All lenses are either made of a hydrogel or silicone hydrogel material. Silicone hydrogel allows up to 6 times more oxygen to enter the eye, allowing a longer wearing time, making them more comfortable and expensive than standard hydrogel contact lenses. Here is our short guide on which lenses are available and what type of eye problems they correct.
Standard corrective lenses
Standard contact lenses offer correction for myopia (short sightedness) and hyperopia (long-sightedness). They are available as daily, two-weekly and monthly lenses.
1 Day Acuvue Moist is the world’s most popular daily disposable lens and is a hydrogel lens, it features LACREON® technology and provides moisture and comfort. UV blocking technology protects your eyes from UV damage. Lenses such as comfi Pure 1 Day – also a hydrogel lens – is a value for money quality lens and is available as a 5 pack to trial before you make the choice to purchase a 30 pack.
If you prefer monthly contact lenses, Proclear by Coopervision features PC Technology to aid water retention and has an incredibly high-water percentage, perfect for those with dry eyes who need added moisture.
For those opting for, or who wish to upgrade to a silicone hydrogel lens, Dailies Total 1 is the most highly rated daily disposable silicone hydrogel lens on the market. With up to 16 hours of wearing time, it offers both incredible comfort and a highly moisturising lens that will ensure acute visual clarity and an unnoticeable lens. A cost-effective alternative for Dailies Total 1 would be comfi Pure lenses which are also made from silicone hydrogel.
Air Optix – who specifically manufacture silicone hydrogel lenses – offer a fantastic range of monthly lenses, including Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde and Air Optix Aqua which features hygienic deposit resistant material.
Toric
Toric contact lenses are made to correct astigmatism. Most people with myopia have some minor astigmatism that causes blurry vison. Astigmatism occurs when the shape of the eye is not fully spherical and shaped more like a ruby than a football. It causes light rays that enter the eyes to come in a curved line instead of a straight path. If not corrected, astigmatism can lead to eye strain and headaches.
Thankfully, it can be corrected easily with toric lenses. Like standard lenses, toric lenses are also available as a daily disposable, two-weekly or monthly lens. Unlike standard corrective lenses, they contain an extra parameter in the lens known as the ‘axis’ to correct the astigmatism.
Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric contains a blink activated moisturising system and triple moistening formula, a perfect lens for people who experience dryness and irritation. Clariti One Day Toric is the only silicone hydrogel daily disposable lens available on our site. Those who want a slightly longer wearing lens but would rather not wear a monthly can opt for a two-weekly lens such as Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism or Acuvue Advanced for Astigmatism.
The most advanced wearing time comes courtesy to Proclear Tailor Made Toric lenses which can be worn for up to a year with daily cleaning, disinfecting and over night storage. It also offers some of the most precise parameters for those who have astigmatism.
Multifocal
Multifocal lenses contain two or more prescriptions within the lens for people who need visual correction for objects that are both close and far away. Although not always, this is generally more common with slighter older people who have presbyopia. Presbyopia is a condition that diminishes the eye’s ability to focus on close-up objects. This usually occurs from about the age of 40 and is the most common form of near vision loss. Those who have presbyopia generally find that when they try to read or focus on small details their vision becomes blurry.
Our most popular contact lenses for presbyopia include Biotrue ONEday for Presbyopia which has a phenomenal 78% water content and 3-Zone Progression Design helps eyes adjust to different visual ranges, or Dailies Total 1 Multifocal, a highly breathable silicone hydrogel lens.
Monthly options include Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde Multifocal – a silicone hydrogel monthly – or Proclear Multifocal XR which offers an extended range of prescriptions for presbyopia, ideal for those with stronger prescriptions, ensuring sharp focusing through a mix of spherical and aspherical optics.
So, what if you require both a toric and multifocal prescription? No worries, we have one lens that caters just for that. Proclear Multifocal Toric caters for people who have both astigmatism and presbyopia.
Colour contact lenses
Colour contact contact lenses can correct both short-sightedness and long-sightedness. We do not currently stock coloured lenses that are toric or multifocal as the parameters make it complicated to add colour. All our contact lenses come in both prescription and non-prescription options.
FreshLook Colorblends are the most popular monthly coloured lens, famed for their vibrant yet natural looking colour tones which melt seamlessly with the natural colour of your eye. Air Optix Colors at the perfect upgrade and are made with a silicone hydrogel material. Both come in 12 vivid colours to choose from.
There are also daily disposable coloured lenses for those who want a fresh new pair of colour contact lenses each day. comfi Colors 1 Day lenses come in a zero prescription Rainbow Pack – exclusive to FeelGoodContacts.com - that allow you to try each colour in the range before committing to purchasing an entire box of one colour.
Other daily lenses include FreshLook One Day and FreshLook Illuminate that add depth and dimension to your eyes as opposed to changing the colour.
We hope we’ve done a little to demystify the different types of lenses available on our site. For more information on eye health and eye care, please visit our Eye Care Hub.
