In today’s digital world, waiting for prescription glasses is no longer a practical option, especially if you have lost or broken them, sparking an urgency to have them in order to continue managing your life seamlessly.  This is why demand is high for express eyewear, next day glasses and 24 hour glasses service.

However, there are many retailers who claim to provide this level of service, so the key question is “who can deliver fast prescription glasses with a good level of certainty as opposed to a marketing stunt.

In this blog we will talk about the UK's leading fast glasses providers, as well as how express glasses service actually works. Why Demand for Express Eyewear Is Growing

The internet has shifted our shopping habits, and we have now come to expect fast service and turnaround on any product we wish to buy.  Prescription glasses are no longer an exception. Glasses are a necessity in most users’ cases and without them, functioning normally can be very difficult if not impossible.  Today, however, thanks to in-house labs, express eyewear is possible and has transformed the optical industry.  Companies that have in-house labs can offer same day dispatch (usually if order is placed before a certain time), and next day delivery.  A wide selection of frames is also in stock and a user-friendly online system guides you to choosing the correct lenses to suit your needs and upload your prescription.

How Next Day Glasses Work

Ordering fast glasses is easy, once you find a provider that offers the service.  All you need to do is choose a frame to match your head size and face shape.  Once you have chosen a frame, you can choose and customize your lens options (a bit like adding toppings to your pizza).  For example, if you need a tint you can select a tint colour or if you need thinner lenses or photochromic lenses these can be selected.  After selecting your custom lens options, the online platform will provide you with the opportunity to either upload an image of your prescription or input the required lens powers manually to complete your order.   Usually, the provider will give you a cut off time to order for same day dispatch.  The cut off time is there to allow the provider time to make the glasses before dispatch.  Once an order is received, it is picked up by admin who proceed to marry up the chosen frame with the chosen lenses.  This is then handed over to the lab technician who will proceed to cut your lenses (with your chosen options) into your chosen frames.  Once this is ready, the frame is handed to quality control who double check the prescription is made correctly, ensure the frame is aligned and cleaned well prior to being passed to a packer who cases your glasses as a cloth and packages ready for dispatch.

For example, some services guarantee same-day dispatch if ordered before 2pm, ensuring delivery the next day across the UK .

The key innovation behind fast glasses is pre-stocked lenses and in-house glazing labs, which eliminate delays from external suppliers.

Who Offers the Fastest 24 Hr Glasses in the UK?

Next Day Spex – True 24 Hour Glasses Specialists

Whilst many prescription glasses online providers offer express service, Next Day Spex, specializes and focusses on this Niche market i.e. their target audience isn’t the routine shopper (like the other providers), making it the “go to” provider when it comes to reliability.  If you order before 2 pm, they guarantee to dispatch glasses the same day and offer free next day delivery too.  Whilst free next day delivery (using tracked 24 royal mail service) aims for next day delivery, it does not guarantee it.  Next Day Spex knows this and thus they offer guaranteed next day delivery (using royal mail special delivery) service, so if your glasses must be with you tomorrow, you have this option available.

Next Day Spex stocks low to very high prescription lenses in a variety of options to include anti-glare, anti-scratch, Sunglasses tints with UV protection, Photochromic lenses, thinner lens options amongst many more.  Their onsite lab is located in the heart of London making it accessible to most if not all people living in the UK.

They also claim to stock one of the largest ranges of prescription combinations, which helps avoid delays common with other providers.

Select Specs Express – Affordable Next Day Options

Another well-known provider is Select Specs, which offers an “Express” range.

Key features include:

Next-day delivery on selected frames and lenses 

Orders delivered as quickly as the next day when using express service 

Budget-friendly pricing starting from low-cost frames 

However, their express glasses service is limited to certain frame and lens combinations, meaning not all prescriptions qualify.

Best for: Budget-friendly next day glasses with standard prescriptions

3. Other UK Fast Glasses Providers 

While not all advertise strict 24-hour turnaround, several brands offer fast glasses delivery:

Specscart (popular for free 24-hour dispatch on single vision lenses) 

4. Fast Same Day Glasses providers.

Optichic Opticians is based in the heart of central London and offers a faster same day service.  This means if you need express eyewear, but need it on the same day, this is also possible.  The only downfall is you will need to visit them in person.  How this normally works, is they book you at a suitable time for you and when you attend, they can either perform a sight test and provide you with an up to date prescription/ or use your existing prescription.  They have a physical showroom full of eye wear where you can try on the frames.  Once a frame is chosen, they will quote you roughly 1 hour to turn them around.

Best for those who cannot wait and need glasses within 1 hour on the same day!

Are 24 Hr Glasses Reliable?