Best Online Retainers: Cost, Safety, and How to Order

We rate SmileSet the best place to order a clear retainer online. It costs $149 for one arch or $199 for both, ships free, and comes with a 30-day full-refund window. Retainers Direct, SportingSmiles, and ClearRetain all sell a two-arch set for less, and we compare them below.

One rule sits above every price on this page. Online retainers are for teeth that are already where you want them. They hold teeth in their current position; they do not move shifted teeth back into place¹. If your old retainer no longer fits, your bite has changed, or you have pain or active dental problems, see a dentist or orthodontist before ordering.

Online Retainer Options and Current Prices

SmileSet is our top pick, and the table below shows why. Every price was verified on September 2, 2026. Promotions change, so confirm the total at checkout.

Compare the total for both arches, extra putty, return shipping, remake terms, and the price of the next set. A low first-order price is less useful if a failed impression adds fees.

SmileSet: Best Online Retainer

SmileSet retainers cost $149 for one arch or $199 for both, and shipping is free². You get 30 days from the day the retainers arrive to return them for a full refund. If they don’t fit, SmileSet sends a free impression kit and makes a new set³. That policy is why it ranks first even though three competitors charge less for two arches.

There are four ways to get a fit, and you pick one at checkout:

• Impression kit: take a putty impression of your teeth at home.
• DirectSet: mail in your current retainer or aligner, and SmileSet sends it back with the new set.
• ReplicaSet: putty-mold the inside of your current retainer while you keep wearing it.
• Existing file: if SmileSet or SmileDirectClub already has your file, no new impression is needed.

Our sample arrived as described, and taking the impressions is similar to other brands we’ve tried. SmileSet describes the material as BPA-free and wear-resistant³. DirectSet ships back in roughly a week. SmileSet quotes around two weeks from your order date for the other paths².

SmileSet also sells an optional subscription. It ships a fresh set every six months at 40% off the first order and 45% off after³. You can stretch it to every 12 months in your account.

Treat that cadence as SmileSet’s commercial offer, not a clinical rule. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) says to replace a retainer when it cracks, warps, or stops fitting, not on a calendar⁴.

Former SmileDirectClub Customers

SmileDirectClub closed in 2023. SmileSet says it will make new retainers from your old SmileDirectClub file with no new impression, at the same $149 or $199 price³. Order with the email address or phone number you used at SmileDirectClub so SmileSet finds your file.

A file only helps if your teeth have not moved. If your last retainer feels tight, your teeth have likely shifted. See a dentist or orthodontist before ordering. The SmileDirectClub closure guide covers refunds, records, and unfinished treatment.

Can You Order Retainers from Invisalign?

Invisalign makes clear retainers called Vivera, and you cannot order them online. Align Technology sells Vivera only through an Invisalign-trained dentist or orthodontist⁵. If you finished Invisalign treatment, ask your provider for a Vivera quote and compare it with the table above.

Who Should Not Order a Retainer Online?

Online ordering makes sense when your treatment is finished, your teeth are stable, your current retainer still fits, and nothing hurts. A dental lab that never sees your mouth cannot diagnose anything, which is the ADA’s main objection to direct-to-consumer dental products⁶. See a dentist or orthodontist first if any of these apply:

• Your retainer no longer fits or feels tight. A new retainer copied from a shifted mouth locks in the shift.
• Your bite has changed since treatment ended.
• You have pain, loose teeth, bleeding gums, or an untreated cavity.
• A bonded retainer wire has come loose or broken.
• You had recent dental work that changed the shape of a tooth, such as a crown or a large filling.

If you want a safety check, order online and bring the retainer to your next cleaning. A dentist can confirm the fit in a minute.

How Do Online Retainer Companies Work?

Every online retainer company needs a model of your teeth, and most get it from an impression you take at home. Expect two to three weeks between ordering and wearing.

Ordering Online Retainers: Step-by-Step Process

The details vary by company, but the order goes like this:

1. Order an impression kit from the company’s website. Some include extra putty, which helps if your first try fails.
2. Take your impressions when the kit arrives. Read the instructions and watch the company’s video first.
3. Mail the kit back. The lab makes your retainers from the impression.
4. Receive your retainers. Wear them as directed, and reorder before the current set wears out.

How to Take an Accurate Impression at Home

A bad impression makes a bad retainer, and you are the one holding the tray. Some people find the kit easy on the first try, and others need the spare putty. Follow your kit’s timing for mixing and setting, because it differs by material.

The steps are the same across brands:

1. Mix the two putties until the color is even, then roll the putty into a rope.
2. Press the rope into the tray.
3. Center the tray over your teeth and press down evenly.
4. Check that the putty covers every tooth and reaches the gums.
5. Hold still for the full set time listed in your instructions.
6. Repeat with the other tray.

Retake the impression if you see bubbles, missing teeth, or a tray edge showing through. Most companies will send more putty rather than build a retainer from a doubtful mold.

