Contact lenses remain one of the most effective vision correction tools. Many people are drawn to them because of their nearly invisible appearance and ability to correct many vision problems.
Choosing the best contact lenses for a patient depends on a number of factors including your prescription, any refractive errors, your lifestyle, and your overall eye health.
There are two major categories of contact: soft and hard. Approximately 90 percent of contact lens wearers wear soft lenses. Hard lenses are used for patients with abnormal corneas or particular ocular health conditions.
Soft contact lenses are made of thin, flexible plastics (such as silicone hydrogel). They are considered "disposable" by the FDA, meaning they need to be replaced according to a specific schedule.
Hard contact lenses include two types of lens material. PMMA (conventional) lenses and RGP (rigid gas permeable) lenses. Some of these lenses can be worn 8-16 hours while others can be worn overnight. Hard contact lenses last longer than soft.
It's important to talk to your eye doctor to find out if contact lenses are an ideal choice for you. Schedule an eye exam and contact lens fitting with an eye care professional in order to learn more.
Best Contacts for Dry Eyes: Coopervision Proclear 1, Acuvue Oasys 1 Day with HydraLuxe
Best Contacts for Astigmatism: Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism
Best Multifocal Contact Lenses: Bausch + Lomb Ultra for Presbyopia
Best Daily Contact Lenses: Dailies Total 1
Best Monthly Contact Lenses: Biofinity
Best Contact Lenses for Extended Wear: Air Optix Night & Day Aqua
Best Contact Lenses for Sensitive Eyes: Dailies Aquacomfort Plus
Here are the best contact lenses available in 2020:
These lenses are made of a high-water content hydrogel material containing molecules that naturally occur in human cell membranes. This makes them a popular choice for people with dry eyes. Proclear lenses are the only contacts cleared by the FDA for the claim, “may provide improved comfort for contact lens wearers who experience mild discomfort or symptoms relating to dryness during lens wear.”
Best Contacts for Dry Eyes Runner Up
Acuvue Oasys 1 Day with HydraLuxe are some of the most breathable contacts on the market. Dailies eliminate many problems that lead to dry eye, such as protein build-up and allergic reactions to contact lens solutions. Acuvue Oasys lenses utilize tear-infused technology, which helps moisture re-enter your eyes when you blink.
Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism contacts feature a blink stabilized lens design that matches the irregular curve of eyes with astigmatism. This prevents the toric contact from rotating in your eye. They last two weeks.
Bausch + Lomb Ultra for Presbyopia (presbyopia is age-related farsightedness) contact lenses feature Moistureseal technology which maintains moisture in your eye for up to 16 hours. These multifocal contacts have a 3-Zone Progressive design that gives you clear distance, near, and middle vision.
Dailies Total 1 daily disposable contact lenses are made from water gradient silicone hydrogel which contains nearly 100% water on the surface of the lens, allowing you to wear contacts comfortably all day.
Best Monthly Contact Lenses
Biofinity monthly lenses use Aquaform Comfort technology to help your eyes stay healthy and moist. You can even wear them overnight for up to 6 nights.
Best Contact Lenses for Extended Wear
Air Optix Night & Day Aqua contact lenses are FDA-approved to wear continuously for 30 days and nights. They allow more oxygen through the lens than any other soft contact lens on the market.
Best Contact Lenses for Sensitive Eyes
Dailies Aquacomfort Plus are daily disposable lenses that offer blink-activated moisture technology that releases a moisturizing agent every time you blink.
Read More: Types of Contact Lenses
1800 Contacts has a huge selection of contact lenses and award-winning 24/7 customer service.
“Focusing on Contact Lens Safety.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 16 Oct. 2019, www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/focusing-contact-lens-safety.
“Fast Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 26 July 2018, www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/fast-facts.html.
Cope, Jennifer R., et al. “Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens–Related Eye Infections Among Adults and Adolescents — United States, 2016.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 66, no. 32, 2017, pp. 841–845., doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6632a2.
Walline, Jeffrey J et al. “Benefits of contact lens wear for children and teens.” Eye & contact lens vol. 33,6 Pt 1 (2007): 317-21. doi:10.1097/ICL.0b013e31804f80fb
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