Blog Hero

Are online eye tests any good?

Book Appointment

Have you considered getting online eye tests? The idea of being able to get an eyeglass prescription and buy glasses without a trip to the eye doctor may sound appealing. Before ditching the traditional eye exams, there are a few things you need to know!

Online Eye Tests

The most important thing to know about online eye tests is they do not evaluate the health of your eyes. Even if they are called “online eye exams,” these exams only measure your visual acuity and refractive error. Some online eye tests can check for contrast sensitivity and color blindness. However, none of this can tell the health of your eyes.

The only way to know the complete health of your eyes is through eye exams with your doctor. During an eye exam, your doctor can detect vision-threatening conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration. Early detection of these conditions can prevent vision loss and blindness.

Know The Risks:

  • Online eye exams cannot detect eye diseases
  • Improper testing can occur due to error or misreading instructions
  • Higher chance of getting incorrect prescription due to self-administered the eye test
  • If you think the prescription is incorrect, your only option is to pay again and retake the test
  • An eyecare professional is not present to answer questions or concerns

Validation of Online Eye Tests

The results of online eye tests have not been guaranteed to be accurate measures of your prescription. Due to this being relatively new technology, there have not been enough studies to determine the reliability and validity of online eye tests.

Additionally, many online eye tests say their technology is suitable only for people between the ages 18 and 40 who are in good health. The limitations of the eye test raise concerns to the overall validity of the test. For these reasons, we do not recommend them as your sole option for your receiving your prescription.

The best way to ensure your eyes are healthy, you receive the correct prescription, and get answers to all your questions is through face-to-face eye exams with your eye doctor. Our staff of trained eyecare professionals will help you through every step of the process. Our office is here to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Insights Optical

Written by Insights Optical

At Insights Optical, you and your eyes are our priority. We believe getting to know you and your unique vision needs while providing access to innovative diagnosis and treatment technologies is the ideal way to take care of you and your eyes.

More Articles By Insights Optical

Discover the Optomap
Retinal Imaging Difference

Optomap Retinal Imaging is an essential part of every eye exam we complete at Insights Optical. By taking a high-definition photo of the back of your eye, called the retina, we can gain valuable information about your health.

In less than 1 second, Optomap allows us to take a 200o photo that gives an ultrawide 82% view of your retina all at once. Retinal imaging not only helps us find signs of eye diseases, but can tell us if you’re at risk of other health issues like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes

Get Comfortable Vision with Neurolens

Neurolens is an innovative new technology we use to diagnose and treat eye misalignment accurately. Eye misalignment can cause headaches, eye strain, and blurred vision. 

Neurolens vision correction begins with an accurate and efficient measurement of your unique eye alignment. We can then use those measurements to create your personalized Neurolenses to help you overcome your eye misalignment symptoms.

With Neurolens, we can correct eye misalignment and reduce the severity of your symptoms. Using a contoured prism design, Neurolens seamlessly adjusts the image your eyes see, making vision comfortable. Get in touch with us to learn if Neurolens is right for you.

Our Locations

Bloomington

Find our Bloomington location on S. Clarizz Boulevard just south of East 3rd Street and across the street from College Mall.

  • 415 S. Clarizz Blvd.
  • Bloomington, IN 47401

Mitchell

Our Mitchell location is located right on W. Main Street across from Mitchell Fitness Center and just down the road from Mitchell Public Library.

  • 725 W. Main St.
  • Mitchell, IN 47446

Our Gallery

Our Blog

instagram facebook facebook2 pinterest twitter google-plus google linkedin2 yelp youtube phone location calendar share2 link star-full star star-half chevron-right chevron-left chevron-down chevron-up envelope fax