Best optometrists in Birmingham: find options near you

I visited Realeyes a few days ago and experienced an eye examination that utilized advanced technology. Prior to this, I had my initial check-up in Nigeria, where I believed I was receiving top-notch medical care. However, my visit to Realeyes truly transformed my understanding of eye care. With my new glasses, everything appears sharper and clearer, allowing me to see the world in a way I hadn’t before. The staff members were not only professional but also incredibly warm and compassionate, making the entire experience enjoyable. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to come here; they are truly the best in the field.

Realeyes are amazing, they really go the extra mile. From the warm welcome your greeted with to the freshest proper coffee during your test. These guys are a million miles from all other opticians out there. Not only were they able to sort out my sight prescriptions but had the glasses ready in just a few days as I had my driving test. If it weren’t for these guys that test could easily have gone the other way but thanks to real eyes I passed. And they even called me after to see how I got on. Just a service you wouldn’t get elsewhere. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

First time using these guys as it was close to my work.
They did a great job fitting my new lenses as they are a very strong prescription thin down to the max and also reaction at a reasonable price . all staff are very friendly, polite and knowledgeable. Likely to be using Realeyes in the near future as they have a good range of designer glasses a lot more choose than my current high Street Opticians.

First visit there to accompany my mother. The team are sooooo lovely. Knew my mum, called her my name and made us feel really really welcome. Drinks offered and good conversation whilst waiting, which wasn’t long at all. Eye test very thorough, no heavy sales pitch followed. Lovely lady on reception fixed my sunglasses handle for me. Altogether a lovely experience all around. Would definitely recommend. Thanks.

I had a really pleasant experience during my eye check-up today. Everything went smoothly, starting with the lovely girl, Samyaka at the reception who welcomed me with kindness and professionalism. Then, the consultation with the doctor was clear and thorough—he helped me understand my eye health and gave me useful advice. Finally, the guy who assisted me with choosing my glasses was not only very knowledgeable but also quite charming—he won me over with his smile and relaxed attitude. I felt listened to, respected, and confident in my choices. Highly recommended!

By far the best opticians I’ve ever visited. I came with a prescription from another optician and only came in because I could see they had nicer frames. They were so thorough and wanted to check the prescription was correct. It wasn’t and would have made my vision worse. Advised my sight problems were being caused by a dry eye condition advised how to treat it and what could potentially be causing it and said I didn’t need glasses at this time. They could easily have just sold me some glasses and took my money but they actually care about their customers and do what’s best for them. If I could give 10 stars I would

I was very impressed by the service I received at Realeyes. Mr Ali did a very thorough test and made me feel very easy. Abbas was very good at providing information on choosing my glasses. I will definitely be recommending Realeyes to others.

I have been going Specsavers for years now and its always smooth sailing, I went in had my initial test and then the main eye test all within 35 mins.

Only issue for me was I have to come back a week later for my glasses to be made because the frames are not in stock.

They have many staff available if you need any questions answering and there are plenty of seating available if you need to sit down and wait (it can get busy sometimes)

Easily one of the best opticians out there.

I had a wonderful experience at the store, thanks to Lydia. She was extremely professional, friendly, and patient while helping me choose the right glasses and contact lenses. Her attention to detail and genuine care made the whole process smooth and enjoyable. I truly appreciate her excellent service and would highly recommend her to anyone visiting the store

I have been a loyal customer of Specsavers for over 14 years and have consistently received excellent customer service.

Over the years, both my children and I have been well looked after, and our appointments have always been handled with professionalism and care, with minimal disruption to our schedules.

However, I did experience a disappointing moment on our previous visit. When collecting my son’s prescription from the ground floor reception, we felt ignored and unacknowledged by the staff present.

In particular, the optician who assisted us did not communicate clearly, and when I raised my concern, she failed to acknowledge it or offer any reassurance.

