Frequently asked questions

• What types of appointments are available online?

  At present, online bookings can be made for 4 types of appointments: adult eye test (age 16 and over), kid eye test (age 15 and under), contact lens assessments and contact lens check-up. If you wish to book a different type of appointment or have any other query/eye health concern, please phone the store directly.

• I have booked an online appointment. Can I amend it online?

  Yes, you can amend your booking either from the booking confirmation email or the confirmation page that you get immediately after your booking.

• What is a Snellen chart?

  This is the famous letter chart most commonly used for measuring vision and visual acuity.

  It's made up of a series of rows of letters, decreasing in size with each row.

  Each row represents the minimum size of letter that a person with normal vision would be able to see at 6m, 9m, and various intervals up to 60m.

• How much is an eye test?

  The cost of a Specsavers eye test varies depending on a number of factors, including:

  The location of the store

  If you’re over 60 — UK residents over 60 can receive a free eye test every two years

  If you qualify for free healthcare — you can

  If you are partially sighted or blind

  For a full breakdown to see whether you qualify for a free eye test, head to our

  When you book an eye test, you can also book an additional Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) test.

  In most stores, the cost of our hospital-grade OCT appointments is up to £10 (in addition to the standard eye test cost) but in some Scottish stores, this may vary. If in doubt, you can call your local store and they can confirm.

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• Do I need to inform the DVLA if I need glasses for driving?

  There's no need to notify them if you need glasses for driving.

  When you apply for a driving license, however, you have to state at that time if you wear glasses when driving, in which case your license is usually endorsed with the code 01.

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of polycarbonate spectacle lenses?

  Polycarbonate lenses are made by injection moulding.

  These lenses have good impact resistance, making them ideal for children, sports and industrial work. They also have good UV protection and a higher refractive index than CR39.

  Disadvantages include the fact that their abrasion resistance is poor - adding an anti-scratch coating can help but reduces the impact resistance slightly. These types of lenses cannot be tinted easily, either.

• At what age should children first visit the optician?

  There are tests that can be used on infants and preschool children who cannot read. If you have any concerns about your child's vision, you should find a local optician who will test their vision. However, if you have no concerns it's perhaps better to wait until your child is a little older - say around three and a half years - before taking them for a full eye examination. Even if your child's vision seems good, it's worth taking them for a full sight test at a qualified optician when they reach school age, just to make sure that there aren't any issues with their vision that are likely to affect their early school years. Find out more about Children's Eyecare

• What is the Specsavers partnership with Newmedica?

  We’re on a mission to end the 50% of sight loss that is avoidable. That's why Newmedica surgical centres are part of the Specsavers family, offering direct and affordable access to consultant led, specialist eye treatment.

  You can find out more about the Specsavers partnership with Newmedica here.

• What happens if I lose my hearing aids?

  We recommend to all our customers that you should get your hearing aids insured as soon as possible after purchasing them.

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• How can I reduce the effects of flying on my ears?

  You can do a number of things to reduce the effects of flying on your ears. Most of these help to help keep your Eustachian tube open:

  The Eustachian tube does not open well when you are sleeping. Make sure you are awake before the plane begins its descent, which may start up to an hour before it lands

  Yawn, chew gum or suck on a hard sweet to encourage your Eustachian tube to open

  Keep swallowing water or another drink (not alcohol). Do this every 15 to 30 seconds if you need to. If this does not help, try the 'Valsalva manoeuvre'. Pinch your nose between your finger and thumb, and gently blow air down it with your mouth closed, without releasing the air. If you hear or feel air going into your ears, your Eustachian tube is working well

  Make sure you are not dehydrated and that you have had plenty to drink. Do not drink alcohol

  Flying may be uncomfortable if you have a cold or other infection around the nose and throat. This can make the lining of the Eustachian tube swollen so it gets blocked more easily. If you must travel, ask your GP or pharmacist for advice about decongestants to reduce inflammation and relieve the blocked sensation. Many GPs recommend you use a decongestant spray about 20 minutes before you land. It is important not to use the spray for more than five days consecutively

• How to clean your earphones

  How often should you clean earbuds?

  It depends on how often you use them and what you use them for. So if you wear them every day for things like virtual calls or listening to music, then once a week should do the trick.

  If you wear them when you go for a run or to the gym, then it’s worth giving them a clean before or after you use them. You should also clean them regularly during summer, when you generally sweat a bit more.

• Should I get my daughter's hearing tested?

  My three and a half year old girl is suddenly having hearing difficulty , she normally has perfect hearing but over the last few days I am having to repeat everything I say to her a few times . I'm getting concerned now as I can't see a reason for it , she is not pulling at her ears and denies pain in them , her nose is a bit snuffly but has no temperature. What do you think please?

  It is very common for children to go through periods of appearing not to hear well, particularly if they are 'a bit snuffly'. It can often be caused by a build up of fluid in the middle ear or a blocking of the Eustacian tube which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. If she does not complain of pain or have a temperature, the best advice is watchful waiting. The symptoms will often clear up by themselves within a couple of weeks. If they persist and you are still concerned, visit your GP for advice in the first instance.

• Can I manage my easycare account online?

  Yes, when you have an easycare subscription, you can manage your subscription through My Contact Lenses to:

  Order more contact lenses before your next scheduled delivery

  Skip a delivery and take a payment holiday if you have more lenses than you need

  Find out when your next delivery is due

  Alter your daily disposables package

  Update your address and other details easily

  If you're already a contact lens customer and would like to sign up to our easycare subscription, or an existing subscriber and want to manage your account,

• How much do hearing tests cost?

  If you believe you are having difficulties with your hearing, hearing tests at Specsavers are free of charge.

  Find your nearest Specsavers Audiologists to book a test.

• Am I able to reduce/increase the number of lenses I receive through Easycare?

  Yes, if you are a daily lenses customer you can choose to either have 10, 20 or 30 lenses per month which is 30, 60 or 90 per delivery. This can be changed online via My Contact Lenses , through your local store or by contacting us at anytime via our webform here.

• Can I take a payment holiday on my Easycare subscription?

  Yes, all of our Easycare customers are entitled to a 6 month payment holiday within a 12 month rolling period. This can be done online by logging into My Contact Lenses or by contacting us via our webform here.

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