E IWear

E IWear is currently not open for business. I’ve been trying to stop by for the past two days but the lights are off and the doors are locked well within business hours. Their voicemail box is full, and an employee in the leasing office of the building mentioned that the owner had recently passed away.

Been standing outside for 30 min with 2 other potential customers who are waiting for the doors to open. My husband left his prescription glasses here 2 weeks ago and every time we call no one answers and when we come during business hours they are closed. He still needs his glasses back whether they are fixed or not so hopefully they will respond to my message on Unilocal since I couldn’t leave a message on their phone. Still a great place for glasses though :)

Michael is an absolute pro! He’s graciously truthful, knowledgeable about style and function and he’s just plane adorable! I LOVE my new glasses!

I’m sure this is a good retailer of glasses… when it’s open. I am standing outside of the store at 5:50pm writing this post. Why? Because I slogged 75 minutes in horrific bridge traffic to make it here before closing only to find out that they were already closed at 5:45pm even though all hours online and on the door are posted as 12−6pm. All the lights were out and doors locked at 5:45pm which leads me to believe that the store had been closed for more than a few minutes before I arrived. I came to buy Tom Ford Sunglasses for a Christmas present for my partner in Europe before I leave next week. Who does that? I drove past dozens of stores in SF to come here instead. That was a mistake for sure. This is certainly a 1-​star experience but I’m going to be nice and bump it up to 3 because it’s the season to be jolly even when I’ve been Scrugged over!

I couldn’t agree more that Ernst is extremely knowledgeable, especially due to the fact that for the past few months I have experienced extreme difficulty with my purchase of both a pair of eyeglasses and sunglasses from my local optometrist’s office. Between the two pairs of glasses, I had to return them at least 5 times due to a distortion in the lens, which impaired my vision greatly and no one could figure out what the problem was.
I then searched the internet for a high quality optical shop and ventured in to E IWear due to the great reviews. Ernst was able to quickly determine that the problem was due to an error in my prescription, where no one anywhere else had picked up on. This was quite disturbing to me, and finally my frustrations had been validated!
I also had a huge selection of very nice quality and stylish frames to choose from. My new pair of eyeglasses turned out beautifully. I could not be happier, as I commend Ernst for his knowledge and expertise. He and Sara were such a pleasure to deal with, no pressure, very personable and patient — as all of us must-​have glasses wearers know that it can take some time to find the right style and fit for your eyes and face.
I highly recommend and am very grateful to Ernst and E IWear!
Thank you so much!

The best place in the Bay Area if you’re looking for quality frames and lens. Not the place if you’re just looking for one of those Luxottica-​made frames. We picked up 3 pairs and Ernst provided us great customer service. He’s very professional, has extensive knowledge of lens and such good taste. He helped us choose the right frames and color for our face shapes.
I know you visit your eye doctor every year using one of those major vision insurance plans and you only pay $ 100 plus for a new frame and lens. I thought about that too but I’m really glad I chose EiWear. We work hard, we deserve quality. Don’t you think so?

I get so many compliments on my glasses that I kinda get embarrassed. Having been farsighted for awhile and deciding that progressives were a better deal than my vast collection of «cheaters», I went to my optometrist and their selection of frames was dismal. Being a «good» girl I thought it disloyal to not buy from the optometry office. Finally, I plunged ahead and went to E-​iwear on 4^th in Berkeley and they gave me the honest feedback I needed to get fashionable glasses. When I tried on glasses I needed the feedback since I couldn’t really see up close as to how they fit. My small face was a challenge but they had great European and Japanese frames that I didn’t see other places. They grind their own lenses and I found them far superior to my optometrist’s lab. Now I know I can get my eyes checked and pay for that service and go to E-​iwear for frames. Still a «good» girl!

I purchased prescription sunglasses and they are the best optically I’ve owned. Really great service and selection.
I returned to have my «computer» glasses fitted with new lenses. These are also superb.
Ernst is knowledgeable and honest. I like those characteristics. Very quick turnaround time. Highly recommended.

Great selection and Ernst has great recommendations of which frames to try. I have now purchased 3 sets of glasses and I will continue to be a loyal customer because of the amazing selection and great service.

These are the best glasses I have ever had. First, the frame selection is so much more interesting than what you normally find. Better still, I put these glasses on and immediately felt my eyes relax. I have a complicated prescription but these were made to perfection. I selected frames for sunglasses and now have two perfect pairs of glasses. I can’t say enough about E I wear.

One of the best opticians in the world! Ernst is the complete package, both kind and attentive. If you want a precise fitting of independent luxury eyewear, he’s your man!

Great service, great prices, great shop. Perfect experience looking for new lenses!!! Better than the monopolies like LensCrafters!

