Best Optometrists in Christchurch

We assessed 28 optometrists in Christchurch and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 4,549 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 Christchurch

The 5 highest-scoring businesses from 28 analysed, ranked by Top5 Score.

  1. 1 Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Riccarton ★ 4.8 · 924 reviews · Score 185
  2. 2 Oscar Wylee Optometrist - Northlands ★ 4.8 · 556 reviews · Score 178
  3. 3 Bailey Nelson Optometrist- Christchurch CBD ★ 4.7 · 571 reviews · Score 176
  4. 4 Dr. Specs ★ 5.0 · 254 reviews · Score 172
  5. 5 Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - Hornby - The Hub ★ 4.6 · 512 reviews · Score 171
  • 1

    Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Riccarton

    ★ 4.8 924 reviews Score 185
    5★ 822 4★ 54 3★ 19 2★ 10 1★ 19

    Bailey Nelson covers eye tests, contact lens fittings, and prescription glasses, with optometrists who walk patients through their options rather than defaulting to the most complex solution.

    234/129 Riccarton Road Westfield, Upstairs Near Farmers, Shop 234/129 Riccarton Road, Riccarton, Christchurch

    Call 03 930 6644 Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    Oscar Wylee Optometrist - Northlands

    ★ 4.8 556 reviews Score 178
    5★ 506 4★ 25 3★ 8 2★ 4 1★ 13

    Oscar Wylee at Northlands covers eye examinations, frame selection, and lens fitting, with optometrists who explain each step of the exam as they go and take time for questions beyond the scheduled slot.

    Shop 070, Northlands Mall, 55 Main North Road, Papanui, Christchurch

    Call 03 926 0069 Map Is this your business?
  • 3

    Bailey Nelson Optometrist- Christchurch CBD

    ★ 4.7 571 reviews Score 176
    5★ 495 4★ 26 3★ 13 2★ 17 1★ 20

    Bailey Nelson's CBD clinic handles challenging prescriptions including multifocal contact lenses, driving-specific vision assessments, and cases urgent enough to require same-day hospital referral.

    2/79 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch

    Call 03 930 6645 Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Dr. Specs

    ★ 5.0 254 reviews Score 172
    5★ 250 4★ 1 3★ 1 2★ 1 1★ 1

    Dr.

    6/14 Acheron Drive, Riccarton, Christchurch

    Call 03 343 0380 Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - Hornby - The Hub

    ★ 4.6 512 reviews Score 171
    5★ 431 4★ 37 3★ 10 2★ 11 1★ 23

    Specsavers Hornby covers eye examinations, contact lens fittings, and prescription glasses for both adults and children, with optometrists like Lauchlan running on-time appointments and taking care to explain findings clearly.

    Shop 25, The Hub Hornby Mall, 418 Main South Road, Hornby, Christchurch

    Call 03 349 5193 Map Is this your business?
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Before you book an optometrist in Christchurch

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 721 customer reviews collected for this page.

What does an eye test cost in New Zealand?

Adult eye tests in New Zealand are user-pays, and practices set their own fees. At a chain like OPSM, a standard comprehensive examination is published at $75, a premium package adding an ultra-wide retinal scan costs $120, and a complete package with a 3D OCT scan is $150.

A 2024 University of Auckland School of Optometry and Vision Science fee survey found adult examinations charged at $90 to $155 an hour, with a median of $115 for a median 45-minute appointment, and Wellington practices charged the most while Otago and Southland charged the least. The price difference between practices is usually about what is included, such as retinal photos or OCT scanning, rather than the quality of the optometrist, so compare what each fee covers before assuming one is cheaper.

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, which you can verify on the board's public register at odob.health.nz. The board registers four scopes: a Provisional Optometrist who works under supervision and cannot prescribe medicines, a full Optometrist who provides comprehensive eye health and vision care including prescribing medicines whose sale is restricted by law and signing statutory certificates, a Specialist Optometrist who may also perform certain laser procedures in an approved hospital setting, and a Dispensing Optician who fits and supplies glasses and contact lenses but does not examine eyes or diagnose.

An ophthalmologist is different again, being a medical doctor registered with the Medical Council who treats eye disease surgically, and a good optometrist will refer you when your condition needs that level of care, as reviews here show happening in at least one urgent case. The New Zealand Association of Optometrists is the voluntary professional body representing around 80 percent of practising optometrists, and if you have a complaint about care the route is 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 for most adults, and every year for anyone over 40 or with a family history of glaucoma, and your optometrist should tell you at the end of your appointment when to return. Some symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment: 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 all need same-day attention from an optometrist, a GP, or an emergency department. Reviews here include a case where an optometrist recognised a serious eye problem during a routine visit, referred the patient directly to hospital, and that prompt action led to surgery that protected the patient's sight.

What are the warning signs of an optometry practice you should avoid?
  • –Pressure to buy lens add-ons such as thinning coatings without being told how much difference they make, or being told you cannot have glasses without them.
  • –Frames shown to you that are outside the budget you stated, because the practice did not ask what you wanted to spend.
  • –An examination fee that does not include the scans the optometrist then recommends, leaving you paying more than the quoted price.
  • –Glasses that are wrong on collection, combined with a slow, reluctant, or poorly handled remake process.
  • –Unclear warranty terms or staff who treat a legitimate warranty claim as the customer's fault without proper investigation.
  • –Difficulty getting a copy of your prescription, which you are entitled to take to any other supplier you choose.
What should you ask before booking an optometrist?
  • –Ask what the examination fee includes, specifically whether retinal photography, OCT scanning, and pretesting are covered or charged separately.
  • –Ask whether you will be given a written copy of your prescription to take away and use wherever you choose.
  • –If you have a child aged 15 or under with a Community Services Card or High Use Health Card, ask whether the practice claims the Children's Spectacle Subsidy, which covers the examination and glasses up to $287.50 a year and is submitted directly to Enable New Zealand by the optometrist.
  • –Ask what warranty applies to frames and lenses, how long free adjustments are included, and how long a remake takes if the prescription is not right.
  • –Ask whether the practice fits contact lenses and what the contact lens assessment costs, since this is usually separate from the standard eye examination fee.
  • –Ask whether you will see the same optometrist at your next visit, since continuity of care matters especially for complex prescriptions or ongoing eye health conditions.

More rankings

Optometrists elsewhere in New Zealand 3 links
More health rankings in Christchurch 7 links

About this ranking

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

924
reviews held by the #1 ranked business
512
reviews held by the #5 ranked business
4.5
lowest rating among the 10 listed
3.4%
of their 4,549 reviews are one-star
How are the top optometrists in Christchurch chosen?

We build this page from Google Maps results for optometrists in Christchurch. 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 Christchurch?

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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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