An estimated 45 million people in the U.S. wear contact lenses.
Contact lenses are a great choice for people who want convenience and clear vision. But now you have to decide between monthlies and dailies. While choosing may be easy for some, others find it a difficult choice to make, and like many other aspects of life, price is an important considerations
The newer design or materials provide added eye health benefits, but can be more expensive.
Learn more about the two types of lenses, to help you make an informed decision.
1. Daily lenses
Daily contact lenses are single-use lenses that you remove at the end of the day and discard. They’re usually designed to have a high water content and be very thin.
Daily contact lenses are designed to be used once and then discarded, so they require very little upkeep.
It’s crucial to understand that leaving daily lenses on your eyes overnight could cause corneal damage and eye infections.
Contact an eye doctor near you who can help you decide which contact lenses best meet you and your eyes’ needs.
SEE RELATED: The Contact Lens Exam
2. Monthly Lenses
Monthly contact lenses must be replaced on a monthly basis, and usually on a particular date, according to the eye doctor’s instructions. They are more durable than daily lenses since they are made of a thicker material.
Monthly lenses are even more resistant to drying out, but you must clean them according to the instructions to ensure your wearing comfort and eye health.
Before you’ll need to switch to a new pair, monthly contact lenses can be worn for about 30 days.
Another good thing about monthlies is that there are certain brands of monthly lenses, called ‘extended wear’ contact lenses, that are FDA approved for overnight or even full-time wear for the entire month.
Although these lenses are safe to wear overnight, the longer you wear contacts, the greater the risk of complications, including infection.
Is there a cost difference?
As a general guide daily lenses are more expensive than monthly lenses, especially if you are wearing lenses 4 or more days a week.
Daily lenses work out to be under or close to $1 per lens, expect to pay $25 – $40 for a box of 30, and $55 to $90 for a box of 90 lenses.
Monthly contact lenses are usually $3-4 per lens, expect to pay around $30 to $40 for a box of 6 lenses.
As you can imagine, wearing daily lenses is usually more expensive than monthly lenses, however there are a few considerations;
1. Frequency of wear:
If the daily lenses are only worn 3-4 times per week then the overall cost is virtually the same as monthly lenses.
2. Storage and cleaning solutions:
With monthly lenses, it is important to add the cost of your contact lens solutions to the overall calculation.
3. Damaged or lost lenses:
The cost per lens of the monthly lenses are more expensive, so if you are prone to damaging or loosing lenses, then daily might be cost effective
There are plenty of choices for both monthly and daily contact lenses, regardless of the kind you select. You should always discuss all the pros and cons of each type with your eye doctor.
LEARN MORE: Optical and Contact Lenses
Contact an eye doctor near you who can help you decide which ones best meet you and your eyes’ needs.
