Can anyone recommend a good optician?

Golden_Anemone

I've been at the same optician for a few years - I need annual tests as I have a close relative with Glaucoma and I wear glasses.

Every time I come to choose new frames after an eye test I find the optician really condescending. I want nice frames but I'm not hung up on labels and not prepared to pay extra for them. She goes into a whole "well, we don't really get any demand for anything else these days" routine as she looks down her nose at me and tells me she has 2 frames to choose from in my price range. It's 2 years since I got my current frames and I really want a change now.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic at expecting to get good looking non designer frames and lenses for around £100? But even if I am there's nice ways of saying so.

So, can anyone recommend a good optician who has a good range of nice frames at a reasonable price? Anywhere from Belfast City Centre to Downpatrick and anywhere between.

redped

Have you tried the usual suspects of Specsavers, Optical Express, Vision Express & Boots? Even Tescos do glasses now, starting at £10, and they have an opticians department in some of their larger stores here. The dearer glasses will obviously have a better build quality, but I'd surprised if you couldn't get a decent pair for a budget of £100 from at least one of these suppliers.

Don't forget that you can get your eye test done in one place, and buy your glasses from another - I had my eye test done in Boots in Abbeycentre, and found the glasses I liked in Specsavers. Having said that, the Boots optician I used was excellent in helping me when I had a serious blurred vision problem last year, so I'll be going back to him to buy my next pair of glasses.

shalis

I recently changed my optician and now attand Rachel Scott, 16 Belmont Road, in East Belfast. She is located about 100 metres up the Belmont Road from the Strand Cinema. She is very thorough, and isn't pushy, like some opticians, who always try to get you to part with as much money as possible.

jeffer

One place I don't recommend is Optical Express in Castle Court - the woman assistant who did the tests before I went in to the actual optician wasn't even able to operate the glaucome test machine properly.

Then I got the hard sell to which I unfortunately succumbed and spent over £200 on a pair of glasses I can't even see through.

avenida

I'm another boots optician fan, they were excellent with me, I went to the one in abbeycentre, not pushy were happy to give me my prescription to go and get specs elsewhere, even glasses direct online are good once you get the prescription

caz2703

You don't say who you are with now so apologies if I suggest the place you currently use. Personally I've been with Boots in Belfast City Centre for almost as long as I've worn glasses. Great service, not pushy and I can get my contacts delivered to my house rather than have to pick them up. I did use Boots in Forestside on one occassion but I wasn't impressed so I make the effort to go into Belfast instead.

Not personal experience but I know my folks have used Tesco Knocknagoney (there was a clubcard promo which allowed you to double/triple up your points). As far as I know they didn't have any problems but I can't vouch for them myself.

Ballymackeonan

You need to know how much of your glasses cost is for the lenses - I've got a rather complicated prescription, and go for a thinner lens at additional cost (otherwise they would be like bottle bases!) so that I know that my glasses will cost over £200 before I even look at frames. You should have a split between lens and frame cost

I've been using Richard Owens in the city centre for years - he also has a branch in East Belfast - and he gives a really good service, and a really thorough check on your eyes. He's got a good range of frames as well, not just the usual designers. There's no pressure, I've often bought from the reduced frames!

flogthedog

I've been using Craig Henderson Opticians in Ballynahinch for a couple of years. He also has a branch in Saintfield. I haven't bought glasses, only contacts but the service and price are always very good.

penwise

I would totally agree with what the other person who wrote about Rachel Scott. For my last checkup I took my time picking who I would go to as I had felt too rushed by some opticans in the past (did I say the right eye when I meant left?, etc ). I would highly recommend her both for her skill and customer care.

sleepymy

flogthedog wrote: »

I've been using Craig Henderson Opticians in Ballynahinch for a couple of years. He also has a branch in Saintfield. I haven't bought glasses, only contacts but the service and price are always very good.

My dad got two pair of glasses from him this year, they were very reasonable and he's very pleased with them, although they're his first glasses so he doesn't have anything to compare them to. I'm going to price glasses with them soon.

I was going to Jonathan Hall on Kings road, he's a really good optician and really nice but the only glasses I ever like there are the designer ones (I don't notice until after I've tried and liked them ). I need to shop around for something cheaper this year because I need condensed, anti-reflection lenses and they cost a small fortune on their own.

jjd

Found boots to be quite good and reasonable prices also. A good range of own brand non-designer frames.