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Free Eye Test in Hanoi

Manh Long Optical · 147A Le Duan, Cua Nam, Hanoi · Updated 7 September 2026

The eye test at Manh Long is free, and it stays free whether you buy anything or not. That is not a promotion with an end date — it is how we work, and it applies again every time you come back.

What the test involves

Twenty to thirty minutes, in a room set aside for it rather than at the counter:

1. Auto-refraction. A machine takes a first reading of each eye. This is a starting point, not the answer.
2. Trial frame. We put lenses in front of your eyes and change them while you read a chart. Your answers matter more than the machine's number.
3. Both eyes together. Eyes that test well separately can still disagree with each other. This step is the one most often skipped elsewhere.
4. Astigmatism. Strength and axis, checked rather than assumed.
5. Pupil distance. Measured, because a lens ground for the wrong distance makes a correct prescription feel wrong.

At the end you get the numbers, and you can walk out with them. We will not hold your prescription hostage to a sale.

Why free, and what free means here

Free means no fee, no minimum spend, and no obligation. People come in to check a prescription before ordering glasses online, and that is fine — we would rather be the shop you thought of.

It also applies afterwards. Re-testing is free for as long as you own the glasses, so if something starts to feel off six months later, come back.

How often to have your eyes checked

Adults with a stable prescription: roughly every one to two years. Sooner if anything changes — headaches at the end of a screen day, holding your phone further away than you used to, catching yourself squinting at road signs.

Children are different. Prescriptions move quickly while they are growing, so a school-age child usually wants checking every six to twelve months.

If you are having your first test in years, expect a change. It is normal, and it is easier to adjust to when it is caught early.

Testing children

We test school-age children. The method is the same but slower, with more breaks, and a parent stays in the room.

Where a case looks complicated — a large difference between the two eyes, a squint, anything that does not add up — we say so and point you to an eye hospital instead of selling you glasses. An optical shop is not a medical clinic, and the honest answer is sometimes that this is not our job.

What to bring

• Your current glasses, even if they are broken or old. They tell us where you are starting from.
• Any written prescription you have. We will read it, then test anyway if it is over twelve months old.
• Contact lens wearers: take them out beforehand if you can, or tell us how long you have had them in.

What we do not do

We measure vision and fit glasses. We do not diagnose eye disease, and glasses do not slow, reverse or cure short-sightedness — they correct how light lands on your retina, and that is the whole of it.

Sudden vision loss, pain, double vision, flashes or a curtain across your sight are hospital matters, not shop matters. If you describe any of those to us we will tell you to go, not book you a fitting.

Coming in

No appointment needed. We are open 8:00 to 21:30 every day, holidays included, at 147A Le Duan, Cua Nam, a short walk from Hanoi railway station. Someone on the floor speaks English, and WhatsApp or Zalo both reach the same phone if you would rather write.

Weekends and early evenings are busiest. A message beforehand saves you the wait.

Common questions

Is the eye test really free?

Yes. No fee, no minimum spend, no obligation to buy. It is free again every time you come back, including re-tests for as long as you own the glasses.

How long does an eye test take?

Twenty to thirty minutes: auto-refraction, trial frame, both eyes together, astigmatism, and pupil distance.

Can I take the prescription away with me?

Yes. You get the numbers at the end and can do what you like with them, including ordering glasses somewhere else.

How often should I have my eyes tested?

Adults with a stable prescription, every one to two years. Sooner if you get headaches after screen work or find yourself squinting. School-age children usually every six to twelve months, because prescriptions move while they are growing.

Do you test children?

We test school-age children, with a parent in the room and more breaks. If a case looks complicated we will send you to an eye hospital rather than sell you glasses.

Do I need to book?

No. Walk in any day between 8:00 and 21:30. Weekends and early evenings are busiest, so a message on Zalo or WhatsApp first saves waiting.