Online Glasses Retailers Ranked by Product and Brand Range – United Kingdom, 2025
The British eyewear market has entered a new digital phase, defined by choice rather than proximity. This 2025 ranking analyses UK online retailers by their total number of glasses frames and brands, mapping where the widest selections now reside. The data captures a competitive field — from optician-backed e-commerce sites to digital-first marketplaces — each vying to become the preferred destination for UK consumers.
Key Findings
- SmartBuyGlasses.co.uk leads the UK glasses ranking with 47,000+ frames and 265 brands, setting the benchmark for both size and diversity of range.
- SelectSpecs.com and Pretavoir.co.uk follow, each with more than 12,000 frames, indicating a healthy mid-market competition.
- Longstanding optical brands like Vision Express and Specsavers appear further down the list, reflecting their focus on in-store prescription services rather than online volume.
Online Glasses Retailers Ranked by Total Frames (United Kingdom, 2025)
| Rank | Domain | Total Frames |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | smartbuyglasses.co.uk | 47,401 |
| 2 | pretavoir.co.uk | 12,581 |
| 3 | selectspecs.com | 12,391 |
| 4 | spex4less.com | 5,980 |
| 5 | shadestation.co.uk | 5,742 |
| 6 | fashioneyewear.com | 3,235 |
| 7 | opticiansdirect.co.uk | 3,027 |
| 8 | visionexpress.com | 1,118 |
| 9 | specsavers.co.uk | 1,075 |
| 10 | mandsopticians.com | 818 |
| 11 | discountedsunglasses.co.uk | 736 |
| 12 | glassesdirect.co.uk | 722 |
| 13 | glasses2you.co.uk | 677 |
| 14 | directsight.co.uk | 333 |
| 15 | rxsport.co.uk | 45 |
| 16 | sunglasshut.com | 33 |
Online Glasses Retailers Ranked by Total Brands (United Kingdom, 2025)
| Rank | Domain | Total Brands |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | smartbuyglasses.co.uk | 265 |
| 2 | selectspecs.com | 243 |
| 3 | fashioneyewear.com | 110 |
| 4 | spex4less.com | 76 |
| 5 | shadestation.co.uk | 64 |
| 6 | opticiansdirect.co.uk | 63 |
| 7 | pretavoir.co.uk | 44 |
| 8 | discountedsunglasses.co.uk | 41 |
| 9 | visionexpress.com | 33 |
| 10 | glassesdirect.co.uk | 26 |
| 11 | specsavers.co.uk | 24 |
| 12 | mandsopticians.com | 23 |
| 13 | glasses2you.co.uk | 14 |
| 14 | sunglasshut.com | 3 |
| 15 | directsight.co.uk | 2 |
| 16 | rxsport.co.uk | 1 |
The UK Eyewear Market Shifts from High Street to High Scale
The UK eyewear market remains intensely competitive but clearly polarized between high-volume e-commerce aggregators and legacy optical brands. SmartBuyGlasses and SelectSpecs dominate catalogue scale, while Pretavoir positions itself successfully in the premium niche. Domestic opticians like Vision Express and Specsavers still emphasize clinical services over product variety, leaving the broader online audience to global players. This dynamic suggests the UK market is maturing toward the “platform model” seen in other retail categories.
Beyond Product Range: Precision, Fit, and Confidence in the UK Market
British shoppers tend to prioritise optical precision and comfort when ordering prescription eyewear online. Adjustable nose bridges, lightweight materials, and clear prescription upload processes influence purchase trust. The ability to virtually try on frames and verify fit before ordering has become central to reducing returns and ensuring a positive long-term experience.
Methodology
The data for this ranking was collected in September 2025 and reflects the number of publicly listed products and brands available on leading online eyewear retailers in each market.
Only active e-commerce domains shipping to the respective country were included in the analysis.
Each retailer was evaluated across two core metrics:
- Total Frames – the number of individual glasses or sunglasses SKUs visibly listed online.
- Total Brands – the number of unique eyewear brands represented in the catalogue.
Counts were obtained through a manual audit of product listing pages, ensuring parity across markets and excluding duplicates, discontinued listings, or non-eyewear products (e.g., accessories or lens cleaners).
Results represent an independent snapshot of online product variety, not sales performance or market share.
If you believe another domain should be considered for future updates, please contact us to submit your suggestion.