Glasses vs Lenses: You’ve finally made up your mind to choose contact lenses as your next go-to vision correction method. But how do you decide what type of lenses would be perfect for your eyes and your lifestyle? Simple, we weigh in on the pros and cons to determine what works best for you. Surprised that there are different types of lenses? Then you should definitely dig deeper into this article to understand if hassle-free daily disposables or inexpensive monthly lenses are right for you.
Daily contacts or daily disposables are lenses that you toss in the trash at the end of each use every day.
Also Read: Republic Day Inspired Colored Lenses
Pros
- Less Prone To Build-Up: You won’t need to clean or store the lenses for next time. You always get to wear a fresh pack of lenses for the rest of the day. This means, there’s no chance of underlying bacteria and germs that may cause eye infections due to dirty lenses.
- Convenient: You simply put them in when you wake up, and then remove and discard them before bed. It doesn’t get any easier than this!
- Soft And Gentle: These lenses are really thin and contain a lot of water. No more dry eyes!
- Easy To Keep Up With: The best part about this type of lens is you don’t even need to buy a lens solution or invest in a lens case that may come as an additional expense.
Cons
- Less Environment Friendly: These lenses are sealed in blister packs for one-time use that may not contribute to a healthier environment.
- Comparatively A Bit Expensive: Although you will pay more at the time of purchase, the good news is that you’ll probably come out ahead in the long run! But if you remove them in the middle of the day, you wouldn’t be able to wear the same pair again. You would need to open a fresh pair.
- Not Safe To Sleep In: Daily disposables aren’t designed for extended use and sleeping in your lenses can seriously damage your vision.
Monthly contact lenses can be worn each day for about 30 days before you’ll need to switch to a new pair. Monthlies are meant to be worn during the day then taken out at night and stored in contact lens solution while you sleep.
Pros
- Budget-friendly: The investment cost is typically less upfront. However, you still need to buy a lens case and solution to clean, disinfect and store your lenses daily.
- Less Prone To Tear: The monthly lenses are thicker and more durable than daily lenses. That’s because they have to resist drying out while you store and use them for 30 days.
- Four Times More Oxygen: The silicone hydrogel lens has 56 percent water content that lets your eyes breathe as you wear them from morning to evening. High breathability means extra comfort.
- Environment Friendly: In comparison with the daily disposables, you’ll be discarding fewer lenses as you typically wear only 12 pairs per year. This results in less waste, which is good for the planet.
Cons
- Easy To Over Wear: Unless you pay close attention to dates, then it can be difficult to remember when you began wearing a pair of contacts. It can be extremely easy to forget to replace your lenses on a monthly basis.
- Prone To Build Up: Lipids and proteins produced by your eyes tend to accumulate on your contact lenses over time. This build-up can seriously induce eye irritation and infection.
- Demands Hygiene Commitment: There’s a need to disinfect them to avoid infections and protein buildup every time you place them in the case. In turn, the case needs regular cleaning as well.
- Extra Expense: Besides lens solution, you also need to change the lens case after every three months as it becomes a reservoir for infection-causing germs and bacteria.
What Should You Choose?
It is completely a lifestyle preference that you have to make considering how a day in your life goes.
If you’re involved in outdoor activities or sports that often expose your eyes to sweat, dirt or water, dailies may fit you best. Having daily disposables means you can just take out the lens and throw it out. There’s no extra work of cleaning and disinfecting the contact of any contaminants. This is handy if you work outdoors or don’t have easy access to facilities to clean and store contact lenses.
You also don’t have to carry around cleaning solutions and storage containers with dailies. But you may want to have extra pairs with you in case you need to replace them at some point in the day. If you have a controlled lifestyle and always have access to a washroom and mirror to remove and clean your lenses if needed, monthlies could work well for you.
