What Crystal Vision & Better Hearing does

Crystal Vision & Better Hearing is a family-owned Canadian optical and hearing care practice operating four retail locations across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, and White Rock), founded in 1997 by Steve Wiens. The company delivers a unified vision and hearing care offering that includes comprehensive eye exams, free sight testing, OptiLIGHT IPL dry eye therapy, a one-hour in-house optical lab stocking 3,000+ designer frames, contact lens fittings, and hearing services spanning free hearing tests, Phonak hearing aids (Virto R Infinio, Audéo Infinio/Sphere Infinio), custom ear plugs, and hearing aid repair. Customers include individual consumers across age groups (children, adults, seniors), with specialized programs for teachers, refugees under the Interim Federal Health Program, veterans, Indigenous clients under NIHB, and WorkSafeBC claimants.

The underlying technology mix is composed of third-party clinical devices and partner-supplied products rather than proprietary systems. Key technical components include the Lumenis OptiLIGHT IPL device using Optimal Pulse Technology for MGD-related dry eye, Phonak's Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids with automatic environmental adaptation, automated sight testing equipment for rapid prescription updates, and an in-house lens cutting and finishing lab run by Les Watkins—one of the last full-service one-hour optical labs in North America. The business does not develop its own AI, software platforms, or diagnostic algorithms; the website (cvoh.ca) provides online booking and content marketing but operates as a conventional retail site without a developer-facing API.

Revenue is generated through direct retail sales of optical products (eyeglasses, contact lenses, specialty lenses via Essilor and Hoya), hearing aid sales, and professional service fees (eye exams, hearing tests, dry eye treatment, tune-ups). Pricing is unit-based pay-as-you-go with tiered packages such as the $550 teacher Gold Single Vision bundle and the $49 hearing aid tune-up. Distribution relies on physical storefronts supplemented by direct billing to seven private insurers (Manulife, Sun Life, Canada Life, Pacific Blue Cross, Great-West Life, Blue Cross, GSC), in-house financing through Fairstone Financial, and government program coverage. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer retail with multi-channel marketing across blog content, video shorts, and social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok), supported by 700+ aggregate Google reviews averaging 4.8-4.9 stars across locations.

Name

Crystal Vision & Better Hearing

Legal name

Crystal Vision & Hearing Centre Ltd

Website

http://www.cvoh.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Crystal Vision & Better Hearing provides hearing loss treatment, hearing aid repair, custom ear plugs, and sight testing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optical and Hearing Care Retail

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Audiology & Hearing Diagnostic Centers (HLAFAKAH), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Optical retail services
• Hearing aid services
• Eye exam clinics
• Prescription eyewear
• Custom ear protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Abbotsford

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Optical Products: Sale of prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, frames, and lenses. Over 3,000 frames in stock with designer brands. Includes specialty lenses like Transitions, progressive lenses, and activity-specific lenses.
2. Contact Lenses: Sale of contact lenses including daily, weekly, monthly, bifocal, toric, coloured, and custom options. Trial contacts provided free during fitting.
3. Hearing Aids: Sale of hearing aids including Phonak Virto R Infinio and Audeo Infinio/Sphere Infinio models. Free TV connector included. 0% interest payment plans available.
4. Custom Ear Plugs: Custom-moulded earplugs for swimming, noise protection, sleep, musicians, and wireless earbuds. Professional fitting service.
5. Eye Exams: Comprehensive eye exams for adults, seniors, and children. Children under 19 with valid BC Care Card receive exams at no cost through MSP. Sight testing available free.
6. Hearing Aid Services: Hearing aid repair, service, and tune-up services. $49 Tune-Up Service includes hearing re-test, performance check, reprogramming, and one year of ongoing care. All brands welcome.
7. Dry Eye Treatment: OptiLIGHT IPL therapy for dry eye treatment. Treatment protocol typically consists of four sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart.
8. Insurance Billing: Direct billing to extended health benefits providers including Manulife, Sun Life, Canada Life, Pacific Blue Cross, Great-West Life, Blue Cross, and GSC.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crystal Vision & Better Hearing operates four retail locations across British Columbia delivering integrated vision and hearing care, including comprehensive eye exams, free sight testing, prescription eyeglasses with over 3,000 designer frames, contact lens fittings, OptiLIGHT IPL dry eye therapy, free hearing tests, Phonak hearing aids, hearing aid repair and tune-up services, and custom-molded ear plugs. Services are supported by an in-house one-hour optical lab enabling same-day glasses fulfillment and direct billing to major Canadian insurance providers.

