If you’re due an eye test in Harborne, you’ve got plenty of choices. What we offer is a 40-minute appointment with the same optometrist you’ll see next time, at an independent practice on the High Street since 1960.
Your sight test covers everything from your prescription to the health of your retina, with time built in for proper questions and answers.
NHS appointments are available if you’re eligible, and a private eye examination starts from £45, with digital retinal imaging costing £90.
40 minutes per appointment, not 15 or 20
Most chain opticians book sight tests in 15 to 20-minute slots. Ours runs for 40. That’s the single biggest reason patients tell us they switched to us from chains in town.
An eye examination is far more than a check on whether you need new glasses. Glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes and high blood pressure can all show up at the back of your eye long before you notice anything is wrong. Our digital retinal imaging gives us a precise baseline to compare against year on year, which is how we catch subtle changes early.
Most adults should book an eye test every two years, and sooner if you’re over 60, diabetic, or have a family history of eye disease. Catching changes early usually means simpler, more effective treatment.
Matt Rose leads the practice and teaches optometry at Aston University, so the latest clinical thinking feeds straight into your appointment. He works alongside Amanda, Hollie, Nikki and Claire, who together have looked after generations of Harborne families. Meet the team here.
If you’re not happy with your new frames or lenses within 60 days, we’ll change them at no extra cost. The full terms sit on our Brittain’s Offers page, and we can offer it because we take the time to get the dispensing right the first time.
Every year, we travel to international optical trade shows to hand-pick European designer frames. Brands like Lindberg sit alongside other hard-to-find European labels you won’t see in Boots, Specsavers or Vision Express on Birmingham High Street.
Every prescription leaving the practice is dispensed under General Optical Council standards, and we hold an NHS sight-testing contract. You get clinical rigour, NHS eligibility, and the freedom of an independent in one place.
The practice sits on Harborne High Street next door to WHSmith and across from the post office, with car parks on St John’s Road if you’re driving in.
We’re a five-minute drive from Edgbaston Reservoir and a short hop across the A4540 from the QE Hospital, so patients regularly come to us from Edgbaston, Bearwood and Quinton on their way home from medical appointments. Moseley and Selly Oak are both a ten-minute drive, and patients from Bournville often combine an appointment with a trip into the village. We also see people from Smethwick and Edgbaston Village who want an independent option without travelling into the city centre.
If you’re not sure whether the trip is worth it from where you are, get in touch, and we’ll talk it through honestly.
A private eye examination with us costs £45 and includes fundus photography. If you’re eligible for an NHS sight test, for example, you’re under 16, over 60, diabetic, or on certain benefits, your test is free. We’ll confirm your eligibility when you book.
40 minutes from start to finish. That includes your history, the examination, retinal imaging and a proper conversation about your results.
Every two years for most adults. Sooner if you’re over 60, diabetic, have a family history of glaucoma, or your optometrist has asked you to come back earlier.
Yes. We don’t run a home-visit service, but patients regularly travel to our High Street practice from across south and west Birmingham, including Edgbaston, Selly Oak, Bournville, Quinton, Bartley Green and Bearwood. Free parking is easy to find on the side streets off the High Street.
Honestly, time. A chain eye test costs less because it’s shorter, often 15 minutes, and frames are stocked in bulk. Our appointments run for 40 minutes, our optometrist teaches at Aston University, our team is the same year on year, and our frames are hand-picked from European trade shows rather than mass-ordered.
If price is the main priority, a chain may be the right call. If you’d rather pay £45 for a thorough sight test from a clinician who knows your history, that’s where we fit.
We can usually offer an appointment within 7 to 10 days, and often sooner. Saturday slots tend to fill up first, so book a week or two ahead if weekends suit you better.
We offer a 60-day guarantee on new eyewear. If you’re not happy with the frames or lenses within that window, we’ll change them at no extra cost. For contact lenses, your fitting includes trial lenses and follow-up appointments to adjust them before you commit.
If we find anything that needs further attention, we’ll explain it clearly and refer you on the same day. We work with local clinics and the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre at City Hospital, so urgent referrals don’t sit in a queue.
Booking is best, because we need to set aside the full 40 minutes for you. You can book online, ring 0121 427 1007, or WhatsApp us on 07376 400363.
Your current glasses or contact lenses, a list of any medications, and your NHS number if you have it. If you’ve had a recent test elsewhere, those notes are helpful too.
When you get in touch, we’ll find a slot that suits your week, confirm whether you’re eligible for a free NHS test, and answer anything you’d like to know before you arrive.
Saturday and late-afternoon appointments do book up first, so getting in touch a week or two ahead helps.
Call us on 0121 427 1007, book online any time, or send a quick WhatsApp message on 07376 400363.
We’re open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 4pm.
