Spex- Loop

I renewed my prescription at Spex on Chicago Avenue. Victor waited on me. There was a maize of confusion about my prescription from my opthamologists. They could never get my prescription correct. But Spex and Victor were WONDERFUL, patient and kind through it all. They made my glasses twice and offered to make them three times. I didn’t have the heart, time or energy to have them make them three times and of course, I would have had to pay a small percentage and it had been almost a year! It was I believe a small difference in the prescription and I am happy with the way it is now.
Also I have the Lindberg frame. I don’t know of anywhere else you can get service or parts for the Linberg Danish handmade frame. I love my frame and have had it for at least 15 years. They are titanium and extremely light causing no rubbing on your nose and very comfortable year round. With the frame I have you only need new lenses. I originally got them at an office associated with the University of Chicago that is closed now. I have also been to the Spex on Madison Avenue. They’re great too. I am thankful to Victor and Spex for helping me with my glasses. My prescription is a complex one and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to make my glasses.
If you have a complex situation and want superior, friendly, professional service, or just want it done right the first time, I highly recommend SPEX.

BEWARE. Office overcharges and nickle and dime you for everything.
Set up an annual eye exam (I have Davis Vision) when I arrived, I was greated to «can I help you» not friendly hello, or welcome. I sat down and read their paperwork which said I was going to have a extra $ 50 which is not covered by insurance plans. I asked about it and they told me it was an additional service and I could opt out. Fine with me. The first person who checked my blood pressure and did some eye scan was nice. When I met with the doctor (spent maybe 15 minutes total with her) she was also was not welcome, warm or personable. I was then charged for a contact fitting (they did not change the brand) this was maybe 5 mins of time and I was charged $ 105 for this (they said insurance wouldn’t pay it either). Having contacts since I was 16 years old I found this to be rediculous and was told everyone charges it, it was first time seeing the doctor, etc. Thats not a way to win clients, maybe thats why I was only one in there. For my contacts the price seemed very high, I let her order them then checked the price online. It was ½ the cost, I called and Alice didnt seem to care said they used 1800contact prices because other patients found their prices were high. NOT IMPRESSED, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

I was very impressed with not only the selection but also the expertise of the frame stylists that work here! The stylist who helped me picked out frames I would usually over look. He also wasn’t afraid to tell me if something wasn’t suitable, which made me trust his opinion even more! I would recommend this place to anyone.

NEVER BUY GLASSES FROM SPEX CHICAGO. The customer service was good and they were kind but they guy was weird. He took a picture of me on his phone! And the worst part! They sold me kids glasses. IM 21 YEARS OLD. They did not label childrens glasses they didnt even clarify they were being sold and i am miserably every day because i spent hundreds of dollars on frames that cant stay on my face because they barely reach my ears. I wish I could sue!

In town for an event and contracted pink eye, Dr. Carrie Roitstein provides excellent care and follow up. Why go anywhere else if you’re in the area? The May day churro’s and Keurig coffee were an added bonus that made this office exceptionally inviting. My highest recommendation goes to Spex!

This place is great. I stopped by because my glasses were killing me and I was hoping they would take pity on me and adjust them, even though I hadn’t bought them there. Adelina was super helpful and friendly. She said it wouldn’t be a problem and adjusted them for me.
She even gave me some free glass cleaners and a cloth.
Super nice, super helpful. I would gladly buy my next pair from them!

I know they have a good reputation and which is why I was so disappointed. my insurance covers I exams everywhere but when I got there I was told it would be $ 55 more then it is everywhere else. since I had already made the appointment I didn’t want to cancel so I paid extra money. When i left, they failed to give me my prescription and when I called to have it emailed or faxed, thier poor service would not give me my own prescription. I had to hike back in person. 2 strikes not happy.

Came here for my eye check up, it was quick and great service. I ended up paying the extra $ 50 for the more thorough exam, I think it was worth it? Not sure since I have ²⁰⁄₂₀ vision.
Great spot to come to if you work in the loop and need a quick eye check up from a Dr.

Very pleased with the service at Spex on Madison. Service & selection was great. Prices were reasonable. Eye exam was comprehensive. Really appreciated Gina’s help with frame selection.

They were so awesome I cannot even begin to praise them. I’m from out of town but my grandma had a mean fall and damaged her glasses on the concrete, the day before Thanksgiving. Knowing that everything would be closed the next day, we began hunting for an optical store near Millennium Park. Unilocal said it was close so we gave it a shot at 3:30 pm and crossed our fingers. They were super helpful and were just the nicest and kindest people around. I was very scared that we would have to wait until we got home from our trip to take care of it. These professionals took care of us and I am so thankful for them! Happy Thanksgiving!

Great staff. Very friendly and they know their frames! There was no hard sell. They may be more expensive, I don’t know. But I am often complimented on my glasses and that makes me feel great. Love the intimate feeling of the store – many frames to choose from.

I had a wonderful experience with Spex in the Loop! The staff was so helpful and intent on positive customer service. They took the time to break down my insurance and different options for service. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a new optometrist!

I have been going to this location years before they were a Spex store. Alice who worked for the previous ownership has continued on with this group and she is the sole reason why I gave it the rating I did. Like all good businesses they depend on excellent employees and she is the definitive eye glass fitter.
Alice’s years of experience made her extremely knowledgeable and her personality is very accommodating. She will inform you of the advantages and disadvantages of a particular frame. She has a knack for picking out the right frame for your face.
At this latest visit, I was fitted for my first bifocals. Alice took the time out to give examples of how to use them when reading at a desk, a computer, looking at close and far distances, backing up in a car and even took me out to navigate the stairs in the hallway. While this seems like overkill, she helped point out the correct way to use them to aid my transition.
I may even try their optometry services next time as they touted a more exact manner to get a better eyeglass prescription than my optometrist did.
The only drawbacks … The frame selection can be a tad smaller than hoped and more expensive but I seem to have expensive taste ;). Additionally I have to pay for parking as I don’t work downtown anymore but their service was definitely worth overlooking these issues (rounding up to five stars due to the excellent service but I would give it four and a half if I could).

I called all around the city trying to find an optometrist that accepted my «rare» eye insurance. Spex was absolutely great from the start. From my first call, the entire process was hassle-​free. The customer service is excellent and everyone in the office is very friendly. Dr. Roitstein was very knowledgeable and took the time to review all my scans. Dory was absolutely amazing and helped me pick-​out two frames that I am absolutely in love with. I will definitely be coming back here for my annual eye exam.

I’ve gone to Spex in the Loop for my annual eye exam two years in a row now, and I’m very pleased with their service. They use state-​of-​the-​art tests and screening tools, which means that there’s no need to dilate my pupils (which always left my vision fuzzy the rest of the day), and no need for the dreaded air-​in-​the-​eyeball glaucoma test. These tests cost a little more (I think it’s an extra $ 50 that insurance doesn’t cover), but I think they’re worth it. Dr. Roitstein even took the time to show me the 3D images of the inside of my eyes, and explain what I was looking at – very interesting.
Since my visit last year, I reached that certain age where my reading vision suddenly went to crap. I was a little nervous about having to make the switch to bifocals. But Dr. Roitstein hooked me up with «monovision» contact lenses — one lens in my dominant eye for distance, and one lens in my weaker eye for reading. I was skeptical about it working, but somehow it does.
And instead of the ugly lined bifocals, I got progressive lenses in some trendy looking frames that don’t look old and frumpy at all. Alice took the time to show me frames that would work for my new prescription, and was very good at picking out options that worked well with the shape of my face. When I picked up my glasses, Alice even took the time to explain how the progressive lenses were different from what I was used to – how to position reading material and computer monitors to avoid neck fatigue, to be careful with depth perception on curbs and steps. I know this sounds like it should be easy to figure out on your own, but I was thankful for the curb warning when I walked out into the street for the first time. It IS different.
My new lenses are really thin and lightweight, even though I have a pretty strong prescription for distance. In the past I’ve been told that I needed to go with smaller frames because the larger the frame, the thicker the lenses would be at the edges. Even with moderate sized frames, I had coke-​bottle lenses that I never wanted to wear out in public. When ordering these glasses, I was a little worried about the thickness of the lenses, because the progressive vision prescriptions require larger frames with a certain minimum lens height. But these lenses are thin, and make the glasses look stylish overall. I LOVE my new glasses — I can see better than I’ve been able to see in years. I used to wear my contacts all the time, but I could see myself wearing my glasses the majority of the time now.

