Eyeglass Lens Replacement — New Lenses for Your Frames

How eyeglass lens replacement works: 3 steps by mail

Prescription lens replacement is a mail-in service, so three things travel to us: your frame, your prescription, and your pupillary distance (PD). Everything else happens in the lab.

Prefer to see the mounting process first? Read how replacement lenses are installed, step by step.

Single vision, progressive, bifocal or readers?

Glasses lens replacement is not a downgrade: almost anything a new pair could carry, your existing frame can carry too. These are the four lens types we cut every day — what each one is, who it suits, and what we need from your prescription.

Exact pricing appears in your cart before you order — no store visit, no quote appointment.

Tints, coatings and upgrades

Any of the four lens types above can also be built as:

Every lens we cut includes 100% UVA/UVB protection and an anti-scratch coating. Material choice matters too: polycarbonate vs. glass, compared.

Searching “lens replacement near me”? Skip the store

You do not need an optical shop within driving distance — you need a lab that cuts to your frame, and that travels by mail. The whole service works the same from any US address:

• No appointment. Order online whenever it suits you; the lab queue starts when your frame arrives, not when a counter opens.
• No “we don’t do outside frames”. Many chains discourage frames you did not buy from them, or void guarantees on them. Frames you already own are our entire business.
• An optician, without the counter. Send a photo of your frame and your prescription and a real optician answers before you spend anything — start the conversation here.
• Nothing to pick up. Your frame comes back with the lenses mounted, aligned and cleaned, with tracking to your door.

Which frames work for new lenses

Condition decides, not age. A twenty-year-old frame in good shape re-lenses beautifully; a two-year-old frame with a cracked eyewire may not.

Frames we re-lens every day

• Full-rim acetate and plastic — the straightforward case, including designer and vintage frames.
• Metal full-rim — screws out, lenses in, screws back.
• Semi-rimless (nylon groove) — the lens is grooved so the nylon cord holds it.
• Rimless drill-mount — precision work: each lens is drilled to match your existing hardware. It is a lab job, never a DIY kit.
• Sunglass frames — including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Costa and other designer shapes.

When we will call you before cutting

• Cracks or splits near the lens groove.
• Plastic that has gone brittle or chalky with age and sun.
• Loose, sprung or previously glued hinges.
• Wrap-around sport frames with very steep base curves and a strong prescription — physics sets a limit, and we will tell you where it is.

Not sure? Send us photos of the frame front, the hinges and the inside of the temple before you ship anything. We will tell you honestly whether it is a safe candidate — including when the answer is no.

Keep your frames

The frame is the expensive part and the part that fits you. Lenses are the part that actually wears out — scratched, hazy, or simply out of date after an eye exam. Replacing only what failed is the cheaper move and the lower-waste one at the same time.

• You pay for lenses, not for a frame you already own. The single biggest line item on an eyewear receipt is the one you skip.
• The fit stays exactly the same. No breaking in a new frame, no sliding nose pads, no "these never sat right".
• Discontinued and vintage frames stay in service. New lenses for old frames is often the only route left: when the frame you love has not been made in years, re-lensing is the only way to keep wearing it.
• Nothing goes to landfill. Acetate and metal frames are not curbside recyclable — reuse beats recycling, and a frame kept in service is the greenest frame there is.

More on why we built the company around this idea: our sustainability approach.

Frequently asked questions

Can you put new lenses in old frames?

Yes — if the frame is structurally sound, it can almost always take new lenses, whether it is two years old or twenty. A new prescription, scratched lenses or an outdated coating are all solvable without giving up a frame that fits you perfectly. We inspect every frame before we cut anything.

What is reglazing glasses?

“Reglazing” — also called relensing — means putting new lenses in frames you already own. The term is common in the UK; in the US the same service is called lens replacement, and ReFramed does it by mail: prescription or plano lenses custom-cut to your frame and installed, typically for far less than a complete new pair.

Is it cheaper to replace lenses than to buy new glasses?

Usually yes, and often by a wide margin. With lens replacement you pay for the lenses only — and on designer eyewear the frame is typically the most expensive component. You will see the exact price in your cart before you order, and your fit stays identical. When replacement is worth it.

Do you do progressive lenses?

Yes. Progressives, bifocals, single vision and high-index all go into your own frame. Progressives need enough vertical lens height to place the reading zone correctly, so we measure your frame first. If the shape is too shallow to work well, we tell you before cutting rather than after.

Can I use my own frames for prescription glasses?

Yes. That is the entire service: your frames, new prescription lenses. People ask this chain by chain because many optical shops discourage outside frames or void guarantees on them. ReFramed exists for exactly this job — send us any structurally sound frame and we fit your current prescription into it.

What if my frame breaks during lens replacement?

It is rare, because we assess every frame before cutting and mount lenses by hand. If we judge a frame too fragile to re-lens safely, we contact you and stop — nothing is cut until you decide. If something does go wrong on our bench, write to us and we will make it right; see Warranty & Returns.

Can you replace lenses in rimless glasses?

Yes. Rimless and semi-rimless frames can be re-lensed as long as the mounting hardware and drill points are intact. Each lens has to be drilled or grooved to match your hardware exactly, which is why it is lab work rather than a DIY kit. We handle both types.

What do you need from me to make the lenses?

Your frame, a valid prescription — a clear photo of it works — and your pupillary distance. If the PD is not written on your prescription, we will show you how to measure it at home or work it out from your current lenses. For sun or non-prescription lenses, no prescription is needed at all.

How long does eyeglass lens replacement take?

It depends on the lens: a single vision lens in stock material moves faster than a progressive with specialty coatings. We confirm the production time with you when we quote, before your frame ships to us, and you get tracking when it heads back. See Shipping Info for current transit times.

Ready for new lenses in your own frames?

We replace lenses in existing frames every day: pick your lenses, send us the frame, wear it again. If you would rather talk it through first, an optician answers.

Also useful: prescription & custom lens options · how ReFramed works · can you replace sunglasses lenses?