Current recommendations for cheap, high-quality eyeglasses lenses store in Taipei?

Taiwan Where Can I Find...?
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This topic comes up periodically on Forumosa, but not having needed the information until now, I’d like to ask the knowledgeable people around here for current, real-time recommendations on where in Taipei to buy eyeglass lenses that are budget-priced, thin, strong and of high quality – similar to the prices and services offered by the Zoff chain of budget-priced retail eyeglass stores in Japan (zoff.co.jp/).

Specifically, I have a new U.S. eyeglass prescription in hand and need just the lenses to fit my pre-existing sunglasses frames. I know there are eyeglasses stores on nearly every corner of commercial districts in Taipei, but I’m clueless as to which shops to approach with pricing questions and what to expect from their marketing approaches and the quality of their offerings – especially when they’re faced with a largely non-Mandarin-speaking customer such as myself (though I can speak Japanese well…but even if the shopkeeper spoke English, I still am not certain of the relative degree to which I may be getting ripped off or getting a bargain, relative to the retail environment in general).

Maybe I’m unrealistic, but I was hoping the Taiwan optical market has evolved to offer prescription eyeglasses consumer options such as Zoff does in Japan, where over a several-year period in the not-too-distant past I’ve purchased multiple pairs of sunglasses lenses at the higher refractive index of 1.74 (among the thinnest and lightest lenses), including prism and appropriate polarized tinting and antireflective/scratchproofing/UVA/UVB coating – all for 12,600 Japanese yen, or 3,791 NT at current exchange rates – and regular, non-tinted single-vision 1.74 refractive index lenses for even less – in the neighborhood of 10,000 yen, or 3,000 NT at current exchange rates.

Zoff also uses high-quality, thin and strong Japanese lenses, even at their reasonable price points, and I’ve never had a bad pair of lenses made there of the several pair of regular and sunglass lens’ prescription eyeglasses I had done in the past over a several-year period. There are budget-priced chains in Japan that aim for a lower demographic (“Hachi” is one that comes to mind) that cater to students and the like, in Ximen-type places like Shibuya, Tokyo, but Zoff, and Muji Ryohin like them, in my experience in Tokyo, aim for the slightly higher-income demographic market with more upscale retail locations and offer corresponding higher quality product, usually including frames and lenses in one reasonably priced set.

As for Costco, I haven’t checked them out yet in Taiwan, and do know they are typically relatively inexpensive; however their U.S. optical shops (and thus presumably here?) only sell prescription lenses as thin as the refractive index of 1.67 (about 25% thicker than 1.74, as was explained to me by a Costco optical shop staff member in the U.S., so I’d ruled them out when purchasing prescription lenses recently in the U.S.). My preference for the higher 1.74 refractive index is to keep the lenses as light and thin as possible, and if such high-quality, thin-lens options exist at a reasonable price in Taipei, it’d be great to know about… :rainbow:

At any rate, sorry to be so long-winded but thanks in advance for any input on the matter!

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I recently bought my eyeglasses in a small shop in Banqiao. I got nice design Odbo laminated, nickel-plated, titanium frames, plus Transitions glasses with UV protection, for around 6000 NT$, I thought it was cheap (my previous glasses, bought in Spain, were similar, with Oakley frame, and costed 575€ with a 45% discount (already included). If you want my opinion, check the small shops. They’re usually friendlier, cheaper, and really fast (I ordered mine one sunday, and I had them ready on monday afternoon).

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I don’t know what you’re on about refractive index and stuff. You just sit there, take a few tests, he points and you just say what colour it is and stuff right?
Anyways, I also recommend small shops. There is one on Sanmin Road, section 3 towards the end, who gave me superb service. I bought my contact lenses there.

I bought my recent glasses from a small store in Xizhi station. They are steel frames with Iron plating + blue tint (apparently good if you use computers a lot at work) + Transition lenses (The one that turns to sunglasses in the sun and stuff) + a custom lens for my left eye to correct my double vision. All this for 6k .

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The refraction index is really useful to know if you, like myself, are in need of epic corrective lenses. the greater the index, the more the lens bends light, allowing for the lenses to be thinner with the same correction, and allowing you to wear thinner frames instead of google-like contraptions. :thumbsup:

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I’ve noticed some of the shopping centers have shops with high-quality frames, but don’t appear to offer lens service, so I’ve guessed would need to be taken to a local shop for lenses to be added.

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I love shopping at smaller optical shops for custom frames, you get a variety of stuff from Japan, Spain -all over Europe- even in the most remote places. Lenses choices from the most sophisticated. It is the advantage of living in a country where 90% of the people have some kind of vision problem.

