MadDad wore glasses from being a toddler, I started wearing glasses at 20, so there was a high chance that our children would need to wear glasses too. We took them both for their first eye test at a year old and Maxi was fine, but Mini needed specs as he is really long sighted.
Having a child that needs glasses makes you really aware of how vulnerable eyes are. More so when that child is sensitive to the sun, so wears reactorlite (glasses that tint in the sunlight) to help prevent his headaches.
Boots Opticians lenses now come with Boots Protect UV protection as standard which are worth £40. This protects both the front and the back of the lens.
Recently Boots Opticians got in touch and asked if I would like to review their service and spectacles, as someone who has had laser eye surgery and also only really used a local opticians I thought it would be great to see how a national chain work and also I really wanted a pair of their exclusive Orla Kiely sunglasses (yes I am THAT shallow)!
I was really impressed with the service I received both before the test, during the test and after. Both the Optician and the assistant were knowledgeable, approachable and friendly. The test results were exactly the same as at my local independent optician, which was really reassuring.
For me it isnt the test that is the hard part, but choosing spectacles and working out the cost. The cost of the frames is only the beginning and once you start adding in all the lens options (which I do not understand) the price suddenly escalates and I start to feel out of control. However, Boots put the customer in control by making the prices clear and understandable and at no point did I feel pressured to pay for lenses that were more expensive.
In the end I walked away with a pair of reading glasses and a pair of Sunglasses all for £145.
MadDad also went to Boots Opticians for a test and he has been going to Opticians since he was a year old, has had operations on his eyes as a child and his Mum is borderline for glaucoma. He was really impressed with the tes and when his pressures came back slightly high, he was given drops in his eyes and then had them retested on a more accurate machine. Thankfully they were well within normal, but it is really reassuring that the Optician wasn’t concerned about running over, just about making sure MadDad got the best service possible.
His test was the same as the local optician again and as he was really happy with his glasses he decided to go for a classic pair of sunglasses, but with varifocal lenses. Geeta the optical assistant helped him and the boys chose the frames and then talked through the lens options with him.
Do you get your kid’s eyes tested? You can get them done free annually on the NHS from Boots Opticians.
Disclosure: Boot’s paid for my trip to Britmums Live, for eye tests for me and MadDad and £300 towards glasses.
Those sunglasses are to die for!! Gorgeous! Great post – really important info. x
Knowing how expensive glasses are nowadays I’m lucky I have never had any problems with my eyes, having said that I haven’t had them tested in years so this has been a reminder to go get them checked out! The sunglasses are gorgeous too xx
I love those sunglasses! What great sponsorship you secured x
Those sun glasses are amazing but I just can’t justify them. I didn’t know you could get your children’s eyes tested so yearly. I think I might be popping in to my local optician!
They told me about this as it will help me with the glare from the sun and may be why I get headaches after wearing mine so long. Thank you for the reminder as I am well over due an eye test
Love those sunglassess! My prescription ones are beyond disgusting, I obviously need to go to the opticians again!!
oh our family do love our sunglasse at summer, theres only one of the children who wear glasses but he has his sunglasses prescribed all ready x
We used Boots opticians for Isabelle’s eye test not long ago, and was a great service. Was lovely seeing you at Britmums, and what a great sponsorship, i know how much glasses are expensive as i used to wear them before my laser eye surgery years ago.
I am a glasses wearer, as is my 17 year old, and I wouldnt be surprised if my younger two end up needing them as they grow. I take them for regular checks just to be sure. I love how glasses are fashionable these days, when I was a teen I hurried into constant contact lense wearing as glasses were just deemed ‘unsexy’ whereas my daugher loves her and rarely bothers with contacts – some of her friends even have glasses with clear lenses just to make the fashion statement – long may they stay trendy I say!
love the sunglasses! I wear glasses as I’m really really shortsighted!
My daughter wears glasses and I so pleased that they are considered fashionable these days. Which reminds me, I need to book hubby an appointment as his are literally falling apart
We have taken our oldest to have his eyes checked but really must take the younger one now – they couldn’t do it before as she need to be able to read. Thank you for reminding me!
I now have sunglass envy! How gorgeous is that pair! We do get J’s eyes checked regularly. Have done since he was tiny.
You know I’ve not thought of getting Wilf’s eyes’s tested! Something to think about for sure. I once had a boyfriend who had really really bad eyesight (as in he couldn’t see at all without them) it was only discovered at 7 and before that he thought the world was just fuzzy colours. Can you imagine! x
Those sunglasses are divine! We all have regular eye tests and wear glasses, it is so important to have an eye test because they can help to diagnose other health problems as well.
I didn’t realise you could have free tests. I need to get teen sorted as he spends a lot of time on the computer. Didn’t they used to do this stuff at school?
There were never such trendy frames around when I wore glasses – they were very very unsexy. I had my eyes lazered 8 years ago and don’t regret it for a minute, other than when I’m jonesing for sexy 50’s style winged frames.
The hubby and I both wear glasses as does my eldest son so I expected the girls to have to wear them also. I was surprised to find they’ve both got great eyesight but they get very upset every year at eye test time because they want to choose glasses and they never need them!
Great informative post. Love the those glasses