Convenient and comfortable, daily disposable, or one day, contacts are a good fit for some people. Could they work for you?
If you and your optometrist have decided that disposable contact lenses are right for you, there are a few options – daily disposable, frequent replacement or extended wear lenses. In this article we’ll look at daily disposable contact lenses – a popular option for everyone, but especially for people who are busy and active, as well those who don’t need contact lenses on a day-to-day basis, for example, people who want to wear tinted lenses or glasses occasionally.
Made of soft, flexible plastic, daily disposable contact lenses are worn during waking hours and removed and thrown away before you go to sleep. The next day you’ll wear a brand new pair, meaning no need for calendar reminders to change your contacts.
The main advantage of daily disposable contact lenses is convenience. And because there’s no cleaning involved, they’re more hygienic and comfortable.
“You’re only handling them when you put them in and when you take them out, and then tomorrow you’re putting in a fresh pair of lenses,” says Bupa optometrist Karen Makin.
“From a comfort point of view, you don’t get any build-up on the lenses – the surface is smooth and fresh every day. And if you’re going on holidays, you don’t have to worry about lugging cleaning solutions with you.”
The main disadvantage of daily disposable contact lenses is the need to buy a lot of them.
Wearing a new pair of contacts every day creates more waste, but Bupa Optical participates in a recycling program.
“Contact lenses, and the little plastic and foil packaging that they come in, can be recycled through our stores,” advises Makin. “The cardboard packs can go into the normal recycling bin at home.”
If you don’t want the hassle of replacing contacts each day, extended wear contact lenses might be a better fit.
