Getting a lot of eye strain at work at the moment and I can tell my vision (distance mainly I think) is gradually declining.

I’ve had the odd eye test on the past (specsavers and Tesco) but now I’m pretty sure the need for glasses is nearer than ever. With that in mind, for what I feel is my first “important” eye test, do I go to an independent optometrist, or just go to Specsavers?

I’m not doubting the competence and professionalism of anyone involved, I just wonder if the likes of Specsavers have more of an agenda to get me in their system for the long-term!? Or should I not over think that and just get my bloody eyes tested asap!

I would go to the local independent. I have only ever had problems when I have strayed away from independents. Eg specsavers made some tinted glasses for me. 1st go it was the wrong prescription in one eye. They took them away and came back with the right prescription, but the wrong tint. They then stood their ground and said it was within tolerance. FFS, one eye was super dark and the other was a mid tint. Useless.

I switched from Specsavers to an independent for some ti rimless bi-focals and the results were infinitely better but considerably more expensive. Haven’t regretted it though.

Specsavers were very rude to me and their employees seemed to be too young and inexperienced to give me advice (which turned out to be wrong advice).
If you can afford it, go to a good independent, local optometrist.

Speak to your employers – if you are having issues due to the work environment they are legally bound to pay for the test and any glasses required for work purposes.

You probably just need glasses, I doubt it makes any difference where you go. I use Vision Express.

NB If you do a lot of computer screen work you might need intermediate glasses, I have some which are bifocal, distance correction is set at arm length for computer use and the lower bit is set at 30cm for reading from the desk.

Can’t speak for the quality of their glasses (don’t need them) but I was very impressed with Vision Express when I turned up with a bit of grit caught in my eye.

We swapped from ASDA to an independent, the optician herself was fine (when she was there) but the general level of service was terrible, appointments cancelled on the day and rescheduled four weeks later, rude staff. Independent is definitely more expensive but the service and aftercare is a lot better.

Just for balance, I’ve had excellent experiences at local places and national chains, and crap experiences at local places and national chains, and the worst eye test I’ve had was at a local place.

As ever, it’s the staff, not the company, that are key (see the other thread where Specsavers are being highly recommended). You’re bound to know some speccy-four-eyes, ask then where they go and whether they’d recommend them.

Another thing to remember is that local places will have a massively smaller selection of frames, have very few low cost frames, and won’t have “2-1, free sunglasses” etc type deals.

Full disclosure – currently wearing glasses from local place, where the service was superb, but the glasses were absurdly expensive. And, again, for balance, a trusted friend won’t use the same place as they had pretty rubbish service there.

local indy was awful for me wrong prescription in glasses went about in a blurry haze for days and insisted my eyes would adjust. Ended up going to vision express in local tesco, they sorted me out with new prescription and glasses and all is good. Indy refused to refund me the costs with them.

As ever, its only as good as the person you see.

and any glasses required for work purposes.

They don’t have to pay for the whole cost of the glasses, mine will pay up to £100 (which, I suppose, could be the whole cost of a very cheap pair of glasses)

I don’t think it really matters in terms of getting the test, particularly if your eyes are relatively ‘simple’ (I.e. no extreme prescription, need for varifocals, retinal disease etc). I prefer to pay an independent for the test and then you can either buy the glasses from them, or order some glasses elsewhere.

But I’d go to Specsavers again if it was convenient. At the end of the day, they’re all professionals and they’re all qualified to do what you need them to do.

currently wearing glasses from local place, where the service was superb, but the glasses were absurdly expensive.

Same. But the decent celluloid frames I payed through the nose for have so far lasted my 6 years where beforehand I was going through glasses every 18 months or so (broken frames). Fortunately my prescription has stayed constant so it’s been good value.

I’ve used Specsavers for most of my glasses over the past 25 years. I tried the independents twice and both times it was a disaster. Specsavers were brilliant when I had a potentially serious issue with my retina – rapid hospital referral. You probably don’t want to hear about the 3 year course of regular Lucentis injections into my eye, but they weren’t Specsaver’s fault.

As per my thread yesterday I’ve always had good service from Specsavers. If you’ve got a serious eye condition an independent specialist may be better. But for something a step-up from supermarket ‘readers’ they are perfectly fine.

And there is no tie-in – they don’t sign you up to a contract or anything.

And there is no tie-in – they don’t sign you up to a contract or anything.

Boots will try to. My wife insists on paying a monthly subscription for contact lenses and glasses. It seems unnecessarily expensive to me but that’s her business.

Contacts are often on a rolling contract, you get new lenses and liquids etc posted monthly.