First, I haven’t yet gone through the whole purchase process. I’ve only visited and tried on frames, you’ll find some amazing frame brands here, no generic and no mainstream brands. Also, very spacious and helpful customer service via Chris. Also, very rarely will a customer service rep at an eyeframe business immediately see your face and pair it up with flattering frames. For example, anything at Kaiser HMO fail. The only couple other places that had this wisdom and intuition was Alain Mikli Hong Kong and E IWear in Berkeley. As soon as my eyewear is up for replacement, I’m going to blow a paycheck here. Bike-​friendly establishment across from Grocery Outlet. There is a bike rack right in front. Coffee shop nearby and 4^th street shopping is blocks away on the other side of the freeway overpass.

Awesome customer service, quick, great job. I *hate* shopping for clothes, glasses, pretty much anything that I have to wear. It is so ridiculously stressful, and it was initially intimidating walking into a place with sooo many choices! Thankfully, Chris knows a thing or two, and was able to quickly pick a nice variety of frames for me to try. I had my pair chosen in probably under 15 minutes. My prescription was simple enough that they were able to finish my glasses in less than 45 minutes! Amazing. I have a nice stylin’ pair of glasses, pretty much zero stress during the process, and my boyfriend thinks they are super sexy. Ha! Definitely worth it to go to people who care about their craft and know what they’re doing! When I first started getting glasses 20 years ago, I would only go to the cheapest places. Now I know better. ! Parking is also very easy here. (Plus. always preferable to support local business.)

The clean, well designed shop gives you plenty of space to browse the extensive selection of frames from chic, stylish to quirky, offbeat and even some just practical, unobtrusive options in between. The owner and staff are wonderful and willing to give you as much assistance and advice (or space if that’s what you need) as you prefer. I picked up a new pair of sunglasses and they fitted them with polarized lenses for me and they were ready within an hour. I think this place is great and will be back!

I was a bit surprised when my friend told me we were going to Berkeley so he could pick out frames. He told me he read really good reviews about this place, and the store really lived up to the great reviews! They have street parking close by, but we ended up parking in the parking lot across the street.
The store is really spacious and decorated nicely. They have three huge displays of frames to pick from. The owner and assistant were both really friendly and attentive. My friend probably tried out more than ten glasses, but the assistant never seemed annoyed. He would give my friend his honest opinion about how the frames looked and helped pick out more frames.
Frames ranged about $ 300-​$ 500+, but they all seem like top quality frames. Since they’re opticians, they don’t take VSP, but they can send you the receipt so you can get refunded by your insurance company. There is a check in deal on Unilocal for 15% off, but before we even mentioned the deal, they already offered to take 15% off the lens and frames. Sweet!

I’ve used E IWEAR for almost 10 years, at least before they moved to Berkeley from SF. I am always confused by the array of glasses from which to chose but Ernst Erb, owner, makes stunning choices for me. He is very direct and creative. Also, the most important part,
he does not add-​on expensive extras unless it’s your choice.
I wear tri-​focal progressive transition lenses. They aren’t cheap ANYWHERE but Ernst’s price are fair and even less than other optical shops in SF. I drive to Berkeley (over the blasted Oakland Bridge) anytime I need help. It’s always worth the trip!

Ernst and E I Wear are positively awesome. They fixed my sunglasses and my girlfriends glasses perfectly. Couldn’t ask for more. Prompt courteous local and friendly. COME HERE FOR GLASSES! :)

This place is amazing!
They have a fabulous selection of unusual and interesting frames, and they are one of the few places that can make you a pair of prescription glasses in under a week. That is because they do everything in-​house.
My prescription sunglasses got a big scratch on them after a few months, and I took them in and Ernst made another pair of lenses for me for no charge! (they were under a scratch warranty). Amazing customer service and they are very professional. Also there are often two cute dogs there.

I love shopping LOCAL. I love West Berkeley! And I am happy that E iWear is here.
The selection is great, but most importantly the SERVICE is superb! I can find eyeglasses ANYplace, really. … and certainly with social media — have the ability to «shop around.» But what I cannot get online is the customer service and expertise that Ernst and his staff offer.
I believe that he GETS it. Where some other eyewear shops in this upscale neighborhood won’t even allow you to ‘touch’ their glasses without a fearful gaze — E iWear has an open-​case policy and encourages customers to TRY ON. He is confident in his work, his craft and foundationally — his SERVICE.
Although the prices are competitive, I’d pay five dollars more just to know he’s here — to replace a lens, tighten a screw, order a new color, and to pick his brain. The guy knows his stuff.
I am a satisfied customer! [.who often get stopped on the STREETS about my funky E iWear glasses. ]
Thanks!
LRK
Berkeley, CA