Eyeglasses Guide for Hong Kong, China: Eye Tests, Frames, Contacts and Where to Buy

1. Getting an Eye Test and a Prescription

Hong Kong optometrists are regulated by the Optometrists Board under Cap. 359. The register has Part I (fully qualified optometrists who can do comprehensive eye examinations, including eye health checks, and with an ocular pharmacology certificate can use diagnostic drugs) and Part II (practitioners qualified for refraction and dispensing only). For a general glasses prescription, either works; for a fuller eye health check, choose Part I.

• Where: optical shops and optometry clinics. Chains such as Optical 88 offer comprehensive exams (Optical 88 lists HK$538); PUYI Optical offers a standalone exam at HK$500, free with a purchase; hospitals and eye centres range roughly HK$280–450; Tai Kwong Eyecare lists HK$300.
• Cost: standalone exams run about HK$200–500, but many chains waive the fee when you buy glasses there. Ask before you sit down.
• Take your prescription: an eye test gives you a prescription slip (sphere/近视度数, cylinder/散光度数, axis, and PD/瞳距). You can legally take it elsewhere — get tested at one place and buy frames at another.

2. Frame Glasses: Lenses and Frames

Lens types:

• Single vision (单光): corrects one distance only; cheapest, suits most nearsighted/farsighted people.
• Progressive (渐进多焦): no visible lines; covers distance, mid and near in one lens. Suits people over ~40 who need near correction too. Takes 1–2 weeks to adapt — many forum users complain they "never get used to it"; an in-person fitting with a registered optometrist helps.
• Blue-light blocking (防蓝光): marketed for screen users; evidence of benefit is limited, so treat it as a comfort option rather than medical protection.
• Photochromic (变色片): clear indoors, darkens in sunlight; convenient if you dislike switching to sunglasses.

High myopia (600度+): choose high-index lenses (1.67 or 1.74) so lenses are thinner and lighter; they cost noticeably more than standard 1.56/1.61 lenses.

Frame materials and fit:

• Acetate (板材): thick, colourful, sturdy; heavier.
• Metal/合金: slim look, adjustable nose pads.
• Titanium (钛): light, hypoallergenic; pricier.
• Memory metal (记忆金属): flexible, suits active wearers and kids.
• Fit tips: frame width should roughly match face width; the top of the frame should sit near the eyebrows; ask the shop to adjust nose pads and temples so the glasses do not slide — a bad fit is the number one cause of discomfort, and adjustments are usually free.

3. Contact Lenses

• Daily (日抛): use once and throw away; most hygienic, highest daily cost.
• Biweekly (双周抛): replace every 2 weeks; needs nightly cleaning.
• Monthly (月抛): replace monthly; cheapest per day, needs strict hygiene.
• Toric lenses: for astigmatism (散光) — they come in fixed axis orientations, so a proper fitting matters.

For first-time wearers, get fitted by an optometrist: they check corneal shape, lens centration and teach you insertion/removal. After that you can buy at optical shops, Mannings (万宁), Watsons (屈臣氏) or online platforms such as HKTVmall.

4. Where to Buy (Names Only, No Links)

• Chains: Optical 88 (眼镜88), eGG Optical, OWNDAYS HK, JINS HK, Zoff HK. Fast-fashion chains (OWNDAYS HK, JINS HK, Zoff HK) sell complete frame-and-lens packages at standardized set prices, with an in-store eye test included and same-day or next-day pickup.
• Independent shops: scattered across districts like Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po and Central; prices vary widely and are negotiable in some shops — always ask for an itemised quote (frame price vs lens price).
• Shenzhen (northbound): many Hongkongers go to the 罗湖 area — Dongmen Glasses City (东门眼镜城), the Luohu Book City area (罗湖书城) and the International Trade Building area (国贸大厦), a short walk from Luohu Port/罗湖口岸 or one MTR stop away. Brand lenses (Zeiss, Hoya, Essilor) are sold at steep discounts off list price (often described as 2.5–3折), and many shops make glasses the same day. A basic frame with 1.61-index single-vision lenses can cost a few hundred yuan — much cheaper than Hong Kong, but check lens authenticity and keep the receipt.
• Online: platform names only — HKTVmall, Taobao. Ask the seller for exact lens index, coating and PD before paying; measuring PD wrong is a common cause of online complaints.

5. Small Anti-Slip Accessories

• Silicone nose pads (防滑鼻托): stick-on or screw-in, stop glasses sliding on oily skin.
• Glasses chains/cords (眼镜链/绳): prevent drops when you take glasses off.
• Sports straps (运动眼镜带): elastic band that keeps glasses on during hiking or cycling.
• Anti-fog cloth (防雾布): reduces fogging when moving between air-con and humid outdoors.

6. Insurance

• Public healthcare: the Hospital Authority's eye clinics treat eye disease but do not cover glasses or contact lenses — budget for these yourself.
• Employer group medical insurance: some plans include an optical benefit covering eye tests and glasses up to an annual limit — check your plan's schedule; check your plan's benefit schedule.
• VHIS (自愿医保): standard VHIS certified plans exclude spectacles and correction of refractive errors (the terms list spectacles under excluded durable equipment). Only some enhanced/Flexi plans offer optional optical benefits — check the fine print before counting on it.

7. Why a Spare Pair

• Glasses break or get lost — a HK$0 backup beats a week of blurry vision.
• When eyes are dry or irritated, you cannot wear contact lenses; a spare frame pair covers those days.
• Cheap ways: buy from the fast-fashion chains (OWNDAYS HK, JINS HK, Zoff HK) or in Shenzhen's 罗湖 area. A second simple pair costs far less than your main one.

8. Common Forum Complaints

Hong Kong forums (LIHKG/连登, 香港讨论区) repeat the same gripes — avoid the traps:

1. "配眼镜被劏" (ripped off): pricing is opaque — the lens alone can cost several times the frame. Always ask for frame and lens prices separately, and be wary of hard upsells to 1.67/1.74 lenses you may not need.
2. Progressive lenses feel wrong: adaptation takes time; if dizziness persists beyond two weeks, go back for a re-check — the fitting (especially lens centration and frame angle) may be off.
3. Online order mistakes: wrong PD or axis values produce glasses that feel "off" even when the sphere power is right. If buying online, double-check every number on your prescription before ordering.

ShareCopied!

Scan with WeChat to share