The constraint the OP has is language. I’d try my hand at Costco, I live their Silhuette collection. Cheap, fast, professional good service. As to widths and stuff, well, I guess they have more range as the market here is bigger. I usually buy my contacts there bulk.

For cheap glasses, the chain stores around NTU in Gongguan, facing the Roosevelt Rd. side. They also handle prescriptions.

If your needs are more specific, I’d recommend at exit 8 of Taipei Main Station -small Eslite side-, facing Gongyuan Rod. right next door there is an old building that has several beauty and eye stores, 5th floor, NOVA I think it is called.

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[quote=“Icon”]I love shopping at smaller optical shops for custom frames, you get a variety of stuff from Japan, Spain -all over Europe- even in the most remote places. Lenses choices from the most sophisticated. It is the advantage of living in a country where 90% of the people have some kind of vision problem.

The constraint the OP has is language. I’d try my hand at Costco, I live their Silhuette collection. Cheap, fast, professional good service. As to widths and stuff, well, I guess they have more range as the market here is bigger. I usually buy my contacts there bulk.

For cheap glasses, the chain stores around NTU in Gongguan, facing the Roosevelt Rd. side. They also handle prescriptions.

If your needs are more specific, I’d recommend at exit 8 of Taipei Main Station -small Eslite side-, facing Gongyuan Rod. right next door there is an old building that has several beauty and eye stores, 5th floor, NOVA I think it is called.[/quote]

Thanks to you and everyone who has responded. Unless I’d find a great deal that includes new frames, my needs are simply limited to fulfilling at a store in Taipei a new eyeglasses prescription issued in the USA this past summer, via the purchase of thin (1.74 refractive index) polarized/scratchproof & UV-coated lenses like the kind I already have from my previous prescription fulfilled in Japan. In other words, I don’t need to retake any vision tests in the store, but rather just have my new eyeglass prescription fulfilled with reasonably priced, high-quality brand 1.74 refractive index (thickness, or more accurately, “thinness”) lenses…I already have the frame and just want new sunglass lenses made.

As I’ve stated, Costco offerings may be inexpensive, but they’re too thick for my needs: They are only as thin as 1.67 refractive index lenses, which are heavier and thicker than the 1.74 refractive index lenses I’ve purchased for my previous prescription at reasonable price at the Zoff retail chain in Japan, and it is a similar deal that I am seeking here in Taipei. So to this point I’m concluding that there are no retail chains in Taipei equivalent to Zoff, and that the best deals might be struck at smaller stores? I googled “eyeglasses in Taipei” but other than occasional posts on the topic that appear in Forumosa and the occasional blog, there is a general dearth of info on the topic, and it’s hard to conclude much in a general sense, although people here on Forumosa and elsewhere on the Internet have kindly offered up their personal experiences at mostly smaller shops.

The sporadic mention on this thread and elsewhere of recommendations of particular districts or clusters of retail optical stores (I’ve also seen mention of a cluster of shops Bade Road East of Taipei Main Station…has anyone heard of or had experience with them?) might have served people well, but I’m also interested in what kind of lenses are being sold: Are they no-name types or world-class Japanese or other brands, such as Hoya and Seiko?

I’m just trying to sort out the general retail environment here, and do appreciate the crowdsourced pointers from the Forumosan community! Language issues aren’t an extremely big factor, though referrals to English-speaking, competent shop owners/operators who can answer the questions I’ve put forth in this thread would be helpful.

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unfortunately cheap and high quality is kinda oxymoron here.

cheap: I know places that are cheap with decent frames and lens deal, but i don’t think they’re the thin ones that you wanted. they range from 1000~3990 for the whole thing.

good quality: i know a chain store that mainly carries German brands like IC Berlin and Markus T (very thin frames and lens). All the sales there have optometrist medical degree. but they cost around 9000~15000 (but compare to the same exact frame+lens combo, it’s 70% cheaper than Hong Kong for some reason)

and most glasses shop just measure your prescription for you when you buy from them, it’s no where as strict as the US.

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Hey ls918…I’d be interested in knowing the name of the chain store carrying the German brands just for my info…and to everyone else, thanks again…I think I’ve got enough to start with for my small task. (Unless anyone has any more suggestions :notworthy: ) Cheers!

