I just had my second appointment with Dr. Amara and she is the best eye doctor I've ever had. Her exams through and I never walk away without feeling well informed on my current vision. The staff is friendly and very attentive to your eyewear choices. I would highly recommend Ballard Optical. read more

Scheduling: My first interaction was a hot mess tbh. It was about scheduling a new patient visit over the phone, and it was with a person that seemed quite flustered. They never sent over an email confirmation (they said they would) after we'd scheduled an appointment over the phone. With no confirmation email, I thought I had not been scheduled. I then made two online appointments, ended up cancelling the one that didn't work with my schedule. Thats when he proceeded to reach out for a call back (voicemail & email). Essentially, I got on the phone for him to tell me that I was in the wrong. Apparently, if you make an over the phone appointment, they don't send an email confirmation. SIGH. Whatever. Dr. Appt: Once I got in for my appointment, it was smooth sailing. Met with Dr. Amaraweera who was super thorough and took her time to ensure my prescription was accurate. She helped me find a contact lens that works with my astigmatism, and her recommendation was spot on. First time ever that a contact lens fit like a glove and my vision was crystal clear with contacts! That's saying something for people who deal with astigmatism and contact lenses. Glasses Sales Rep: I feel bad for not remembering this person's name. They helped me pick out glasses, and they were fantastic. Young white brunette with a cool facial piercing, loved them! We had over a dozen glasses strewn all over the table and had fun finding two that worked really well for my low nose bridge. They also helped me fit two old prescription sunglasses and glasses with my new prescription. They broke down all the costs and how to best use my insurance to cover the most expensive glasses. Patient Portal Rx Follow Up: It's been over a week since my appointment, and I thought I'd be able to easily access my prescriptions for both contacts and glasses online (as was advertised). There was nothing uploaded to my patient portal, no documents at all about my visit. I had to call the front desk and confirm my contacts were working for me. I didn't realize they needed verbal confirmation after the appointment was over. I've never had to confirm my contact Rx after I've left the clinic, so that was new for me, but obviously my bad. They did finally upload my glasses prescription after my request. Small victories. Overall: I think the clinic is worth the visit. Just be prepared for regular human shenanigans. I don't know if all front desk staff are given a training on passive aggressive "bless your heart" kind of attitude, but it is rare to walk into any clinic and be treated like an adult instead of a toddler who's name you just can't pronounce. Dr. Amaraweera was wonderful and so was the glasses sales rep I worked with. WOULD RECOMMEND! read more

The Ballard Optical team was friendly, knowledgable, and efficient. I saw Dr. Huma Ahmad and she listened to all of my concerns and took the time to throughly answer my questions and find the best option for me. I would highly recommend Ballard Optical if you are looking for a new eye doctor. read more

I have been a patient at Ballard Optical since the early 80's with Dr. Kimpton and love that there are still a couple of my favorite people there after a couple of different Dr's. Dr. Amera is very thorough and yet quick and doesn't waste your time. I got all my questions answered and when it comes time to pick out frames there are 3 very qualified people to help you find a style to fit you. I especially like the inside the eye computer photo! Very good experience at Ballard Optical and you can feel confident about care for your frames after purchase. I usually find metered parking right in front on Market street. read more

Excellent communication; thoroughly professional. My mom and sister both had/have macular degeneration, so I'm very picky about the people and technologies tracking my retinal health. Dr. Amara put my mind at ease until my next appointment, with a clear and detailed explanation of the retinal map she did. And, she determined that my prescription had changed slightly (for the better), but there was no pressure to buy new lenses unless I felt I needed them. Highly recommended, especially over the much larger eye clinic I used to go to (who shall remain nameless ). read more

Great service from optometrist. Exam is absolutely up to date and everything is efficient and timely. Just choice of frames not so good

With a recent change in my insurance plan, I needed to look for a new optometrist. Straight to Yelp I go to read optometrist reviews to balance customer feedback vs. ease of location. Ballard Optical seemed to be the best candidate although I was slightly apprehensive given the star rating. I decided to go for it and I'm so glad I did! The staff was extremely personable in welcoming me as a new patient and Dr. Amara was friendly, attentive and empathetic regarding my history of vision problems and current vision needs. Over the past year I had been having vision problems from heavy computer use and my progressive glasses were no longer working for computer-related work. Dr. Amara was very thorough in her examination and I learned a lot about my eye health. She suggested I try "computer" glasses for correction at an intermediate range and it has made all the difference. I'm not sure why Ballard Optical and staff don't have a higher star rating on Yelp. I've had nothing but a positive experience so far and look forward to becoming a regular patient. read more

I had a great experience here and happy I did because I absolutely hate having to look for a new place to get my eye exams. I was a bit hesitant after reading some of the poor reviews, but I did not experience any of that. The front desk was friendly, my appointment was scheduled quickly and easily, and the Doctor made sure to explain what she saw in my eye images to me and made it a comfortable experience. I wear contacts a majority of the time and not in need of a new pair of glasses just yet, but they did seem to have a nice selection to choose from. read more

This was my first time visiting this office, and it was such a pleasant experience. Dr. Harshani took great care in making me feel comfortable and at ease when going through my appointment. I sincerely appreciated their attention to detail and the great customer service provided throughout. I will absolutely be making this my permanent optometrist and will spread the good word to all my friends and family. Thank you again, Dr. Harshani! read more

Dr. Amara is wonderful! She was very thorough with her examination and even gave me a peek at the inside of my eyes which was very cool to see Liz also helped me find a frame and lenses that fit my style and was incredibly patient and friendly throughout the whole process! Overall a wonderful experience. Couldn't recommend more! read more

MD & staff went above & beyond on a day they were closed & during an ice storm to see me. Exceptional communication. Always friendly, never delayed during visits & explain not only the exam but the insurance coverage with routine visits. read more

First time customer. I go in pick out some frames and submit my order with insurance. The gentleman who helps me is nice and I love the glasses. One week later he calls and tells me that my glasses are ready but that "the lab messed up and added a few add ons" (transition darkening and UV protection). I go in try in the glasses. Again, I like em. Then a week later he texts me and said there were additional charges. They send me a bill with the add ons I didn't order and wanna charge me another almost $200. They took off the ads ons but still say they made a $180 mistake that I need to pay for. Total bait and switch and I had to pay for his mistake. Buyer beware read more

The customer service is the worst I've experienced. They failed to notify me when the replacement lenses I had ordered arrived and I had to call them to make sure they had come in. I also tried calling them multiple times to schedule an appointment to get my glasses fixed and they still haven't returned my phone calls. I work during the few hours they are open so this is the main way I can figure out how it when to stop by. Even if you have a good experience the first time you come in it is unlikely they will be open when you need to have your glasses or contacts needs tended to. Turns out they had been in for a week and a half. They're policies with insurance are minimal and you end up paying mostly out of pocket. Probably the worst place to buy glasses most of the frames are outrageously expensive. read more

I needed an immediate appointment to utilize my vision insurance before the end of the year and Ballard Optical was able to fit me in right away. Dr. Amaraweera was so patient and informative and the office staff was very pleasant as well. I don't usually leave reviews but Ballard Optical made such a great impression on me that I had to share my experience. I can't say enough good things about Ballard Optical. read more

Very friendly and communicative. After moving I pushed back finding a new eye doctor because of the stress of navigating insurance. So I greatly appreciated the help with understanding my insurance, itemizing my order and explaining what each part was for, and trying to get me the cheapest deal. Very respectful and I definitely recommend. read more

If there is 0 star option, I'll definitely choose that one. I don't want to judge Dr's profession, but the store is not responsible at all. 1. My husband did eye exam and ordered a pair of glasses to replace his old one. We had a travel plan to Hawaii after three weeks. They were aware of that and promised that there should be no problem at all to get the new one. To make the new one with same frame, they took my husband's old one. Then we never heard any active follow up from their side. We had to call them every 2-3 days to track the status. Their response was always "Sorry about that. The lab is still making it but you can get it before your vacation" Until the day before the trip, they told us they couldn't deliver it on time, even the old one. In this one month, my husband had to ware contact lenses everyday, even on the 6h flight. 2. Two weeks before our trip, when we hadn't experienced that bad, I did eye exam there as well. They said the contact lenses were out of stock. They would reorder them and contact me very soon. Again, they promised I could definitely get them before my trip. Then I've never heard anything from their side until now. My vision is not that bad, so I'm tired to argue with them. 3. After almost one month, they got my husband's glasses finally. The new ones are triple thicker than the old ones. They explained that was US standard and they can't refund....If we really want we can contact the lenses company ourselves....That's ridiculous...When Ballard Optical got the old ones, shouldn't they told us the new ones would be thicker and set the right expectation? If the new ones are just thicker a little bit, we won't complain that much and ask for refund, but they are triple!!! I also fully understand lenses company's refund policy for these customized products, but I think Ballard optical should own this responsibility. They didn''t inform customer important details. We are still working with them to get our refund.. I can't see any ownership and responsibility from Ballard Optical at all. They always say sorry, but they actually don't care the inconvenience they caused. They never actively solve any problems, or even just give us a call. The whole experience is a nightmare..... read more

Generally my appointments here have been fine and the doctor is approachable. However, for my first appointment during the pandemic I confirmed over the phone that masks were required (this was earlier in the summer when we were still getting used to masks) and was told "yes, if you like." After I got off the phone I thought this was odd as it seemed that she was saying masks were optional but assumed I was just misunderstanding. I arrived to find that no, both people working in the front were not wearing masks and there were no clear precautions being taken ie barriers, sanitizer, clean pens etc. The doctor put his mask on when he entered the exam room. I didn't leave even though I was concerned by their lack of precaution because I desperately need an updated prescription. The actual appointment went fine as usual. New lenses were ordered for my glasses and 5 weeks later I hadn't heard anything from them regarding my glasses. I called and was rather coldly told that they were in and I must have missed the text message they sent me- this has happened to my husband as well with Ballard Optical, texts that supposedly were sent and never arrived. And even if I had missed it, it might be a good practice for them to follow up with people. In returning to get my glasses everyone was wearing a mask this time. But, my new prescription is off to the point where it makes me so nauseous I can't wear them longer than a couple of minutes. I've decided to switch doctors- just enough bumps and weirdness around covid, some ongoing off-putting communication with the front desk in addition to what I've mentioned here, and a wildly off prescription are enough for me. read more

A medium-sized irritating bump had formed on my lower inner lid, so I stopped in Ballard Optical for a quick checkup... I've never had any eye issues before and had no idea what was going on. Dr. Schneider examined my eyes and was quickly able to explain what was going on (pretty much an eyelid pimple, whew) so I understood exactly what we were dealing with, and that there was nothing to worry about. He gave me a couple options as far as what to do moving forward in order clear up the bump, as well as an idea about how to relive some of the irritation in the meantime (a very warm hardboiled egg, which I definitely never would have thought of). I ended up going the antibiotics route and the bump noticeably decreased in size and irritation within 24 hours. Now, a week later, it's almost completely gone. Thanks so much! read more

Literally the best eye doctor experience you can have. The doctor was super personable, it felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend...plus she was super smart and answered all my questions. Highly recommend. read more

I decided to make a appointment for my regular eye exam here because it was close to my parents home and I was visiting with them, I was so well taken care of and Dr. Amaraweera found a underlying problem in my vision that had not been seen by my previous optometrist that I had been seeing for over 15 years and she guided me very throughly with the next steps in helping preserve the vision in my eye, she is my new permanent optometrist and I would recommend anyone I know to go visit her, the rest of the staff is very friendly as well and during these uncertain times I felt very comfortable in their office! read more

I saw Dr. Schneider today. The experience was positive enough to hold my beer drinking and video game playing for a few minutes to reflect on just how great the experience was. First off. I counted at least 10 pun exchanges. That right there was fantastic enough. But more importantly. He help me get to the bottom of a strange stigma I have with my eyes. He found a very specific solution that would work for me personally. And he just genuinely cared and helped me. To top it off, he gave me some fantastic Tiger Woods trivia which will make great cocktail banter. Many thanks. read more

Went in because I needed a new prescription and I'm new to the city. Super helpful staff, doctor was insanely cool and knowledgeable. Plus, there's free coffee so that's always sweet. Absolutely stoked I chose this place. They deserve your business. read more

I requested a particular appointment. They didn't make an appointment to cover that request, but had me come for an appointment anyway. And they tried to separate my service dog from me. Yeah, unprofessional and not knowledgeable. I'm going elsewhere. read more

I hadn't been to an optometrist in years and so I was looking for a professional and easy to book place to get my eyes checked out. I am so glad I picked Ballard optical. Not only was the staff super friendly and helpful, but Dr. Amaraweera was so efficient and good at what she does! She quickly was able to diagnose my astigmatism and was super patient in answering all my questions. Best part is that I was able to quickly get an appointment and they handled everything efficiently with my insurance. Highly recommend! read more

I definitely wanted to give this review because of the professionalism and the quality of service we received here, at Ballard Optical. Our whole family needed an eye appointment and we called Ballard Optical to see if they can schedule the four of us on the same day. The staff was very helpful to accommodate us. Dr. Amaraweera was extremely thorough and took time to explain the tests she conducted and the test results. She was very professional and ensured that all our questions were answered, which is really a testament that she is very genuine in her care. The staff was very professional, and made the billing, insurance and other paper work very smooth. They also helped us in giving good guidance in the selection of contact lenses. The entire visit was without any hiccup, and because of the professionalism, customer care, and friendliness shown by everyone here, we have decided to come here for our vision needs. We do highly recommend this place. read more

Dr. Schenider was very attentive in my eye exams and is great to interact with. Unfortunately, the prescription for the contacts is not very good. Not on the first try, not on the second (after which a box of 90 was ordered), and not on the third. I've gone back to old contacts, which I can no longer re-order as I don't have a valid prescription. ugh. Now with regards to glasses, the first prescription was so bad I had headaches for about two weeks. The prescription was fixed, and is better, but the glass frames don't fit very well. After two fittings, during normal use the frames broke. Now they have realized that they were not the right size, and replacement parts to the frame were ordered for a better fit. Hopefully this works. Overall a very disappointing experience as 6 months after getting new/glasses and contacts I see better wearing new contacts, see better with new glasses but have only had them for about half of the time since I spent a lot of money purchasing them. read more

I have been wearing glasses for twenty years and have never had such an awful experience in a doctors office. I walked in when the receptionist was on the phone with what sounded like a patient, while I stood there at the desk I heard her answer questions in a very short and sarcastic tone then she hung up the phone with a big exhale, followed by the customary eye roll. My initial reaction was to walk out at that point and I should have. During the 45 minutes I waited for my appointment, I overheard a multitude of catty complaining and trash talking about patients and coworkers. If someone from Ballard Optical is reading this, WE CAN HEAR YOU TALKING EVEN THOUGH YOUR IN YOUR LITTLE HIDEOUT ROOM. The doctor was obviously in a hurry, which I was at that point too, BUT I was irate when he just started putting drops in my eyes without explaining to me what was going on or what they were for. He very quickly went through the eye exam, seeming frustrated if I was unable to make a split second decision on which lens was clearer. I have full vision insurance but somehow ended up paying almost $100...I grabbed my Rx and ran out the door. I got a pair of glasses with the Rx and I could not see anything clearly with my right eye. I got a pair of contacts and could not see anything with my right eye. I called BO and went back in to have them recheck my Rx, where the Dr issued me a "slight change" in the Rx. Got the new lenses in my glasses and contacts. STILL cannot see anything clearly with my right eye. Finally, the people I bought my glasses from were nice enough to offer to use my, then 3 year old, Rx, that I got from a Dr that treated me like a human being and I can see just fine. Last, but not least, whenever 1-800 contacts called them to confirm the Rx, a true hissy fit was thrown by the woman at the office. She told the awesome and incredibly patient guy from 1-800 contacts that she "must speak" with me before confirming the Rx. When I spoke to her she ARGUED with me over what brand of contacts I was ordering before finally telling me that she would fax over the confirmation tomorrow because she wouldn't have enough time to do it today, it was 2pm. This place is bad news! There are a lot of options in Ballard....they got absolutely nothing right. read more

