How long can you wear daily disposable contact lenses? Your guide to daily contact lenses
As one of the most popular styles of contact lenses, daily disposables are the go-to option for millions of lens wearers. If you’re looking to try out daily lenses or want to learn more about this lens type, we’ve compiled this helpful guide.
With nearly 20 years of experience in optometry, Lenstore’s lead optometrist and Head of Professional Services, Roshni Patel, dives into the details of daily contact lenses to answer 5 of your most common questions.
Ask the expert – daily contact lenses
What are the benefits of daily disposable contact lenses?
Daily disposables are great for so many reasons and are very fitting for a busy lifestyle.
- They offer convenience – no cleaning is required; you just need to make sure your hands are washed and dried before handling.
- You use a fresh pair each time, which can reduce the risk of infection.
- They now cater for a variety of prescriptions and needs.
- A good option for hayfever sufferers – especially those who may require medicated eye drops.
Are daily contact lenses safe?
Yes, in fact, all contact lenses are safe. Provided you follow your optician's guidance.
- Ensure you are purchasing and wearing contact lenses that have been fitted for you.
- Follow your optician’s recommendations on wear times as this can vary from person to person depending on their eye health and other factors such as the environment.
- Do not reuse daily disposables, as this can increase the risk of infection.
- Always use clean and dry hands when handling contact lenses or even touching the eye and face. Though the risk of infection with daily disposables is low, you can easily transfer bacteria to the eye without realising it. A handrail on an escalator is a classic example of where your hand may come into contact with such things.
Can daily contacts be reused?
In a nutshell, no. I would not advise reusing daily disposables. They are not manufactured for that purpose and can put you at risk of a whole host of problems. If you want lenses that can be reused, great bi-weekly and monthly options are available.
How many hours should you wear daily lenses?
It really depends on what type of daily disposable you have been prescribed and what your optician has recommended. Silicone hydrogel-based dailies allow more oxygen to the eye compared to hydrogel-based ones. Nevertheless, wearing time will also depend on eye health and other factors, which your optician will discuss with you in detail.
Are daily contact lenses the best for beginners?
Daily disposable lenses are an ideal choice for first-time lens wearers and people who want to try contact lenses as an alternative to glasses. Because wearing lenses for the first time might be intimidating for some, the ease and convenience of daily disposables make the journey into regular lens wear a smoother transition for starters. With no ongoing lens care routines, daily lenses are a great jumping-off point for contact lens beginners.
If you have any other questions about contact lenses for our in-house experts, feel free to send a message here on our Ask an Optician page.
Details about daily contact lenses
What vision correction do daily lenses provide?
The popularity of daily lenses has created a demand for lens manufacturers to offer a daily disposable option for almost all types of vision correction. Depending on which lens type your optician recommends, dailies can correct the following vision issues and prescriptions:
- Myopia (short-sightedness): when objects in the distance appear blurred
- Hyperopia (long-sightedness): when objects up close appear blurred
- Astigmatism: when objects appear blurred due to the eye’s curvature
- Presbyopia: when objects up close appear blurred due to the eye’s age
What are daily contact lenses made of?
Daily contact lenses are made from two common water-based plastic materials – hydrogel and silicone hydrogel- to create a natural yet easy-to-dispose-of design. The flexibility and absorbency that these gel-like materials provide are why daily lenses are categorised as soft contact lenses.
To find out which option is best for you, please read our in-depth article about the differences between hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses here.
What types of daily contact lenses are there?
Daily disposable contacts are available in the three most common types of corrective lenses – spherical, toric, and multifocal. Depending on your vision needs, your optician will recommend one of these designs to correct your refractive error.
- Spherical – designed with the same power throughout the lens surface, spherical or standard are the most common lens type and are suited for wearers with prescriptions for myopia or hyperopia.
- Toric – designed with different powers in different sections, toric contact lenses are prescribed in a specific way to the wearer’s eye shape to help correct astigmatism.
- Multifocal – designed with multiple prescriptions in one lens, multifocal contacts correct presbyopia and allow wearers to gradually transition from clear vision both up close and at a distance.
What are the most popular daily contact lenses?
1-Day ACUVUE MOIST
One of the most popular daily disposables in the market – 1-Day ACUVUE Moist lenses feature LACREON® technology to lock in moisture to keep your eyes hydrated and free of irritation. As with all ACUVUE Moist lenses, they offer class 2 UV protection to limit harmful UVB and UVA rays.
Dailies AquaComfort Plus
Enjoy refreshing comfort with every blink when you wear Dailies Total AquaComfort Plus daily lenses—an excellent choice for new lens wearers with dry or sensitive eyes.
MyDay Toric
Designed to correct astigmatism while offering the comfort and convenience of a daily disposable lens, MyDay toric lenses are ideal for wearers searching for lenses that provide clear and stable vision throughout the day.
ACUVUE OASYS 1-Day for Astigmatism
A premium silicone hydrogel option to help with toric prescriptions, ACUVUE OASYS for Astigmatism features HydraLuxe technology and Eye Stabilised Design to keep your lenses in place and vision clear.
Clariti 1 day multifocal
Combining multiple prescriptions in one lens Clariti 1 day multifocal daily contacts provide crisp vision, near, far, and in between. Wearers often describe them as ‘the most comfortable multifocal dailies’ due to their WetLoc technology.
1-Day ACUVUE MOIST Multifocal
1 Day Acuvue Moist Multifocal includes several prescriptions to correct presbyopia and deliver clear vision at any viewing distance. These contacts are perfect for anyone with presbyopia who wants to enjoy the convenience and ease of daily disposable lenses.
How much are daily contact lenses?
Depending on the prescription, the price of your daily contact lenses will vary. But as an estimate, with Lenstore’s low prices, you can expect to pay around £30 to £40 per month for two 30 lens boxes of daily disposables (one for each eye).
The unique designs of toric and multifocal lenses require finer tuning, which means these styles cost a little more. Expect to pay roughly £40 to £50 for a monthly supply of lenses for astigmatism or presbyopia.
To save even more on your lens costs and have a pair at the ready, sign up for an Auto Reorder subscription and always get an extra 5% off.
How can I switch to daily contact lenses?
If you’re a current monthly, two-weekly, or even first-time lens wearer, the initial step to see if daily disposables are the right choice for you is to set up an appointment with an eye care professional. If your optician or optometrist thinks daily wear lenses suit your vision needs, they’ll arrange some trial lenses for you to test and follow up with a session on how you’ve got on with your new lens type.
To start your switch to daily disposables, book an eye test today.
