Contact lenses discontinued? Here are your alternatives
You might’ve heard the famous saying ‘Nothing lasts forever’, which also rings true in the contact lens industry. Sometimes, a lens style has reached the end of the line, and the time has come for the manufacturer to stop its production. While lenses can be discontinued for several reasons, the most common is because newer and more advanced options are available to replace them. With technological breakthroughs, contact lens features are always on the up-and-up, leading to older lens types falling out of customer favour and eventually being discontinued.
Change is often challenging, especially with products like contact lenses you have worn regularly and relied on for years. But you will find that upgrading to a new product with better benefits will improve your overall wearing experience.
If your lenses are soon to be (or already) discontinued, here are our optician’s recommendations on which upgrade options are most suitable. As with any change to your lens routine, please speak to your eye care professional directly; they will know what is best for your particular vision needs.
Discontinued contact lens alternatives 2023
Discontinued lens: Focus Dailies All Day Comfort
Recommended alternative: Dailies AquaComfort Plus
As one of the first daily disposable on the market, Focus Dailies All Day Comfort were a popular line for CIBA Vision (now Alcon) due to their comfort and convenience. In 2009, a premium version of the lens, Dailies AquaComfort Plus, joined the family. Featuring Blink-activated technology and new lens parameters, it made sense for Alcon to promote its new generation of lenses and phase out Focus Dailies All Day Comfort completely at the end of 2023.
Refit required? Alcon labels Dailies AquaComfort Plus as a direct fit, but we would recommend consulting an eye care professional before switching as some parameters are different.
Discontinued lens: 1 Day ACUVUE TruEye
Recommended alternative: ACUVUE Oasys 1 Day
A customer favourite and bestselling lens for a long time, ACUVUE TruEye was one of the first daily disposables to feature premium silicone hydrogel materials. With the launch of Oasys 1 Day in 2016, ACUVUE’s newer generation of lenses featured HydraLuxe technology and was a considerable upgrade over TruEye. However, due to the popularity of TruEye, it took quite a while for ACUVUE to stop production of these lenses, but they were eventually discontinued in 2022. While limited stock may remain of select prescriptions, existing TruEye wearers will need to find a new lens for their vision needs once sold out.
Refit required? Yes. ACUVUE Oasys 1 Day diameter sizing and materials differ slightly from TruEye lenses. Please speak to your optician before switching.
Discontinued lens: ACUVUE Advance
Recommended alternative: ACUVUE Oasys
Two-weekly ACUVUE Advance contact lenses were discontinued by Johnson & Johnson in 2016. ACUVUE OASYS with Hydraclear Plus technology is the most suitable alternative to the discontinued Advance lens brand ACUVUE offers. As the best-selling two-weekly lens, ACUVUE OASYS are consistently ranked 5-stars by Lenstore customers.
Refit required? Yes. Please speak to your eye care professional before switching.
Discontinued lens: Frequency XCEL Toric
Recommended alternative: Avaira Vitality Toric
Coopervision’s Frequency XCEL Toric was one of the first monthly lenses to offer an extensive range of parameters for contact lens wearers with astigmatism. However, Frequency XCEL was constructed with an older style of hydrogel material, and advancements around toric lenses surpassed them – making the newer model Avaira Vitality Toric a more comfortable option. Seeing that customers preferred the upgraded features the Avaira lenses provided, Frequency XCEL Torics ceased production in early 2021.
Refit required? Yes. A change in lens material and toric design will require an eye care professional to assess if Avaira Vitality Torics properly correct your vision needs.
Discontinued lens: Air Optix Aqua
Recommended alternative: Air Optix Aqua with HydraGlyde
Discontinued in September of 2021, Air Optix Aqua was phased out in favour of a newer version of the product that featured HydraGlyde technology. Alongside the improved comfort provided by HydraGlyde, these monthly lenses have expanded to fit a more extensive range of prescription powers (from -12.00 to +8.00).
Refit required? No. According to the lens manufacturer Alcon, Air Optix customers can upgrade to the HydraGlyde version without needing a new prescription.
Discontinued lens: Frequency 55 Aspheric
Recommended alternative: Avaira Vitality
Frequency 55 Aspheric were discontinued in early 2021 along with several other lenses from the ‘Frequency’ range. Upgrades to lens materials and manufacturing have replaced that earlier range with a more breathable silicone hydrogel construction found in the Avaira family of lenses. Coopervision recommends Avaira Vitality as the suitable upgrade option to the unavailable Frequency 55 Aspheric line of lenses.
Refit required? Yes. Changes to the lens material and size will require an optician’s assessment to see if Avaira Vitality fits your needs.
Discontinued lens: Focus Dailies All Day Comfort Toric
Recommended alternative: Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric
Much like the spherical version, Focus Dailies All Day Comfort Toric were discontinued and replaced by the new generation of lenses – Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric. Available in a broader range than the previous iteration, Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric also features LightStream Lens technology to improve comfort and Precision Curve lens design to adjust stability and reduce rotation to enhance clarity for people with astigmatism.
Refit required? Yes. Adjustments in lens powers and design differences in the Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric range need an optician’s observation to ensure you are fitted with the correct prescription.