Had a great experience at Specsavers on New Street. The staff were friendly, professional, and really took the time to explain everything clearly. The eye test was thorough, and I felt looked after from start to finish. Would definitely recommend this branch for great service and care. Thank you guys

My favourite opticians by a country mile. I have frequented this branch and it’s much smaller predecessor that was located on Corporation Street in 2000. Some of the original staff are still here. I like the integrity of the company and the staff are generally fantastic. I used to go to their only real rival that begins with a B. However I didn’t like their offerings nor their price hikes in the late 90’s. I have had a few issues during this tenure however these have been amicable resolved and this is, indeed, expected during a two decade period. I have enjoyed visiting this branch and l have had no hesitation in handing over my money as l felt it was beneficial to me and my eye health. They have an extensive range of glasses and also contact lenses. Their eye tests are honest and thorough. I would wholeheartedly recommend this HUGE branch that is in what used to be OLYMPUS sports back in the early to mid 90’s. On that note, over and out.

I called in on Wednesday to ask for my prescription number and me and the person on the phone agreed to have them be send on email and he said it should arrive in the next 5 minutes. About an hour have passed, nothing came through, so I called again just to be told by a lady telling me that “that’s a stretch” as it’s not possible to have it in 5 minutes as it need to go through a process in order to be sent to me so it’ll take 48 hours, she also sound annoyed that I was asking about it when I don’t know how long the process was and how would I know it’s 48 hours and not 5 minutes like I’ve been told. So it is now Sunday, about 96 hours/4 days and I’m still waiting this long just to have my prescription numbers so I think if anything is a stretch, it’s THIS. Very bad customer service here.

Been here a few times, good service, wide variety of frames. However my last visit (15/08/25) was a bit disappointing. I made an appointment over the phone for 9am, once I got there, they told me, our appointment was at 9.35am. We interacted with 5 workers and 3 of them where so cranky if not even rude, we were holding ourselves back from leaving the store. However once the optician showed up for the official eye test, we were glad we stayed. She was friendly and polite.

I have been a customer for over 26 years at this
branch of Vision Express, moving with them from the old store into the Bull Ring. Service is very good, in fact excellent with helpful and knowledgeable staff. I have to mention both Andrew and Trudy who have been there such a long time and make your feel like family. Their knowledge is extensive and warmth and care makes the appointments a pleasant experience. Having issues at the moment with contact lense trial but by its nature trialling something new will or can be hit or miss.
I would certainly recommend them, as the choice of glasses, sunglasses etc is very good and the equipment changes, as technology changes.

I had a fantastic experience at Vision Express Bullring with Drew (Andrew). He was incredibly professional, patient, and friendly throughout my visit. He took the time to explain everything clearly, answered all my questions, and made sure I felt comfortable and confident with my choices. It’s rare to meet someone who genuinely cares about providing excellent customer service, but Drew went above and beyond. I had a bad experience with Merry hill Vision express and they told me I should just go to a vision express near me and didn’t want to fix my issues or problems. Thanks to Drew, I left feeling really well looked after—thank you, Drew!

Great range of designer frames. Customer service has mostly been great, sometimes okay. The eye test processes (contacts/glasses) were smooth and all my questions/concerns were addressed/explained well. Thanks

Lower rating more for the labs than the store – I bought a pair of sunglasses (and ordered a replacement) and both had scratches on the frames. Actually, the replacement was even worse, and the plastic was also peeling on one of the arms (aggressive use of a tool?). I was told in store that this is normal during reglazing but I am not convinced. I have had prescription sunglasses from elsewhere that did not have this issue. Honestly, quality control should be better. Just something to be aware of. I am still keeping this pair as not a good use of my time to go back in (with no guarantee the glasses would be any different), and at least the second pair doesn’t have a chipped lens like the initial one did.

Had such a great experience at vision express with Andrew. I had trouble with my glasses and he was so helpful and informative through out the whole process and was really understanding about the glasses I had which were too big for my face! He took the time to help and suggest alternative frames which would suit my face. He was super friendly and approachable, would definitely recommend going in. All the staff seemed very kind. I had a great experience and very relieved my situation got sorted out. Thanks so much Andrew’ ☺️

☆☆☆☆☆The BEST member of staff@ Vision Express is named: ANDREW always ask for him, he’s been working there so long thought he was the CEO

Edit: went again today (3/4), Fiz was being very helpful to me today, she took extra care to me and explained to me with details. Excellent service

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I had the same experience with another review. I came to visit last Saturday 15/2 and the woman who has hair loss problem is being very rude. She seems very annoyed about whatever I asked. I wanted to understand why my lenses took more than 2 weeks to come because it is very unusual to me. But she just keeps repeating that this is their rules to ensure all customers have the right procedures. I totally respect the rules you have, I anticipated it would take at least around 3 weeks from the initial eye test to wearing my lenses, that’s why I booked it super early on 29/1. And she mentioned if I go to any other stores, it would be the same. But surely not, if you do an eyetest on specsavers from an eye test to having the actual lenses it would only take 2 weeks. But now, I did an eye test, 3 weeks later still ‘not any updates. I gave up asking her questions in the end because I knew she wouldn’t try to understand what I was asking anyways and just keep repeating that’s their rules.

