Most people do not have 20/20 vision, meaning most people need contacts or eyeglasses to see properly. While eyeglasses can be fashion-forward, in the long run contacts can be better for the health of your vision and a more suitable choice. There are many kinds of contacts to choose from, so your options when choosing contacts are wide and varied. If you have had difficulty choosing eyewear to support your vision, this article will break down the benefits of contact lenses and any details you may need to know before finding the best contacts option for you.
Contact Lenses Versus Glasses
When choosing supportive eyewear, you may think it would be easier and less intrusive to wear glasses. The truth is there are many benefits to choosing contact lenses over glasses.
Glasses may be easy for on-the-go situations, however, glasses come with a lot of setbacks. Glasses can be uncomfortable to wear, and heavy on the face. If you are wearing a mask or if the weather is humid, glasses bead with sweat or fog up. If you have thick framed glasses with a very intense prescription, or if you have astigmatism, glasses can often warp your vision further, specifically towards the periphery of the frames. Additionally, your peripheral vision is not supported by glasses since they rest on your face in a way that is meant to help you see straight ahead.
Contacts on the other hand are small lenses that sit directly on your eyeball. Because of this they move with your line of vision and more naturally support your vision, even peripherally. There are contacts made to correct astigmatism, and it is less likely you will have vision distortions when wearing contacts. You can wear contacts during physical activity with no clunkiness or fear of them falling off, and since they sit on your eye they do not get fogged up.
Types of Contact Lenses
When it comes to choosing which contacts are right for you, it is important to know there are different types of contact lenses. Firstly, there are soft lenses, rigid lenses, and hybrid lenses. Soft lenses are made from a soft plastic and have a liquid gel texture, making them very comfortable to wear. Rigid lenses are made from glass and can be more reliable in supporting your vision than soft contact lenses especially if you are afflicted with astigmatism, but some may find them uncomfortable on the eyes. Hybrid contact lenses have a rigid center and soft exterior rim, combining the best of both types of lenses. These lenses have the reliability of rigid lenses and the comfortable wearability of soft lenses, but hybrid lenses tend to be very costly.
There is another way to categorize the types of lenses and that is in length of wear. There are daily lenses which you wear during the day and take off at bedtime to clean. These types of lenses can last for months or years depending on the brand your doctor prescribes you. These will last for the length of time your doctor prescribes. Then there are disposable lenses. These are meant for single day use, tend to be exclusively soft lenses, and at the end of the day you throw them away.
Lastly, there are extended-wear contact lenses. These can be worn during sleep and do not have to be taken out daily. These can last for months or years if maintained properly. You must take them out at least once a week to clean in contact solution to keep their function optimal. Contact lenses can also be made to correct nearsightedness or farsightedness as bifocals or multifocal lenses. Hard lenses tend to be better in this capacity because they are less likely to move around on the eye.
Cost of Contact Lenses
There are many factors to consider when buying contact lenses that will affect the price of your vision support. The nature and severity of your visual condition will impact the overall cost of your contacts because specialty support will need to be included for people with astigmatism or nearsightedness. Additionally, the type of contact you choose will impact your annual vision support expenditure. Here we will go over some of the price points you can expect when purchasing contact lenses.
The average cost for rigid and hybrid lenses will be much more costly than soft lenses, with additional cost for specs to support astigmatism or if they are multifocal lenses. Hybrid lenses are the most expensive, though two pairs will last the whole year, each pair tends to cost anywhere from $1000 to $500. A single pair of rigid lenses will last a whole year, but the pair will cost between $650 and $150.
There are many types of soft lenses to choose from as well. Yearly soft lenses without any extra specs for conditions like astigmatism or farsightedness will cost anywhere from $200 to $50 per pair, with additional cost to make them multifocal or suitable to support astigmatism. Monthly lenses at their most basic form will cost anywhere from $340 to $180 annually.
Monthly lenses for people with astigmatism cost more at $380 to $220 per year. Biweekly disposable soft lenses at the basic level cost anywhere from $440 to $200 annually, and monthly lenses for those with astigmatism will cost averagely between $520 and $400. The most basic daily disposable lenses are a more expensive option and will cost anywhere from $760 to $440 annually.
With insurance, you can save some on the overall cost of your annual supply of contact lenses. The average coverage of most insurance plans will allocate $150 annually towards your contact lenses expense. It is also important to keep in mind the small cost of contact solution and contacts case, which will contribute to your overall annual cost for contact care.