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Can’t live without glasses? You’re definitely not alone: in 2019, 83% of Singapore’s young adults were found to be myopic[1].
With glasses being necessary for many of us, it can get tough when they are costly. Fortunately, affordable options have grown in recent years — without the need to compromise on quality or aesthetics. Cheap yet good? Score! Without further ado, here are some eyewear retailers to check out*.
*Prices are accurate as of date of publishing and may change. Costs may go up depending on add-ons and lens power
1) Owndays
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With branches everywhere you go, the Japanese eyewear chain Owndays is probably the most well-known eyewear retailer on this list. They’re popular for their same-day processing (twenty minutes to an hour on average) and fun collaboration frames — past collections include Sanrio’s Cinnamoroll, Mobile Suit Gundam, and Pokémon. You can try them on their website virtually.
All Owndays spectacles come with dust-repellent coating and UV protection. Here’s some good news: if your spectacles have any issues when you are abroad and are under warranty, you can take them and the warranty card to any of their stores! Just contact the outlet you’ve purchased them from beforehand.
The store occasionally runs buy-one-get-one (BOGO) or 50%-off-second-pair promotions. Do keep an eye out and join their membership club to stay updated! Do note that premium lenses may take additional processing time.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD98
2) Lenskart
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Lenskart began as an online contact lens retailer in India. Today, it is a global eyewear chain with multiple branches across Singapore. The retailer currently offers 60% off your first pair of spectacles or sunglasses (selected frames and lenses only) and runs a buy-one-get-one promotion for customers with a gold membership. The BOGO offers and other promotions are sometimes offered during festive periods. For individuals with high degrees — which makes spectacles a lot costlier — these offers help shave off significant costs.
Like Owndays, the Lenskart website also has a virtual try-on feature. Their lenses have anti-glare and UV protection and are scratch and smudge resistant.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD98
3) Foptics
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Foptics is a crowd favourite for its affordable and stylish options. The local retailer has three physical stores located at Chinatown, Commonwealth and Changi City Point. You can also purchase their glasses online with a 10% discount code, which is made easier with their virtual try-on feature!
Foptics lenses include UV400, electromagnetic protection, scratch resistance and water-resistant coating. If the power of your current spectacles is adequate, and you are comfortable proceeding without an eye examination to confirm your prescription, Foptics offers a lens scanning service that retrieves your optical details. This makes online purchasing more convenient.
The scanning service may not work for those with high degrees, however.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD35.90
4) Otago Optical
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Located at South Bridge Road, Otago Optical achieves affordability by specialising in unbranded frames. The local retailer aims to provide trendy and quality eyewear at affordable prices via reliable eye check-ups: all frames and lenses are optical-grade, the latter coming with UV-blocking and anti-reflective coating. The eyewear retailer is owned and staffed by experienced eyecare professionals, so you can rest assured.
The retailer offers a 20-minute express service for most single-vision prescriptions. Check out their “Promotions” page for festive or limited-time deals!
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD45.90, with packages available for different needs
5) Zoff
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Zoff is another eyewear retailer giant with over 200 shops in Japan, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Japanese brand prides itself on Japanese-quality trendy eyewear, with fast service: you can collect your glasses within half an hour if they use standard prescription lenses (subject to lens availability). In fact, it prides itself on rolling out new frame designs twice monthly, with fun Disney and Peanuts collections in the mix.
Parents with children will find the Zoff-U15 programme especially helpful. Through the programme, Zoff offers free lens changes anytime within a year of purchase for children aged 15 and under if there has been a prescription change.
Zoff’s standard lenses are made in Japan; they are scratch-resistant, anti-reflective and have UV380 protection.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD98
6) Monocle
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Monocle is a local, independent eyewear retailer established in 2019 with a studio located at 37 Keong Saik Road. Their fun personality-named frames are designed in-house with Italian cellulose acetate, stainless steel and titanium, and their lenses are made in Singapore by the brand’s lens laboratory partners.
Monocle prides itself on using premium materials, with cost savings passed down to customers via a direct-to-consumer approach. All of Monocle’s lenses offer anti-glare coating, UV protection as well as anti-electromagnetic ray coating for digital devices. They are preparing a virtual try-on feature for their website, but until that is ready, why not swing by their showroom?
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD105
7) Four eyes
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Four eyes is another independent, local direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer. They offer a unique and free try-at-home service, which came to life out of necessity when COVID-19 broke out and the lockdown made it challenging for people to purchase spectacles.