Piggybacking on the thread, as I need some new glasses soon (mine are scratched)… for someone who spends all day in front of a computer is it worth getting glasses with a fancy anti-reflections coating etc? My current glasses were pretty cheap ones and I’ve not noticed any particular problems with reflections. FWIW I wear glasses all the time for cooking, reading, working etc., but fortunately I don’t need to wear them for sport or driving.

A mixed bag there then. My wife has used Specsavers for a long time (full-time glasses wearer) my sister as well and my Dad. Although I remember one occasion he went independent and spent an absurd amount (compared to specsavers) on a single pair of varifocals which he couldn’t get along with at all.

it’s not so much the cost or the quality of the test I’m thinking about, just that initial consultation. The cynical part of me says that Specsavers just want to grab you and get you in their books. But I guess in reality there’s no obligation beyond the test.

I’m a lab technician in an NHS lab. I stare at bacterial cultures, then look up at a VDU, then back at the plate, then down a microscope, back at the computer etc’. I find my eyes struggle to refocus/adjust as easy as they did and I get a lot of eye ache. I can definitely notice distance is more blurred than it used to be, although I can still see ok for driving, read a numberplate, read subtitiles on the tele etc’. It’s not really bad yet!

Occ’ health wise, they have said we don’t qualify for eye tests as we don’t use a VDU for fixed amounts of times, we’re flicking from one job to another.

They don’t have to pay for the whole cost of the glasses, mine will pay up to £100 (which, I suppose, could be the whole cost of a very cheap pair of glasses)

Fair enough – I don’t know the details of the limit, we just pay whatever it costs (within reason – we won’t pay for designer brand glasses but if someone wants lighter/thinner/glare reducing optics then we’ll pay it).

I’ve used a local place for my eye tests, but due to cost of glasses I used an online glasses retailer to order my prescription from. I used Mister Spex which seemed good. Ordered a few to try on, sent them back and ordered the one that fitted and looked OK.

I use Specsavers for eye tests but bought my new varifocals from Glasses Direct, a decision based purely on price. I was able to get the best (most expensive) Kodak lenses in Oakley frames for considerably less than Specsavers wanted for worse lenses in own brand frames.
Glasses Direct’s money back period is longer too; 120 days v 90 days for Specsavers which was reassuring as I’m new to varifocals.

Glasses Direct’s money back period is longer too; 120 days v 90 days for Specsavers which was reassuring as I’m new to varifocals.

This is interesting, as I’ve always held off going online for varifocals as they have to be *just* right. How do you measure up the lenses to make sure all the different zones are in the right place?

Specsavers customer for 25+ years. Tried some independents when I was much younger and just starting to need glasses and got so much wildly conflicting advice that I didn’t know where to turn. Specsavers have been spot on throughout and I’ve used several branches depending on where I’ve been living. Each time they just transferred all my previous eye tests through to my new “home” branch.

Just got some new glasses based on a Specsavers eye test and prescription at boots as the Specsavers range of frames wasn’t as good as normal for some reason.

@IHN the only thing missing from the prescription that Specsavers gave me to take away was pupillary distance and there’s an app for that. I did the measurement half a dozen times and one measurement came up 4 of the 6 times so I used that. I don’t know how accurate it was, but the glasses seem pretty good to me.

Just put in an application for eye test voucher through work and it’s been accepted so that’s a bonus! Free test then £45 toward glasses if required. Has to be Specsavers though so that makes this whole thread completely redundant!

My work pay for an annual eye test and make a £140 contribution to glasses.

As a long-term wearer, what you might need is simply “reading glasses” for reading a screen. The latest fashion is “occupational glasses” – varifocals with 1.5m focusing rather than distance allowing close up reading by looking down as well. Or simply reading glasses for close up work.

Since I touch type, I chose fixed lenses focused at 1.5m for work. I’m wearing them now and they are fabulous for computer work, vastly better than the varifocals I have for general use (I’m +5 and more for reading) – which for computer work were never at the right focal length. They are also very narrow lenses (i.e. height of the lenses) since I do not need multiple focal lengths. I tested the strength in the opticians by sitting at their monitor and reading text rather than looking at the distance Snellen charts.

I went independent (my family ran a small chain for years), and they were not cheap (£400), but they are a posh frame with very expensive (read thin and multicoated) lenses, as you would want for my high prescription. The opticians could not have been more helpful or understanding of what I wanted – which is not what most people ask for – if they think to ask.

In the past I’ve used boots (when I was wee as my mum took me there) since then it’s been 20-20,vision express and spec savers. I’ve had no issues with any of them.

My work will do up to £250 via Aviva but only if the prescription changes….. I’m over due a test and my current glasses are old so I’d be looking to replace them. Even a slight change would be beneficial.

Not had a problem with specsavers at all. If you buy contacts on subscription from them, which are pretty competitive anyway, then you get your glasses and contact lens check ups included as well as a free pair of cheap/discount towards an expensive new set of glasses every other year.