In the field of ophthalmology, many diagnostic instruments based on optical technology have been developed, such as refractometer, keratometer, corneal mapper, tonometer, fundus camera, slit lamp, laser scan ophthalmoscope and optical coherence tomography. Among them, the refractometer that is used for measuring the refractive power of the human eye has the long research history and various types have been developed. However the efforts to realize more accurate and precise measurement are still in progress. The wavefront analyzer commercialized in recent years is an excellent outcome of such efforts. In this paper, a brief account of the developmental history of various refractometers including the wavefront analyzer is summarized, and the underlying measurement principle is introduced in the view of optics. Finally, the technical issues that should be solved for getting better performance are discussed.