Elan Optical

I have been here for several purchases and Jim and his crew are outstanding. With a finesse that comes from experience he will guide you in a gentle way to the best option. No pressure no bad sales energy.
Plus. . Jim has a great dog that is in the shop. Yes 888 Brannan may seem like a strange spot to buy eye wear but once your are there in the building it is eye-​opening in several ways.

Thought the gift center was supposed to have the best prices? Overpaid for my sunglasses here, and they only do returns for store credit not cash. Disappointing experience.
Side note — Elizabeth was great.

Came back for a pair of prescription glasses; Elizabeth is just the best!!! It was my first pair of prescription lens, which took some adjusting and getting used to. She was patient, helpful and made sure I found the perfect pair and was comfortable with them. I tell all my friends to go here, and they are never disappointed. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this place!

This is, hands down, the best place I know of to get prescription glasses in San Francisco.
I have been helped with finding the perfect new glasses by Jeannie twice now. She has an amazing eye for eyeglass trends, and she knows how to pick out glasses which suit your face perfectly. She has been helping my mother with glasses for years, and my mother is one of the most chic and stylish people I know. Seriously. EVERYONE thinks so.
Two years ago, she picked out my frames and then I embarked to school in Copenhagen, Denmark, where everyone was wearing similar styles. The glasses gained more and more popularity here throughout the next years when I returned, and I felt way ahead of the trends. Plus I get TONS of compliments about them.
I cannot recommend her and Élan Optical enough. It is the best place, with the best prices, to get designer glasses which I am aware of. And I have been to a lot of places in the bay area to get glasses!
Plus, it is located next to REI, which is just another big plus. You can get some new socks, and also glasses! Now, what could be better than that? :)

I think I reviewed with one star by mistake before because I don’t even remember doing that and there was no text. The shop is swell

This place is great! An amazing selection of designer frames at the lowest prices plus the customer service is great. Elizabeth helped me out with both of my sunglasses I have purchased there and I look like a baller without spending baller money! I never thought I would ever purchase two nice pairs of sunglasses in the same year but you can definitely see and feel the quality from the cheap crap I have been wearing. Plus they have no problem tightening and cleaning them when needed and they also have many prescription options. The owner Jim is also really nice and quite humorous. Its Guccccccccccccccccciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

Been going there for about a decade and they always have great service, the newest styles and selections of top notch brands and you cant beat the prices! I have prescription lens that they can be installed into my new glasses (rimless Cartier) and all in a timely manner. I don’t even live in the state but plan ahead to stop by Élan’s whenever Im in the Bay Area.

Came here to try on some frames from my favorite manufacturers (Oliver Peoples and Barton Perreira), and I was blown away with the selection. They pack a lot of frames in a relatively small space. As others have said, the selection is impressive, and the prices can’t be beat. That alone deserves the stars, but for me, the 5 stars are for Elizabeth. Awesome customer service, and her eye (no pun intended) for what might look good on you is amazing. She helped both my wife and I pick out frames and suggested some frames that were a perfect match. I also liked that she was not shy about her opinion for ones that were not a good match. And her knowledge about frames and the options that are available was amazing. Once I found a pair I liked, she knew all of the available materials/​finishes for the frames off the top of her head, and was able to quickly show me examples. In addition to the glasses my wife bought, she wanted a specific model of Ray Ban sunglasses, and after looking and not seeing the model in the store, my wife was able to describe them to Elizabeth, and just based on description, she was able to locate them on an iPad in a jiffy and ordered them for us. Given the sheer number of Ray Ban frames, that was no small feat. Estimates on manufacturing times were exact, the frames fit perfectly, and look great too.
My 2¢… If you are in the market for glasses or sunglasses, go in to check out the selection, and leave a happy customer.

