As a savvy shopper and consumer expert, I‘m always on the hunt for the best deals and hidden gems. When it comes to buying glasses and contact lenses, more and more of my fellow bargain hunters are turning to an unlikely place: Costco. The warehouse giant‘s optical centers have earned a cult following for one big reason – the Kirkland Signature house brand of eyewear.
If you‘re not familiar, Kirkland Signature is Costco‘s private label that offers high-quality alternatives to name brands across dozens of product categories. While Costco shoppers adore Kirkland for its quality and value, there‘s also a sense of mystery around the brand. Costco doesn‘t actually manufacture Kirkland products itself. Instead, Costco partners with established brand name companies to produce Kirkland items according to its specifications.
But which leading eyewear company is behind Kirkland Signature glasses and contacts? After doing some serious digging and tapping my industry sources, I have a pretty good idea. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll share my findings on who makes Kirkland lenses, how they compare to name brands, and why Costco Optical may be the best place to shop for eyewear period.
Costco‘s Winning Formula
Before we get into the specifics of Kirkland eyewear, it‘s worth zooming out to understand why Costco is able to offer such amazing deals on glasses and contacts in the first place. The answer lies in Costco‘s unique business model.
Costco is a membership-based wholesale club, meaning shoppers pay an annual fee for the privilege of shopping there. This membership model is incredibly powerful for a few reasons:
- Membership fees provide a stable, recurring revenue stream and customer base.
- Costco can sell products at razor-thin profit margins because it makes money on memberships.
- Costco can afford to offer generous perks to keep members happy and coming back.
On top of the membership model, Costco‘s massive scale enables it to negotiate unbeatable deals from suppliers. With over 800 warehouse stores worldwide, Costco has enormous buying power. Suppliers are often willing to give Costco rock bottom prices just to access its huge customer base.
Kirkland Signature is the epitome of Costco‘s low-cost, high-quality approach. Costco developed the Kirkland label specifically to give members even better prices on top-selling items without sacrificing quality. By working directly with leading manufacturers and removing branding costs, Kirkland products can undercut name brands by 20% or more.
Costco is notoriously secretive about its Kirkland suppliers. Maintaining anonymity allows Costco to continually renegotiate contracts to get the best deals. It also adds to the treasure hunt fun of the Costco shopping experience. But make no mistake, Kirkland products are often the result of partnerships with the biggest names in a given industry, as I suspect is the case with Kirkland eyewear.
The Clues Behind Kirkland Glasses
When it comes to glasses, the rumor mill points strongly to one company as the source of Kirkland frames: Luxottica. If you‘re not an eyewear insider, you may not recognize the name Luxottica. But you‘ve definitely heard of the company‘s portfolio of brands, including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, and dozens of designer labels like Prada and Armani.
Luxottica is far and away the world‘s largest eyewear company. The Milan-based firm controls a staggering 80% of the world‘s major eyewear brands. It also owns the optical retail chains LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, and Sunglass Hut among others. Basically, Luxottica has unprecedented vertical integration over the entire eyewear industry.
Several signs point to Luxottica as the manufacturer of Kirkland Signature frames:
- Costco already sells several Luxottica brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, demonstrating an existing relationship.
- The CEO of Luxottica has spoken publicly about making private label frames for some retailers.
- Kirkland frames have strikingly similar designs and materials as Luxottica products.
- Producing Costco‘s volume of frames would only be possible for a massive company like Luxottica.
As for the actual lenses that go in Kirkland frames, that‘s more of an open question. Essilor, a French company that is the world‘s largest lens manufacturer, is one contender. Essilor has been on a global acquisition spree, purchasing frame manufacturers, lab equipment companies, and vision insurance providers. Some industry watchers believe Essilor and Luxottica will eventually merge to form an eyewear superpower.
Costco does operate its own lens manufacturing lab in the US, so it‘s possible some Kirkland lenses are produced in-house. However, the full scope and output of Costco labs is unknown. More than likely, Essilor or another large lab network produces the majority of Kirkland lenses, perhaps to Costco‘s precise specifications. Until Costco decides to disclose its suppliers, we can only speculate.
