Best Optometrists in Auckland

We assessed 89 optometrists in Auckland and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 6,043 Google reviews between them. No business can pay for a place in these rankings. Last updated 19 September 2026. How we rank

Top 5 Optometrists in Auckland

The 5 highest-scoring businesses from 89 analysed, ranked by Top5 Score.

  1. 1 Oscar Wylee Optometrist - Albany ★ 4.9 · 867 reviews · Score 186
  2. 2 Michael Holmes Premium Eyewear ★ 5.0 · 604 reviews · Score 183
  3. 3 Highbury Optometrists ★ 5.0 · 478 reviews · Score 180
  4. 4 Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Ponsonby ★ 4.7 · 731 reviews · Score 178
  5. 5 Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Auckland CBD ★ 4.8 · 500 reviews · Score 177
  • 1

    Oscar Wylee Optometrist - Albany

    ★ 4.9 867 reviews Score 186
    5★ 817 4★ 26 3★ 2 2★ 3 1★ 19

    Oscar Wylee Albany covers standard eye testing, retinal checks, and pupil pressure assessments, with optometrists who walk patients through each piece of equipment as they go.

    Shop S229, Westfield Albany 219 Don McKinnon Drive, Albany, Auckland

    Call 09 281 0674 Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    Michael Holmes Premium Eyewear

    ★ 5.0 604 reviews Score 183
    5★ 597 4★ 4 3★ 2 1★ 1

    Michael Holmes works through complex prescriptions with care, including difficult cases like keratoconus, and takes time to explain findings, lens options, and health insurance implications that other optometrists skip.

    25 Teed Street, Newmarket, Auckland

    Call 09 523 0343 Map Is this your business?
  • 3

    Highbury Optometrists

    ★ 5.0 478 reviews Score 180
    5★ 458 4★ 19 2★ 1

    Highbury Optometrists delivers eye examinations, contact lens supply, and glasses fitting for a broad range of patients, with staff taking the time to explain findings clearly and help patients choose frames suited to their face.

    52 Mokoia Road, Birkenhead, Auckland

    Call 09 418 1347 Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Ponsonby

    ★ 4.7 731 reviews Score 178
    5★ 638 4★ 35 3★ 16 2★ 13 1★ 29

    Bailey Nelson gets patients through eye exams, prescription glasses, and contact lens consultations without any push to buy, with optometrists like Rosemary and Joyce taking time to answer questions and flag when specialist referrals are genuinely needed.

    4/160 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland

    Call 09 941 9836 Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Auckland CBD

    ★ 4.8 500 reviews Score 177
    5★ 452 4★ 26 3★ 8 2★ 5 1★ 9

    Bailey Nelson handles eye exams, progressive and prescription glasses, and ongoing prescription adjustments at its Commercial Bay location, with optometrists taking time through appointments rather than rushing to the next booking.

    Commercial Bay Shop 8, level 2/7 Queen Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland

    Call 09 941 9833 Map Is this your business?
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Before you book an optometrist in Auckland

Every optometrist in New Zealand must be registered with the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board and hold a current annual practising certificate, and the board publishes a public register you can search by name. A dispensing optician fits and supplies glasses but does not examine your eyes. Ask what the eye examination includes, since some practices charge extra for retinal photos or a 3D OCT scan and others build them in, and whether the exam fee is credited against glasses. Children aged 15 and under in a family with a Community Services Card can get help with the exam and glasses through the Children's Spectacle Subsidy.

The questions below are drawn from 607 customer reviews collected for this page.

What does an eye test cost in New Zealand?

A standard adult eye examination at a chain such as OPSM is published at $75, with packages rising to $120 for an ultra-wide retinal scan or $150 for a 3D OCT scan. Independent practices charge more: a 2024 University of Auckland School of Optometry and Vision Science survey found adult examinations priced at $90 to $155 an hour, with a median of $115 for a median 45-minute exam.

The gap between practices is usually about what is included, not the optometrist's skill: about 27% of practices surveyed did not include pretesting in the fee, and around 20% included both retinal photos and OCT, so two quoted prices are not comparable until you know what each covers. Glasses are priced separately, with survey medians of $225 for stock single-vision lenses, $349 for ground single-vision lenses, and $599 for entry-level progressive lenses before frames. For children aged 15 and under whose parent, guardian, or child holds a Community Services Card or High Use Health Card, the government's Children's Spectacle Subsidy covers the eye examination and glasses up to $287.50 a year, with a maximum of $138 toward frames; the optometrist claims it directly through Enable New Zealand.

