thespectaclefactory.com Reviews 

I love Robert's content. I think it's informative and entertaining. But always felt like I already know what I like. I have an obscene number of frames and I am pretty sure I like what I like and know what I like. And even though he's excellent, I never felt like he or anyone could teach me something that would change the way I think about glasses and frames. I came across his online shop and purchased a pair of Masunagas and texted him to ask if he could get a different pair of Masunagas that I haven't been able to find in years. I see them on social media on Japanese and European sites, but no one in the Us ever has them. Robert came back a few days later and said he found them. It's crazy because no one in any store from LA to Chicago to New York has been able to find them. Robert did.
He then asked me if I wanted him to do the lenses too to which I replied, no, I'll take them to my guy who's been doing my glasses for over 15 years. He said he could probably recommend something different for me. He said he specializes in tints. I responded, I have a corporate job and tinted lenses won't work in that environment. I can’t be looking like I am going to a club at work. But as I have lots of glasses, I said, ok, give it a shot. I sent him one picture of me, front and sides. When I received my frames, I was amazed. The frames are this light browning and he added the most amazing brownish tint, very subtle, almost not there. But they looked beautiful. They are subtle enough I can wear to work and I love them. They even seem to sooth my eyes, protecting me from the computer glare. And I am not sure what brand lenses I got, but they are suer clear and have no distortions at the corners. None at all. But the most amazing thing about this journey, wasn't that he sourced a pair of impossible to get frames, and not that he recommended the most beautiful tint, not that he provided the most clear glasses I've ever had- it was that he actually fitted my frames with a perfect fit and he did from a freaking picture! I have a funny high bridge nose and one ear higher than the other and have a difficult time getting glasses to fit properly. He gave me a better fit than I ever had. What a great experience with The Spectacle Factory and Robert and his team, not to mention how polite, and kind and responsive they were during the whole process. If you want a new look, try Robert's consolations. What I paid for mt frames we well worth every single penny. Today, he found another pair impossible to get frames for me. He’s amazing.

Excellent customer service. As I go by myself they are always very warm and friendly and help me pick out the right frames. Lots of compliments on the glasses. Would highly recommend, in fact I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

I was suckered in by their YouTube presence, and prepared to pay a lot more than other retailers for that ‘special’ service and ‘optimal’ outcome. In my experience, what was delivered was inferior to my favourite high street seller. Shan’t be going back.

I found this company online as I wanted Zeiss Lenses. Made an appointment to drive over from Leeds for an advanced eye test with the Zeiss iProfiler which is an absolutely amazing piece of technology. I chose a pair of Reykjavik Titanium frames and the best Zeiss SmartLife Lenses that were available. Anyway 3 weeks later my glasses were ready to pick up and was well impressed with them. A couple of adjustments later and they fitted perfectly and the crystal clear vision is absolutely amazing. I also decided to order a pair of sunglasses also with Zeiss SmartLife Lenses and they are absolutely fantastic as well.

Nicky who dealt with me from start to finish is one amazing lady and is a credit to the company,her knowledge of the products is second to none and her patience and professionalism is just out of this world,nothing was too much trouble and she also makes the most amazing cup of Coffee 😃

I also want to give a mention to Robert,who’s one of the nicest guys you could wish to meet and an absolute gentleman.

So If you’re looking for a great opticians then look no further,for me personally it was well worth the drive over from Leeds and I won’t use any other opticians in the future.

Previously I have bought glasses from Specsavers. 2 for1 deal. Last year decided to buy what I thought would be a better pair of glasses that would last longer. Paid a bit more but thought it was worth it. How wrong could I be… The arm dropped off after 18 months. I went in yesterday to have it re attached and they refused saying they were only guaranteed for 12 months. Whilst I was in there I saw other very disgruntled customers ( not the same reason) I’m going back to Specsavers. They didn’t care.

Great experience, had visited my regular place where I get my glasses they weren't interested in fixing a broken arm on a pair I had from them so I tried other high street places to see if they would help no one was interested so off I went to Preston and came across specstation explained to the guy behind the counter and it wasn't a problem for him to help, walked away extremely happy, fixed 2 new arms at a low cost, I couldn't be more happy with the service and cost.... Very helpful and great customer service... 10/10

The Spectacle Factory, and Robert Sands in particular have created three pairs of custom sunglasses for me in the past 2 months: Akoni Spitzer Aviators with a Zeiss polarized Adaptive Sun Pioneer lenses with Ruby Mirror; Esmont Hawker Hurricanes with Zeiss polarized Brown Adaptive Sun Lenses with amber mirror; and the latest received today, Masunaga MOC O4 burgundy with Zeiss Pioneer Adaptive Sun Lenses with Ruby flash mirror. All are beautiful and only outshined by the attentive, magnificent service and advice I received.

After years of struggling with poor fitting glasses (slipping down nose etc) I came across Spectacle Factory YouTube content and decided to make the 5hr drive to Preston for a new eye test and an appointment with Robert. The experience was made all the more pleasurable with a complementary overnight stay at Stanley House. In store it was a great experience from start to finish with great styling advice from Robert. I bought 2 pairs of Reykjavik Eyes glasses that were delivered in 9 days and they fit perfectly. I would 100% recommend the Spectacle Factory if you want a premium service (and even got 50% off 2nd pair of Zeiss lenses). Yes you pay full RRP for frames but well worth it when you factor in the service and facilities at the Spectacle factory.

