Wink Optical

I met with Anthony at Wink a few months ago to ask him to measure my PD on a pair of glasses from another state. He refused and went on to berate the shop owner who he claimed to know «personally» for recommending glasses that did not fit me. He said the same about my current glasses I was wearing that I had purchased there. I went out of Wink feeling like I had been horribly abused and in tears. I went instead to Fredric Ian Eyewear and was treated kindly and my measurement was taken without any problem.

After going back in to try out a less expensive type of contact lenses, I was approached by the eye doctor to change my review on Unilocal; specifically, she told me that «she had given a good eye exam» and that essentially, my review was too harsh.
Overall, my rating is based on the exam as well as the customer service and I think they can do better.
Additionally, my right eyelid had a severe (and visible) rash during my second visit. During the exam there was no acknowledgement of it… which is concerning when you are at the eye doctor. If I hadn’t been going to the dermatologist later that day I would have probably asked but I definitely think it should have been a conversation initiated by the doctor.

I wish more places had the same values of quality and service that Wink Optical has.
I purchased my first pair of frames from wink over a year ago and still regard it as one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Before going to Wink I thought that a prescription was a prescription and that all frames basically did the same thing. However, after getting what might be the best eye exam of my life from Dr. Early, Anthony Mark measured my face and found some frames that actually fit. If you’ve never been truly «fit» for frames, then get excited. It’s like seeing the world in HD.
One other thing that I love about Wink is that they truly value quality. Today there are a lot of brands that used to be good (Ray-​ban, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, etc.) that are now owned and manufactured by Luxottica. Basically, formerly hand-​made, one of a kind frames are now made in the same manufacturing plants that make the cheap stuff, they just get a better name on them. Wink doesn’t have any of that junk in their store. Everything they have is quality, hand-​made optics.
It’s true, they don’t take insurance, but I still tell friends who don’t even make much that it’s worth it to go there. Frames you buy there are going to be excellent and they’re not going to fall apart on you. The staff over there is pretty incredible too. No, they don’t tolerate whiney people judging by some of the other reviews, but they take their time with customers, measure them for a good fit, and treat people like people.

The eye store that knows optometry as well as fashion! What impressed me was the honesty of Dr Liz Erley. She told me my vision was good and a pair of glasses or contacts were not a must have. I figured they had nice products & why not? Her sales staff picked out a frame that fit me as well as the small perscription she wrote… it all works for me. I put those frames on my nose everyday… the persrciption works and they look nice.

So, so, so expensive. To make matters worse, they don’t accept insurance of any kind for any service. And they didn’t bother to tell me that until after the exam had already taken place (which admittedly is my own fault for not checking beforehand, but what medical establishment doesn’t take insurance?).

Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble on Wink, but I just moved here from CA and I know CA prices. Yes, Boulder is expensive, but this is totally out of line. Wink is absolutely the most $$$$ optical place I have ever been to. Tried to get just my lenses replaced, and the cost was over $ 250 more than other premium places in Boulder. They were friendly, but kept pushing me to not only replace lenses, but frames as well. Granted, I have a difficult prescription, but I will NOT pay over $ 1,000 for a pair of glasses.

Wink is the place in town for unique, hand made and beautiful glasses. This is not the store like all the others that carries glasses made in China. The optician, Anthony, knows glasses and what is best for your face. Ask him about his vintage collection which he also sells from.
Great collection and wonderful people who know their product well.

My coworker went here to get a new pair of glasses, and recommended them to me. Upon her recommendation, I came in here and had a wonderful experience.
The staff was incredibly friendly and it was very easy for me to make an appointment.
The eye exam was quick and very thorough, and the doctor even emailed me photos of the inside of my eyes, which I thought was radical. She explained everything very clearly to me and was super nice.
I’ve seen a few notes about how expensive the glasses are, but I don’t think it’s that out of line. I’ve purchased glasses before, when I lived in California, and the prices here were comparable to that. Also, unless you just need little bifocal reading glasses from the drugstore, I see glasses as something you should spend money on for quality. I mean you wear them on your face every freaking day, they better fit great and you should love them.
When searching for frames, the staff was incredibly patient and helpful. They obviously take a lot of pride in their selection of frames, which I found to be different and unique, as well as helping you really find the perfect glasses for your face. They measure your face, which is really helpful, then try to find glasses that will fit best and that you will love.
They are not a VSP provider, but I sent in insurance forms for reimbursement from my insurance provider, which was simple and painless.
The staff is knowledgeable, you feel informed, they are friendly, and the customer service is excellent.

After reading some of the reviews on Unilocal (and having seen the office when I walked to my bank) I decided to give WInk a try. Let me say, I think I have found my permanent optometrist for as long as I live in the immediate area.
First off, they are extremely accommodating-​I called on Monday afternoon and they got me in first thing Wednesday. And when I went to head to my appointment to find my tire totally flat, they were extremely helpful and got me in an hour and a half later.
The actual exam was so nice too-​after having gone to Target’s Optical department for years, seeing Dr. Liz Erley was so refreshing. She was extremely thorough and full of helpful advice (I’ve had contacts for over 10 years and I didn’t realize that wearing them in the shower tightens them…) She also caught the fact that my right eye developed an astigmatism (something my previous doctor missed a mere few months ago.) She also recommended the perfect pair of contacts (and corrected the prescription the aforementioned doctor also messed up.) On top of all that, she gave me a list of vitamins she recommended, a complimentary bottle of prescription eye drops for my allergies, and two boxes of disinfecting contact cleanser.
The shop itself has an unbelievable selection of eyewear (it made me sad I only needed contacts!) It is a bit pricey, but honestly, this is one of those things in life that seem worth shelling out some money for. Dr. Erley will surpass all of your expectations and likely help you with stuff you didn’t even realize were an issue!

I used to like this place, when it first opened, but not in a looooong time now. I find there’s been a real lack of customer service for many years. The selection of frames have gone way down. Outrageous prices! I don’t like the hours they have for business. Dr Liz can be very condescending. So I quit going back in the early 2000s.
Aspen Eyewear on Arapahoe is my go to shop now. If I find frames I like somewhere else, I bring them to Aspen.

This place has cool frames, but cost much more than I can handle. The eye exam however, was very thorough. One of the best I ever had. Wish the glasses cost less.

Upon arriving in Boulder from San Francisco, two things changed for me.
1) I’m now ready for bed around 10PM (thanks altitude!)
2) Somehow, my vision has changed significantly in the last three months.
Before arriving at Wink, I sampled the local fare down on Pearl street and found their offerings between dismal and «meh.» Not to say that they were bad, just every third person here in town sports the same pair of Ray Bans or Oliver Peoples.
Fortunately, by circumstance I found myself at Wink on grey Saturday afternoon with only a midnight session of Unilocal to thank.
Upon entering the shop, I immediately knew I was going to find what I was after here — I was also fully aware that Wink is not a VSP provider… which is a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. Anyhow, I was immediately greeted even though the owner, Brian was helping another customer find the perfect pair.
Fifteen minutes into some self-​parusing, Brian came over, gave my face a stern look and dashed across the room grabbing three pairs on the way. To my amazement, all three pairs were offerings I wouldn’t have even considered without his recommendation, and to be honest, they are simply amazing. I had a hard time picking, but after some thinking a half-​dozen vein mirror adjustments I finally settled on a pair. Gone is the giant-​plasticky-​hipster nonsense that has lived on my face for the last two years and in is the amazing, two-​tone faded specs handcrafted in Holland. I couldn’t be any happier.