As far as optometry services go, everything was fine. Nifty new devices and a nice colorful office. I went there to get new contacts, which required a new routine annual eye exam.
BE PREPARED FOR A HARD SELL FROM THE STAFF. Also, everything is much more expensive than a typical optometrist.
First, it was awkward having to repeatedly tell the receptionist that I only wanted a routine eye exam covered by my insurer while she was trying to up-​sell me on some «eye wellness» examination not covered by insurance ($ 50). She told me the doctor would only see me for an «eye wellness» exam unless she had special permission. She went back to check with the Doc, and my peasant-​ass got an exception.
Second, when it came time to check out the receptionist informed me that, unbeknownst to me, I not only received an eye exam covered by insurance ($ 150), but also a «contact lens fitting session» ($ 100). She then let me know that the doctor had previously informed me of this. Since the three of us were never in a room together, I still don’t know how she knew this. Adding insult to injury, the contact lenses were 3x as expensive as my old optometrist in RIVER NORTH.
Not a value, so bring your wallet. And some patience if you aren’t looking for eye massages and vision wellness sessions.

I want to rate this a 4 ½ stars but I lean in favor of a 5 because of their excellent service. I requested an exchange on eyeglasses when it was my choice on the selection that I quickly grew out of favor. The store would have been in the right not to let me conduct an exchange but they were incredibly accommodating. Service was great all the time during the exam, original fitting, and the follow-​up adjustments.
I want to knock a half star down because the selection is somewhat limited but I would come back again for another pair when looking at next season’s styles.

I’ll begin by saying this… This is the only eye doctor I have ever been to where they don’t subject you to that god awful torture device known as the glaucoma test. You heard right, no jet of air shot straight into your eyes, no spastic reactions when that «puff» comes out of no where, no smacking your forehead off the machine and knocking it over. No sir, say goodbye to those days. That’s not to say they didn’t do a glaucoma test, just not that sadistic air test.
Onto the rest of the review. You would never know this place was here if you weren’t looking for it. Hell, even if you were looking for it, it’s a little hard to find. Being as it is a few blocks from my office though, and I get a Blue Cross discount here, I was game.
The place is small, only one exam room, and about ²⁄₃ of the entire space is the frame showroom. I was only there for contacts, but it looked like they had a good selection of stylish frames. Definitely not as big a selection as a big commercial outfit like Lens Crafters, but then again, they didn’t seem to carry a lot of the grandma & grandpa style frames or the child molester/​Unabomber 80’s type frames that you have to wade through at the larger places.
The exam was quick and painless, and the doctor was fun to look at as well (she wasn’t wearing a ring, for all you single guys out there looking to score a cute eye doctor!). Oh, and she also seemed to know what she was doing and was very friendly and talkative.
The office staff was capable and friendly as well, I didn’t get the sense that these were people who despised their jobs and their customers like you sometimes get.
I haven’t really paid attention in the past when I’ve gone to the eye doctor, and I’m not really into shopping around when it comes to doctors, so I have no idea if what I paid was reasonable or not. For the exams and a one year supply of contacts and no-​rub solution (included with the year supply of contacts), I paid just over $ 400 (the contacts were about $ 250 – 300 worth of that).
I’d definitely go back in the future. As for why they only got 4 stars rather than 5? Well, even though I had absolutely no complaints, and the service was good, there wasn’t really anything that jumped out at me as being really over-​the-​top awesome (except maybe the cute eye doctor, but I’m married, so I can’t really take that into account, can I?).
Don’t take lack of a fifth star as a sign to look elsewhere, as I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who lives or works in the loop.

Let me start off by saying that I have wanted to go into one of the Spex locations for a few years now. There’s something about them that just looks so chic… but expensive too. So needless to say, I never went inside one until recently when I found one close to my office. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that their prices were affordable. They also, to my surprise, accept a lot of health insurance providers.
Their selection of eye wear is pretty good. Maybe not as extensive at this particular location (or at least on display), but there was enough. The woman who was helping me find glasses even gave me her honest opinion on every pair that I tried on. And NO it wasn’t because she was trying to sell me on a more expensive pair. The pair that I was looking at was actually almost $ 100 less, but she said that they didn’t look right on me. Honesty is the best policy.
As for the contacts, I found that my contacts were actually cheaper here than at my previous ophthalmologist. Plus if you buy a years worth, you get free replacements (should you damage or lose one) and solution.
I highly recommend this place to anyone that lives or works in the loop. I was definitely satisfied with the service and the products.

I just had an eye exam and purchased glasses here. They have a friendly and helpful staff. The optometrist was great and the eye exam which I normally hate was painless.
The selection for frames I thought were great with trendy and classic choices. It helps that I live in the neighborhood, but I would definitely recommend it!