3 Reasons to Skip the Costco Vision Center

Image source: Getty Images

We're pretty big fans of Costco here at The Ascent. I might be going against the grain a bit by saying this, but even if you buy everything else at Costco, you may want to slow down and really think about what you're doing before using Costco Optical.

It's not that Costco Optical doesn't do a good job or produce a good product, because I'm certain it does both of those things. But if you're like me and have to self-fund your reading of this very article because you don't have vision insurance, Costco isn't really designed for you.

Here are some reasons to skip the Costco vision center this year.

1. Going into Costco just for the vision center may give you other ideas

I'm the last person in the world who should be lecturing you about impulse spending. I love impulse buying things; sometimes it feels as if my fingers are magnets and the stuff just sticks to me as I walk through aisles. But that's also the problem with getting your glasses at Costco.

Costco definitely has glasses, but it also has like a billion other things, some of which you certainly don't need. But after having made the trek to your local Costco, braved the card check at the front door, and fought the hordes of Costco shoppers, I mean, you deserve a little treat, don't you?

That's where it all goes wrong. You went to Costco to save money on glasses, but you put a Ninja blender, four piñatas, a six-pound block of tofu, and a mattress on your credit card . Oops.

2. Costco's vision center isn't actually all that cheap

If you don't have vision insurance, Costco Optical isn't actually all that cheap for glasses (I can't speak to contact lenses at all). Just so we could see how much it really cost to get glasses at Costco, I ran a little test through its website using my own glasses.

For a pair of frames with single vision lenses that include blue light protection, anti-reflective coating, scratch-resistance, and UV coating, my grand total came to $125.98. These are 1.60 index lenses, so just pretty normal stuff, nothing fancy. I chose the least expensive frames available, for $59.99, and the basic clear lenses on offer.

Maybe that price sounds great to you, but I've been buying my glasses from Zenni Optical for the last decade and it seemed outrageous to me. Just for comparison, I also built the closest glasses I could find at Zenni. They totaled $46.90 before taxes and qualified for free shipping.

The Zenni glasses included 1.61 index, single vision lenses with blue light protection, anti-reflective coating, scratch resistance, and UV protection, as well as an additional oleophobic coating that makes my life a lot easier in general. The extra coating was a $10 upgrade.

3. Costco only offers single vision lenses online

If you still want to use Costco Optical, keep in mind that you're limited in what frames you can choose, and far more importantly, what kinds of lenses you can get online. Unlike other online glasses retailers, Costco only offers single vision lenses to its online shoppers -- if you want bifocals or progressives, you have to shop in person.

Unfortunately, not every Costco warehouse has an optical center. If your closest location doesn't, you may be out of luck if you need anything beyond the basic glasses or sunglasses set.

For a lot of people, this is just fine. And the website does say that progressives are coming soon. But in the meantime, you're probably better off going to one of many online glasses retailers that have cropped up in the last decade.

Skip Costco Optical, but don't skip Costco

If you're financing your own glasses budget , Costco is sadly not your answer for the cheapest glasses in town. Just going into that store puts you at risk of buying other stuff you hadn't planned on, so just this one time, I'm going to recommend you skip Costco.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

We love versatile credit cards that offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco! This card is a standout among America's favorite credit cards because it offers perhaps the easiest $200 cash bonus you could ever earn and an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, even when you shop at Costco.

Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it's no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

Click here to read our full review for free and apply before the $200 welcome bonus offer ends!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Kristi Waterworth has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, JPMorgan Chase, and Progressive. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .