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GLASSES IN HANOI
Buying Glasses in Hanoi vs at Home
We are not going to guess what glasses cost where you live. What we can do is put our own prices and timings on the table so you can hold them against the quote you already have.
This is written by an optician at 147A Le Duan, Cua Nam, Hanoi. We have an interest in you buying from us, so treat the parts about risk as the part worth reading twice.
What is the same wherever you buy
More than most people expect.
- The lens brands. Essilor and ZEISS are global manufacturers. A Varilux or a ZEISS SmartLife lens sold in Hanoi is the same product sold in Munich or Melbourne, carrying the same authenticity markings on the packaging.
- The prescription notation. Sphere, cylinder, axis, addition and pupillary distance are written the same way everywhere. There is nothing to translate.
- The physics. A higher-index material makes a strong prescription thinner in Hanoi exactly as it does at home.
So the question is not whether the lenses are different. It is what else is in the price.
What is actually different
| Buying in Hanoi | What to check at home | |
|---|---|---|
| Eye test | Free at our shop, whether or not you buy. Re-checks free for as long as you wear the pair. | Often charged, or bundled into the price of the glasses. |
| Single-vision timing | Usually the same day. Lenses held in stock, cut in store. | Commonly several days to two weeks. |
| Progressive timing | About 24 hours for a standard lens. Three to four days for Essilor or ZEISS, which are surfaced at the manufacturer's lab. | Similar lab process, similar or longer wait. |
| Price of a finished pair | Single vision 850,000₫ – 3,500,000₫. Visitors typically spend 1,500,000₫ – 4,000,000₫ once they add photochromic, progressive or branded lenses. | Compare like with like: frame plus the same lens design, same index, same coatings. |
| Aftercare | Adjustments, cleaning and nose pads free for as long as you own the pair — but only if you can reach the shop. | Usually available locally, which matters more than it sounds. |
| Insurance | Not claimable in most home schemes. | If your policy covers most of the cost, the saving here may be smaller than it looks. |
One lens, two countries
A worked example is worth more than a table. An Essilor blue-light filtering lens costs 1,298,000₫ here. Customers tell us the same lens at home runs to several times that, and takes one to two weeks rather than a day.
We cannot verify what any particular shop charges in any particular country, so take that from the people who paid both prices:
"I had my lens replaced here at a very reasonable price and end up getting an extra pair too. Customer service was great. Prices here is fantastic and there's a great selection of lenses and shades. I highly recommend this place. I would've paid five or 10 times more if I were get it in Singapore or in the US."
— review left on Google
"The quality of the sunglasses is really good, stylish, and worth the price. The staff were very friendly and provided super quick service."
— review left on Google
One thing to hold steady when you compare: make sure both quotes are for the same lens design, the same index, the same coatings, and that both either include a frame or do not. Once those match, the comparison is real.
What can go wrong — and how to check
This is the part we would want a member of our own family to read.
A rushed eye test
An autorefractor gives a machine reading in seconds. It is a starting point, not a prescription. A proper refraction takes longer and involves you answering which of two lenses looks clearer.
What to ask: for a full refraction test, not only the machine reading. Ours takes as long as it takes and is free either way.
A prescription copied rather than measured
Hand over an old prescription and if nobody re-measures, you get glasses matched to the eyes you had two years ago.
What to ask: to be measured anyway, and for the new numbers in writing to take home.
No way to get an adjustment after you leave
Glasses shift with wear. Ours are adjusted free for life, which is worth nothing to you once you are on a plane.
What to do: come back before you fly and have the fit checked once more. It takes five minutes and it is the single most useful thing a traveller can do.
Lenses that are not what was sold
What to ask: to see the lens packaging with its authenticity markings before the lens is cut. We show it as a matter of course; anywhere that will not is answering the question for you.
Who it suits, and who it does not
| Buying here makes sense if… | Think twice if… |
|---|---|
| You need single vision and are in Hanoi for at least a day | You fly out tomorrow and need premium progressives — they take three to four days |
| You want a second or spare pair, or prescription sunglasses | Your insurance at home covers most of the cost anyway |
| You are staying long enough to come back if the fit needs work | You have a complex prescription that has needed several adjustments in the past |
| You would like an eye test without paying for one | You are between prescriptions and your vision has been changing quickly |
We would rather tell you the fourth row than sell you a pair you end up fighting with.
What we do here
Free eye test whether or not you buy. Roughly a thousand frames in store, from acetate to titanium, with a large selection of Korean designs. Essilor and ZEISS lenses with their authenticity markings, plus other manufacturers we stock. Single vision cut in store, usually the same day. English spoken on every shift. Card payment accepted. Open 8:00 to 21:30, every day.
You are welcome to bring your own frame. We will tell you honestly whether it will take the lenses you need.
For the full detail on costs, timing and lens types, see Getting Prescription Glasses in Hanoi.
Common questions
- Is it worth buying glasses in Vietnam?
- It depends on what you need and how long you are staying. Single-vision glasses are usually ready the same day and cost less than in most high-income countries. Essilor or ZEISS progressives take three to four days because they are surfaced at the manufacturer's lab, so they suit a longer stay. The lens brands are the same global ones; what differs is the price of the labour and the frame.
- Are glasses in Vietnam good quality?
- Quality depends on the lens, the measurement and the fitting, not on the country. Essilor and ZEISS lenses sold here are the same products sold elsewhere and carry the manufacturer's authenticity markings. Ask to see the lens packaging before the lens is cut, and ask which lens design and index you are being quoted.
- What can go wrong buying glasses abroad?
- The three common problems are a rushed eye test, a prescription transcribed rather than measured, and having no way to get an adjustment after you fly home. Ask for a full refraction test, take the written prescription with you, and have the fit checked before you leave the country.
- Should I bring my own frame to Vietnam?
- You can. Bring a frame you are attached to and we will tell you honestly whether it will take the lenses your prescription needs. Bringing your current glasses is useful in any case.
- How much do glasses cost in Hanoi?
- A finished single-vision pair of frame and lenses runs from 850,000₫ to 3,500,000₫ here. An Essilor blue-light filtering lens is 1,298,000₫. Visitors from abroad typically spend between 1,500,000₫ and 4,000,000₫, because they more often choose photochromic, progressive or branded lenses.
Come and see for yourself
Bring your current glasses, or nothing at all. The eye test is free either way, and we will tell you the collection day before you pay.
Manh Long Optical — 147A Le Duan, Cua Nam, Hanoi
Open daily 8:00 – 21:30
0777 986 999 · WhatsApp · Zalo · mlong.optical@gmail.com · Directions