Four eyes is a witty name based on their model. Here’s how it works:
- Browse their frames and choose 4 pairs that hit your fancy, then checkout via the “Try at home for free” option
- After trying them out, place an order for any frames you like
- Return them to four eyes via the enclosed smartpac mailer within 5 days
Do note that four eyes charges a deposit. This is 100% refundable if trial frames are returned on time and undamaged.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD99
8) Visual Mass
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Founded to provide design-conscious eyewear at an affordable price, Visual Mass offers stylish Korean-made frames made from a variety of materials. The brand has run BOGO promotions, with complimentary hi-index multicoated lenses, or 30% off a single pair, so do keep an eye out for these prices!
Visual Mass’s lenses are UV 400-protected, anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, hydrophobic, and smudge resistant. Their store is located at Orchard Gateway,
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD95
9) Orian Eyewear
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Orian Eyewear is a second-generation optical shop run by a father-daughter pair, which focuses on affordable eyewear with honest pricing. The retailer offers a wide variety of frame designs at a fixed price; you will have to swing by their physical outlets to view their complete range.
Orian Eyewear uses lenses made by leading professional ophthalmic lens manufacturers. Drop by their stores if you require your spectacles on the same day.
You can browse their frames in-store at Tai Seng Mall or BreadTalk iHQ.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD48
10) SmartBuyGlasses
SmartBuyGlasses was launched in 2006 and operates solely via e-commerce in Singapore. The eyewear retailer offers a 24-month warranty for defective products as well as a 100-day return policy. There is a huge variety of frames for your selection and a virtual try-on feature to help you make an informed choice. Check out their “sales” tab for relevant promotions, and check back regularly — they have run 50% off promotions before.
As this is an e-commerce store, review the reviews carefully before making your purchase.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD14
11) Mimeo Optical
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Mimeo Optical is located at Marina Square. The retailer offers lenses that are anti-reflection, smudge-resistant, scratch resistant, dust-repellent and water-repellent. It has a membership programme (Friends of Mimeo), which offers up to 20% off storewide and a birthday voucher. FOM members are also entitled to 20% off branded lenses.
While you can send in a price check request via their site, you will have to visit their physical store to purchase.
Prices: Single prescription lens start from SGD19, and spectacle frame prices start from SGD90
12) Sightonomy
Sightonomy operates via a direct-to-consumer model, passing on cost savings this way. The retailer has a physical store in Chinatown and if you’re a student, you’re entitled to education discounts for in-store purchases.
Educational discount details:
For in-house products, you can get SGD20 off every pair of spectacles purchased with a minimum spend of SGD75. You’ll get an additional 20% discount when you spend $150 or more for the same pair (after SGD20 discount is applied).
For branded ophthalmic lenses, you can enjoy 20% off, and you will also receive the frames for free. You must spend SGD150 minimum.
All Sightonomy lenses come with anti-reflective coating, super-hydrophobic coating, UV protection and are scratch resistance treated.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD75, and CDC vouchers can be used in-store
13) Eyecon Optical
At Textile Centre, Eyecon Optical offers reasonable prices for its frames and lenses, with the latter being anti-reflective, scratch-resistant and anti-EMI. They also offer UV protection. Eyecon Optical and its professionals are affiliated with the International Medical Consultancy.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD54+
14) Oblique Eyewear
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Open daily, Oblique Eyewear began online but now has a physical store at the former Cathay building. The store offers glasses at low prices and custom tinted sunglasses lenses we just had to mention.
Oblique Eyewear occasionally offers festive promotions and also runs a trade-in programme where you can trade your old glasses in any condition for an SGD50 discount off a frame-with-lens purchase. Keep an eye out for these deals! The eyewear retailer has express service, which allows you to collect your glasses within the same day.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD95
15) Glimpse
Glimpse has physical stores located across Singapore in various malls, such as Century Square, Westgate, The Centerpoint, Bugis Junction and others. The eyewear retailer has run BOGO promotions before, as well as 50% off the second pair.
Prices: Spectacle prices start from SGD88
A good pair of glasses will help you maintain your eyesight and prevent more problems from arising. We hope you find a good pair from one of these retailers. Wishing you the gift of clear sight!
[1] https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/speech-by-dr-lam-pin-min-senior-minister-of-state-for-health-at-the-opening-of-the-singapore-national-eye-centre-s-myopia-centre-16-august-2019