Also they told me they only ordered the lenses last Monday 10/2 while my eye test was being done on 2/2. When I finished my eye test, they told me they would order them right away. How come they only ordered them one week later?

Not to mention that they messed up my first booking and I have to come in again for my first eye test, which caused another 3-4 days delays. Went to the stores 3 times now but still not got my lenses to try on which means it will at least take another visit to try them on then another 2 weeks for my lenses to arrive.

should really just go to specsavers instead of vision express, I don’t even live close to the city centre, I made my journey all the way for such bad experiences.

I was loyal to them for 5 years but their service has gone completely downhill.
– eye test: good
-staff: most of their have no professionalism and respect. Rarely, excellent service. I don’t think service should change so drastically depending on who serve you
– tracking: The tracking is even worse than in the past, no update at all until it was past due date. I had to chase up in store. It came after a month.
To me it’s not worth paying expensive glasses for being mistreated. I returned my glasses, the only step that was ironically quick. I would not recommend them at all unfortunately

Firstly, Sara answered my questions over the phone and was super polite and accommodating. When I arrived, the entire team was very welcoming and engaging. What followed was a very comprehensive check-up led by Sara and her colleagues. Sara was very compassionate, professional, and helpful. In the end, Kate and Ashika were extremely helpful and pleasant to wrap up my visit. Very impressed with everything.

I came back again after 3 years,I glad I did. Management has changed and I had a very good service.I was grateful they offered to me the new option with the eye care plan,which was a bonus!
I could get two pair with as just as little £17 a month.
Recommended

Dear Bria and Rogi, thank you both for your amazing help at Vision Express. Your patience, professionalism, and kindness made the whole experience so easy and pleasant. I truly appreciate your support. Wishing you both continued success and lots of good luck in everything you do!

We visited the store after an issue with a competitor.

The optician Tasneem was kind and polite and incredibly empathic, she carried out the tests with great care and we will be coming back to see you in store again soon.

Many thanks

Absolutely brilliant. I went onto vision to look at sunglasses as I had a voucher via my blue light card. Priti was amazing. The pair I liked wasn’t available on the website and Priti honoured the voucher in store. I was delighted with the service. Priti was helpful friendly and kind. Thank you

I’ve been with Vision Express for years and I really appreciate their professionalism and their commitment to customer satisfaction. The range of products is excellent also. An easy five stars. A special thank you to Preti for helping me out.

Sara, great optician. Very attentive, listened to & answered my questions.
Appointment was exactly on time.
Parking difficult.

Cannot recommend highly enough. Mr Parabi is the best optician I’ve had in 30 years. Kind, so knowledgeable and gentle. His staff are also outstanding
I wish I’d heard about his firm years ago!

Pabari Options is a wonderful independent opticians that you can trust. They genuinely care about your eyes. Always a wonderful and helpful team – well worth making them your opticians, much better than the rest.

I can’t recommend this opticians highly enough! From the moment you walk in, you’re treated with genuine care and respect. The team is incredibly professional, friendly, and truly patient-centred – they take the time to listen, explain everything clearly, and ensure you feel comfortable every step of the way.

Thanks again Mr Pabari and the team : )

I have been with Pabati Opticians for many years now and on every occasion I have been blessed with a very friendly and professional service! I now live in a different part of the country but its because I am so well looked after by the team that I will always continue coming back. I would recommend Pabari Opticians to everyone.

Absolutely the best. Mr Pabari is a thoughtful, polite thorough gentleman. And his staff follow in his footsteps. Both myself and my husband highly commend all of them. They can’t do enough for their customers. Amazing! Keep up the amazing customer focused service you all provide. Thank you

I have been in the care of Mr Pabari for probably 40 years. He and his team are utterly professional, clinically excellent (with advanced diagnostic equipment) – and so friendly. Thank you!