I have today picked up my latest lenses and new full glasses and lenses from The Spectacle Factory in Bamber Bridge near Preston, Lancashire.

I’m a repeat customer and have been going there since well before lockdown. I can’t remember whether these are 3rd or 4th set of glasses I have had from them.

From the skilled opticians, hi-tech equipment on the test, through to the entire team helping you to pick frames and options (shout out to Emma!) the whole experience has been great.

The glasses I chose this time around were Reykjavik- same brand as last time, light as air frames but something a bit more “jazzy” for the weekends. I had replacement lenses in my last pair to be more “conservative” for the office.

I thoroughly appreciate the advice and guidance that I have received from all of the professionals I have met there. It’s the advice I truly value.

Others have commented on feeling sold at instead of advised. This has never been my experience here.

It was the advice that made me find these guys in the first place after a national chain was purely selling lenses without giving me any advice. I travel 40 minutes from my home to be looked after by the team.

My eye health has had a significant issue spotted by these guys in 2024 and helped me to get appropriate treatment.

So the advice, professionalism, friendly team and wide variety of glasses and lenses are what keeps me coming back.

Thank you again Spectacle Factory.
Credit where credit is due.

When running a business - it is the people that make it. Rob has a bunch of lovely professionals in his company. Shout out to Emma the style consultant who advised me and now I get "lovely glasses" from people to Hisham who measured me up perfectly and simply. The three spectacles I have are the first varifocals that fit perfectly out of the box, without having to shift my head around and I am not bothered by the distortion edges.

I had the most horrific experience at the spectacle factory Preston, I was charged way above retail for a frame I had ordered only realised when I checked the RRP online via google, when I questioned this and wanted a refund I was met with abrasive rude snobby and abrupt attitude. Was told they’re the best that’s why they charge these prices.

Robert is a crafty dishonest salesman, they seem to take your money quickly when placing and order and payments, when trying to question their high mark ups they just act like it’s not the case. The staff also are not educated enough on eyewear it was like entering a school playground. My uncle has been in the optical business for years so I’m not clueless. I’ve had to contact citizens direct and it’s been suggested I take this much further especially as we have consumer rights which these guys don’t take seriously, I agree with the other reviews. This place is a mockery and the truth needs to be shared!

The store itself is in a very old, dead area more quoted for builders collecting bricks and metal than it is for high end eyewear. The online presence is not what the store reflects, it’s a different ball game altogether. Will not be using this company ever again. Save your money and don’t be blinded by the spectacle “factory” the store also had no vibe or presence, looked like a converted shed.

Will stick to sunglasses hut or Mr Soho next time.

I called ahead before making a 2+ hour trip to this "trusted" opticians. I even booked time off work to come. Over the phone, I gave them the exact code for the product and was given a price. When I got there, I was told that price was actually for a different item and they'd "mistakenly" quoted me the wrong one.

It didn't make any sense as I gave the exact product code, The staff didn't seem to care at all. No apology, no effort to fix the issue, just a shrug and "mistakes happen." Only after I complained did they offer £200 off which didn't seem genuine.

I also spoke to Robot afterwards, thinking he'd take the feedback seriously. Instead, he acted arrogant and just went on about how they're the "best eyewear company." Completely missing the point.

I came in ready to buy a Cartier frame and was hoping for a luxury experience instead I got one of the worst customer service experiences I've had anywhere. For a business with a decent following, the service was honestly shocking.

What makes it worse is that I was genuinely excited to visit. I'd been watching their videos for a while and wouldn've loved to build a collection with them as the frames and lenses do look great. But after this experience, I honestly don't trust the service.

If you're looking for a reliable and trustworthy opticians, I'd really think twice before coming here.

The Spectacle Factory, an eyewear retailer in Preston, UK, whose representative misled me repeatedly during multiple luxury eyewear purchases.

Over the past few years, I bought seven pairs of glasses through their remote sales channel while living in Norway. Robert, who presents himself as an eyewear specialist via video consultations and social media, advised me on frame styles and lens configurations. I later learned that he is not a qualified optician and is self-taught.

Key concerns include:
- Being sold lenses branded as “SmartLife” from Zeiss, when some colors (e.g. salmon tint, pink gradient) do not exist in Zeiss’ offerings. These were reportedly created by the company, but misrepresented as branded lenses.
- Frames significantly mismatched to my petite size and prescription (+5 and +3.25), causing discomfort and magnified visual distortion.
- Dismissive email responses when I raised concerns, and refusal to exchange products that were promoted as customizable or fitted to me.
- Possibly unethical customs practices — my expensive orders, including £1,000 Cartier frames, were consistently shipped with a declared value around £100, allegedly to avoid tolls. This appears to be intentional undervaluation.

I have since paid out-of-pocket to replace several lenses and correct the poor choices made during these sales. I believe I was misled regarding both product type and the expertise of the seller.

I ordered two non-prescription clip-on lenses for my subtitle glasses — one sun-reflective, one for blue light filtering — and paid over $700. The sun clip was fine. The blue light lens, however, was completely clear and didn’t block blue light in any visible way.

When I raised the issue, I was told the lens was “the best available” and filters up to 40%. That wasn’t remotely adequate for my needs, and the lens didn’t perform as expected.

Despite multiple emails over several months, I was only offered a replacement if I paid more. No return label. No refund. Just more cost to fix what I consider a misfit between product and purpose.

The whole process left me feeling like the service ended once they had my payment. I wish I had read more reviews beforehand. Hopefully this helps someone else avoid the same mistake.