Where can I go for a GOOD opticians?

[TheBeesKnee]

I've spent my life going to Specsavers with various degrees of success. It's always the same: I have an eye test, find out that my eyesight has got worse by -0.25-0.5, I buy new glasses, occasionally I get contact lenses, and off I go.

I've recently come across things that make me feel like I'm missing out, for example, eye drops and contact lenses that you wear around the clock which can help to treat myopia! I didn't know that existed!

The last time I went to Specsavers, the optician there tried to give me basic/hard contact lenses and seemed surprised that I wanted soft lenses which didn't dry my eyes out and couldn't answer questions about specific lenses for my astigmatism in one eye.

I just want to go to some place where people know what they're doing and can recommend treatments and products because at this rate I will actually be blind by the time I retire!

An independent one? Boots?

I think maybe just try a different branch of specsavers? Ours is very good.
That said the local independent opticians is excellent but also £££

I’ve tried a few & actually always find boots to be the best.

Asda opticians are good if you have one nearby.
The glasses are a fixed price including thinning if necessary and varifocals.

where are you based? There are a couple of independent ones near me that I'd recommend, but unlikely to be helpful if you aren't in the general region!

I'd say independent ones are most helpful, but they also wont' necessarily recommend things like new treatments if they aren't convinced by them, so you still might not hear about stuff. They should listen to your concerns about dry eyes etc though, and recommend different lenses or drops or doctors to help

@MintMocha

where are you based? There are a couple of independent ones near me that I'd recommend, but unlikely to be helpful if you aren't in the general region!

I'd say independent ones are most helpful, but they also wont' necessarily recommend things like new treatments if they aren't convinced by them, so you still might not hear about stuff. They should listen to your concerns about dry eyes etc though, and recommend different lenses or drops or doctors to help

I'm in South London at the moment.

In the last 5 years I've been to branches in Kingston (ok) and Sutton (unhelpful).

If you want the myopia reduction lenses, you need to find an independent optician who is trained to sell them. Specsavers suggested we went that route for DS, but we haven't yet.
So, I'd say find a very competent otician at a big brand who will do the best for you, or an I depe don't with a good local reputation.

If you can get to Old Street P Shah optician is really great.

I would try David Clulow, they have branches around London.

I know this is totally unrealistic, but I get my best glasses in Turkey, on holiday. Free eye test, including an oculist. and then the highest grade varifocals, with ultra light, anti smear, photoreactive lenses.

Because I've not been able to o for a couple of years, and I got my last glasses in 2017, I had my eyes tested and got glasses here. my mistake, 3 times the price and I'm still mostly wearing my Turkish ones as they give me better all round vision,

If, by any vague chance, you are able to go to Turkey on holiday this year I would definitely get glasses there. As I hopefully will later this year.

We spent years with Specsavers - moved here and they were awful.

So we've switched to Boots as family said they were better - we've no complaints so far.

For local independents you'd have to ask around locally - DH asked around at work and was recommended one in city he works in but it was easier to get to Boots where we live.

Scrivens are generally very good. I would never ever go to specsavers as they missed a corneal ulcer I had, it could have been extremely serious.

My OH uses a small independent firm and swears by them. Prior to that he used Specsavers, Boots, Dolland & Aichison and another couple of chains that I can't remember, and never happy with any of them as he has complex eye issues and a very strong prescription needed. What he really likes is the continuity of having the same optician, dispenser and even counter staff year after year - they literally never change, so he knows them and they know him. Yes, it costs more, but well worth the continuity and quality of service. It really paid dividends when he was having chemotherapy for cancer as the treatment kept changing his eyesight so the optician was trying to hit a moving target and he went through several different prescriptions in just a few months - optician didn't charge for any of the different lenses they tried out, just kept swapping them and then the eyesight stopped changing so he kept the last lenses they tried. It's given him massive confidence that they'll help him especially now he's on long term chemotherapy.

ah, the ones I might have recommended were an hour north of london. I'd say have a morning out and try them, but if you need to go back for repeat visits, then that's quite a few mornings! (I had to get one of my pairs remade 3 times to get them right, but I do have quite a complex prescription! On the other hand, the independent opticians were happy enough to do that until it was as right as they could get).

I've found Boots to be excellent, extremely thorough. My son says Specsavers are very good too but you've tried them.

Wasn’t impressed by Specsavers or by Boots. Went to an independent, who had the latest technology and was very good, but the busier he became, the more the service worsened, with cancelled/ postponed appointments, delays to appointment times and a shelf of frames at £900.

Looking for another now, before the next test is due.

@NannyGythaOgg thats actually really helpful for my dad thank you!

Local independent recommended by friends and neighbours.

I've found Boots have been good for me (fairly complex prescription).

I have used Boots in Banstead and Sutton and been happy with them. In Banstead they recommended me different types of daily contacts to help with dryness.

I use Specsavers and they were better than the much more expensive independent. I tried Vision Express and they were crap so I ended up going back to Specsavers.

We’ve gone back to the local one. Much better than Specsavers.

I found Specsavers appalling. My local independent is excellent.

Specsavers are franchises. It depends on the skills of each individual optician. I've had excellent service (identified possible retina detachment) and awful (made glasses up with 2 left lens prescription ).