Choosing an optician is about more than finding a frame you like. A sight test is a proper health check that can catch everything from glaucoma to the first signs of diabetes long before you notice a thing, so the practice you trust with your eyes matters as much as any you trust with your teeth or your car. The reassuring news for Portsmouth is that the city is unusually well stocked with good ones.
To sort the field we gathered the opticians across Portsmouth that carry a solid body of customer reviews, chains and independents alike, and judged them on their Google scores together with the number of people standing behind each one. A single measure was used throughout, with the reviews doing the heavy lifting, and we have picked out what each practice does best, since the person after a quick pair of readers wants something different from the one managing a complex prescription or hearing care too.
On cost, a private sight test usually runs about twenty to thirty pounds, though many people qualify for a free NHS test, while glasses start near fifty to a hundred pounds and climb with the lenses and the designer label. The chains lean on two-for-one deals, the independents on service and time. Read the prices as a steer and the order as our view rather than a prescription, and work down the list from our favourite at the top.
1. Forrest Opticians and Hearing Centre
It is hard to overstate how good the numbers are at Forrest Opticians, a flawless 5.0 drawn from more than three hundred reviews at its practice on Havant Road in Drayton. A perfect average on a book that deep is almost unheard of for any business, let alone a healthcare one, and it lifts Forrest clear of a very strong field on evidence alone.
As an independent it pairs eye care with hearing care under one roof, and reviewers describe exactly the sort of experience that builds a reputation like this, unhurried appointments, thorough testing and genuine time spent on getting the glasses right. “The optician spotted something two other practices had missed,” runs one review, which is the kind of story that turns a customer into an advocate. Prices sit a little above the supermarket chains, as a careful independent’s tend to, and that is really the only trade-off, since the care is the whole point.
What wins the reviews
- An extraordinary 5.0 from more than 300 reviews;
- eye care and hearing care under one roof;
- praised for unhurried, thorough appointments;
- a trusted local independent.
Things to keep in mind
- Independent pricing, a little above the chains;
- in demand, so book the appointment ahead.
The standout on the evidence, and the first call for thorough, personal eye care.
2. Vision Express at Tesco Fratton
The Vision Express inside the Tesco Extra at Fratton holds a superb 4.9 from close to three hundred reviews, which is a remarkable score for a busy chain branch and the best of any Vision Express in the city. It shows that a national name and a personal touch are not mutually exclusive when the team is a good one.
The draw is the pairing of chain convenience with a genuinely well-liked branch, free parking at the door, long opening hours and the familiar range of frames and offers, delivered by staff the reviews single out for patience and care. It is a particularly easy choice if you want to fold the appointment into the weekly shop. Pricing follows the usual chain model, with two-for-one deals and a clear menu of lens options, so you know where you stand before you commit.
What wins the reviews
- A superb 4.9 from close to 300 reviews;
- chain convenience with a well-liked team;
- free parking and long opening hours;
- clear pricing and two-for-one deals.
Things to keep in mind
- A busy branch, so appointments can fill;
- a chain feel rather than a small independent.
The pick for easy, well-rated chain eye care with parking at the door.
3. Ashleigh Opticians and Hearing Centre
On Fratton Road, Ashleigh Opticians and Hearing Centre carries a 4.9 from more than a hundred reviews, a near-perfect score on a healthy book that marks it as one of the city’s best-loved independents. Like the leader it brings eye care and hearing care together, which is a real convenience as the years add up.
The strength is the classic independent one, time and attention, a practice where you are a person rather than a slot and where the testing is thorough and clearly explained. Reviewers point to the friendly, knowledgeable staff and the sense of being properly looked after. Pricing is independent rather than supermarket, in line with the level of service. The book is smaller than the biggest names here, though still deep by any normal measure, so recent reviews are an easy sense-check.
What wins the reviews
- A 4.9 from more than 100 reviews;
- eye and hearing care in one independent;
- praised for time, attention and clear testing;
- friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Things to keep in mind
- Independent pricing rather than chain deals;
- a smaller book than the top two, though still deep.
A warmly rated Fratton independent for unhurried eye and hearing care.
4. Boots Opticians
In the Commercial Road precinct in the heart of the city, Boots Opticians holds a 4.8 from close to three hundred reviews, a strong score on one of the deepest books in Portsmouth. A rating that high over that many visits is a dependable sign for a city-centre branch that sees a huge number of people.
The appeal is accessibility, a trusted high-street name right in the shopping heart of the city, with a broad frame range, the usual deals and the convenience of being somewhere you are probably passing anyway. Reviewers rate the professional, efficient service and the ease of booking. Pricing is the familiar chain shape, with offers across frames and lenses. The trade-off is simply the busy city-centre setting rather than the calm of a small independent, but for a central, reliable option it delivers.
What wins the reviews
- A 4.8 across close to 300 reviews;
- a trusted name in the Commercial Road precinct;
- a broad frame range and regular offers;
- professional, efficient and easy to book.
Things to keep in mind
- A busy city-centre branch;
- a chain experience rather than a personal one.
The central, reliable choice in the heart of the shopping district.
5. M&S Opticians
M&S Opticians, out at the Tollbar Way retail park towards Hilsea, holds a 4.8 from getting on for two hundred reviews. It brings the same quiet, dependable feel people expect from the M&S name to their eye care, and the rating shows that formula travelling well.
