Best places to have an eye test

Due for your next eye test, but haven't yet decided where to go? 

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An eye examination isn't just about getting new glasses or contacts. In addition to making sure you get the right prescription, a regular eye test can help you identify potentially serious health problems such as glaucoma and diabetes, and diagnosing them early can help protect your sight for the long term. 

So, even if you don't wear glasses or contacts, you should still have regular eye tests.

Best places to get your eyes tested

We surveyed more than 16,000 people about their experiences to find which companies are rated best and worst for eye tests, including customer service quality and test thoroughness.

Brands are listed alphabetically when you're not logged in.

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How we uncovered the best places to have an eye test

Our eye test brand ratings are based on a survey of more than 16,000 people who have had an eye test in the past two years. Our expert in-house researchers and statisticians then crunched thousands of numbers to reveal which brands are rated best and worst for eye tests.

We run this major survey every two years to ensure our results accurately reflect people's recent experiences.

We also add expert insight, based on our own research and consultation with expert optometrists, on what you can expect from an eye test and the key information you need to know.

How much does an eye test cost?

The good news is that you might not have to pay anything for an eye test.

A number of people are eligible for a free NHS-funded eye test, including those who are partially sighted or blind, people with diagnosed diabetes or glaucoma, those aged 40+ with a close family history of glaucoma or those on certain kinds of income support.

Some employers offer discount schemes, too, if you have to use a computer for work. 

Private eye tests can cost anywhere from £25 to more than £100, depending on where you go and what kind of screening you choose. Check with your chosen brand first before committing.

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Can you do an online eye test?

Some websites offer online eye tests where you can check your visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and field of vision. Still, given how important an eye test is for eye health, we don't recommend relying on them – a registered professional should always carry out an eye exam.

Zeiss, a major manufacturer of prescription lenses, offers free online vision screening and hints at some results, but the tool mainly points you to your closest Zeiss partner optician and isn't designed as a diagnostic tool.

Specsavers also offers online tips on how to check your vision and what red flags to watch for. It also provides a downloadable Snellen chart, the chart with letters in descending size that optometrists use to assess your eyesight. It makes clear that an online test should never replace a proper eye exam. 

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What to expect from an in-person eye test

Knowing what to expect and the sort of tests that are done and why can help you to feel confident you've been given a comprehensive eye test:

• Eye tests usually take 20 to 30 minutes, although they can take longer depending on your individual needs.
• The optician will review your history to determine whether this is a routine check up or if you've had any problems.
• They will also ask about your general health, your work and any hobbies you do.

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Common eye tests and what they're for

Glasses check (focimetry)

Used to determine the strength of your glasses so your optometrist can see if your prescription has changed. You’ll be asked to hand over your specs, and they will be placed on a machine. This often happens in the pre-testing before the appointment.

Pressure check (tonometry)

This method blows puffs of air into your eye and it helps detect raised eye pressure, which may indicate a risk of glaucoma.

Visual fields check

This looks at your peripheral vision. A technician may do this before the appointment, and you'll click a button as dots of light flash at the edges of your vision.

Autorefraction

It can automatically estimate your prescription. You’ll be asked to look into a machine and will most likely see a picture move in and out of focus.

Prescription check

The part where the optometrist will show you a series of lenses and ask you questions such as ‘clearer with or without’ or ‘sharper in one or two’.

A slit lamp

This is a microscope with a bright light used to look at the front and sometimes the back of your eyes. You’ll place your chin in a chin rest and be asked to look straight ahead or at the optometrist’s ear.

Ophthalmoscopy

This can be used to look inside your eye, particularly the retina. Normally, the lights are dimmed, and the optometrist comes in close with a light to check your eyes in a variety of positions, such as straight ahead, up, to the left and so on.

Digital retinal photography

This usually costs extra. A picture of the back of your eye is taken and stored to create a record of your eye health, so that changes over time can be monitored. 

Your optometrist should show you the images later in your appointment – they're likely to look like orange/red circles with blood vessels running through. Some practices may also offer Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanning of the eyes.

