I'm all for independent businesses but when it comes to looking after my eyes I do like to go to a…read moretrusted name like Specsavers. I went to this Specsavers branch for an eye test and contact lens fitting last week and received excellent service as always. I am short sighted and usually only wear glasses for driving and watching TV. As such I tend to get my eyes tested at Specsavers but take my prescription to Oscar and Fitch to get some funky specs. I find the range of glasses at Specsavers ok but nothing special. However my eyesight has deteriorated a lot over the past two years and I now need to wear my glasses all the time so I thought I should start considering contact lenses for when I am partaking in some physical activity or for nights out when glasses will spoil my ensemble! The optician I saw at the Byres Road branch of Specsavers was really nice and friendly. He made sure he explained to me what he was doing and what he was testing for when he was putting bizarre apparatus near my face! You can feel a bit stupid during an eye test when they ask you to read stuff and you have to tell them you can't. It makes you feel like you can't read and that your an idiot when obviously you know and the optician knows that it is just your eyesight! My optician kept reassuring me though with lots of "that's great," and "well done Lisa". After my sight test he passed me over to the branch manager who helped teach me how to put my new contacts in and how to take them out. It took me aaaages to get it right but he sat patiently with me the whole time until I felt completely comfortable with what I was doing. I had a follow up appointment a few days later to have some tests done after a few days with contacts in, again the optician and other staff were lovely and didn't pressure me to sign up to any long term contracts with my contact lenses. They were happy for me to just pop in to pick up new lenses as and when I need them. I would definitely recommend this branch to anyone considering lenses or just for a regular eye test. It is a very small branch though so I do think it's best to go elsewhere to look for glasses frames.

Honestly, getting my eyes tested is something I always put off longer than I should. I'm lazy about…read morewearing my glasses anyway because I only really need them if I'm in the cinema. Also, eye tests are a weird process, I don't like getting them done. So, I only really visited Specsavers because I'd lost not only my glasses but also my prescription and so I was forced to get a new test. Booking the test was easy enough. When I showed up a little early for my appointment they were already ready for me. I got a very thorough test, not only to find my prescription but also to check my general eye health. The opticians kindly talked me through everything that was happening and explained my results. They told me they have a lab in store so can get a pretty quick turnaround on glasses that I ordered today. Unfortunately I didn't have time to shop for at the time, so I just took my prescription away with me, but it looks like they have a good selection at a pretty fair range of prices.

The staff are fantastic and very knowledgeable and helpful. I wouldn't go anywhere else for an eye…read moretest or glasses again.

From the owner: We are a family run business that has provided excellent care with over 60 years of experienceread more

Michael, you're a delight to my eyes!…read more Michael is by no means a regular mainstream fashionista of vision however more than one person you meet in a day will be wearing his spectacles. They were once on someones nose and out of his cases of retro-specs Michael has styles for everyone. If you had to reread that, you did not misread, Michael delivers a unique service of eye-dressing. A qualified optician who can "expertly fit all types of lenses to your own prescription" to any frame you pick. So long as your prescriptions no older than 2 years old. I know the eye-dresser through the Granny Would Be Proud fairs and Michael like clockwork is at one each month with a spectacular spectacle of specs. From as far back as your mum can remember to our most contemporary vintage source, the 1990's. I picked a 1960's NHS frame possibly the best decision I made since my first opticians appointment. Mostly for me the delight is in reusing something which otherwise had little other use, other than maybe being worn without lenses... However that is another rant. My specs look great and feel great! That is why my eyes feel great and look better than they have since I was 13. The Eyedresser offers great service, and decent vintage products at very affordable prices and no hassle worrying if you'll look like a granny!

I visited i2i for an eye test having been recommended by a friend. The optician was very thorough…read moreand had all the latest equipment. The sales staff were very knowledgeable and not pushy. I ordered some Tom Ford glasses with super clear lenses. All in all a Greta experience. Thanks

I felt the staff were not knowledgeable on their own products, I asked a few simple questions about…read morevarious frames and no one seemed to know very much! I also felt staff were pushy on upgrading my frames or buying a second pair! Put me off coming back, I suspect the good reviews are from staff to be honest if this is how they treat customers

As I do, you probably always go to the place you know, so that would be Optical Express or…read moreSpecsavers when it comes to it. This is probably through the massive amount of advertising both of these do. But wait, lets have another thought...what if these corporate monsters that are simply franchised all over the place are not necessarily the best? Perhaps not, this is a question that would and will enter your head if you went to Brown Jack's for your next pair of lenses. Its gourmet lenses, although price is not one of the benefits here. Specs might just be pretty expensive a necessity because the only place I have seen them cheaper is Tesco Opticians.