Came here on a Saturday to go to Padis and my jewelry wouldn’t be done for another hour and a half so my mom, dad and bf and I went walking around the center. Well there wasn’t much open since only a select few stores are open on the weekend and this one is one of them. Dad was the one that wanted new glasses. I just like checking our peoples oakleys sunglasses since I am a sucker for sunglasses. Saw a pair I never heard of and Jim was very helpful. I ended up getting a pair of two faced Oakley sunglasses. That’s pair number 3 for me. The boyfriend liked it so much he also wanted a pair but he didn’t have his prescription on him. So jim wrote a bunch of info on the pair of sunglasses and what to do when we are thinking about getting them. So eventually I might just get it for him for his bday cuz the price is pretty cheap instead of goin to his normal eye glass store. My glasses were a total of $ 154. In the regular mall they run for $ 180. And plus they had a deal going on so it was and ending total of $ 115. I will defiantly be comin here again for my sunglasses!

There’s a reason people come back for pair after pair of their glasses. Great prices and great service. They do it all here and have every possible line you could want. Jim and his sales people are just great.

So happy I found this place on google maps and it really surprised me. Now, this is not a typical optical store… You need an appointment. But once you do make that appointment, by calling, you will feel lucky. The friendly, insightful staff and the vast selection of different types of designer sunglasses and frames will not disappoint.
I picked out a pair of Persol polarized turtle shell frames with real glass… Very nice and 25% off so I felt like I stole them… I believe the glasses came to under $ 200. The lady that helped me at the front was so nice! As a New Yorker, I felt the West Coast hospitality instantly when I walked in the door.

Came into Élan Optical during my break and their collection is impressive.
The entire store is neatly organized, and especially clean.
I took a long look around before asking about a pair of Versace sunglasses that I liked.
I was helped by Elizabeth who was was absolutely lovely and definitely patient. As a person who doesn’t wear sunglasses, i did not have much to work with. However, Elizabeth helped me choose some out and although I did like many of the ones she picked out, I ended up picking up the Versaces in the end. The prices are very reasonable and they do have some extremely attractive choices.
Thank you Élan Optical, I’ll definitely be back!

My family has bought glasses at Élan Optical for years. The owner is usually rude but we thought the prices were competitive so we overlooked that. Recently I brought back one of my frames back that looks like the varnish wore off so it has turned opaque. I asked if it could be buffed out or what I could do to fix it. They rudely said it’s my problem, they can’t do anything about it and walked away. My family will never buy glasses here again.

This review is looong overdue! The ladies who work there are so great! The prices are great, they are authorized dealers for the brands they carry.
I ended up getting two pairs of sunglasses (I am so indecisive) Ray Bans and Tom Ford. I get constant compliments on the Tom Ford pair, I believe they are called the Jenna collection? I am not sure… but I do know that I am now OBSESSED with polarized lenses. Instead of squinting all the time, creating crows feet and looking in the mirror seeing that I will need Botox in my future… I can now relax knowing my Botox days aren’t for another 20 years +. Thanks Élan!

If you’re looking for unique and quality glasses and superb service then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve been coming here for years and can’t imagine going anyplace else to get my glasses!

I got some sunglasses here. The girl that helped me was beyond wonderful so the owner or jerk of a manager can thank her for the three stars. The owner was terrible and downright room. Older man that acts like he is god’s gift to this universe. Terrible service from him however the younger blonde girl was a sweetheart. Would I go back? Meh … I have seen better I was just in the neighborhood.

So after after decades of being semi-​blind, I decided to finally get glasses. I asked around and a few people mentioned Costco but their selection for frames were an eyesore (pun intended) and I heard that the quality of lenses wasn’t as great but I liked the $ 150 price tag. As I wondered into a half dozen eyeglass stores in San Francisco I finally found a pair of frames I liked a lot, however I was told they would be $ 650 with lenses. Maybe I should look online and get the lenses at Costco after all? As I poked around online and by phone, the Oliver Peoples frames I wanted were anywhere from $ 270 to $ 330 but I HAD TO have these frames as they were the only ones I found that I liked on my big snot-​locker!!!
Going through the Oliver Peoples website I called a bunch of dealers in SF and all of them were closer to $ 300 until I called Élan Optical. Not only was I quoted just under $ 200 for the frames but they offered a lifetime warranty on the lenses. They didn’t have the frames in the flat black color and size I wanted and the wait time was 6 weeks. They made a few phone calls and found them in a week.
Awesome and super friendly service. I highly recommend anyone looking for glasses call Élan Optical first before going elsewhere.

