You don't have to just take what you're given!

The constraints are not overwhelming

It is clear that a number of constraints exist (type of eye sight issue) as well as a number of choices relating to price, usage and flexibility. Clearly the key drivers to success with contact lenses are comfort, convenience and affordability:

• Comfort is driven by the fit, the degree of oxygen passed to your eye and levels of moisture. Not all brands will provide the optimal fit. Different levels of oxygen permeability and moisture will depend on the contact lens you choose.
• Convenience is about how you use the products, whether you want to get involved in daily cleaning routines, how often you use them (all the time, only for sport etc) and whether you have time in the day to manage them.
• Hygiene is a big issue if you are likely to find complex (or even simple) cleaning regimes beyond you, in which case dailies are really the contact lenses for you.
• Affordability is really about whether you prefer dailies or monthlies and whether you are prepared to pay a premium for the “best in class” contact lenses.

Discussion

When I discuss contact lenses, I always discuss in the order of "safety, comfort and price". Clearly safety depends on the likelihood of the customer to carry out the cleaning routines etc. You might do so, but what about your teenage son? If there is any doubt on hygiene at all, I would almost always recommend daily contact lenses.

For comfort, there will be some input from the different sizes and base curves provided by the manufacturers but on top of that it's really about oxygen permeability and moisture retention - if you depend on your contact lenses this really can make a big difference and it's worth paying the extra.

In the end, it can just be about price, but that's where you get great savings by buying cheap contact lenses online.

In any event, you will have to discuss this with your optician. You can only wear contact lenses which have been fitted by a qualified eye care practitioner (a qualified contact lens dispensing optician or an optometrist). Nevertheless, it may well be that you could be much more comfortable in different lenses and it’s worth starting the discussion. Don’t forget, an optician’s life is always easiest if you keep the same old lenses going – but you should push to optimize your comfort. They are your eyes, not their’s! So why not make the following checks before you go for your next eye test.

• Research your category - see what other contact lenses are available. Often there are straightforward no-fit upgrades for your contact lens
• See what the latest contact lenses are and the advantages they offer. Many people think toric contact lenses are not available as a daily lens, for example (likewise varifocal).
• Think about your usage - if you are an occasional user it may well be that daily contact lenses are in fact cheaper after all
• If you are buying for somebody else (your son or daughter) bear in mind that they may not be as hygienic as you are

Good luck!

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