house, get direct customer engagement, and offer high-quality glasses at very affordable prices. The motive of the brand is to offer fun and good-looking glasses at very nominal prices.
Product offerings
The brand offers a very fun and good-looking range of all types of glasses so that you don’t have to compromise on anything, be it glasses fashion, or prices. Till now, Warby Parker has sold more than eight million pairs of glasses via their program. Moreover, every pair of glasses are designed in-house to provide top-notch quality and price. The brand is known to offer the below-mentioned products:
- Home try-on – The brand offers the chance to try both eyeglasses as well as sunglasses from the comfort of your couch. This is one of their product categories where you can pick any 5 frames to try at your home and it is free of any cost. This is one of the best things you can do if you hardly get any time to visit the store.
- Eyeglasses – There are all times of eyeglasses for men and women which you can choose. You can either go for modern-looking eyeglasses or traditional-looking eyeglasses. Also, this includes prescription lenses which mean you don’t only get the frame but also the prescription lenses.
- Sunglasses – Who doesn’t need sunglasses be it summers or winters. The brand has an amazing collection of sunglasses for both men and women which completes the demands and protects your eyes from harmful UV rays of the sun.
- Contact lens – Getting the right contact lens can be difficult but Warby Parker ensures that you can get them without any fuss. It offers daily, bi-weekly, as well as monthly contact lenses from all the reputed contact lens brands.
- Eyewear accessories – It also offers eyewear accessories such as an eyewear case, anti-fog spray, glasses pouch, Parker travel case, and much more.
What made it successful?
Warby Parker undoubtedly has achieved amazing success within no time. There are a lot of reasons behind its tremendous success and some of them are mentioned below:
- Home try-on program – This program allows the customers to try at least five pairs of eyewear from the comfort of their home. This is the best way to buy eyewear from the comfort of your home without paying a single penny.
- In-house designs – The brand designs its glasses in-house. It orders its materials like acetate and manufactures it later. This saves a lot of costs and allows the customers to enjoy the best frames of high-quality and nominal prices.
- Affordability – One of the main reasons for Warby Parker’s success is its affordable eyewear. They have a range of sunglasses, eyeglasses, as well as contact lenses at nominal prices.
- Virtual try-on app – In 2019, Warby Parker launched its virtual try-on app which allows the online buyers to see how a pair of glasses will look on them. This was a great way to attract customers online and buy a product.
- Buy one, Give one model – The brand follows the nature of giving back to society by following a model called ‘Buy one, Give one.’ In this model, for every customer who buys a pair of glasses, the company further pays for more pairs of eyeglasses for VisionSpring which is a non-profit organization.
Sale
Talking about the exciting part of shopping from Warby Parker is its sale. There are a few offers that are going on its official website such as free shipping on contact lenses for a lifetime plus you can get 15% off on the first order of contact lenses. Also, there is free shipping on eyewear. You can also enjoy the offer of starting at $95 for prescription eyewear.
Charity and Donations
Warby Parker runs an Impact Foundation where it helps needy all across the world. The brand caters to almost 2.5 billion people worldwide who are in need of glasses but can’t afford them.
As per the brand reports, over 2 million kids in the US alone require glasses to read books, participate in classrooms, etc. Hence, through this charity foundation, the brand gives back to society to let needy people improve their vision without paying a single penny from their pockets.
For the greater good, the foundation has been working with several communities, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic leaders since 2010. It also runs a special Buy a Pair, Gives a Pair program to offer free eye screenings, glasses, and eye care to needy people worldwide.
Why choose Warby Parker?
Warby Parker is a brand that is famous for its fun, affordable, and good-looking eyewear. The brand has a great collection of eyewear for both men and women as well as contact lenses. It offers top-notch eyewear designs and quality. With around 3,033 employees, the brand mainly focuses on offering eyewear that suits the needs of every person without burning a hole in the pocket. Also, its home try-on program and virtual try-on app offer utmost customer comfort. Thus, it is a brand that is perfect for your eyewear needs.
So, if you are someone who wants a versatile range of glasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, etc at different price points, then it’s meant for you. However, it’s signature premium collection is highly expensive and not meant for budget buyers.
PROS
- Affordable glasses without compromising the quality
- Frames are stylish and available in almost every size
- Customer support is good
- A Home-try program is quite popular among customers
CONS
- One has to spare some extra dollars for high-end glasses and frames
- Metal frames have lesser durability than others.
FAQs
What’s the return policy of Warby Parker?
The brand offers a 30-day return as well as an exchange policy for all glasses, boxed contact lenses, and sunglasses. If someone has scratched lenses then they can replace them within a year of purchase.
What’s the normal price range of the glasses?
The brand’s glasses start from $95 for readers, non-prescription glasses, and single vision prescription lenses. However, the premium range starts from $295.