I recently needed to replace my glasses and because I had insurance through CU I went somewhere else to get my glasses. While trying to figure out what my prescription was searching on the internet I found that according to the federal trade commission, the optometrist is required to give you your prescription on paper immediately after an exam. Wink Optical is the only place that has done this and I’ve gotten glasses at 3 other places in Boulder. Also I had to get my new glasses adjusted 3 times at the place I got my glasses and readjusted again at another eyeglass place in Boulder and finally had to go to Wink Optical to get them finally adjusted properly. If you need to see a true optician and require someone that actually had training and skills to adjust your glasses properly, this is the only place to go. I never actually started wearing my glasses until I came to this place, my first wearable glasses came from here because nobody had the necessary skills to fit them properly on my face. The drawback to quality is that it’s expensive but considering the numerous other eyeglass places to choose from and the lack of quality care I received I think this place is worth the price. I just have to save up to get my glasses from here.
Here’s a link for the Federal Trade Commission so you know what your rights are:

Wink Optical is the best experience for your eyeballs ever. Liz and Brian are so friendly, as is the whole team. It’s like visiting an old friend every time I walk in there. Liz does a fantastic job of taking care of my eyes and helping me choose the right contacs or glasses.
I moved from Boulder to Broomfield, and soon to Denver, but I will stay with Wink.

I bought a $ 600+ pair of reading glasses – no problem, I thought I’d have them for years. When the titanium frame broke several months later, I was simply told where to get them re-​soddered. No warranty, since they were discontinued.
I expect to get what I pay for – expect to get «lip service» vs. «customer service» if you have a problem. Word gets around in a community like Boulder.

I recently had my annual eye exam done at Wink and was very pleased with the attention and quality of the exam. I’ve seen my fair share of optometrists in my life and can easily say that Dr. Liz is one of the best I’ve encountered. Very knowledgeable, patient, and thorough. Her office also offers the latest technology/​equipment.
As other reviewers have noted, Wink also carries an extensive line of designer frames and lenses. The prices, I agree with other reviewers, are high but the quality of materials (of the frames and lenses) appears to be a large step up from the usual found at the chain retailers. Definitely worth a look and a chat with the optician even if you’re only mildly curious.

Dr. Erley is great and the selection of frames is first-​rate. I thought the choices weren’t that good the last few times I had been there and had put off getting new frames for a while, but now there were many frames I wanted and had a difficult choice deciding on what I liked the best.
Yes, glasses are expensive, but Wink is no more expensive than other places in Boulder offering high-​quality work. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the cost.

Ok so I went back. I decided to give Mr. Overempowered another chance because he obviously knew his spectacles and probably could be a good ally if I let him. So I went in with a different attitude, gave him the benefit of the doubt and ended up with an awesome pair of spectacles (that I did pay way way more than I ever expected to), but I must say these glasses are a piece of art… that I get to wear! And the vision *is* spectacular through the fine camera lens glass they use. So 1 star off for expense, but it is leagues above any other place in town in style and quality. and ultimately worth it.

Five stars for Dr Erly. Eye exam is state of the art and allows for any progress /​deterioration to be well tracked. Best contact fit yet, makes me want to wear them! I have not purchased glasses here, just exams and contacts.

I thought I had perfect vision until I saw the prices of the glasses inside Wink… I had no idea that glasses were so expensive! No wonder people always freak out about losing their glasses… I don’t blame them because losing a pair of glasses is like losing a pay check for an entire week!
I won’t let this high price thing completely rule my review however… Wink is a stylish and fun place to get a new pair of high fashion prescription glasses, or even glasses with no prescription… just for that librarian sexy look (guys dig that).
Frame fashion from cat eyes to big round owl Marilyn Monroe style… (I am not sure Marilyn would really wear these, but it seemed to fit the character).
Wink offers an optometrist and glass cutting on site, so you can check your vision and get your glasses all in a couple hours… You just can’t eat for the next three days!
* Star one is for a cute and flirtatious name that made even non-​prescription fools like myself enter your store
** Star two is for making imperfect vision the fashionable thing to have
*** Star three is for friendly and non-​judgmental customer service
**** ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision star four is for having a great store layout, with an optometrist’s doctor’s office in the back
***** Perfect vision star five is for sexy and racy eye-​glass collections that literally made me lick my lips… Not sure what that means.