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it’s called BRýLE, and it’s at No. 224, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Rd, Daan District Taipei City, Taiwan 106

I highly recommend Markus T frames. it’s light like feather that I stopped wearing contacts :sunglasses:

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[quote=“ls918”]it’s called BRýLE, and it’s at No. 224, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Rd, Da’an District Taipei City, Taiwan 106

I highly recommend Markus T frames. it’s light like feather that I stopped wearing contacts :sunglasses:[/quote]

Whoa, I must have total coincidental radar, because today I walked into that exact same store while in the Da’an area, just on the basis of seeing the “Ici Berlin” sign hanging out front, while having yet to go anywhere else in all of Taipei to price prescription sunglass lenses based on the recommendations in this thread. Anyway, they have the Hoya brand of lenses that I am looking for; I got a quote but deferred committing to get them made there for now, because I wasn’t equipped to bargain at that moment, as I neglected to bring my previous bill of sale receipt for the old prescription sunglass lenses still currently in the frames (which the store staff even asked for). If I had that previous bill of sale with me, I suspect I could drive them down a bit from the 228% percent premium they quoted me over the Japan price I paid two years ago at the aforementioned Zoff in Tokyo…also, the price Bryle quoted was only for 1.67 refractive lenses, rather than the thinner, lighter 1.74 refractive lenses I clearly specified to them.

Whether in Japan or Taiwan, there’s nothing worse than merchants who think they can drag consumers contemptuously along by the nose while steering them to higher priced, lesser quality options contrary to what the customer asked for. I did spot “Ici Berlin” signs at shops elsewhere in town, so perhaps that could be an indicator they might also use better brand lenses like Hoya, but I suppose it remains for me to get out there and comparison-shop and drive a bargain (which is the exact scenario that stores like Zoff exist to avoid: they rectify the previous customer-unfriendly environment in Japan to make customer convenience and simplicity of the customer experience their focus, while obviating the need to waste time bargain-hunting and deal-striking at overpriced retailers as if you were buying a new car).

Rant off. :unamused:

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Yes Hoya, Nikon, and other Japanese brands are very common here, Japanese brands being very popular with Taiwanese customers. And yes, there are more Ici Berlin, as well as other European brands.

Pricey, yes, compare prices, yes. Do not fluster, though, it’s a buyers’ market. You have the ball.

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woah, sorry to hear such horrible experience there.

I kinda know the owner, do you want me to complain to the owner for you?

and how cheap was your lens from Zoff? give me a number so i can search the Chinese forums to see what the local prices are. They usually take out a “quote book” for the lenses, and you can usually get a 30% discount off from that.

I think Taiwan have some insane import tax, so the Japanese brand would definitely cost a lot more.

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[quote=“ls918”]woah, sorry to hear such horrible experience there.

I kinda know the owner, do you want me to complain to the owner for you?

and how cheap was your lens from Zoff? give me a number so i can search the Chinese forums to see what the local prices are. They usually take out a “quote book” for the lenses, and you can usually get a 30% discount off from that.

I think Taiwan have some insane import tax, so the Japanese brand would definitely cost a lot more.[/quote]
Thank you; It’s very kind of you! I think I just got the standard non-discount treatment/quote response from the Bryle staff, wielding their full-retail price quote book, that a random person walking in off the street would receive (and who most assuredly DIDN’T get the local price).

I’ll PM you with further relevant details, but I’ll say here that at Zoff I paid just 12,600 Japanese yen (or 3,756 NT / $127 USD at today’s exchange rate) on repeated occasions for sunglass lenses prescription renewals of high-quality Japanese brands (such as Hoya, etc.), using the very thin and lightweight 1.74 refractive index (NOT the heavier and less-thin 1.67 refractive index ones Bryle tried to foist on me, very annoyingly insisting – for their convenience, not mine – that it was a suitable option. If I wanted 1.67, I could just dispense with all this bargaining stuff and get them assuredly cheaper at Costco. But I want 1.74, which Costco doesn’t offer. Zoff’s 12,600 Japanese yen price, besides 1.74 refractive index, included a prism in the sunglass lenses prescription as well as a package featuring UV polarized/scratchproof/antireflective/coating/treatment on the lenses.

I understand that there might be some import duties involved in Taiwan for Japanese lenses, but my attitude is that with these high-quality, reasonably priced optical shops such as Zoff thriving (at least in Japan, though I’d hoped such a business model would translate to and influence the Taiwan market to a certain degree), it changes the whole traditional retail dynamic so as to empower the heretofore disadvantaged consumer, just like in the case of the low-cost-carriers that provide budget air travel. I know merchants are in business to make a profit, but the markup in the optical industry, just like in the watch/timepiece business, is often so high that I can’t have any sympathy for those retailers who (again dare I say, “contemptuously?”) still operate in the old anti-consumerist paradigm.