Your child’s eyes are special. In early years, vision helps them find out about the world around them, about their home, about you. Being able to see clearly is incredibly important in your child’s overall development. So it’s not surprising that we take your child’s eyesight as seriously as you do.

Signs your child may need an eye test
It’s often difficult to tell whether your child has sight problems, which is why they should have an eye test at least every 2 years. There are a number of things to look out for:
Experience it for yourself
Move the slider below to see how their vision might look.







Disclaimer: For advice and further information about short‑sightedness you should consult an eye care professional. This Vision Simulator should be treated as information only and does not represent advice. The images presented are artistic interpretations of short‑sightedness as experienced without glasses or contact lenses.
Book your child's eye testFrequently asked questions
Most very young children have their eyesight assessed as part of routine developmental checks. While these are very important, they aren’t as thorough as a complete eye test by a qualified optician. We recommend that your child has their eyes tested from an early age ‑ however, if you have no concerns, it’s perhaps better to wait until your child is a little older — around three‑and‑a‑half years — before taking them for a full eye examination.
Even if your child’s vision seems good, it’s worth taking them for a full eye test at a qualified optician when they reach school age, just to make sure that there aren’t any issues with their vision that are likely to affect their early school years. Testing before your child goes into full‑time education means that any problems that they may have are identified early, setting them up for a happy and fulfilling school life.
Poor eyesight can cause learning and behavioural problems, which might be blamed on other things. This is especially true for young children, who may find it difficult to explain the difficulties they are having with their eyesight, or may not even be aware they have a problem. The sooner vision problems are detected, the better the outcome.
The NHS will cover the full cost of an eye test for all children under 16. Those under 19 in full‑time education, are also entitled to an NHS‑funded eye test.
Your child’s optometrist might want to use eye drops as part of their examination. These drops are designed to relax the muscles inside your child’s eyes allowing for a more accurate assessment of their vision and making it easier to check that their eyes are healthy. The eye drops might sting a little when they are administered, and will cause some blurring for about 24 hours or so, but the optometrist will discuss this with you further during your child’s eye appointment.
It can be difficult to get children to wear their glasses. Whilst the majority of children are happy to wear glasses, many children may not want to wear glasses, and the change can be scary or worrying for them for a number of reasons.
Read our article on how to get children to wear glasses to find out more.
What happens during a child’s eye test?
We know that eye tests can be a little overwhelming for some children — especially if it’s their first time. That’s why we’ve made kids eye tests as enjoyable and child‑friendly as possible.
You will, of course, be able to stay with your child throughout the test so you can see everything that happens.

What to expect in store
A friendly welcome
When you arrive in store, one of the friendly team will check you in and show you and your child to the waiting area.
Meet your child’s optician
Your optician has been specially trained to test children’s eyes. They’ll take you both into the test room and ask you some questions about your child’s general health and eye health. You can ask any questions you may have too.
Time for the eye test
The test takes about 20 minutes. We use special charts allowing children to recognise shapes or pictures, or match letters, so we can test children’s eyes if they’re unable to read. A child’s eye test, like an adult’s, checks eye health as well as vision.
Choose some glasses
If your child needs a new pair of glasses, they can explore our kids’ frames and try them on. We have lots to choose from.
Common eye conditions
Children who are short‑sighted find it easier to focus on objects when they are close up, but those further away will be blurred.
About one in three people are short‑sighted.
The condition is usually first diagnosed at around the age of 12, but younger children can also have it.
In children, short‑sightedness is easily corrected with glasses and/or contact lenses.
Children who are long‑sighted find it easier to focus on things which are further away than those which are close to them.
Long‑sighted children may experience blurred vision or tired eyes when reading.
Most children are slightly long‑sighted but often will not require glasses to correct it unless it is causing a problem.
If your child has a significant amount of long sight, it can be corrected with glasses and/or contact lenses.
A squint is a condition where one of your child’s eyes points in a different direction when they are looking straight ahead. Most commonly an eye will be turned towards the nose, but sometimes an eye can turn outwards. It can cause blurred vision and double vision and lead to lazy eye.
Around 1 in 20 children have a squint. It usually appears before the age of five and is picked up in routine eye checks. They can be treated with glasses and eye exercises. If these don’t work, surgery may be needed to move the muscles that control the eye.
Astigmatism can cause blurred or distorted vision.
It occurs when the cornea or lens isn’t a perfectly curved shape (more like a rugby ball than a football). It is very common, many people who wear glasses will have some degree of astigmatism.
However, if left untreated, astigmatism can cause headaches, eye strain and tiredness, particularly after focusing on something for long periods, such as reading or using a computer. In most cases, astigmatism is easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
If your child is diagnosed with an amblyopic or lazy eye, it usually means that one of their eyes is weaker than the other, causing them to rely more on their ‘good’ eye.
Around 1 in 50 children develop an amblyopic or lazy eye. It can usually be diagnosed at about the age of four during routine eye checks with a qualified optician, or at their developmental screening.
Glasses will be prescribed to correct the vision in the weaker eye and often no further treatment is required. If the weak eye does not respond fully then a patch can be worn over the good eye for part of the day to force the weaker eye to work.
Treatment is usually effective but may take a while.
How are children’s glasses different from adults?
Our children’s glasses are not just smaller versions of adults’ styles. So as well as looking good, they have a number of features that take into account your child’s anatomy and head shape, and the fact that they are likely to grow during the time they own them.
It’s normal for kids to feel a bit reluctant to wear glasses, and in most cases, it’s all about how their glasses look. So it’s important to make the right decision when choosing glasses for your child to make sure they feel happy, comfortable and confident – so they’ll want to wear their glasses, not just because they need to.
Browse Children's Glasses
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Children’s Glasses
From £65 with over 100 pairs to choose from.
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Children under 16 are at higher risk of UV damage to their eyes. Make sure they’re protected with a pair of sunglasses.
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If they’re not keen on glasses, your child might like to try contact lenses.
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