What Are Clear Retainers and How Do They Work?

Clear retainers are removable trays made of see-through plastic. They hold teeth in their corrected positions after braces or clear aligners⁷.

Clear plastic retainers are a less-noticeable alternative to Hawley retainers. The Hawley is the traditional type of retainer. It has a molded plastic plate against the roof of your mouth and a metal wire across the front of your teeth.

Both designs do the same job. Teeth tend to drift back toward their original positions after orthodontic treatment, and a retainer worn as prescribed keeps that relapse to a minimum¹.

Clear Removable vs. Fixed Retainers

A fixed retainer, also called a bonded or lingual retainer, is a thin wire glued to the back of your front teeth. Clear removable and fixed retainers are both hard to spot, but they differ in daily life:

• Material: Clear removable retainers are transparent plastic. Fixed retainers are metal wire.
• Fit: Clear retainers slip over your teeth. Fixed retainers are bonded to the tongue side of the teeth.
• Removability: You take a clear retainer out to eat and clean. Only a dentist or orthodontist removes a fixed retainer.
• Cleaning: Clear retainers come out for brushing. Fixed retainers need floss threaders or a water flosser.
• Lifespan: A clear retainer gets replaced when it cracks, warps, or stops fitting⁴. A fixed retainer stays until the wire loosens or your orthodontist removes it.

You cannot order a fixed retainer online. If yours breaks, see your orthodontist.

How Much Do Dentists Charge for Replacement Retainers?

Two orthodontic offices publish a clear replacement retainer at $100 to $300 per arch, and a third lists $350 to $650^8,9,10. That is our September 2026 check of Milnor Orthodontics in Fort Collins, Colorado, Segovia Orthodontics in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and Hulse Orthodontics in Carlsbad, California. Your own office will differ, and a phone call gets you an exact number.

There’s no national benchmark for a replacement retainer’s cost. The ADA stopped publishing its Survey of Dental Fees in 2023 and says it cannot quote procedure fees¹¹. So we compare published practice prices against online prices instead.

On those numbers, SmileSet’s $199 for both arches costs the same as or less than one arch at the office. The office price buys something the website cannot: a clinician who looks at your teeth before the lab starts. Pay for that when your fit has changed, and skip it when nothing has.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Clear Retainers?

Most dental plans bundle the first set of retainers into the orthodontic benefit, and replacement sets are usually out of pocket⁷. Coverage varies widely by plan, so call your insurer or ask your orthodontist’s billing office before you count on it.

Online orders are easier to pay for with tax-advantaged money. The IRS lists dental and orthodontic treatment as a qualified medical expense¹². That is the standard a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) uses. Retainers are not named in the rules, so keep your receipt in case your plan administrator asks.

How Long Do Clear Retainers Last?

A well-kept clear retainer lasts years, and there is no fixed expiration date. Lifespan depends on the plastic, your grinding habits, cleaning, and how many hours a day you wear it. Replace it when it cracks, warps, turns cloudy, or no longer snaps onto your teeth⁴.

Subscription programs that ship a new set every six months are a convenience, and SmileSet’s is easy to pause. Dentists on Reddit push back on the idea that retainers expire on a schedule.

To get the longest life from a new retainer:

• Keep it away from hot water, which warps the plastic
• Take it out before you eat or drink anything hot
• Store it in its case when it’s out of your mouth, away from pets
• Brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and lukewarm water every day

How to Care for Clear Retainers

A retainer sits against your teeth for hours a day, so it collects plaque and bacteria like a tooth does. The AAO’s care guidance is simple¹³:

• Rinse or brush the retainer with lukewarm water before it goes back in after a meal.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush so you don’t scratch the plastic.
• Skip toothpaste, especially whitening or abrasive formulas, which scratch and cloud the plastic.
• Soak in a retainer cleaner as directed for your appliance. Tablets, vinegar, and other options are covered in cleaning retainers safely.

Follow any extra instructions from the company that made your retainer or from your dentist.

What Should I Do If I Lose My Retainer?

A replacement costs $139 to $199 online and takes two to three weeks, so order the same day you notice it’s gone. Companies that keep your model on file ship a new set without a new impression. Retainers Direct stores a digital model for reorders, and SmileSet reuses its own files and SmileDirectClub files³. Ask any other company whether it keeps your impression on file before counting on a quick reorder.

A backup set costs more up front and saves you from going without while a replacement is made. Several companies discount a second set ordered at the same time.

Summary

We rate SmileSet the best online retainer for most people. You pay $149 for one arch or $199 for both, with free shipping, a 30-day refund, and a free remake if the fit is off. Former SmileDirectClub customers get a new set from their old file with no impression at all. Retainers Direct, SportingSmiles, and ClearRetain cost less for two arches and are fair picks if price is all that matters to you.

Order online only when your teeth are stable and your current retainer fits. If either has changed, a dentist or orthodontist needs to look first, because a retainer holds teeth in place and cannot move them back.