Independent opticians · Bristol · since 2009
Eye exams that take their time. Frames fitted by hand.
A 45-minute eye exam with the same optometrist every year, a shop full of independent frames and lenses cut in our own workshop on Marlowe Street.
45 min
Every eye exam
£35
Exam, free under 16
Free
Adjustments for life
Chart 01 · Read at 6 m
Brillmoor
1
6/60
2
6/36
3
6/18
4
6/12
5
6/6
Red or green, which looks sharper? It is the last question of every exam.
27 Marlowe Street, Bristol
Open today until 18:30
Walk-ins welcome for adjustments
What we do
One shop, start to finish.
Most people see three different places for an eye test, frames and lenses. We do all three under one roof, with the same small team.
01
Eye exams
Forty-five minutes with an optometrist, including a retinal photo and a pressure check. No rushing and no upselling.
See what happens in an exam →
02
Frames
Around three hundred frames from small, independent makers, each one fitted to your face at the counter.
Browse the frames →
03
Lenses
Cut and glazed in our own workshop, usually ready in five working days. Thin lenses, fairly priced.
Read the lens guide →
Frame finder
Which frames suit your face?
Pick your face shape and width. We’ll suggest three shapes to try, one to go easy on and the size numbers to look for on the inside of the temple.
01 — Your face shape
02 — Your face width
Not sure? Stand in front of a mirror, pull your hair back and trace your outline with a soap bar. Or let us measure you in the shop.
Your result
Oval · Medium
Balanced proportions. Almost every shape works, so let the frame width match your face.
Rectangle
Keeps the natural balance
Browline
Adds a clear line at the brow
Geometric
A little edge without weight
Go easy on aviator. Very deep lenses can hide your cheekbones.
Your size range
50–52 □ 19–21 — 140–145
On the shelf
Eight frames we keep coming back to.
Every frame comes in two or three sizes and is fitted by hand when you collect it.
The eye exam
Red or green: which looks sharper?
It is the last question of every exam, and the one people remember. Here is the rest of the 45 minutes, in order.
00:00
A chat about your eyes, your work and your screens
00:08
Pressure check and a retinal photo
00:18
Refraction: lenses, letters and that red-green test
00:32
Eye health check with a slit lamp
00:40
Your results in plain words, with no hard sell
Your prescription
How to read the slip we hand you.
Most opticians give you a grid of numbers and a goodbye. Here is what each column means, using a real and very common prescription.
Eye
SPH
CYL
AXIS
ADD
PD
R
−2.25
−0.50
180
+1.25
31.5
L
−2.00
−0.75
170
+1.25
31.0
SPH · sphere
The main strength. A minus means short-sighted, a plus means long-sighted.
CYL · cylinder
Corrects astigmatism, where the eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football.
AXIS
The angle of that astigmatism, from 1 to 180 degrees. It only matters if there is a CYL.
ADD · addition
Extra power for reading, used in varifocals and readers. It usually starts in your forties.
Lens guide
How thin can your lenses be?
Move the slider to your prescription. Higher index lenses bend light more, so they can be thinner for the same strength.
Edge thickness for a short-sighted (minus) lens, estimated from the lens width and a standard base curve. Your optician will confirm the final numbers once your frame is chosen.
Visit
27 Marlowe Street. Green door, bike outside.
Five minutes’ walk from Temple Meads. Step-free entrance, a seat by the window and coffee if you are waiting for someone.
Monday – Friday
9:00 – 18:30
Thursday
late until 20:00
Saturday
9:30 – 17:00
Sunday
Closed