5 Affordable Glasses Brands You Need to Know

Before Warby Parker came along in 2010, having glasses was a huge drag. If you couldn’t afford to spend $300 or more for frames by luxury fashion brands–or didn’t want to because you have a habit of destroying glasses–you were basically stuck with the generic selection at Lenscrafters. And if you wanted anything with even a hint of vintage-inspired style, you had to dig through thrift stores and eBay. Now things are different. Thanks to Warby’s pioneering direct-to-consumer business model, you can get cool-looking eyeglasses at remarkably cheap prices even if you don’t live anywhere near a city large enough to have funky eyewear boutiques.

But Warby Parker doesn’t have the cheap-but-cool glasses market totally cornered. In fashion, as elsewhere, monopolies aren’t typically a good thing. And let’s face it: There’s nothing worse than painstakingly selecting the glasses that most perfectly suit your unique personality—say, fashion-forward style blogger with a geeky side he’s not ashamed of—only to leave the store and immediately bump into someone wearing the exact same ones.

Luckily, these days Warby’s only the biggest player in the game they started. If you’re interested in breaking from the pack but still aren’t willing to throw mid-three-figures sums at something you’re positive you’ll step on eventually, check out these options.