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Coastal are an online store that sell contacts and prescription and nonprescription glasses and sunglasses. They generally have positive reviews and convenient ordering options for returning customers.

More than 150 million people in the United States have refractive errors, such as myopia, known as nearsightedness, or hyperopia, known as farsightedness. Collectively, refractive errors are the most common vision condition in the U.S.

In 2000, siblings Roger and Michaela Hardy founded Coastal. Their first website sold contact lenses exclusively. Ten years later, they expanded their inventory to include brand-name glasses and sunglasses.

Overall, Coastal have a positive reputation, with an average Trustpilot rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 based on more than 2,600 reviews.

In positive reviews, people seem pleased with Coastal’s straightforward returns process, fast shipping, and product quality.

Some of the less favorable reviews mentioned receiving the wrong prescriptions and dissatisfaction with customer service.

Coastal specialize in prescription eyewear, including contact lenses, glasses, and sunglasses. Their website has a simple design, and each product page contains photos, a description, customer reviews, and information about shipping and returns.

Please note that no one at Medical News Today has tried this service and that all information below is research-based.

Contacts

Coastal may feature fewer brands than other sites, but the selection may be large enough to suit most people’s needs.

Some brands of contacts that they offer include:

  • Acuvue
  • Air Optix
  • Bausch and Lomb
  • Biofinity
  • Biotrue
  • Clariti
  • Dailies
  • FreshLook
  • Precision1
  • Proclear

A person might choose to have their contacts replaced on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule.

Coastal also offer contacts that are:

  • single vision
  • multifocal
  • suitable for people with astigmatism

One feature that returning customers may find useful is called “Refill my contacts.” This requires a person to create an account that contains their current prescription, and it allows for quick reordering.

Glasses and sunglasses

Coastal started as a contact lens retailer, but their inventory now includes glasses and sunglasses from well-known brands, such as:

  • Armani Exchange
  • Brooks Brothers
  • Champion
  • Chaps
  • Isaac Mizrahi
  • Jill Stuart
  • Michael Kors
  • Modo
  • Nike
  • Oakley
  • Polo
  • Ray-Ban

A person can choose from several types of lenses, which may:

  • have antireflective coating
  • be impact-resistant
  • have scratch-resistant coating
  • have UV protection

Coastal also provide informative guides for buying glasses online and choosing the right lenses.

Their MyFit tool filters a person’s glasses options based on their current frames’ measurements. The site also has a virtual try-on function that can help a person visualize how they will look in each pair.

The company continually update their coupons page, where a person can find discount codes for products and shipping.

Coastal also have a price-match guarantee, though a person cannot combine this with other discounts.

Charitable work

Coastal offer each customer a way to donate one pair of glasses with every purchase, as part of a larger mission to ensure that everyone who needs it has corrected vision.

Coastal’s ordering process is relatively quick and straightforward. A person can shop for contacts by brand, replacement schedule, and prescription type.

Before purchasing contact lenses or prescription glasses through Coastal, a person needs to know their current contact lens or glasses prescription. For people with vision insurance, it is also important to know how to request coverage.

Shipping

Coastal guarantee fast shipping. However, first, they need to verify the prescription, which can take 2–3 business days.

With standard shipping, an order arrives within 4–5 business days. With priority shipping, it takes 3–4 days.

Refunds and returns

A person can exchange sealed, unopened, and unmarked boxes of contact lenses within 30 days of delivery.

Rigid, gas-permeable lenses are excluded from Coastal’s exchange and return policies, however.

Coastal have free 60- and 365-day return and exchange policies for eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Insurance

Coastal accept most forms of health insurance, including private and workplace plans. However, they do not bill providers, so a person needs to pay, then submit a claim with their insurance provider.

They provide details for insurance companies and instructions for claiming vision benefits here.

Once a person chooses new contacts or glasses, the site asks for a current prescription. The company need this information by federal law.

A person enters in the necessary detail about their prescription, and they also need to email or fax a copy of the prescription to Coastal. The company then contact the person’s optometrist to ensure that the details are accurate.

A few popular alternatives to Coastal include:

Having correct vision can support overall well-being and independence.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend contacting an eye doctor about any of the following issues:

  • blurry or distorted vision
  • redness in the eye
  • fluid draining from the eye
  • eye pain
  • specks floating in the field of vision
  • flashes or halos of light in the field of vision

It is important to have regular eye exams so that a doctor can check for new or worsening conditions and make sure that any prescription is up to date.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend updating an eye prescription once every 2 years, though requirements vary from state to state — some states require vision prescriptions to be under 1 year old.

In a 2016 study, researchers evaluated the efficacy of routine eye exams. The study included 2,656 people who underwent comprehensive eye examinations. These led to the diagnosis of eye diseases in 31% of the participants and led to prescription changes in 41%.

Coastal are an online contact lens and glasses retailer. They offer a wide range of products that may suit most people’s vision needs.

Coastal say that they offer fast shipping, a price match guarantee, and full refunds or exchanges.

Having regular eye exams is important for health and well-being, and a person should visit their eye doctor at least once every 2 years.