We Tried the New Warby Parker Recipe App
One of the biggest hurdles to using a low-cost online eyewear store like Warby Parker is getting a prescription from an ophthalmologist. Warby Parker is trying to change all of that with an app that walks you through a quick vision exam that Warby Parker sends to a doctor to review a prescription. This is what it really is.
If you don’t have a prescription yet, you will still need to see an optometrist as the Warby Parker app only checks your prescription for updates. This service is currently only available to individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who reside in California, New York, Florida, or Virginia. If you meet these requirements, you will need an iPhone, laptop, and a current pair of Warby Parker goggles to pass the exam.
Since I have a recent prescription from a traditional ophthalmologist and now I have glasses from Warby Parker (but I am using an older prescription), I thought this new service would be perfect for me. “I’ll just check if my recipe has changed before buying a new set of frames, it will be easy,” I thought. I was wrong. It turned out that because my right eye was about half as bad as my left, the doctor working with Warby Parker decided that they could not confirm my prescription and recommended that I undergo regular examinations. Womp womp.
So, if it didn’t work for me, should you try this service? Yes, if:
- You know that your prescription is unlikely to make a big difference between your two eyes, and you have no other eye complications.
- You put off ordering new glasses because you don’t have time to go to the optometrist. The examination really only took 20 minutes (as promised) and I received a response from the doctor within 24 hours.
Overall, my experience with the prescription exam was positive. It was really easy to set up with my laptop and phone even in my tiny apartment (you have to stand 12 feet away from the laptop for the test) and the tests themselves were pretty quick. It annoyed me a little that the app constantly forced me to confirm that I was at the correct distance from my laptop, but I guess it’s not too bad if it means the test is more accurate. If you do try a prescription test, remember to blink if you have a little trouble focusing on the letters, and take breaks between tests as you would with a normal eye exam.