IMPORTANT - Dr. Mason Schneider is now the only doctor in this office, and he is awesome (Dr. Kimpton has retired, thankfully). I am someone who never wore glasses until my 40s and I only use over-the-counter reading glasses. Every eye doctor I have seen has acted like I was a criminal for not wearing prescription glasses all the time, but Dr. Schneider is the wonderful exception. Dr. Schneider is very thorough, explains what he is seeing on the digital photographs taken of the retina, had fun showing me under a black light how funny-weird the whites of my eyes looked with the florescent eye drops used during the exam, and most importantly was totally about function rather than trying to up-sell or guilt trip me into getting prescription glasses. He also is not insisting that I need to come in every year and because of a minor issue noticed in the exam, offered to bill the exam to my medical insurance rather than me having to pay $174 out of pocket (cost of comprehensive exam for those who don't have VSP or other vision insurance). I am giving 5 stars because of Dr. Schneider's patient interaction and perspectives on eye health and vision correction. My only criticism/concern about the practice is that Ballard demographics are quickly changing to a younger population, and in general Seattleites are tech savvy. For this reason, having an up-to-date, more informative website, ability to make online appointments, and a bit more of a hip feel to the place would make the office more in tune with the neighborhood. read more

My visit to Ballard Optical started out okay. The receptionist was AWESOME, helped me find free parking, and eased me through the new patient process. I was called back as soon as I finished my paperwork, which ended up being about 5-10 minutes before my scheduled appointment.... Great! I was excited to see relatively new technology in the office, and Dr. Kimpton seemed nice enough. The exam was pretty quick and painless unless you count Dr. K's breath, which was nauseating when he's working right in your face. Smelled like he had eaten fecal matter for lunch ... Not cool man! When he was going over the results of my exam and asked if I had any concerns, I explained the issue I was having with my eyes which prompted the visit. I don't know what happened to the nice doctor I had started with, but when I started to explain my situation. He got very short and dismissive with his answers writing my concerns off as if they were nothing. When he would finish is abrupt answers that didn't address my concerns, he would quickly move on and ask in a very uninterested tone if I had ANY more questions. I was so turned off by his tone and body language that I just said no, even though I did still have questions, took my glasses prescription and left. I had fully intended to purchase new glasses that day as well, but I was so frustrated by that time I just wanted to get out of there. Perhaps the awesome receptionist should coach the doctor on quality customer service... No one wants to be spoken to that way by their DOCTOR... No one! read more

I saw Dr. Mason Schneider - a fantastic guy with a patient, explanatory manner. Couldn't ask for anything more. I had two minor hangups about administrative stuff: Firstly, I scheduled the appointment through ZocDoc, but it didn't actually save me much trouble. The office called to inform me that the time I scheduled was not actually available, and I needed to reschedule. Also, despite filling out several pages of new patient forms through ZocDoc, they recommended I come in early for additional forms. In addition to some waivers there was a demographics form which was a little redundant. In short, if they want to motivate online-addicted folks like me, they should make 100% of the forms available online and also make sure their online schedules are up-to-date. Secondly, my billing and benefits were not exactly made clear. I'll own my fault in this - I would have probed more if I hadn't been in a rush. However, it was my first visit, and my first time using VSP -- which was obvious, since I told them I didn't even know I had VSP. I would have appreciated if they had briefly explained why I was paying $100 out of pocket before actually asking for my credit card. (Answer: because with VSP, eye exams are covered but contact lens exams only have a $130 subsidy, and then only if I also order my contact lenses through the office.) Instead, after I left, I did some research and called them back up to sort it out. They did try and entice me to get new glasses a couple times even though I only came in for contacts, but that's just the eye biz. I'll be visiting again but will definitely book by phone. read more

