Finding the best contact lens brand shouldn’t be overwhelming and confusing. Use this guide to help you understand which brand will suit you best.
An estimated 45 million Americans wear contact lenses on a regular basis.
What’s the best contact lens brand for you? One that makes lenses that fit and are comfortable.
Read on to learn what measurements and features impact the comfort of contact lenses and how you can choose the right brand for you.
Base Curve
The best contact lenses for you will be ones that have a good fit. One way to determine good fit is by looking at the base curve.
The base curve on a contact lens is the curve on the back surface of the lens.
The base curve measurement ranges from 8.4 to 9.0. Most brands stick to the common base curve measurements that lie in the middle of the range.
For best vision and comfort, your contact lens should have a curve that is the same as your cornea. Otherwise, your vision may be distorted or choppy.
Most contact lens brands offer the common base curves that fit most people’s cornea. However, your optometrist might recommend a contact lens with a different base curve measurement.
If so, you may be limited to just a couple of brands that supply that base curve. Make sure your prescription lists all the information you need to find a contact lens that will work well for you.
Diameter
Another measurement that affects how well a contact lens fits is diameter. Diameter plays a large role in how comfortable the lens feels in your eye.
The shape and size of your eye will determine the diameter of the contact lens that you need. You might need a large or small diameter lens as a result of the shape and size of your eye.
The diameter of contact lens brands varies from 13.8 all the way to 14.5. Just like the base curve, the shape and size of your eye may limit you to a smaller selection of brand choices that will work for you.
Power
In the past, people with very strong prescriptions were unable to wear contact lenses and were required to use prescription glasses.
Now, advances in contact lenses have made it possible for more people to use contact lenses if they choose, regardless of their prescription. There are a few exceptions where contact lenses are not suitable for some people.
Yet for the majority of people with vision problems, contact lenses are an option.
Some brands offer lenses for people who have high amounts of near and farsightedness.
Do you Have Astigmatism?
If you have astigmatism, you will need a special design of contact lens that is made to give your eye the right alignment it needs to help you see well.
People who need toric contact lenses or have astigmatism in one or both eyes will need to shop from certain brands that cater to their needs.
Even with the same base curve and diameter, two different brands of toric lenses can be vastly different in how well you see. You may need to give each brand a couple of trial days to see what works best for you.
Dry Eyes
When you are shopping for a contact lens brand, think about whether or not you typically have dry eyes. If your eyes are dry, itchy or red at the end of the day or after wearing contacts for a couple of hours, you need to be careful.
Certain brands feature better treatments for dry eyes. And what works for one person may not necessarily work well for you.
Several brands offer contact lenses that are designed to reduce dry eye discomfort while you wear your contacts. These usually have a higher water content. Look for lenses with 80% water content at the front and back surface of the lens.
Bauch and Lomb make a line of contacts out of silicone hydrogel. These PureVision 2 contacts let 5 times more oxygen reach your cornea than traditional hydrogel contacts.
Think About How Often You’ll Wear Contacts
Some people wear glasses and save their contact lenses for going out or for the weekend. Others wear contacts all day every day.
How you plan to use your contact lenses plays a big part in the best brand for you.
Some brands make rigid gas permeable contacts that must be worn every day in order for them to be comfortable. Other brands specialize in monthly or weekly disposable soft contact lenses.
If you don’t have the desire or time to clean and disinfect your contact lenses each day, daily disposables are probably your best bet. Disposable contacts also reduce the risk of some types of eye infections such as fungal eye infection.
Not every brand makes daily disposable lenses so if you are set on one-day disposable lenses, you might be ruling out some brands.
If you want to wear your contact lenses as much as possible, look into overnight lenses. These lenses let a lot of oxygen pass through the membrane to reach your eye. And so the FDA has approved them for wearing overnight.
But wearing contact lenses 24/7 is not advisable for everyone. Talk to your eye doctor about your suitability for overnight wear.
Check out these 5 smart hacks to save on glasses and contact lenses.
Bottom Line on Best Contact Lens Brand
Thanks for reading! We hope this article has given you a bunch of useful information in choosing the best contact lens brand for you.
Remember, the right contact lenses for you are ones that fit your eye well, are comfortable and suit your lifestyle. Talk to your eye doctor about getting a week’s worth of samples so you can try out several brands.
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