My Go-To Spot for Glasses

I've gotta admit, I'm a bit of a spectacle-wearer. I've lost count of how many pairs I've gone through in the past few years. Either the frames have come loose, the lens has cracked, or the frames have just gotten old. I've even bought two pairs at once a few times: one nice pair for everyday wear, and a more basic pair for lounging around the house. Luckily, there's an awesome optician just a stone's throw from my place, and I've ended up getting my last four or five pairs from them.

My latest purchase was a great experience, and I'm excited to share it with you.

What I love about this optician.

First off, it's a small shop, but they've got a great selection without being overwhelming. You can browse for a bit without feeling like you're stuck there for hours trying to decide.

And the best part? It's right near my house!

They also offer eye exams, which are super thorough. Each time, it took about 20-30 minutes, and they used different machines and even those fancy color screens to check my vision. And, of course, the classic eye chart.

The staff are always friendly and chatty - we can have a laugh and catch up on everything from the news to our personal lives.

When I brought my kid along, they even gave her some fun stickers and crayons to keep her occupied while I tried on glasses.

And what I really appreciate is that they don't try to upsell me based on my budget. They show me the options within my price range, and let me choose what I want. No pressure, no hassle.

My budget-friendly option was a great choice:

My last visit was in October, and I ended up buying a new pair of glasses that I'm really happy with.

Before this, I bought photochromic glasses that change the color of the lenses in the sun. At some point, they stopped getting lighter to the end, and I was always walking with tinted lenses. It looked pretty old-fashioned, and I decided to buy separate glasses with transparent lenses and separate dark glasses with diopters for the summer.

The sales consultant girl quickly understood my preferences, showed me the model samples, and we narrowed it down to three options. I sent them to my friends and by general voting, we chose this new frame for me.

One thing that happens when you order special lenses is that you have to wait for a pretty long time. I got my glasses within 10 days, which was a bit of a wait, but it was worth it.

Now the salon offers an ultrasonic cleaning service for the frame, which is free, and you can come every few months to get it cleaned.

What I don't like about the salon.

Last time I bought glasses, I didn't even get a cloth as a gift. I'm not even talking about the case. Before that, I bought glasses, and I got both a case and a cloth as a gift. I asked about this, but it turned out that I was right with the frame from the branded models, so they came with gifts. Now, I chose glasses that are not as expensive as the previous ones, just 10,000 rubles. Apparently, you don't even get a cloth for that. I had to buy five cloths myself on Wildberries for 150 rubles.

Also, they have a confusing system for calculating the discount. I got my card the first time, they said that the amount would be added to it, and after a certain amount, there would be a discount. I've been going there for a while, and they always tell me about this card: 'Oh, we have a different promotion now, the card isn't being taken into account...' And it's been lying around for several years, no money has been added to it.

My eye doctor's last visit was a real wake-up call. She strongly recommended I get glasses with a system that lets me switch between far and near vision quickly. Apparently, these special lenses reduce eye strain and make it easier to switch between tasks. I told her three times that my eyes don't get tired, even with my old glasses. I can look at my phone and then back at the street without any issues. No pause needed for focus. But she kept bringing up my age and how my vision will degrade over time. Not exactly the most pleasant conversation, especially when it's repeated three times. I guess it's because these lenses are a couple thousand bucks more expensive. I'm not willing to pay extra for something I don't need yet. If issues arise, I'll deal with them as they come. I change my glasses every 2-3 years anyway.

My Verdict.

As for the rest, I've got no complaints. These glasses are solid if you choose the right ones and get your eyes checked properly. The frames and lenses are top-notch. I did have some issues with a pair of cheaper frames that came loose, and one of my glasses fell and got a crack on the lens. They told me it was probably a manufacturing defect and that I needed to replace both lenses, which would cost around 8,000 rubles. I opted out and bought new glasses instead. It's clear that there's a scratch on this lens:

I've caught myself scrolling through ads for eye surgery and thinking, 'Why haven't I done this already?' I mean, I've been wearing glasses for years, and it's not like I'm getting any younger. My eye doctor at 'Sunny Vision' just laughed and said, 'Age is just a number, but it's a number that's catching up with you fast!'