As always, the staff were very pleasant and all the processes were excellent. I always feel very confident that my annual eye test has been carried out with maximum efficiency.

Absolutely lovely opticians.from the receptionist to the fantastic friendly funny but totally professional eye test lady Claire.and the lady helping with lenses.

I Highly recommended this optician and I have recommended to others.

Your made to feel welcome nice customer service to. Terry

First class service. All staff were very attentive, knowledgeable and patient. Spent a lot of time with me ensuring I was completely happy with my new glasses

Had a change from Specsavers Longbridge as the customer care has completely gone, only interested in how much your going to spend.
Arrived here and a warm welcome on arrival, excellent customer service and will now deal with this shop permanently.

Would highly recommend Harbinder in particular. Really patient with our children. They love having their eyes tested!

Very professional and courteous staff, always willing to help you with any questions you might have.

Excellent service care patients helpful, the staff are so excellent & caring.

This had been my opticians for years. Very friendly service. Always explains every step of the way and goes through all options available.

I recently visited Vision Express and was thoroughly impressed by the outstanding care provided by the team, particularly Zara Pervaiz. Her professionalism, clinical expertise, and swift diagnosis of my eye condition were truly commendable. In the past, I would have had to visit the eye hospital for similar issues, but thanks to advances in optical technology and highly skilled practitioners like Zara, I received timely and effective treatment on-site.
Zara was on call on a Sunday, and her attention to detail and reassurance made a real difference to my experience. I began to feel better within two days of receiving treatment, and I’m very satisfied with both the cost and the prescribed solution. This service not only saved me a trip to the hospital but also gave me peace of mind.

Thank you to Zara and the entire Vision Express team for their exceptional service.

Excellent Service and Great Experience at Vision Express – The Fort, Birmingham

I recently visited Vision Express at The Fort Shopping Centre in Birmingham, and I must say it was an outstanding experience from start to finish!

From the moment I walked in, I was warmly welcomed by the friendly and professional team. I had booked my appointment online, and everything was perfectly on schedule when I arrived. The staff were attentive and polite, ensuring I felt comfortable throughout my visit.

The store offers an impressive selection of glasses frames for men, women, kids, and even specialized options like sports and sunglasses. My partner and I enjoyed browsing the wide range of well-reputed brands, and the team made sure we found the perfect frames, for our faces geometry, to suit our daily needs and work environments.

The eye test was thorough and professional, with the optometrist explaining all the details clearly and answering all my questions patiently. I felt confident in their expertise and appreciated how much effort they put into ensuring my glasses and lenses were exactly what I needed.

The store itself was clean, tidy, and well-organized, making it easy to navigate and find what we were looking for. I even managed to capture a few panoramic photos of the location to remember this pleasant experience!

A special thank you to Tariq S., the branch manager, and the entire team for making our visit so smooth and enjoyable.

Highly recommend this Vision Express branch for anyone looking for excellent customer service and quality eyewear.

Kind regards,
Paula & Fox

Had my eye test at the fort today. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Very thorough and everything was explained fully. Lots of help choosing glasses. Very happy with the whole experience.

Had my eye test at the Fort Shopping Park today, Excellent service, very professional, very friendly, the staff made me feel at home and choosing the correct frame and size was so easy.
A+ 10/ 10

First time using vision express for eye test at fort Dunlop site, but never again. Eye test went ok, but the issues started when I wanted to select new frames. I spend around £1000 as glasses are my thing. The manager was dismissive thought out, and expected me to order glasses without trying on the frames as they did not have them in store and refused to order the frames in. I have already made a complaint to head office but visiting express will never get my custom again. I mean who tge heck does the manager think she is I’m still fuming from my visit.

Additionally, I purchased 3 pairs of Gucci glasses around 2 years ago, staff and management were different people. However, it appears that this manager believes she is to good to have a conversation with customers, never again!

What a fantastic experience we have had at vision express the fort Birmingham. My wife who is visually impaired enquired about purchasing the Ray Ban meta smart glasses.The optometrist and all the staff were absolutely fantastic.I would like to thank you all I have one happy wife.