The strength is a calm, unflashy competence, a practice that does the job properly without the hard sell, which suits anyone who finds the busier branches a bit much. Reviewers describe a relaxed, professional experience and good value on the glasses. There is easy parking at the retail park, a real plus for a longer appointment. Pricing sits in the mid-range, with the usual package options. The out-of-centre location is the only real consideration, and for many that is a bonus rather than a drawback.
What wins the reviews
- A 4.8 from nearly 200 reviews;
- calm, dependable M&S-style service;
- no hard sell, and good value glasses;
- easy parking at the retail park.
Things to keep in mind
- An out-of-centre, retail-park location;
- a chain range rather than a boutique one.
The relaxed, good-value pick with parking at the door.
6. Portsea Island Eyecare
Portsea Island Eyecare, on London Road in North End, holds a 4.8 from around ninety reviews, a genuine neighbourhood independent with a loyal local following. The name wears its roots on its sleeve, and the rating reflects a practice that the surrounding streets clearly trust.
The appeal is exactly that local, independent character, a practice that knows its regulars and takes the time a chain sometimes cannot, handling the full run of eye care and contact lenses with evident care. Reviewers rate the personal service and the thoroughness of the testing. Pricing is independent, in step with the attention. The book is smaller than the chains, as a single neighbourhood practice will be, so it rewards a read of the recent reviews, but as a trusted North End independent it is a fine choice.
What wins the reviews
- A 4.8 from around 90 reviews;
- a genuine North End neighbourhood independent;
- praised for personal service and thorough testing;
- strong on contact lenses as well as glasses.
Things to keep in mind
- A smaller book than the chains;
- independent pricing rather than chain deals.
The trusted neighbourhood independent for North End.
7. Percy Harrison Opticians
Rounding off the list, Percy Harrison Opticians on Osborne Road in Southsea holds a perfect 5.0 from around thirty reviews. A long-standing Southsea name, it trades on a traditional, personal style of optician that fewer and fewer places still offer.
The strength is that old-fashioned, in the best sense, approach, an independent where the testing is careful, the advice is honest and the frames are chosen with you rather than sold to you. Reviewers value the expertise and the unrushed, friendly manner. Pricing is independent, befitting the service. The review book is the smallest here, so there is less history to lean on than with the big names, and it is the sort of practice to read the most recent reviews before booking, but for a classic Southsea optician it is a lovely one.
What wins the reviews
- A perfect 5.0 from around 30 reviews;
- a long-standing, traditional Southsea independent;
- praised for careful testing and honest advice;
- an unrushed, friendly style.
Things to keep in mind
- The smallest review book on the list;
- independent pricing rather than chain deals.
The choice for a classic, personal Southsea optician.
Every optician, scored out of ten
The seven opticians compared
| # | Optician | Area | Google rating | Type | Score (out of 10) | % (out of 100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forrest Opticians and Hearing Centre | Havant Rd, Drayton | 5.0 (316) | Independent | 9.4 | 94% |
| 2 | Vision Express at Tesco Fratton | Attlee Way, Fratton | 4.9 (296) | Chain | 9.1 | 91% |
| 3 | Ashleigh Opticians and Hearing Centre | Fratton Road | 4.9 (116) | Independent | 8.9 | 89% |
| 4 | Boots Opticians | Commercial Road | 4.8 (294) | Chain | 8.7 | 87% |
| 5 | M&S Opticians | Tollbar Way, Hilsea | 4.8 (197) | Chain | 8.5 | 85% |
| 6 | Portsea Island Eyecare | London Rd, North End | 4.8 (90) | Independent | 8.3 | 83% |
| 7 | Percy Harrison Opticians | Osborne Rd, Southsea | 5.0 (31) | Independent | 8.1 | 81% |
Reading the scores
The first thing worth saying is that this is a genuinely strong field. Every practice here scores 4.8 or better, and the top of the list is remarkable, two names holding close to or above a perfect five on books of three hundred reviews. In eye care, where a poor experience is not quickly forgotten, that kind of consistency is a real reassurance.
The second point is the honest spread between the chains and the independents. The chains win on convenience, parking and price, with their two-for-one deals, while the independents win on time and continuity, the same optician year after year who knows your history. Portsmouth is lucky enough to do both well, so the right choice comes down to whether you value the quick, cheap pair or the careful, personal one. It is worth adding that the big Specsavers and the main Vision Express branches, while rated a little lower here, carry enormous review books and remain a perfectly sound, convenient option.
Behind the scoring
Every practice picked up a mark out of ten built from a short set of measures. The customer reviews and a practice’s standing carried the most, reflecting that this is a service you judge by experience. The quality and thoroughness of the eye care came next, then the value and clarity of the pricing, the steadiness of the rating across a deep book, and finally how easy the practice is to reach and park at.
The ratings themselves are the public Google scores and review counts recorded in late October 2026, placed side by side rather than gathered from any test we sat. We have kept to broad price guides, because a sight test, a pair of glasses and a lens package vary so much by practice and prescription.
Scores and prices alike drift with time, so take this as a snapshot and check the current cost when you book, remembering that many people are entitled to a free NHS sight test. Eyes are not the only thing worth looking after, so our rated dentists and the city’s vets are each worth a look when the next check-up comes due.