Product overview

Crystal Vision & Better Hearing operates a multi-location optical and hearing care practice with four clinics in British Columbia (Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, and White Rock). The company offers a unified suite of vision and hearing services under one brand, combining comprehensive eye care (eye exams, sight testing, dry eye treatment via OptiLIGHT IPL therapy, glasses with 3,000+ frames, contact lenses, and activity-specific lenses) with hearing care (free hearing tests, Phonak hearing aids including Virto R Infinio and Audéo Infinio/Sphere Infinio, hearing aid repair, custom ear plugs). The portfolio integrates insurance direct billing, financing options, and specialized programs for refugees (IFHP) and teachers. Services are supported by lens technology partners Essilor and Hoya, and the company maintains a recycling program through TerraCycle and Lions Club International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye Exams
• Sight Testing
• OptiLIGHT IPL Therapy
• Glasses and Prescription Eyewear
• Contact Lenses
• Activity Lenses
• Phonak Virto R Infinio
• Audéo Infinio
• Audéo Sphere Infinio
• Free Hearing Tests
• Hearing Aid Repair & Service
• Custom Ear Plugs
• Refugee Vision & Hearing Care Assistance Program (IFHP)
• Children's Eye Exams

Quantifiable outcome

• Eye exams for children under 19 covered at $0 through BC MSP
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TerraCycleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal recycling innovator partnership for contact lens and packaging recycling. Customers can drop off unused/expired disposable contact lenses for eco-friendly recycling to prevent microplastics in landfills.
• Lions Club InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEyewear and hearing aid recycling partnership. Donated glasses are cleaned, measured, and redistributed to people in need globally. Hearing aids donated to Lions HARP (Hearing Aid Recycling Program) for refurbishment and distribution to those who cannot afford them.
• PhonakcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary hearing aid technology partner. Crystal Vision is a certified Phonak specialist offering Phonak Virto R Infinio, Audeo Infinio, and Audeo Sphere Infinio models. Not owned by Phonak but recommends their products based on innovation, performance, and reliability.
• EssilorcoreTechnology or IntegrationPremium lens provider partnership. Essilor lenses offered as part of specialty lens options including activity-specific lenses, coatings, and treatments.
• HoyacoreTechnology or IntegrationPremium lens provider partnership. Hoya lenses offered alongside Essilor for customized lens solutions tailored to lifestyle, work, and vision needs.
• ManulifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance provider for direct billing of extended health benefits. Customers can have vision and hearing claims processed directly.
• Sun LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance provider for direct billing of extended health benefits.
• Canada LifecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance provider for direct billing of extended health benefits.
• Pacific Blue CrosscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance provider for direct billing of extended health benefits. Also assists with paperwork for hearing aid coverage claims.
• Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party coverage program for veterans. Crystal Vision works with VAC to coordinate hearing care coverage for eligible veterans.
• Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFederal coverage program for First Nations and Inuit. Crystal Vision coordinates hearing care through NIHB for eligible Indigenous clients.
• WorkSafeBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvincial workers' compensation program. Crystal Vision offers WorkSafeBC testing for hearing-related workplace injuries.
• Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFederal program for refugees. Crystal Vision provides covered vision and hearing services including eye exams, glasses, hearing tests, and hearing aids for IFHP-covered refugees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clearly (formerly Clearly Contacts): Canada's largest online eyewear retailer selling glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Competes with Crystal Vision on optical retail in BC, but lacks physical clinics and in-house eye exams/hearing services. Comparable vision-care product offering.
• Connect Hearing: One of Canada's largest hearing care networks offering free hearing tests, hearing aids, and custom ear protection. Operates across BC and competes directly with Crystal Vision's Better Hearing practice on the audiology side; both serve the same Lower Mainland demographic.
• HearCanada (formerly ListenUP!): National hearing care provider operating clinics across Canada including the Lower Mainland. Offers hearing tests, hearing aids, and audiology services in a similar retail-clinic format to Crystal Vision's hearing practice, making it a direct competitor for hearing aid customers.

Broad incumbents

• LensCrafters: Operated by Luxottica, LensCrafters is a global optical retail chain with in-store eye exams and dispensing. Operates broadly in BC and overlaps with Crystal Vision on prescription eyewear, eye exams, and frame selection, but does not offer hearing care and lacks the independent/regional positioning.
• Costco Optical: Costco's optical departments offer eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses at value pricing to members. Operates in the Lower Mainland and competes with Crystal Vision on price-sensitive eyewear, though its offering is narrower (no hearing services, no specialty lenses).
• Specsavers: Global optical and audiology chain that has expanded into Canada with combined vision and hearing clinics. The closest direct model to Crystal Vision's vision+hearing bundle, though larger-scale and corporate-owned.
• FYidoctors: Canadian-owned optometrist network with clinics across western Canada including BC. Offers full-scope optometry, designer frames, and specialty lenses in a doctor-led model comparable to Crystal Vision's clinical optical positioning, though without the hearing services channel.

Emerging players

• Warby Parker: Digital-first eyewear brand that has expanded into physical retail across North America. Competes with Crystal Vision on prescription eyewear and is the primary disruptive force in the optical retail category, although it does not offer hearing services or local clinical care.

Regional players

• IRIS (IRIS Optometrists and Opticians): Largest Canadian-owned optical retailer with locations primarily in Quebec and Ontario and growing presence in BC. Provides eye exams, prescription eyewear, and contact lenses in a similar mid-market retail-clinic format to Crystal Vision, though it does not offer hearing services.
• BonLook: Canadian eyewear retailer offering prescription and non-prescription glasses online and through showrooms. Competes with Crystal Vision on fashion eyewear and prescription frames, though its focus is style/discretion rather than clinical optical or hearing care.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbEBq7w1SMcsDpD6-9LwbtA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrystalVisionBetterHearing
• Instagraminstagram.com/Crystalvisionbetterhearing
• TikToktiktok.com/@crystalvisionbetterhear
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crystal-vision-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crystal Vision & Better Hearing