I had a fantastic experience at Vision Express, thanks to the excellent service provided by Anisa. From the moment I walked in, she was welcoming, attentive, and incredibly helpful. Anisa took the time to understand exactly what I needed, offered great advice, and made the whole process smooth and stress free.

She was knowledgeable, patient, and made me feel like a valued customer. It’s rare to find someone who combines professionalism with such a warm and friendly manner. Thank you, Anisa, for going above and beyond your help was truly appreciated!

Absolutely 10/10
Scott is so helpful and knowledgeable.
I came in looking for glasses and sunglasses after wearing contacts for years and ending up in the eye hospital. I thought I didn’t like wearing glasses because of constantly having to push them back into place, turns out I’d just never had glasses that fit properly!
Scott really takes the time to make sure you have the right pair of glasses and that they fit properly, I totally recommend Dr Oculus for your next pair of glasses

I was in the market for reglazing a couple of my old frames. I saw that Doctor Oculus was in Digbeth and I liked the look and ethos of the store so I popped in for quote. Scott was very transparent about the process and prices and recommended some lenses that he thought would be perfect for my use(spoiler alert they were). It took about 2-3weeks but its a one man show and I asked for custom nose pads for my green specs. Trust me the wait is well worth it. Scott also provided me with updates on what stage he was on so I was never really left in the dark. There was a slight hiccup with the lenses for the sunglasses but Scott explained what had happened(not his fault btw!) and they were ready the following week. I had a some issues with my green specs(I have a sweaty face and a big head) but after some adjustments Scott was able to dial in a perfect fit for me. Go to Scott if you want an optician who truly cares about making sure that your glasses suit your needs and fit perfectly to boot.

If you have read all the way down here he also threw in a free case with a free engraving of your choice just because he’s a cool dude.

The best optician visit experience ever! Professional, supportive and informative visit, with no conveyor belt type of rushing and taking time to get the best information, frames and lenses. Love my new specs and the personalised case! 10/10

This has hands down been the best experience I have ever had at an optician’s. Scott is incredibly knowledgeable, clearly loves his job, and has a great eye without ever trying to push things onto you. He obviously cares about finding the perfect glasses and lenses for you and does a fantastic job at fitting these. I’ve had a great experience with both the service and the new glasses – Scott truly went above and beyond.

As a bonus, Scott is a really kind guy who generously shares his time and will give you the time and space to enjoy the process. An entirely different experience to anywhere else I have been. 10/10 would recommend, especially for those who are looking for more eccentric glasses or to reglaze/repair their existing frames.

Scott is no ordinary optician — and his shop is like stepping into a retro lens wonderland! His honest, calm, and funny personality instantly puts you at ease. Bonus points for the refreshment offerings of tea and Haribo while you wait and the personalised glasses case is the cherry on top.

After walking up and down Birmingham and visiting every single optician, Doctor Oculus and Scott were a godsend. Unique, gorgeous, and beautifully-crafted frames that don’t look like every other pair that you see. Scott took the time to understand what I was looking for (which was doubly impressive as I wasn’t even totally sure what I was looking for) and we found the perfect pair of specs.

Not to mention, when I went to pick them up, Scott offers free personalised glasses cases, a free cleaning solution (with free refills!) and just overall, great vibes. Best optician experience I’ve ever had and could not recommend more!

Scott is really friendly and helpful, was really helpful to me when choosing my glasses and honest about what suited me. There is a great selection of glasses in store which Scott shared could easily be sunglasses too and was informative about what lenses and frames would work best. I highly rate Dr Oculus, for quality and variety of frames as well as making you feel at ease and under no pressure to buy.

Brilliant service from the moment you step through the door. The opticians are skilled and knowledgeable and the staff welcoming, helpful, and adept at dealing with all aspects of choosing and fitting glasses.

Peter at Bainbridge Harborne has been truly amazing! I was really struggling with very poor vision when I arrived to see Peter, after unsuccessful appointments with two other high street opticians. Peter was very empathic, listened attentively and, with his years of expertise, was able to talk through my complex eye conditions and found a solution for my distortion. It’s been life changing! Becca and Sophie were extremely helpful, assisting me with appointments and choosing my beautiful, trendy spectacles. I couldn’t be more delighted and would highly recommend Bainbridge Opticians!

