Best Optometrists in Dunedin

We assessed 11 optometrists in Dunedin and ranked the top 5 on public rating quality, review volume and how recent the reviews are. The businesses listed below hold 1,020 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 Dunedin

The top 5 optometrists in Dunedin are #1 Specsavers Dunedin, #2 OPSM Dunedin, #3 Bridgman Eyecare, #4 Specsavers South Dunedin, and #5 Bailey Nelson, ranked by Top5 Score.

  1. 1 Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - Dunedin ★ 4.7 · 541 reviews · Score 175
  2. 2 OPSM Dunedin ★ 4.7 · 162 reviews · Score 158
  3. 3 Bridgman Eyecare Dunedin ★ 4.9 · 96 reviews · Score 157
  4. 4 Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - South Dunedin ★ 4.8 · 101 reviews · Score 156
  5. 5 Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Dunedin ★ 4.9 · 41 reviews · Score 146
  • 1

    Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - Dunedin

    ★ 4.7 541 reviews Score 175
    5★ 477 4★ 32 3★ 6 2★ 8 1★ 18

    Specsavers Dunedin covers eye exams, contact lens fittings, frame selection, and myopia management including MiyoSmart lenses for children, with staff like Ben and Amelia noted for thorough dispensing and clear explanations at each stage.

    290 George Street, Dunedin

    Call 03 477 0301 Map Is this your business?
  • 2

    OPSM Dunedin

    ★ 4.7 162 reviews Score 158
    5★ 142 4★ 8 3★ 1 2★ 3 1★ 8

    OPSM Dunedin works well for families, anxious patients, and people with complicated health histories, covering eye exams, foreign body removal, and cataract referrals.

    291 George Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin

    Call 03 477 6012 Map Is this your business?
  • 3

    Bridgman Eyecare Dunedin

    ★ 4.9 96 reviews Score 157
    5★ 90 4★ 3 2★ 2 1★ 1

    Bridgman Eyecare gets first-time glasses wearers and patients with emerging eye conditions through the process without feeling rushed, covering eye exams, prescription assessments, contact lens fittings, and specialist referrals.

    218 George Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin

    Call 03 477 9085 Map Is this your business?
  • 4

    Specsavers Optometrists & Audiology - South Dunedin

    ★ 4.8 101 reviews Score 156
    5★ 91 4★ 6 3★ 3 1★ 1

    Specsavers South Dunedin delivers eye tests, prescription assessments, and frame fittings at prices that regularly come in below what customers paid elsewhere, including high-power thin lenses with coatings.

    155 King Edward Street, South Dunedin, Dunedin

    Call 03 455 1991 Map Is this your business?
  • 5

    Bailey Nelson Optometrist - Dunedin

    ★ 4.9 41 reviews Score 146
    5★ 39 4★ 1 3★ 1

    Bailey Nelson covers eye exams, contact lens fittings, retinal checks, and prescription assessments, with optometrists like Emily known for walking patients through every test step-by-step and explaining what results actually mean.

    Meridian Mall Shop G05/285 George Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin

    Call 03 244 8027 Map Is this your business?
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Before you book an optometrist in Dunedin

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 345 customer reviews collected for this page.

What does an eye test cost in New Zealand?

A standard adult eye examination at a chain practice is published at $75, with packages adding an ultra-wide retinal scan for $120 or a 3D OCT scan for $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 exam.

Otago and Southland practices had the lowest regional median at $105, so Dunedin fees may sit at the more affordable end of the national range. 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 progressives 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, claimed directly by the optometrist to 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, which you can verify on the public register at odob.health.nz. The board registers four scopes: a Provisional Optometrist works under supervision and cannot prescribe medicines; an Optometrist provides comprehensive eye health and vision care including prescribing restricted medicines and signing statutory certificates; a Specialist Optometrist may also perform certain laser procedures in an approved hospital setting; and a Dispensing Optician fits and supplies glasses and contact lenses but does not examine eyes or diagnose conditions.

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor specialising in eye disease and surgery, registered with the Medical Council, to whom an optometrist refers when surgical or complex medical treatment is needed. The New Zealand Association of Optometrists is the voluntary professional body, and if you have a concern about care, the route for complaints 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. Reviews from Dunedin practices back this up, with patients noting that thorough practitioners use the appointment to explain ongoing monitoring needs, particularly for conditions that change over time. Sudden loss or blurring of vision, flashes of light, a shower of new floaters, a shadow or curtain across your vision, or a painful red eye should not wait for a routine booking 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 where the optometrist does not explain the results or ask about your medical history before starting tests.
  • –Pressure to choose and buy frames or lens upgrades in the same visit, before you have had time to consider the prescription.
  • –An examination fee that does not include the scans the optometrist then recommends, with the total only becoming clear at the end.
  • –Glasses that are wrong on collection, followed by a slow remake process and difficulty getting a straight answer on when the correct pair will arrive.
  • –Vague or verbal-only warranty terms, with reluctance to confirm what adjustments or remakes are covered and for how long.
  • –Resistance to providing a printed copy of your prescription when you want to shop for frames or lenses elsewhere.
What should you ask before booking an optometrist?
  • –Ask exactly what the examination fee includes, specifically whether retinal photography, an OCT scan, and pretesting are covered or charged separately.
  • –Confirm you will receive a printed copy of your prescription at the end of the appointment, regardless of whether you buy glasses from them.
  • –If you have children, ask whether the practice sees paediatric patients and whether it claims the Children's Spectacle Subsidy directly if your child qualifies.
  • –Ask what warranty applies to glasses purchased there, how long free adjustments are available, and how long a remake takes if the prescription is wrong on collection.
  • –If you wear or are considering contact lenses, ask whether the practice offers contact lens assessments and what that costs on top of the standard examination fee.
  • –Ask whether you will see the same optometrist at follow-up appointments, as continuity matters if you have a complex prescription or an ongoing eye health condition.

More rankings

Optometrists elsewhere in New Zealand 3 links
More health rankings in Dunedin 5 links

About this ranking

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

541
reviews held by the #1 ranked business
41
reviews held by the #5 ranked business
4.7
lowest rating among the 10 listed
2.9%
of their 1,020 reviews are one-star
How are the top optometrists in Dunedin chosen?

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

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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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