There are many types of contact lenses available today. Choosing the right one depends on your lifestyle and the vision correction you need.
Daily and monthly contact lenses are the most widely used. As the names suggest, daily lenses are disposable, while monthly lenses are worn for up to a month before being replaced with a new pair.
Both offer great benefits to the wearer. Here’s a comparison across four key areas: comfort, convenience, affordability, and eye health.
Comfort
Contact lenses have come a long way when it comes to comfort. Most modern contact lenses are made from hydrogel or silicone hydrogel. Silicone hydrogel is an innovative material that allows up to five times more oxygen to reach the cornea, helping to keep eyes healthy and lenses comfortable. This makes silicone hydrogel ideal for monthly, fortnightly, and extended-wear contact lenses.
Daily lenses are typically made from a thinner, more flexible material than monthlies. However, silicone hydrogel is now widely used in newer daily disposables too. As well as offering high levels of moisture and comfort, it also has the advantage of being easier to handle — making inserting contact lenses simpler than ever.
Convenience
Daily contact lenses are incredibly easy to use. Simply throw them away at the end of the day — no stress about cleaning. Their ease of use makes them a popular choice for anyone with a busy lifestyle. If you like to switch between prescription glasses and contact lenses from time to time, or only wear lenses at weekends for going out or sport, daily lenses give you the flexibility you’re looking for.
Monthly lenses, on the other hand, require proper care and maintenance every evening before the next use. Some reusable lenses can be worn continuously for seven days. This flexibility is useful for people with unpredictable lifestyles, such as shift workers who don’t always have time to manage their lenses.
Affordability
When choosing a lens, you should consider how often you’ll wear them. Despite the additional cost of contact lens solution, monthly lenses are generally considered the more economical choice for full-time wearers. If you prefer to alternate between glasses and contact lenses, daily disposables can be an affordable option.
Lenstore has selected the best contact lens brands for you at great prices. You’ll find plenty of helpful tips on how to buy your favourite contact lenses without breaking the bank.
Health and hygiene
Our eyes produce lipids and proteins that build up on the lens over time and cause discomfort. Daily contact lenses are considered the healthiest option because there’s no deposit build-up — they’re ready to use, in sterilised disposable packaging. Daily lenses are ideal for wearers with seasonal allergies as frequent replacement minimises the build-up of pollen.
Monthly lenses are also hygienic when properly maintained. You’ll find it easy once you get into a routine.
Environmental impact
Monthly lenses are considered more environmentally friendly because they’re replaced once a month rather than every day. However, manufacturers are continuously looking for production processes that minimise waste and create recyclable materials. Today, soft contact lenses, the blister packs that contain them, cardboard packaging, and lens cases can all be recycled.
As part of our environmental commitment, we have partnered with TerraCycle to offer a free recycling service.
If you don’t have access to a local recycling scheme, you can do your bit at home. It’s a good idea to check with your local council to see what materials can be recycled. Here are some useful guidelines:
What can I recycle at home?
- The plastic blister packs that contain lenses
- Cardboard packaging
- Contact lens solution bottles and lens cases
What can’t I recycle at home?
- Contact lenses are too small to recycle at home. The best thing to do is put them in the bin. It’s important never to flush them down the toilet, as this can contribute to marine pollution.
- The aluminium foil lid of blister packs cannot currently be recycled at home.
What are fortnightly contact lenses?
Fortnightly contact lenses are replaced every two weeks. Also known as bi-weeklies, they offer the convenience of monthly lenses with the hygienic benefits of daily disposables.
They’re replaced more frequently than monthlies, so you’ll start with a fresh pair every two weeks. This makes them ideal for anyone who feels uncomfortable in extended-wear lenses towards the end of their lifecycle.
Fortnightly lenses require more maintenance than dailies, so you’ll still need to clean and store them at the end of each day. However, they offer excellent value for money, particularly for regular wearers.
Can I switch my contact lenses?
Of course you can. If you’re thinking about changing the type, brand, or wearing frequency of your lenses, simply visit your optician.
Contact lenses differ in material and parameters such as base curve and diameter, and they also have different wearing and maintenance requirements. Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will check the material and parameter suitability, vision, and comfort, and advise you on cleaning and storing your lenses with an appropriate solution and a recycling-compatible container.