From the owner: Jack Brown Eyecare was founded at our Wester Hailes practice in Edinburgh, with the objective of…read moreproviding the highest standards of eyecare at a fair price. The business has grown to three practices, relying on word of mouth recommendations, rather than extensive advertising or so called "free" products or services. Ongoing education and training is part of the professional life of our staff, and while frame styles and lenses are important, a professional eye examination is critical. Our spectacle range includes frames available for free with NHS vouchers to the latest in designer frames and our professional staff can offer advice on which best suits your needs. Our spectacle workshop at our Elder Street practice in Edinburgh will scan your frames for the perfect lens fit, and we can undertake repairs on all kinds of spectacles.

This place is great--easy to get an appointment, great selection of frames at a nice price and they…read moreare even fairly upscale. They order contact lenses for you to try on before you buy too, and everything comes in really fast. Steven is really nice and always there to help you with whatever you need! I even got a discount on my cool new frames for Black Friday a few months ago so I am extra-pleased.

At 58 years of age I needed advice about my changing eyesight. I've been wearing specs for short…read moresightedness for years but am now also experiencing problems reading small print, a real nuisance when shopping when I had to take my specs off to read price labels etc.! Friends and family had recommended varifocals but I had reservations. I was so grateful for the objective and professional advice I was given by the optician at Marchmont, which enabled me to weigh up the advantages of different lenses before making my own decision. I did not feel pressured and was reassured that I would be given full and sympathetic follow-up care after buying my varifocals. There was an impressive selection of fashionable frames to choose from at my leisure and I was delighted to be able to choose a second pair of glasses free!

At what point does one decide that...."ooh I must right a review of that opticians I visited this…read moremorning"? Well, that sad point in my life is now and I knew as soon as the eye test began that this review needed to be written, for the sake of all our eyes! I was recommended this place by a couple of chums who raved about the mad skillz of Stephen Tang for years. Fully aware of my scabby eye syndrome I foolishly ignored them and opted for a city centre optician (out of shear convenience), lets call this place Dark Lizards for the sake of this review. Now Dark Lizards took half the time to test my eyes, used older kit and didn't undertake anywhere near the same amount of high-tech tests as Tang's. Consequently I discovered I was given a prescription that was double what my eyes required and was not offered any help to sort out my scabby eye disease. Stephen Tang is incredibly passionate about what he does and he genuinely cares about the health of your eyes. He's very relaxed, friendly and gives you honest explanations of the test procedures and results. He sorted me out good and proper with my pinkeye and gave me a nice wee prescription to take to my doctors. After the the comprehensive eye test, it was off to the front of the shop where I was given loads of time and help to select a nice set of frames. The staff again were incredibly friendly and I didn't feel pressured into buying anything at all. Strangely I found the whole ordeal, well, fun. I had genuine banter with my optician, got myself some rather smart looking Ray Ban frames and felt relieved that my eyes had been pampered and loved. Looking forward to my next visit (yes, I'm that sad).

I had broken my glasses and needed the arm repaired. The optician with very eager to help and was…read moresuccessful making them wearable again. He refused payment even though I hadn't bought the glasses there. A very positive experience!

I popped in here for my bi yearly eye test and pretty much all went well with the examination, very…read morepleasent and quick even when i was a wimp with the puff of air test!! So i had to go for the picking of the glasses. Settled on a style i liked and then looked at the price expecting to have a heart attack....£25 quid you say, for frames you say!! Fantastic. The lady helping myself was named Rachel and she was quite happy for me having picked a nice style and didnt try the pushy sales technique which was a refreshing change. Offered me a variety of options which i ended up taking and have never looked back so to speak and talked me through everything in a consistent and patient manner whilst also leaving to make a child feel better about the place and high fiving her!! All in all a very nice place for glasses without forcing the big sell on you :)

My local Opticians…read more Wouldn't consider ever going to another Opticians than Specsavers really. I'm on their lens mail at £15 a month which gets me my lenses delivered to my door, plus all my eye checks and replacement lenses when I need them. It's always busy in here, always, and sometimes the waiting time can be thoroughly upsetting. On more than a few occasions I have waited 20 minutes plus from when my appointment is, always arriving ahead of schedule. They have a variety of frames on different price plans with designer frames and unisex ones, with discounts for students, OAP's and people on benefits. The staff are curteous and professional and it is clean and tidy inside. Curse those waiting times though.

I mostly just use this Specsavers because it's close to where I live, but they have good opening…read morehours (including Sundays) and they open until 7pm on Thursdays which is handy if you can't do appointments during work hours. The staff are friendly, the opticians will chat through your test results with you if (like me) you start asking questions about the photos of the inside of your eyes and they don't seem to do the hard sell too much. Last time I was in, my distance prescription had increased slightly but not much, and they were quite happy when I said I'd hold onto my existing glasses for another two years. Never had any bother here, would definitely recommend them.