I had my first appointment with Dr. Schneider this morning and was really impressed by how efficient and friendly the staff was there. I was in and out in about 25 minutes, feeling well cared for and that I had a good understanding of how my eyes are doing/potential next steps. Though my current glasses are getting older, Dr. Schneider assured me they were still doing their job just fine and didn't try to pressure me to purchase new ones. I really appreciated the time he took to explain everything he was looking over during my exam and answer any questions I had. read more

I love these guys. My ferry was late and I showed up an hour after my appointment. They squeezed me in to a booked schedule, I was so appreciative. They bill my insurance correctly, have a great selection of frames and Dr Harshani is incredibly kind and professional. The front staff are delightful, Justin is fabulous. They have my business forever, the ferry ride is worth it. read more

Dr. Amara is someone I've gone to for years with any concerns I have about my vision. She has always explained everything clearly and in a way I could understand. I've had a wonderful experience every time I've seen her. I highly recommend seeing Dr. Amara for any of your vision needs. You won't be disappointed!! read more

I'm relatively new to Seattle and have been looking for an optometrist in Seattle and highly recommend Ballard Optical. Dr. Amara and the staff are so knowledgeable and friendly. I wear both contacts and glasses and Ballard Optical has a great selection of both. read more

I have never had an unpleasant experience here, the low rating really surprises me! I think Dr. Kimpton is a fine optometrist. No, he's not super enthusiastic, but he's nice, thorough and doesn't talk to me like I'm an idiot. My ten year old son has seen him for the past three years, and Dr. Kimpton treats him with the same respect, which we both appreciate. I LOVE his front office staff! They have never been rude, as a matter of fact I always feel like I'm visiting old friends when I go there. The ladies (the desk girls and Opticians) are honest and helpful when helping choose frames and they have talked me out of frames I was considering for something similar but less expensive on multiple occasions. read more

Dr. Amara and her team are absolutely wonderful! I am so glad to have had such a positive experience!

Saga of the replacement lenses. I brought my Silhouette frame in for new lenses. My prescription has not changed but my 4 year old lenses were pretty scratched up. I made it clear that I want a direct replacement , features , thickness, everything. Well, glasses went off to the lab and... 10 days later, I get them back with thicker lenses that look mismatched. Ok, strike one, redo them. Another two weeks and they are back AGAIN with the same mismatches lenses , they were not redone , so back to the lab they go. So after almost a month, still can't get them right! Third time the charm? Update: going to 4 stars. So after all of that they did come through and got them right. I also got a free set of lenses for my backup glasses . Persistence paid off . read more

Dr. Schneider is knowledgeable, friendly and thoughtful. He explained things in layman's terms which was very helpful! The front desk check in went smoothly. I do recommend knowing at least a little bit about your insurance coverage before going. Walking in blindly (no pun intended) to any doctors office is never a good idea. read more

Dr. Kimpton is great. I read the other reviews and fully understand how he can come off as uninterested or snippy but I never took it that way. The new dr. was real nice too but to be honest they screwed up my bifocals prescription TWICE and I'll never go back now. Segue to the office staff. They're basically awful unless they're feeling kind that day. I was ready to get my frames and lenses there the last time I was in but the woman dealing with me was such a bitch that I got my stuff and walked out. Now having had two failed prescription experiences, with the new doc, not Kimpton to be clear, and mostly hating the office staff I'll be taking my business elsewhere. read more

I had a recent visit at Ballard Optical and had a great experience. Dr. Amara and staff were incredibly welcoming and made everything seamless. I have been to a few optometrists in the greater Seattle area, but Ballard Optical has definitely been the best. I highly recommend this practice. read more