Covry Review: Glasses That Actually Fit Asian Faces

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Covry's co-founders Athina Wang and Florence Shin met in high school, attended fashion school on opposite coasts, then reunited over a blossoming idea.

"We've always struggled with eyewear that never fit us," Shin told Insider. As Asian-American women, they had never felt that glasses brands properly catered to their face shapes. Such was the basis for Covry, an eyewear brand created in 2015 by the duo. Fresh out of design and marketing college programs, Wang and Shin launched their Kickstarter campaign for Covry. After raising more than 300% of their goal, the business partners were able to start off their brand with three sunglasses.

Covry's distinguishing factor is that it makes intentionally inclusive eyewear for faces with an "elevated fit" for features that other companies might not consider.

While Wang said a large portion of Covry's customers identify as Asian, Shin explained that the challenge they wanted to solve "wasn't a problem that was limited to a certain demographic or people of a certain descent," citing that their glasses are "not just for a low nose bridge, but if you have that feature, you'll definitely feel the difference." Shin continued to tell Insider that the brand has had "lots of customers with thin noses, small noses, high cheekbones, or long lashes so they're always touching the lenses. There's a lot of different features that our elevated fit can really complement."

As an Asian-American woman myself, I put Covry's glasses to the test. Below, I'll walk you through everything you need to know — from what makes their glasses different, to the ordering and try-on process, to actually getting your glasses shipped.

Glasses range from $85 to $125, and sunglasses cost anywhere from $95 to $155. Prescription polarized sun lenses start at $100, and add-ons include blue-light protection for $35 and photochromic lens for $100.

Covry's home try-on is easy and convenient. Even though it makes the process of ordering your glasses a little more involved, it's a good idea to try them on first since they do not offer returns on prescriptions (read the return policy here).

Covry also told Insider that they are working on launching a virtual try-on option for all their frames.

You'll be able to choose from about 35 sunglasses and 45 glasses, with new styles being released typically four times a year.

The cost for the try-on box is $10 and after shipping came out to $16. I got a shipping notification three days later, and my glasses were delivered two days after being shipped.

The Covry home try-on package reminded me of Warby Parker's home try-on, except that the box also came with a built-in mirror that made trying on more convenient. The glasses were organized by felt partitions, and they were all non-prescription models.

I do wish that the glasses, like in Warby Parker's package, were identified by their model name. I had to return to Covry's website and visually confirm the glasses.

I really appreciate the thoughtful detailing of how the glasses are designed for my face.

As for the construction and quality of the frames, they are handcrafted from cellulose acetate, a flexible and lightweight material, and stainless steel finishes. The sunglasses are made with premium nylon lenses and 100% UV protection. All of the prescription lenses go through a 10-step coating process, including anti-reflective and scratch-resistant treatments.

I tried on (from left to right) Naos in Amber, Anser in Coffee, Deneb in Champagne, Sabik in Clear, and Subra in Charcoal.

Finally, a pair of glasses that don't rest on my cheeks and combats the dreaded fogged-up glass.

To be sure this was the right pair for me, I took advantage of Covry's personal stylist option to get recommendations.

I sent an email to: [email protected] along with two recent headshots. The next day, a Covry stylist emailed me back with four recommendations each for specs and sunglasses.

I appreciated how detailed and personal the stylist was in describing her top picks for my face shape. The stylist even answered a follow-up question once I narrowed my choices down to two pairs, confirming that the ones I chose would complement my face shape.

The biggest challenge was actually returning the glasses when I just wanted to keep them all! They would have made for great non-prescription accessories. But rules are rules. The home try-on experience lasts five days, from the day you receive your box.

The return instructions are straightforward: Once the five days are up, package the frames and the black case back inside the same shipping box they arrived in, and attach the pre-printed return label on the outside of the box. You can then drop the box at the nearest USPS post office. If the fifth day of your home try-on happens to fall on a holiday, you can return it the next business day, according to Covry's return policy.

I've had tortoiseshell glasses in the past, but never transparent frames. I felt like the gold framing on the top of the frames added a dash of glamour and sophistication to the overall look. The square lens shape complimented my face shape. And the best thing? Glasses that don't budge!

I got a real kick out of finding out that all of Covry's glasses are named after stars in the universe. After picking Deneb, I Googled it to learn more about the star and found out that Deneb is the brightest star in the Cygnus constellation and the 19th brightest star in the Milky Way Galaxy.

You'll measure your pupillary distance with a mirror and ruler if your prescription doesn't include it, then email that and the rest of your prescription information to Covry.

While shopping for your prescription glasses, you can pick add-ons like blue light blocking for an extra $35, photochromic lens for an extra $100, single or progressive vision, or even thinner lens options.

Covry accepts HSA and FSA funds for prescription eyewear purchases. The final cost for my prescription glasses came out to $240.

The eyewear is protected by a one-year warranty from the date you purchased your glasses. The warranty covers manufacturer defects in materials and workmanship. Lens scratches, misuse, or abuse are not covered, per Covry's policy. If you're worried about damaging your glasses, you can pay $30.99 for a one-year warranty or $43.99 for a two-year warranty that covers accidental damage.

My glasses arrived in the mail within two weeks after I ordered them, which is sooner than I expected. The packaging looked similar to the home try-on box, except that this carried my prescription glasses inside a white, embossed hard glasses case, fabric cleaner, a warranty card, and care instructions.

Well, I have to say: The shoe fits! The glasses felt so lightweight that it hardly felt like they were there. And they did what I hoped they would do: stay on my nose bridge without slipping to the bottom of my nose. They also passed my fogging test: over hot soup, while using my oven, and inside of a bathroom after a warm shower. They still didn't fog up!

I did notice some differences between this pair and the trial pair from the home try-on experience, namely that these glasses sit further up so my periphery vision isn't as good as with the sample pair. However, that could just be a result of how these ones are adjusted.

Overall, I'd have to say I felt like Covry's home try-on and eyewear shopping experience was eye-opening, no pun intended. I think the brand is more closely aligned with my own personal shopping values, and it's always a great feeling when I feel like I've found my size. I will say that Covry's glasses are more tailored for medium sized and wider faces, and I wish they would release more eyewear for people with smaller faces.

For almost two decades, I've been wearing glasses that never properly fit my face shape. It's an amazing feeling to know there are people who understand that customers are increasingly diverse, and are looking for better inclusivity in their day-to-day lives.

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