How do I check an optometrist is registered, and what is the difference from an optician?

Optometry is regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, and every practising optometrist must be registered with the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board (ODOB) and hold a current annual practising certificate; the board publishes a public register at odob.health.nz where you can verify anyone before you book. The board registers four scopes: a Provisional Optometrist works under supervision and cannot prescribe therapeutic medicines; an Optometrist provides comprehensive eye health and vision care including prescribing restricted medicines and signing statutory certificates; a Specialist Optometrist may perform certain laser procedures in an approved hospital setting; and a Dispensing Optician advises on and fits glasses, contact lenses, and optical devices but does not examine eyes, diagnose, or prescribe.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specialising in eye disease and surgery, registered with the Medical Council, and an optometrist refers to one when a condition needs surgical or specialist medical management. The New Zealand Association of Optometrists is the voluntary professional body representing around 80% of practising optometrists, and complaints about care go to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

How often should I have my eyes checked, and when is it urgent?

The New Zealand Association of Optometrists recommends an eye examination every two years, and every year for anyone over 40 or with a family history of glaucoma; your optometrist should tell you at the end of each appointment when to return based on your individual results. Reviews support this: one long-term patient noted returning every six months, which reflects how interval advice varies with clinical need rather than a fixed public schedule. Sudden loss or blurring of vision, a shower of new floaters, flashes of light, a shadow or curtain across your vision, or a painful red eye should not wait for a routine appointment and need same-day attention from an optometrist, a GP, or an emergency department.

What are the warning signs of an optometry practice you should avoid?
  • –A rushed examination with little explanation of results is a red flag; multiple reviews describe feeling hurried through tests with no time to ask questions.
  • –Pressure to buy frames or lens add-ons immediately after the test, before you have had time to compare prices elsewhere, suggests the practice prioritises sales over your interests.
  • –Advertised prices that exclude the scans or pretesting the optometrist then recommends mean the final cost is higher than expected; one review noted a quoted price of around $200 escalating to $600 to $800 once lenses and coatings were added.
  • –Glasses that are wrong on collection, combined with a slow, costly, or grudging remake process, is a serious concern; one reviewer was told a redo would cost full price.
  • –Dismissive or unhelpful front-desk staff after payment is made signals that after-sales service will be poor if problems arise.
  • –Difficulty obtaining a copy of your prescription when you want to buy frames elsewhere is not acceptable; under standard New Zealand practice, your prescription belongs to you and must be provided on request.
What should you ask before booking an optometrist?
  • –Ask exactly what the examination fee includes: whether retinal photography, OCT scanning, and pretesting are covered or charged separately, since these differences can double the apparent cost.
  • –Confirm you will receive a written copy of your prescription to take away, regardless of whether you buy glasses at that practice.
  • –If you have children aged 15 and under with a Community Services Card or High Use Health Card, ask whether the practice claims the Children's Spectacle Subsidy through Enable New Zealand on your behalf.
  • –Ask what warranty covers the finished glasses, how long a free adjustment period lasts, and how quickly a remake is done if the prescription or fit is wrong.
  • –If you wear or are considering contact lenses, ask whether the practice does contact lens assessments, what that assessment costs, and whether it is included in the standard examination fee.
  • –Ask whether you will see the same optometrist at your next visit; continuity matters for monitoring conditions such as glaucoma or changes in a complex prescription.

More rankings

Auckland optometrists by area 3 links
Optometrists elsewhere in New Zealand 3 links
More health rankings in Auckland 7 links

About this ranking

What the 10 optometrists listed above hold, at the 19 September 2026 check.

867
reviews held by the #1 ranked business
500
reviews held by the #5 ranked business
4.6
lowest rating among the 10 listed
3.1%
of their 6,043 reviews are one-star
How are the top optometrists in Auckland chosen?

We build this page from Google Maps results for optometrists in Auckland. Each one is scored on its public rating and review record, using the same published method on every page. Businesses outside the area, or whose reviews describe a different line of work, are left out. Every category and city is rechecked on a rolling cycle, about every two to three months. See how we rank for how rankings are made and who is left out.

Are you an optometrist in Auckland?

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Not listed? The usual reasons are a Google Business category that does not match, too few reviews to score near the top, or an address outside the area we cover. Check where you rank first, and if you think we missed you, get in touch.

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