Choosing The Best Contact Lenses

In order to choose the best contact lenses, it is essential to consider factors such as your lifestyle, visual needs, optometrist’s recommendation and your personal commitment to wearing and cleaning them.

Daily contact lenses

Daily disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn for a single day and then thrown-away. These lenses are the most convenient with no cleaning required. They are also considered the safest and most hygienic type of contact lenses as you use a fresh pair of lenses every day, minimising the chance for build-up of harmful pathogens on the lens surface.

Why choose these? 

Daily contact lenses are best for people who:

• Want to wear contact lenses on special occasions, or only a few days per week
• Have active lifestyles and are involved in sports
• Don’t like the idea of having to clean their lenses every night
• Operate in dusty or construction environments

Fortnightly and monthly contact lenses

Fortnightly or monthly contact lenses are also disposable contact lenses with a longer replacement schedule. They will last either 14 or 30 days depending on the brand. Each brand is FDA/TGA approved for a specific replacement period and your optometrist or the manufacturer website can supply this information. Alternatively, contact us and we’ll let you know.  They do need to be removed and cleaned every night.

Why choose these?

Fortnightly/monthly contact lenses are best for people who:

• Still want the benefits of a disposable lens but are budget conscious (these lenses will be cheaper than daily disposable contact lenses)
• Don’t mind cleaning their contact lenses every time they’re worn
• May have a higher prescription that daily disposable contact lenses cannot correct

Extended wear contact lenses

Extended wear contact lenses are contact lenses that you can sleep in for up to 30 nights at a time. Depending on the approval from the FDA/TGA, each manufacturer that offers extended wear lenses may have a different maximum number of days before the lens must be removed to be cleaned or replaced. Made from high oxygen permeable silicon hydrogel, extended wear contact lenses allow a greater flow of oxygen to the eye. Extended wear contact lenses offer lifestyle benefits and the convenience of not having to remove them before sleeping.

Why choose these?

Extended Wear contact lenses are best for people who:

• Want to wear contact lenses overnight
• Prefer little to no cleaning and less changing of lenses
• Tend to be forgetful

However, extended wear is not suitable for all people and it is imperative that you talk to your optometrist before you start sleeping in your contact lenses. Adverse reactions and the risk of infection increases significantly with extended wear. Taking your lenses out every night is still the safest and best option.

Astigmatism and Multifocal contact lenses

Multifocal and astigmatism contact lenses are designed as a prescribed alternative to glasses for people with vision disorders. Multifocal and astigmatism contact lenses are also available as daily, fortnightly or monthly disposables.  

Why choose these?

Astigmatism or multifocal contact lenses are best for people who:

• Already wear glasses daily and want to transition
• Have trouble focusing at near, e.g. reading or computer
• Diagnosed with vision disorders such as astigmatism or presbyopia
• Have active lifestyles that find it inconvenient to wear glasses

Coloured contact lenses (including non-prescription)

Coloured contacts allow you to correct your vision and change or enhance your eye colour at the same time. They are also available as a daily, fortnightly or monthly disposable lens. Coloured contact lenses are available with or without prescription. Like all other contact lenses, coloured contact lenses should be fitted by an optometrist even if you don’t need vision correction. There are many brands of coloured contact lenses on the market and each brand will fit your eye differently. Ensure you are purchasing a reputable brand that has been fitted by your optometrist, which will reduce your risk of complications.

Why choose these?

Coloured contact lenses are best for people who:

• Want to change or enhance their eye colour
• Use them for special events

For more information on choosing the best contact lenses to suit you, check out our FAQs page or send us an enquiry.