Looking for Seattle optometrist good at complicated prescriptions

May 17, 2016 10:16 PM

I need bifocals, and have a complicated prescription. What's the best place to go in Seattle to get them?

Additionally, I want a boring pair of frames, and I would prefer a place where the staff is happy to sell me something boring. (The last time I went with the store in my eye doctor's office, and the saleslady really wanted me to get a pair of hot pink frames because she thought they'd look good on me, and made no effort to hide how disappointed she was in me. Not going back there.)

I've googled around, and most of the highly-recommended places make a huge deal about glasses as a fashion statement. I'm cool with going with one of them if they are also good at handling complicated prescriptions. But it's hard for me to figure out who's good at that, and who's just good at making pretty glasses for people with simple prescriptions.

posted by SockISalmon to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

Back when I moved into town I had the enormous luck to have Dr. Sea examine me at my nearest LensCrafters. I've worn glasses since I was six, and this was the first exam where I didn't feel condescended to, she spent time discussing how I use my glasses and explained how my prescription was likely to change over time, and even gave my eyes time to rest so I wasn't stuck in an endless loop of "one, or two. One, or two".

Anyway I wrote down her name and a couple years later when I had the money for new lenses (I am super blind and need serious refraction compression technology) I googled her to find she'd become part of the Mercer Island Family Eye Care practice.

I, and now my housemate, and some of my friends, have all had excellent experiences there. I specifically make appointments with Dr. Sea, but my housemate has seen the other doctor there and he had a good experience, too. Yana was the person who gave me the preliminary eye tests like the focus thingy and the little awful air blowing into your eye thing, and it was the very first time in my whole life that that test didn't freak me out. She was exceedingly quick and also charmingly understanding. Shopping for frames was definitely expensive, but only because I am funky in style. Their selection includes a lot of simpler frames and they encouraged me to choose from the budget friendly selection since my lenses were so expensive. While there I have seen many different people stop in, from families with little kids to older folks who just want to be able to see. They also were very accommodating for my friend who ordered frames and lenses separately online, laminating their prescription card and explaining what everything meant so they could more accurately input the information.

I haul my butt all the way to Mercer for them.
posted by Mizu at 2:51 AM on May 18, 2016

Dr Kathleen Kinney downtown. I have a complicated prescription and have been going to her for over 10 years. They have a frame shop in house with a variety from stylish to boring.
posted by matildaben at 6:19 AM on May 18, 2016

Dr. Goo and the bland frames at Woodlawn Optical in Wedgwood, where he has an office, are just what you need. I've been going there for years and Dr. Goo gives me the best prescriptions ever (I've been wearing glasses for 40 years; I know what I'm talking about) and the optician is great. They're so old school that it seems they don't have a website, so:
Woodlawn Optical Dispensary
8032 35th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
[phone]
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:13 PM on May 19, 2016