It’s nice to see you

Here at Perception Optical Boutique (East Arlington, MA) our mission is to provide the highest clarity for your vision. We are an independently owned and family-run business.

What we offer

The “Perception Method” for patient care

We specialize in personalized eye care, glasses & lenses for all. We make our fitting & style sessions as enjoyable as possible, giving you devoted one-on-one time to ask questions and feel excited about your new eyewear. We’re happy to help select frames for you based upon your vision needs, comfort, & preference for style.

Frame styles + fits for all faces

We opened Perception with a clear mission: help everyone. We hand select each frame we offer, working with independently owned eyewear makers with an eye for style, lightness and durability. We carry frames of quality materials & shapes (round, square, aviator, cat-eye, ‘squircle’) — including specific fits for wider and petite faces.

The world’s best lenses

Perception Optical prioritizes lenses. We work with ZEISS Vision, the world’s leading lens manufacturer to offer you the highest-quality lenses available on the market. Our ZEISS lenses are unmatched in clarity, visual comfort & durability.

ZEISS’s expansive portfolio includes:

Top of the line anti-reflective, glare-reducing & anti-scratch coatings (standard with all lenses)
ZEISS ClearView single-vision lenses for reading, computer or distance
ZEISS SmartLife progressives lenses with wide zones
Task-lenses (think: knitting, crafts, small details)
“The Boost” lens for added reading power
ZEISS PhotoFushionX (aka ‘transitions') in a range of colors
Tints (great for migraine sufferers and light-sensitive eyes)
Sunglasses, polarization & high-reflective mirror coating
ZEISS DriveSafe for night-time
2-year lens warranty (at no additional cost)

Some of our PEEPS

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Perception Optical & Adam’s Story

Adam Estapa
Co-owner & Optician (LDO,ABOC,NCLEC)

Adam Estapa believes everyone has the right to see their world as best they can. He is a graduate of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology with an Associate of Applied Science in Opticianry, and certified and licensed optician by the American Board of Opticians and National Contact Lens Examiners. Adam has worked for numerous optical companies, including Warby Parker, SEE Eyewear, Boston Eye Group, VisionWorks & more.

Adam’s life-long passion for optics started with his very first pair of glasses at just 13-months old. Born with Stargardt Disease, a rare genetic eye disorder, Adam’s whole world has literally been shaped by his glasses. He is legally blind, photophobic and color-blind. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a trained and licensed optician with one goal in mind: to help others see the best they can. Perception Optical was born out of frustration of too many optical retailers unable to solve his most basic vision needs. Adam understands deeply how important eyewear is to quality of life. He speaks regularly at the Carroll Center for the Blind, offering help and hope to those living with visual disabilities.

Rachel (Rae) Estapa
Co-owner & Operations & Stylist

Rachel (or Rae) is driven to help people feel good about themselves. Wearing many hats, one of them is fashion-stylist and Rae has a knack for helping patients select frames they love to wear. In addition, Rae has more than two decades of operations, marketing & administrative experience to help ensure mission-driven organizations stay on track.

Prior to opening Perception Optical, she worked for Harvard University’s Office of Public Affairs + Relations. When not working on Perception, Rae is creator of More to Love Yoga, the award winning body-positive yoga and wellness practice based in Boston. Rae teaches, speaks, and writes on topics such as yoga, wellness, body-positivity, entrepreneurship and more.

Yes, we’re married!

Rachel & Adam Estapa

One of their first dates, Adam and Rae made a list together called “Things I Want to Do with My Life” and at the top was owning their own businesses and doing what they each loved. They opened Perception Optical in early 2020, right when the pandemic struck, but held fast to the vision. Each bring their unique talents to Perception Optical and are proud to be a family-owned business.

Let’s help you see YOUR world