Popped in looking for a quick sunglasses repair. The two girls in the shop were fab, friendly & welcoming & were happy to help. Great repair & very appreciated & wonderful service. Thank you.
Kev
Birmingham FA

Fabulous service and brilliant advice. Treated with kindness, courtesy and professionalism. Had to visit 3 times over a week for an injured eye and the service was first class; couldn’t recommend more highly. Excellent.

This is the best experience I ever had with opticians. The doctor was amazing, didn’t rush through the appointment, answered all my questions and used a person-centred approach during the consultation. The first consultation was free which I thought was amazing!!

The two ladies from reception are THE BEST! They are always helpful and approachable and go above and beyond to make you feel looked after.

I cannot recommend this place enough. So grateful I found it.

I recently had an issue with my right eye which was worrying I was fitted in as an extra at the end of the day of which I was most grateful. I had a health check on my eyes which thankfully did not show any issues. The lady optometrist was was so reassuring and friendly and put my mind at rest I was so relieved. We have been with Bainbridge for a number of years and have always received a professional friendly service not easy to find these days. I would highly recommend them.

Bainbridge provides a very thorough, professional and personalised service. Becca spent a lot of time with me over several visits ensuring I was happy with my choice of frames. First class customer service.

I had a fantastic experience at Edgbaston Eye Clinic with Don Williams. I was suffering from a bad viral eye infection, and Don quickly and accurately diagnosed the issue. On top of that, I was dealing with severe eye dryness, which he treated with great care and expertise. Thanks to his help, my eyes have improved significantly and feel so much better now.

The clinic is professional, welcoming, and clearly committed to patient care. I highly recommend Don and the team to anyone needing expert eye treatment.

I had to go see Mr Williams on fairly short notice due to an issue which has the potential to affect livelihood amongst other things. He has been beyond reproach, reassuring and thorough. Glad to have stopped by and even happier with the result. Thank you!

I cannot recommend Edgebaston eye clinic highly enough
From my initial telephone conversation with Simon who was very friendly and informative
To my appointment with Don who put me at ease immediately. I had YAG laser treatment.The consultation and procedure was completed in 1 hour. Totally painless and Don explained everything perfectly
I also got a next day appointment which was such a relief. If I could have given 10 stars I would. Thank you so much Simon an Don

I’ve lived with advanced kerataconus for quite some time now and it has affected quality of life massively. I decided to make a change and booked a consultation to see Mr Don.

I am so glad I made this decision. I have gone from having no vision in one eye to being able to see 20/20 in both eyes which was something I didn’t expect. I would highly recommend Mr Don and the Edgbaston eye clinic to anyone suffering with eye related problems.

Many thanks,

Mohammad D

I always prefer to do a review based on continued experience. I first saw Mr Don Williams in 2024 due to my dry eye and associated conditions. I have had several consultations with him since and though over the years that I have had the condition I have seen some experienced consultants, I have to say that Mr Williams must be one of the leading consultants in his field. He diagnosed an issue which had never been picked up before. He takes the time to explain how the eyes work, how the condition is impacting and hence the treatment required. I have also appreciated him taking the time to respond fully when I have felt the need to email with additional questions. Luckily I don’t have to travel far to his clinic in Edgebaston but even if I did I would not want to go elsewhere such is his expertise and professionalism.

I will be for ever grateful to Don Williams, for the care and expertise and his guidance with my complicated eye condition. He gave me the confidence to have surgery and I can definitely see the improvement. I will continue to see him and get regular check-ups in the future.
Very Happy patient
Grace

I recently visited Mr. Don Williams at Edbaston Eye Clinic, and I have to say, my experience was excellent. I was seen very quickly, and the eye exam was thorough and comprehensive, leaving me confident that everything was properly checked.

What really stood out was the very personalized service I received. Mr. Williams took plenty of time to listen to and discuss my concerns, and I never felt rushed. It was clear he genuinely cares about his patients. He also responded promptly and in great detail to my initial email, which made a big difference in helping me feel heard and understood.

I had previously been let down by the NHS, who couldn’t figure out what was wrong with my eyes. Mr. Williams, however, was quick to identify and explain my issues, and I felt like I was finally in the right hands. Additionally, I found the service to be reasonably priced given the advanced equipment and thorough checks he performed to ensure every aspect of my eye health was thoroughly examined. Highly recommend!