Coastal.com Review

Note: Coastal.com was quietly merged into EyeBuyDirect at some point in early 2022 (no notice or announcement). You can see our EyeBuyDirect review here.

About Coastal.com

Coastal is the new kid on the block when it comes to economically and socially conscious eyewear.

Originally a contacts only retailer, Coastal.com has since evolved to provide high end, as well as budget priced, glasses and sunglasses. But they want to be known for their top notch eyewear quality as well as for their no-nonsense attitude when it comes to helping the 2.5 billion people who suffer from vision problems, daily.

Our in-depth, hands on review of Coastal discovered a hidden gem that not only provides its customers with great service and quality but also gives them the chance to donate their used and well-loved glasses to someone who really needs them.

Coastal.com MyFit and Virtual Try-On

The name of this feature pretty much sums up everything. Coastal offers its customers the chance to virtually try on glasses, which I will admit, isn’t unheard of in the eyewear industry but their smooth integration really puts them heads and shoulders above the competition.

MyFit allows customers to add their custom measurements into the website. Apart from that, there are guides to help buyers pick frames that fit perfectly with their face shape, even recommending preferred size and weight.

All you need to do is find the measurement numbers on your already prescribed glasses or your prescription and you will be smoothly led into seeing and reviewing glasses that only fit your exact measurements.

This means that now you won’t have to deal with that awkward situation where you spend half your rent on a pair of glasses and by the time you receive them, it turns out they are either too wide, too long, or not even the right fit for your face at all.

MyFit might seem a slightly redundant application at first but in reality, this neat little feature will help you not only save money but also make shopping for eyewear easier and faster than before.

One program that seems to have fallen by the wayside is Coastal’s Try Before You Buy program. They originally allowed customers to keep 4 pairs of glasses for 30 days (with prescription lenses included) then return the pairs they no longer wanted.

Apparently, this wasn’t a profitable venture for the company, but they now have a Virtual Try-On that you can do straight from your phone or laptop using your webcam before you decide. (Note to the wise: the virtual try-on is more seamless on a smartphone than on desktop).

It’s a pretty nifty feature if I do say so myself. Just tap the “Try On” button, allow the site access to your webcam, and off you go. You can try on any pair from the comfort of your phone, tablet, or computer, and the superimposed glasses even move with your face as you turn your head.

Personalized Experience With Coastal

Now, that we are on the topic of handmade. Let’s talk about Coastal’s drive to help its customers. I don’t want to sound corny but the quality, cost, and variety so far has impressed me wholeheartedly.

Being a bookworm and blog lover, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Coastal’s blog.

It isn’t just informative and engaging like all blogs should be but it helps readers learn more about eyesight health, preventative measures to maintain strong eyesight and even useful tips on how to read and understand your RX.

There are also the boring bits about insurance claims and what not but those are a necessary evil!

Think of Coastal’s blog as an alternative to Buzzfeed.com, just full of well-researched and science-based data.

Coastal.com Review

In order to give Coastal.com a full and thorough review, we decided to purchase 3 pairs of glasses and 3 pairs of sunglasses, with all different frames and lenses specifics. We lived our lives in these glasses and had Coastal reviews on the brain for months. What follows is our Coastal.com review.

Coastal.com Lens Quality 10/10

A lot of effort in our review is dedicated to the quality assessment of their lenses because this is what we see the world through.

First the specifications: every frame you order comes with the standard air lenses that fit snuggly in the frame with no sign of wiggle. We put their lenses through a rigorous real world test run (exercising, reading for long hours, repeated open and closing of the frames, etc.) and found absolutely no issues with the lens falling out of the frame.

Coastal.com offers the option of upgrading your lenses to progressives, sunglasses, transitions, and one great option are their blue-light filtering BlueReflect Lenses. These special lenses eliminate the glare and eyestrain we experience from working in front of a computer all day or sitting in artificial light. Wearing them around the office was amazing and I had no sign of the nagging headache that usually accompanies too many hours writing an online glasses review.

Every pair used in the Lens Quality review included scratch resistance, anti-reflective coating, and UV protection. Coastal further customizes your glasses by allowing you to choose the thickness of the lens, no matter the prescription. This is much more customization than most online retailers and Coastal has the highest quality lenses out there.

Building the perfect set of glasses with Coastal.com is completely legit and they take the guesswork out of glasses shopping and walk you through each and every step.

Coastal.com Frame Quality 9/10

Before I received my package, I was convinced that the company simply can’t back up such elaborate claims on quality. I was ready to be disappointed but I was pleasantly surprised.

