5 Reasons Why Buying Progressive Glasses Online Is Risky
Buying progressive glasses online may sound convenient, but it often leads to poor vision, discomfort, and money wasted.
If you’re serious about clarity, accuracy matters more than lens quality. Even the best progressive lenses can’t perform if the measurements are off.
1. Accurate Measurements Are a Must for Progressive Lenses
You could buy the most premium multifocal lenses on the market, but if the segment height or monocular PD is wrong, you won’t experience the lens the way it was designed.
When the seg height is off:
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Too low = you’ll strain your neck tilting up to read.
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Too high = you’re stuck looking through the wrong part of the lens for distance vision.
Online retailers often ask for a single PD (pupillary distance), but this is risky. Each eye may sit at a slightly different distance from your nose. Monocular PD gives you exact measurements for each eye—critical for aligning progressive zones.
We take these measurements seriously at our Calgary shop. If you want progressive lenses tailored for your face, our in-person process ensures a proper fit.
Learn more about how segment height affects your vision in our post on What Are Progressive Eyeglasses?
2. Missing PD and Seg Height Can Wreck Your Vision Clarity
With progressive glasses, accuracy is everything.
Online shops can’t measure:
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Seg height
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Pantoscopic tilt
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Face form wrap
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Vertex distance
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Mono PD (each eye’s position from your nose)
If these are off:
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You might not adapt at all
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Some parts of your vision will stay blurry
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Certain zones may feel warped or stretched
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The fishbowl effect can cause motion sickness or eye strain
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Lines may look bent or wavy
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One eye might shift faster than the other if mono PD is wrong
For the wearer, this means constant discomfort.
Headaches. Eye fatigue. Poor focus.
Even the best progressive lens design won’t help if these numbers are wrong.
In-person measurements matter. They decide whether your glasses feel natural—or unusable.
3. You Can’t Test Progressive Zones or Frame Fit Online
You won’t know what went wrong buying progressives online
When buying progressive glasses online, you won’t know:
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If the progression is too aggressive
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If peripheral blur makes you dizzy
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If the frame sits too high or low on your face
Progressive lenses depend on how they feel, not just the specs. And face structure plays a big role. Some people have low nose bridges, others high. That changes how frames sit and whether the lens zones align with your eyes.
If the fit’s off, there might not even be enough space in the lens for the intermediate or reading zones.
You won’t see that on a website.
In-store, you can try frames on and test how each zone works for you in real time.
Learn how face shape affects frame fit.
Need help figuring out which lens design works best?
Visit our Progressive Lenses page.
4. Cheap Online Progressive Glasses Often Cost You More in the Long Run
Sure, prices look good online. But what if:
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They arrive and don’t sit right?
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You need a remake due to bad segment height?
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You’re forced to keep glasses you can’t wear?
You’ll often end up spending more reordering lenses or visiting another clinic to fix the issue.
Instead, get it right the first time.
5. Single Vision Glasses Might Work—But Not Progressives
If you’re buying single vision glasses, you might get away with ordering online—especially with a mild prescription. Same goes for reading glasses or strictly computer glasses.
We talk more about this balance in our blog on How Much Do Prescription Glasses Cost?
But for progressive lenses, you need precision.
If you’re in Calgary, swing by Not Another Eye Store. We support Canadian labs, local designers, and we take time to get every measurement right.
You’ll leave with comfort, clarity, and a proper eyeglass fitting—not just a pair of frames with numbers printed on them.
Bottom Line on Buying Progressive Glasses Online
Just my honest opinion.
If you’re wearing mild single vision lenses, online glasses will work. Especially if the budget’s tight. That’s fair.
But for progressive lenses? I wouldn’t risk it.
You need measurements done in person. Accuracy matters more than price.
Want to compare lens types? Start here:
Single Vision Glasses
Bifocal Lens Glasses
Progressive Lenses
Bottom line—if you’re serious about clarity, go to your local optical store.
Better yet, if you’re in Calgary, drop by Not Another Eye Store.
We’ll get your lenses working the way they’re supposed to.
FAQ - Progressive Online Glasses
No. Buying progressive lenses online isn’t a good idea.
Online orders use generic measurements like single PD and estimated seg height.
They skip key custom details—mono PD, pantoscopic tilt, vertex distance.
Trained opticians measure these in person for accuracy.
Without them, your lenses can feel off, distort your vision, or be hard to adapt to.
With progressives, precision isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Avoid frames with lens heights under 35mm. They don’t give enough vertical room for distance, intermediate, and reading zones to function properly.
As a licensed optician, I’ve seen patients struggle with cat-eye or aviator styles. These frames often sit too low or have a shallow lens height—shrinking or cutting off the reading and intermediate zones.
When buying online, you won’t know how much usable lens height you’re left with. Every face is different. A frame that looks good in a photo might sit too high or low on your face, leaving too little room for a smooth lens progression.
If you’re investing in progressives, frame choice isn’t just about style—it directly affects how well your lenses perform.
You won’t truly know if your progressive lenses are correct just by buying online. Clear distance vision through the top zone and sharp near vision at the bottom are basic indicators—but that assumes the lenses were measured and fitted accurately.
In reality, most online glasses use guesswork for key measurements like seg height and mono PD. That means the lens zones might not align with your actual line of sight.
And if something feels off, you likely can’t fix it. Plastic frames without adjustable nose pads can’t be moved higher or lower. You’re stuck with how they sit on your face—whether the zones line up or not.
In-store, a licensed optician will verify lens accuracy with real-time testing and make sure the frames sit at the right height for your face. Online orders don’t offer that kind of precision.
Yes—especially compared to online progressives. The difference is far and wide.
Premium progressive lenses, when measured in person, give you:
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A wider, more usable field of view
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Sharper vision across all zones
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Easier adaptation with less distortion
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All-day comfort and better visual clarity
Online options use generic measurements. That can lead to narrow viewing areas, alignment issues, and a harder time adjusting.
When it comes to progressives, precision isn’t a luxury—it’s the baseline.