Great selection of designer glasses, most frames are 25% less than you would pay elsewhere. Stopped in today and picked up 2 pairs of Maui Jims, one of which we’ll probably bring back in to get prescription lenses for when we get a new prescription.
The great thing is that you CAN get prescription lenses for some of the Maui Jim and Oakley and other «sport» glasses… I’ve tried at other places and even had «See» on Union take an order for one of their more wrappy-​aroundy type frames for a prescription sunglass, which ultimately they couldn’t fill.
Élan has opened up new options for me to be able to see clearly while exerting myself on a bright, sunshiny day.
Just knocking off a star as their hours are certainly not compatible if you are a typical working stiff. 10:30am-5pm, Mon-Fri…they may be open some Saturdays but call ahead… you have to call ahead anyway as if you’re name isn’t at the door, you can’t get in the building… worth all the inconvenience, but still a pain.

Unless you’re a frequent visitor to the Jewelry Center, you probably have never heard of Élan Optical. Otherwise you’re like me and after conducting a Unilocal search for «prescription sunglasses,» you eventually found these reviews!
My thoughts:
1– Parking can be tough since you’re competing against all of the other visitors to the Jewelry Center. Instead of parking on Brannan I usually have luck parking on 8^th St. In addition, the REI is right next door so don’t fret if you can’t find a space!
2– Definitely call ahead (415.626.8301) and ask that your name be on «the list.» To the right of the front entrance of the Jewelry Center you’ll encounter a check-​in station. The people working here will have a copy of «the list.»
3– Walk across the great hall with the raised ceiling and go down the staircase near the elevator (left hand side). After going down the stairs, make a right at the first fork in the path and you’ll find Élan Optical approx. 3 stores down (you’ll see lots of frames through the window).
4– Upon entering, take in the sight of hundreds of frames from designer eye wear to more practical options. I was impressed by the selection on my 1^st visit.
5– Take your time, browse around with the help of one of the attentive opticians, and choose your frame. Upon making a selection, they’ll ask you to try on the frame, take measurements, and then using a marker (erasable i presume) they’ll draw circles where your pupils actually line up with the lenses!
Their explanation was that everyone’s pupil /​line of vision looks out a different portion of the lens. By marking the location where «your» pupil looks out the lens, they can get their lab to place your prescription directly in that spot. I’m sure that I’ve butchered the exact explanation but that is my understanding! (I’ve never encountered another optician who has done this!)
6– After all measurements are taken, they’ll write up your purchase and apply a discount to the frames! I’m not certain if the discount varies depending upon what frame you choose, but I purchased prescription Maui Jim sunglasses and received a 20% discount.
7– I would recommend this optician for prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses.
UPDATE: During a wedding in Malibu I actually lost my Maui Jim sunglasses (doh!!) I called up Élan and since they had kept the specifications from my last order I was able to order another pair! Shipping was only $ 7 and they charged me the same price as last time.

Um, I dunno where the Jewelers comes from, it’s Élan Optical.
So you have to call ahead to get into the building, but with the $$ you save, it’s well worth it. They have all the designer names (Dior, Oliver Peoples, Juicy, Ferragamo, Gucci, Ray Ban, Maui Jim, etc, etc) They did drop Chanel, so that sucks. But they sell everything at 30% off the retail price, and they have the newest styles straight from the magazines. And I can bring in my husband’s prescription and they make glasses for him too. All around a great deal.