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How to get the best from your eye test

Be proactive in describing any issue you're having to the optician. You'll help them give you the best appointment. It's worth writing down any questions or symptoms you want to discuss beforehand.

1. Be clear about any unusual symptoms you’ve had, such as headaches or flashes of light. While an optometrist should ask about these, it’s best to be upfront about any problems you've had or the reason for your visit, so they can follow up with more questions.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, for example, about the results of each test. A good optometrist will talk you through what they’ve found, even if it’s just to say your eye health is stable.
3. If you find an optometrist you trust, stick with them. Consistency can help, especially if you have complicated eye problems. They can keep a record of your retinal photos or scans and track any problems as they develop.
4. If there’s a problem with your prescription, go back to the original opticians to get it sorted in the first instance. If they can't resolve it, escalate it for free to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service, which will provide mediation and is funded by the regulator, the General Optical Council. 

Getting an eye test vs buying glasses

Did you know that you don’t need to buy your frames or lenses from the same opticians that did your eye test? Our survey shows that many people buy from the same place where they had their eye test. But you can shop around to save money or find the right frames if you don’t like the optician's range.

Opticians must give you a copy of your prescription on request so you can take it elsewhere.

The only thing they don’t have to give you is your pupillary distance measurement – which is the distance between your eyes, taken from the centre of your pupils. It’s not needed for contact lenses, but it’s crucial to ensure that frames fit correctly, especially for varifocals.

If you want to buy your frames in person at another store, check with the optician first to see whether they will measure for you before you order. This shouldn’t be a problem in most cases.

And if you’re planning to shop online for frames, you can take this measurement yourself. Most online providers will give you a step-by-step guide, but it can be a bit fiddly, so double-check your measurement.

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Understanding your glasses prescription

Want to be more informed about your vision? Below is a list of common phrases that occur on prescriptions, and what they mean.

Distance is the lens power prescribed to help you see distant objects clearly. This is based on your ability to read an eye chart with various lenses.

‘Sph’ (sphere): A plus (+) sign indicates long-sightedness (hypermetropia), while a minus (−) sign indicates short-sightedness (myopia). The number shows the strength of the prescribed spherical correction – for example, +2.50 dioptres. The further the number is from zero, the stronger the spherical correction generally is.

‘Cyl’ (Cylinder) describes astigmatism (visual distortion caused by the shape of the eye) found. It tells you how much your eye is more rugby ball shaped than spherical. It can be written as either a plus or minus number.

‘Axis’ is a number between 0 and 180, which describes the angle in degrees of any rugby ball effect. This dictates how your lenses will be positioned.

Prism and Base is less common, but will show when you have a muscle imbalance in the eyes that prevents them from working together well. Prism lenses help correct this and prevent double vision.

OD, OS and OU 

• OD is the abbreviation for oculus dexter, the Latin term for your right eye.
• OS means oculus sinister or left eye.
• OU means oculus uterque, or each eye, so the same measurement applies to both of your eyes.

Add is the 'reading addition' number, which indicates the amount of additional correction needed when focusing at a close distance.

Small amounts of variation in prescriptions from different opticians are perfectly normal (even the same optician testing you on a different occasion) due to the subjective answers you give. The College of Optometrists gives +0.25 dioptres (DS) as an example of a small prescription change, not as a permitted or expected variation between eye tests. 

Changes in blood glucose can cause temporary changes in refractive error, so that large variations may occur as a result of diabetes, and this would need further investigation.

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Eye testing at home for those who can't get to a store

If you can't get to a high street optician store because of a mental or physical disability or mobility problems, a home (domiciliary) sight test can be carried out free in your own home by an experienced optician.

For more information, visit the Federation of Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians (FODO) website or ask your chosen provider if they offer domiciliary services.

It's worth having a relative or friend present for any at-home service, as there have been reports of pressure selling. If you have any issues, complain to the opticians first; if they don't resolve it, you can then go to the Optical Consumer Complaints Service.

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