Prescription glasses from S$88? You can now buy them online in Singapore

Editor’s note on 22 Jan, 2021: This company appears to have shut down. However, there is a new company with a similar product and the same name, but is entirely unrelated.

I bought my prescription glasses – lenses and frame – for over S$200 (US$154). That’s the typical price for generic brands in eyewear retailers in Singapore, especially if you’re paying extra for thinner lenses due to your severe shortsightedness.

For the middle class, the price isn’t too exorbitant for something you’ll wear for years. But you’ll still feel the pinch when fishing out the wallet – especially if you’re replacing a recently-purchased pair that you’ve accidentally stepped on.

Yes, there are places that sell spectacles for cheap. You can get a pair from some boutique shops (here and here for under S$100). But these shops are rare, and strangely, not many people know about them.

With that in mind, there’s a new player in town that promises some of the cheapest eyewear around. You can even get one without leaving your home. That’s Four Eyes, a Philippine startup that soft-launched their Singapore website last week.

The concept behind the service is easy to grasp. All its frames are designed by the company. They all start from S$88 (US$67), and prices go up to the maximum of S$158 (US$121) for the thinnest lenses.

The way it sells its products is interesting too. Delivery is totally free. There’s a home try-on service where you can pick three frames, try them at your sofa, and then send them back to the company. You can get your money back if you dislike all of them. This could win over consumers who are hesitant to buy without trying a physical pair.

There’s also a fun virtual try-on feature. You upload a personal photo, and the site fits the frame over your face. You can send Four Eyes your prescription in two ways: either fill out a form or upload a scan.

Granted, Four Eyes isn’t the only website selling eyewear in Singapore. Glasses Online is active and so is Zenni Optical.

But Fadz Yusof, the company’s vice president for Singapore, points out that neither offers home try-on and Glasses Online doesn’t have virtual try-on. Also, the latter sells items from many designer brands, while Four Eyes only stocks its own products. It’s a company that seeks to control almost all aspects of its operations.

Change afoot in the eyewear industry?