Kirkland‘s Contact Lens Clues
While Costco has kept Kirkland‘s glasses vendors hush hush, the origins of its private label contact lenses are easier to deduce. There are only four major contact lens manufacturers globally: Johnson & Johnson, Alcon, CooperVision, and Bausch + Lomb. Of the four, CooperVision is the clear front runner for producing Kirkland contacts.
CooperVision is the world‘s third largest contact lens company with an 18% global market share. Crucially for our investigation, CooperVision also makes private label lenses for several major retailers. Its house brand lenses pop up everywhere from 1-800 Contacts to Walgreens under various names.
Here‘s the smoking gun: Costco sells a CooperVision lens under its own name called MyDay. MyDay daily disposables have the exact same material (stenfilcon A), parameters, packaging, and price as Kirkland Signature daily disposables. Costco sells the Kirkland version for $60 per 90 pack compared to $90 for MyDay, a 30% discount.
There‘s virtually no doubt in my mind (or the minds of many contact lens aficionados) that Kirkland contacts are simply repackaged MyDay lenses. CooperVision has a longstanding relationship with Costco, and is one of the few contact suppliers with the scale and capabilities to meet Kirkland‘s exacting standards.
So while the maker of Kirkland glasses remains something of a mystery, I‘m 99% confident CooperVision/MyDay is behind Kirkland contacts. Score another point for the power of Costco‘s procurement process.
Putting Kirkland to the Test
Identifying Kirkland‘s manufacturers is an interesting exercise, but the real test is how its products measure up in the real world. I have personally worn Kirkland glasses and contacts for years, so I can attest to their quality and value. But you don‘t have to take my word for it.
When it comes to glasses, Kirkland frames are made from high-quality, durable materials like acetate and metal. They have a similar look and feel to designer frames. In a blind test, I challenge even the most discerning eyewear snobs to tell the difference between Kirkland and Luxottica frames.
What‘s more, Kirkland glasses include premium features like scratch resistant and anti-reflective coatings by default. With other retailers, those coatings can run you an extra $100 or more. At Costco, they‘re included in prices that start from under $100 for frames and lenses together.
As for Kirkland contacts, they have all the same features as the name brand CooperVision lenses: an ultra-breathable silicone hydrogel material, UV protection, and superb comfort for all-day wear. In fact, I slightly prefer the feel of Kirkland lenses thanks to their 56% water content (compared to CooperVision MyDay at 54%). The higher moisture helps my eyes stay hydrated even in dry conditions.
Finally, we can‘t ignore the massive savings Costco offers on eyewear compared to traditional retailers and doctors‘ offices. A recent Consumer Reports survey found Costco Optical was the cheapest place to buy glasses, with an average price of $184 including an exam. That‘s $244 less than the overall average price of $428 for glasses nationally.
The cost savings extend to contact lenses as well. A contact lens price comparison by AllAboutVision found Costco had the lowest prices on all major brands, beating 1-800 Contacts by 10-20%. As mentioned, Kirkland contacts are an even better deal at 30% less than name brands.
The Verdict
After weighing all the evidence, I can confidently conclude that Kirkland Signature offers some of the best value eyewear on the market. To recap:
- Kirkland glasses are most likely made by Luxottica, the world‘s largest eyewear company. Quality is comparable to $300+ designer frames.
- Kirkland contact lenses are almost certainly made by CooperVision and are identical to MyDay lenses, a premium daily disposable.
- Kirkland eyewear costs significantly less than comparable name brands, thanks to Costco‘s volume, vertical integration, and low margins.
The only "catch" with Kirkland eyewear is that you have to be a Costco member to purchase. Given the membership requirement, Kirkland is not for everyone. But for existing Costco shoppers or those considering a membership, the savings on glasses and contacts alone can more than offset the $60/year Gold Star membership fee.
One important note for contact lens wearers: you should always consult with an eye doctor before purchasing a new lens brand, even if it‘s a generic version of your current lenses. While extremely unlikely, certain lenses may fit slightly differently or cause an adverse reaction even if the parameters are the same on paper.
To sum up, Kirkland eyewear is the real deal. By partnering with the world‘s leading frame and contact lens manufacturers, Costco can offer incredible quality at unbeatably low prices. In the age of sky-high healthcare and vision costs, Kirkland glasses and contacts are a bright spot for consumers‘ wallets. If you‘re fed up with paying designer prices for eyewear, give Kirkland Signature a shot. I have a feeling you won‘t look back.
