If you’ve been to a Warby Parker or gone to their website, you know Warby has tons of stylish frames. So since I’ve started squinting a little (okay, a lot) more when I need to read something close-up, it has occurred to me that I may need to get some “real” glasses, not just the cheaters that I carry around in my purse. I don’t have an eye appointment for another month or so, but I wanted to get a jump start on the frame selection process by beginning to try out a few styles. Since Warby Parker allows you to try frames on at home for free (that’s right, no shipping!), I thought I’d start there.  I found it EXTREMELY helpful when I was able to find Google photos of real people trying on Warby frames, so in case this helps someone else, today I’m sharing two separate try-on sessions I’ve done in the past few weeks in an attempt to nail down what sort of frames I want to get when the time comes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links may result in my earning a commission or referral fee at no cost to you. Income from affiliate links is how I fund this little blogging hobby of mine. As always, all opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

The Process

Trying on (and buying) frames online is pretty much a snap nowadays, and Warby’s no different. I love that you can browse frames online and then select 5 to try, free of charge. I also love that Warby’s frams are 100% on-trend. If you’re not sure where to start, you can take Warby’s Frames Quiz. This will help narrow down the search to styles, sizes, and colors you like most. I actually have done the quiz several times just to see what other options come up for me.

Once you find a pair of frames you think you’d like to try on, you just click the “Try at home for free” button below the frames you like to add them to your try-on cart. Once you’ve selected 5 pairs, you can check out and Warby ships you your 5 frames. Check out the fun packaging. I love boxes that talk to you when they arrive. 🙂

The frames come in their own little bags and slots, so you just open them up and try them on. The instructions for sending them back or ordering are very simple and clear, so if you do have your prescription ready and you find some frames, you can order away!

My Try-Ons

Here are the 10 frames I tried on. There are a few I think I could live with — okay, more than a few, but I still have some time before I have to make my decision. I’ve linked each frame so you can find out more about them on Warby Parker’s website if you’re interested.

The First Five

For my first set, I chose all clear acrylic frames with no color or just a slight tint. I chose a lot of cat-eye frames because that’s the look I thought I wanted. Trying all of these cute frames on helped me see that cat-eye isn’t the best frame style for me, and I also need a bit more color in the frame. Good to know.

1. “Chelsea” in Grapefruit Soda

Love the style of these, but I think they’re a bit too cat-eyed for my face shape.

2. “Daisy” in Cyprus Crystal

Liked these too, but I think I need a warmer color frame and for it to be a more narrow style.

3. “Jane” in Elderflower Crystal

This color is better on my, but like #1 above, I think it’s still a bit too much cat-eye for my taste.

4. “Louise” Wide in Elderflower Crystal

I chose the “Wide” in this style because I’ve always thought my face was wide. Now I’m starting to think my face is “normal.” I also really thought I wanted a cat-eye style frame, but they just didn’t look the best on me. A little too pointy for my angular features, I think.

5. “Upton” in Rosewater

I liked the smaller size of these, but again I think they’re a bit to wide and pointy. The color is gorgeous, though.

The Second Five

For my second set, I chose mostly rounded styles and frames that had a bit more color to them. This time I picked a few “narrow” styles so the frames didn’t extend out past the sides of my face so much. I liked the narrow fit much better.

1. “Hughes” Narrow in Chestnut Crystal

Although these are more square/rectangular than round, I think they were my favorites from this set. They’re slightly larger, and I love the Chestnut Crystal color! I could see myself wearing these.

2. “Barnes” in Paloma Crystal

I really like the roundish-squarish shape of these as well. The color is also great! This is another pair I could see myself wearing.

3. “Eugene” Narrow in Rose Crystal

These are very similar to the Barnes frames, but they’re a bit more rounded. I love these, too! The rose crystal is a really pretty color.

4. “Lyle” in English Oak

This is another round style, and the frame color is more traditional (I would have called this tortoise). These are cute, but not my favorite.

5. “Felix” in Sandalwood Matte

These were a bit more on the squarish-round side, and they weren’t really translucent, but I absolutely love the color and shape! This is another pair I could see myself wearing.

How to Choose Your Frames

Warby Parker provided some fit tips that were helpful to me in narrowing it down to my favorites. Here are their tips, straight from the Warby Parker “Help” page:

Are they comfortable? That’s a great start.

Otherwise, a few rules of thumb:

• Pupils should be near the center of the lens
• Lenses shouldn’t extend past the side of your face
• Eyebrows should not be inside the glasses
• When you smile, your cheeks don’t push the frames up
• Frames shouldn’t slide down your nose

I didn’t know some of these “rules” and they really helped me to narrow down my selections. Warby also offers free adjustments at their retail locations in case your frames are too tight, crooked, or too long or short at the temples. If you’re not close to a Warby Parker location, they say most local optical shops will do adjustments and Warby will reimburse you up to $50 of any associated costs for a single adjustment within the first 30 days. Good to know, because I personally do not live near a Warby Parker location.

How to know if you’ve chosen “the one”

I really don’t have any advice here because I still haven’t decided which frames I want for my own pair. However, taking selfies and comparing the photos was much more helpful for me than constantly switching pairs in front a a mirror. The good thing is, there are probably 3 or 4 pairs out of these 10 that I could go with and all would be good, so my best tip would be to narrow it down to the top 2 or 3 and then go with your gut. It’s also a great idea to get input from your friends and family, but ultimately, YOU are the one who will be wearing them, so you should make the final call.

Now, since we’re all friends here, you can help me out. I’ve narrowed it down to #s 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the SECOND set. Which of these pairs do you think I should choose? 🙂