A good pair of glasses can do wonders for your eyesight. My eyes were causing some problems for me and therefor I decided to get my eyes checked out at Ace and Tate. This Dutch optician specializes in affordable glasses that look really cool. My sister came up with the idea to check them out, and so we went to their store in The Hague. And thankfully, I’m not blind! I do have astigmatism in my eyes, which makes my vision blurry when I look at things further away. I ended up buying a new pair of glasses and today I’m sharing my Ace and Tate review, check it out!
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Product: The Robert titanium frames in satin gold.
Brand: Ace and Tate
Rating: 8
Promise: ‘If you’re looking for glasses that don’t make you look like everyone else, then Robert’s large, slightly hexagon shape is for you,’ according to the Ace and Tate website.
Price: €148 plus €20 for the blue light filter.
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Pros
My sister and I browsed the website a lot, as they have many frames to choose from. I quickly narrowed down the two pairs I would like to try: The Robert and Elton in satin gold. The pictures on the website are very clear, and the models give you a good idea on how a pair of glasses might look you. It’s even possible to try the glasses on virtually, but that function didn’t work on my phone. I personally don’t mind, because I’d rather try on the frames in real life anyway.
I made an appointment online for a free eye test, as my last checkup was years ago. I really didn’t know anything about the state of my eyes. I thought it was going to be really bad because my vision has become quite blurry. When I arrived at the store in The Hague it was pretty quiet, and I didn’t have to wait at all. I was able to go into the booth with all the eye measuring equipment immediately. The optician was nice enough to take some extra time to measure everything correctly. Apparently, my eyes weren’t that easy to measure. So it’s nice he didn’t mind doing some extra tests with me.
The opticians in the store also took the time to explain what’s going on with my eyes. Why I have blurry sight and why that can cause the headaches I’ve been experiencing. I have to say that’s very nice, because I now truly understand my eyeglass prescription. I also understand how my eyes work and that my eyesight isn’t as bad as I thought, whoohoo! They also explained how their service works and what to expect when you order glasses. I apparently chose a titanium frame, which is why my glasses are more expensive. The blue light filter also added €20, but I think it is making a difference while working on the computer. A better review about this filter will be online in the future.
I can’t say much about the quality yet, because I’ve had them for about a week and a half now. I can tell you they are very light, which I really appreciate. They are very bendable which I noticed while cleaning the glasses. I’m a little afraid I might bend them out of shape if I use too much strength, haha! But they’re made of titanium so I don’t think it will actually happen. The last thing I really like is that they took the time to adjust the temples, so they fit me correctly. My right ear sits much lower than my left, so without adjusting the temples it will sit crooked on my face. It’s a little too tight at the moment, so I will go back the adjust them one more time. Because they dig into my skin a bit too much now.
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Cons
I think it took a bit too long to get my glasses ready. My former optician would have my glasses ready the same day without extra costs. Ace and Tate takes at least 1 to 3 workdays for glasses without a prescription like sunglasses. Glasses with a prescription take 4 to 8 weekdays. You can choose the same day service, but that will cost you €20. That’s why I decided to wait it out, but I still can’t figure out why it took them 9 days to get ready. Yes, there was a holiday in between, but still. I think they can deliver simple glasses like mine faster. I guess the same day service is a way for them to make some extra profit.
This second point is a personal pet peeve, but I’m still going to put it in my Ace and Tate review. As I think a neutral position towards customers should be a part of customer service. The optician that helped me was writing down my name and information, when he noticed my first name is Kaya. In my case it’s seen as a Nordic first name, the female version of Kaj/Kai for men. He asked if I was Turkish like him and I answered I’m not. I already know Kaya is a very common Turkish last name. A lot of Turkish people ask me if I’m Turkish based on my name. They often feel like they need to explain my name is Turkish according to them. So did the optician who helped me with the eye test.
I get sucked in conversations like these too much. And I do not expect to have conversations about why I’m not Turkish, but do have a supposedly Turkish name at the optician. Now I know the optician meant well, but I did make me feel a bit uncomfortable. As if he disapproved of me carrying this name. Especially because he kept asking questions about where I’m from, because he couldn’t place me. I personally don’t care about nationalities and ethnicities, I care about the person in front of me. I don’t think it’s necessary to ask those questions, even if you mean well. I came for glasses, not to explain my entire family tree and feel like having to defend my name.
The last point about customer service is also about the employees. They all looked very stylish and they were very nice. But they were conversing with each other a lot. Which made it a bit hard to interrupt their conversations to ask questions. I also had to ask about the warranty rules myself after I paid. I personally think they should have talked me through it themselves, so I could make an informed decision. Their glasses may be cheaper than my designer ones, but I still would like all the information I need before I buy a new pair.
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The verdict
If you are looking for affordable glasses that also look cool, Ace and Tate is the place to be. The glasses start at €98 including glasses and the most expensive pair costs €298. Which is a steal of deal compared to my designer glasses which cost me around €400 to €500. I have to applaud the designs Ace and Tate have created, because they are really cool. They really do have some timeless and also many trendy frames. At this point I would definitely consider buying a second pair, sunglasses for example.
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The only thing they can improve in my opinion, is the delivery time and the store employees. They were all very nice, but very young and chatting with each other. It seemed like half of them were students and they seemed a bit untrained. All and all, I would recommend checking out their options. Especially when you’re on a budget and looking for a cool pair of glasses. My Ace and Tate review is quite long, but I hope it helps you make the right decision. Since your eyes and your wallet are probably very important, I hope my review helps you make a better decision when it comes to buying good glasses.
If you’ve come this far: Thanks for reading my Ace and Tate review and let me know about your experience with this Dutch brand.
Love,
Kaya-Quintana
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