The small details on the glasses aren’t elaborate but simple. The soft spring hinges are nothing fancy and do the job, as we say. The glasses are assembled by hand and the love and attention put into each piece is noticeable.

The nose pads are comfortable yet stay remarkably strong on your nose. This helped significantly when we used the glasses to cook, often looking straight down for extended periods. No sliding is a major benefit of Coastal’s glasses.

The majority of available frames are stainless steel metal, which helps with rigidity but also lightness.  Besides their in-house designs, they also carry several well-known designer frames too including Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Michael Kors, to name a few.

Overall, Coastal.com scores well on all quality levels and you can tell a lot of hard work goes into their fabrication. But see for yourself with this video about the quality control:

Coastal.com Style 8.5/10

I was already pleasantly impressed by Coastal even before I found out the great designs that they offer. The brand not only carries classic designs but ups one and has the quintessential hipster-friendly frames.

You can easily find everything ranging from edgy and even distressed frames to the classic cat-eye. The options really seem endless, although, in reality, that might not be true.

Another neat little trick that makes me like Coastal just a little bit more is that they notify buyers when a particular frame is low in stock. This might not seem like a big deal breaker to most but to me, who is a serial shopper who always ends up falling in love with frames just as they are going out of stock. This really takes the trouble out of the entire situation.

Apart from the selection of frames, you can also handpick your lenses. This is perfect for someone who is looking for “specialty” eyewear. The company follows your Rx to a T and has taken over the game for anyone looking for eyewear that is made for extremely sensitive eyes.

Coastal.com Customer Service 8/10

The Coastal box came securely packaged in a bubble mailer and a hard case box. The lens was thinner yet felt more durable and the whole frame in itself felt sturdy.

Coastal also offered some of the fastest shipping time I have witnessed. My pair was here in less than two days. That is nearly Amazon Prime fast shipping if I am so bold to say!

This wasn’t just an isolated incidence, a quick google search will lead you to the same conclusion.

Overall customer service for our Coastal eyeglasses review found it mixed on social media but the majority of reviews associated with the brand are great, even outstanding customer service.

For example, this reviewer goes as far as claiming Coastal eyeglasses as the same quality as Dolce and Gabbana eyewear. I wouldn’t entertain any such claims here but I personally have not had a direct need to contact customer service.

The few instances I did require assistance- such as finding the right length, frame length etc., my needs were easily met.

This isn’t the case for all of the buyers, though. Many reviews claim that customer service was poor and go as far as claiming that they seemed “bored” and “refused to give adequate explanation”.

I am a huge believer in top-notch customer service, especially for online companies. I would understand if this is a deal-breaker for you.

All I can advise is to stay cautious as you order.

Coastal.com Cost 9/10

I am not going to beat around the bush here and just get straight to the point.

When it comes to eyewear (or anything really), we all want a great deal. Who wants to spend abhorrent amounts of money on glasses that they will eventually break, anyway?

This brand claims to do just that.

Coastal is not the type of company that will add “hidden fees” to your already 600 dollar glasses, just to turn a profit. Coastal will do the exact opposite.

The most expensive in-house frame at Coastal is only $95, and start as low as $9 (yes, you read that right). Apart from the competitive price, Coastal.com reviews really drills in the fact that they are a customer-oriented company by ensuring a full refund if you are not happy with your purchase.

They also offer discounts and promos on both glasses and contacts.

I nearly forgot to mention that the $95 and less price tag includes a free complimentary Standard Air Lens. Coastal lens review makes these lenses seem less than worthy for your delicate eyes but in reality, these lenses are more than sufficient.

Ending the most important part of your purchase decision is another hard-to-believe fact, the company will price-match any purchase. This means that if you do find a cheaper version of a brand or style on a competitor’s website, Coastal will make sure you get the best price.

Their dedication to really giving its buyers the best for the least amount of money really drives home when you look at their competitive pricing, which is buyer-friendly.

Coastal.com Review Summary

If you have made it this far, then bravo to you my friend. I have reviewed many eyewear companies in my time and have been disappointed too many times to count but our Coastal.com review has sincerely taken my heart away. I often get asked if Coastal is legit and after this review I would give them a wholehearted “Yes!”

The fast shipping combined with the great quality is a combination that is hard to beat. Not to mention the jaw-dropping competitive pricing that will have you adding glasses on glasses to your cart.

The cherry on top of this company is their steadfast philanthropic endeavors to help the underprovisioned have a better quality of life.

The goods outweigh the negatives when Coastal is concerned but again, I would mention their slightly turbulent experience with customer service. I regard customer service near the top of my must-haves for any online business but I might be making an exception for Coastal.