O'Hea Opticians

O'Hea Opticians has served Malta for more than two decades, having started in 1999, and today it works from a purpose-built shop on The Strand in Gżira, the waterfront stretch facing Manoel Island and Valletta. A second outlet, Shades by O'Hea, sells designer sunglasses from a boutique at The Phoenicia in Valletta. The business is part of our directory of opticians in Malta.

What sets it apart is the mix of services under one roof: a qualified dispensing optician runs the shop, specialist eye doctors hold clinics there, and an on-site lab makes and repairs glasses, often within an hour.

The brand has been part of the community for more than twenty-five years, and a team of optical sales assistants helps customers choose frames. Investment in equipment and training each year keeps the shop up to date. For UK visitors the result is a one-stop place to have a test, choose glasses and collect them on the same trip. Ask in advance whether your frame and prescription suit the one-hour service, because it depends on the lenses needed.

Eye specialists and the in-store lab

Eye specialists attend the Gżira shop on set days through the week, and a timetable shows who is available when. The line-up includes consultant ophthalmic surgeons and an optometrist, and appointments can be requested through the booking form. This page does not give medical advice, so raise any concern about your eyes with the specialist.

The lab is supervised by managing dispensing optician Celia Melillo, the founder, and is an approved Hoya Centre. Many prescriptions can be ready in one hour, which can be a lifesaver if a pair breaks while you are on holiday. Personalised varifocals are available, and Hoya lenses are cut to each prescription.

Frames, sunglasses and lenses

The shop carries a wide selection of frames, with basic designs starting at €50 and premium labels such as Gucci, Armani, Porsche Design, Bulgari, Silhouette, Ray-Ban and Tom Ford at higher prices. Etnia Barcelona and Silhouette are among the exclusive brands, and Dior, Celine, Zegna and Swarovski also feature among the sunglasses.

Prescription sunglasses are available in almost all designer ranges, apart from wrap-around styles. Lens options include high index lenses for thinner glass, coatings such as anti-scratch, anti-reflective, UV protection and blue light filters, photochromic lenses that darken in the sun, office lenses for screen work and Hoya varifocals.

Contact lenses and children's eyewear

Contact lenses are held in stock, including daily disposables, monthly lenses and coloured lenses with or without a prescription. Custom-made lenses can be ordered for particular needs. Wearers should ask the team which type suits their routine. Contact lenses are handy for sport and holidays, and our best beaches in Malta guide lists places where you might want a pair of daily lenses and a good pair of sunglasses.

Children are catered for with durable, lightweight frames and kids' sunglasses, and PNX lenses for parents who want extra lightness and scratch resistance. Staff fit each frame carefully so it neither slides down the nose nor sits too small.

Visiting Gżira and Valletta

Gżira is a few minutes from Sliema and within reach of Valletta. Nearby in our directory are Accurit Accountancy and Adventure Cruises Malta. In Valletta, Shades by O'Hea is a handy stop on a walk through the capital, as described in our Valletta guide.

Check the Malta weather guide to see how bright it gets, and browse things to do in Malta. Moving here? See our Malta relocation guide, or read about Malta for the wider picture. Flying in from the UK? Our flights to Malta page covers the routes. To ask a question, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to O'Hea Opticians.