20 20 Opticians

Two things led me to finally get my eyes checked out. The first, and one might reasonably assume most important, was certain episodes of blindness. The second, which was actually the trigger (don’t judge me) was noticing a tendency to screw up my eyes very slightly when looking at my phone, and the realisation that, long term, this could give me WRINKLES. I’m now officially nearer to 30 than 20 so this is totally legit as a concern.
Twenty Twenty, in addition to being pretty near my home, is a local name, so I had no hesitation in choosing them over a chain such as Boots or Specsavers. And I am so glad that I did.
Abdel, my optometrist, was just about the nicest guy you could hope to have asking you to read tiny letters from the bottom row. Perky and super-​friendly, he was also horrified when I asked if the soft forehead-​cushion on the machine was latex (because I’m allergic) and he realised he didn’t know. He vowed to find out and was very concerned for me, even when I said that my fringe would do a fine job of protecting me for now. He talked me through absolutely everything the eye test entailed as he did it; he obviously LOVES his job, and even treated my — perfectly routine and boring — answers like I had said something both profound and very correct. That was a lovely feeling for an approval-​hungry praise-​termite like me and dispelled all my anxiety about whether I was Doing It Right (I get that a lot).
Once my prescription was diagnosed, I was passed on to the softly-​spoken style guru, Philip, who padded calmly ahead of me and led me to the Wall of Wonder where all the frames were arrayed. This was the bit I was looking forward to. I mentioned my concerns about the roundness of my face and rather than flattering me truthlessly and flogging me the priciest pair regardless, he tactfully agreed and picked out a pair of frames that I loved right away.
Understanding my girlish need to try on everything in the shop first, however, he led me along the wall and we chatted about the comparative merits of this or that pair (including a truly awesome pair of purple glittery ones which were so incredibly mental that had they been the right shape I’d have gone with them and to hell with easy accessorising), finishing with a selection of three. He wasn’t afraid to tell me if a pair definitely didn’t suit me, which was nice, and I didn’t feel embarrassed about telling him my budget limit.
When there was only one pair I preferred to the first pair I’d tried on, but I was concerned that the arms were too thin and flimsy, he toured the whole shop to try and find a similar but sturdier pair. No joy, but I appreciated it. And so (to Philip’s evident professional satisfaction and pride) I went with the first pair he’d picked out for me. Apparently that happens a lot — bravo Philip!
A truly splendid experience from start to finish!

After shopping around all of Edinburgh for selection and prices I found this store to be the best. The staff were very friendly too but not in a insencere annoying in your face way, they just had a wee informal chat and gave their opinion on what suited me. (I think it was Alison)
My girlfriend also wanted to buy a small key for fixing her glasses but they just gave her it for free which was a nice touch.
You can also pay up your glasses in installments which is great because they can be expensive can’t they? I also took advantage of their £100 off a second pair.
I waited less than a week to get my new glasses and when I phoned up to see if they were ready, a guy called Craig went out of his way to call the lab to see where they where and called me back to tell me.

I started going to Twenty Twenty after my usual optician spectacularly let me down. They were able to squeeze me in for an appointment with very little notice and were incredibly understanding of the situation I’d found myself in (I’m very short-​sighted and I’d lost a contact lens and had no useable glasses, so was effectively housebound). The optician was professional and thoroughly examined my eyes: my sight was tested as well as my optical health. They provided me with two free pairs of trial contact lenses and did not pressure me into signing up to their lens scheme. They have a great range of glasses, including some really stylish budget pairs and a great sale section. They also stock some amazing retro pairs that look like they’ve come straight out of the 1950s. With their excellent service, professional attitude and extensive glasses range, they have guaranteed my custom for years to come.

I’ve been with this opticians for a number of years and wouldnt go anywhere else. They provide some of the best accuracy and technologically up to date eye tests available and have always been willing to ensure my glasses are right for me at their expense, including changing the lenses if I want the prescription balanced differently.
They also offer visual fields testing (if required) which saves me regular trips to the eye hospital and is much more convenient to monitor with an eye test.
This practice will go out of their way to ensure the best customer service possible, yet they are by no means expensive