What Are Daily Contact Lenses?
Daily disposable contact lenses, often called "dailies," or "daily lenses," are only used once. Every morning you open a new pack, and you throw them away once you're finished wearing them for the day.
They are becoming very popular due to their health benefits and convenience.
Many contact lens wearers prefer daily over monthly lenses because they require less maintenance. You don't need to buy contact lens solutions or cases with dailies.
| Everything We Recommend | |
|---|---|
| Best Overall Daily Contacts - | Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe™ |
| Runner Up - | Dailies Total 1 |
| Best Daily Contacts for Dry Eyes - | 1-Day Acuvue Moist |
| Most Breathable Daily Contacts - | 1-Day Acuvue TruEye |
| Best Daily Contacts for Astigmatism - | 1-Day Acuvue Moist Astigmatism |
| Best Multifocal Daily Contacts - | Biofinity |
| Best Budget Daily Contacts - | Air Optix Night & Day Aqua |
| Best Colored Daily Contacts - | Dailies Aquacomfort Plus |
Are Daily Contacts Right for Me?
Most people can wear daily contact lenses. They are a great choice for:
- Anyone who wants less hassle in their contact lens experience
- People who are prone to eye infections
- People with dry eyes
- Children, teens, or anyone else just getting started with contacts
Speak with a qualified eye care professional to determine if daily disposables are the right lenses for you.
How Much Do Daily Contacts Cost Per Year?
According to multiple websites, daily contacts can cost anywhere between $400 and $1,000 per year. The total cost depends on the brand you choose, how many you buy, and your insurance coverage.
8 Best Daily Contact Lenses
Best Overall Daily Contacts: Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe™
Acuvue Oasys 1-Day lenses work with your natural tears to lubricate and moisturize. They provide all-day comfort and effortless blinking.
Lens Features:
- HydraLuxe™ Technology provides all-day comfort and performance
- High UV protection (at least 96.1% of UV-A and 99.9% of UV-B radiation)
- Material: 62% senofilcon A; 38% water
- Manufacturer: Johnson & Johnson
Runner Up: Dailies Total 1
Dailies Total1 contacts use water gradient technology. This provides a cushion of moisture near the surface of your lens. This provides a high level of hydration all day long.
Lens Features:
- SmarTears® Technology to stabilize your natural tear film
- Nearly 100% hydration near the lens surface
- Material: 67% delefilcon A; 33% water
- Manufacturer: Alcon
Best Daily Contacts for Dry Eyes: 1-Day Acuvue Moist
1-Day Acuvue Moist is one of the most popular contact lenses on the market. They feature LACREON® technology with an embedded wetting agent. This gives your eyes a cushion of moisture that prevents dryness all day.
Lens Features:
- High UV protection (at least 82% of UV-A and 97% of UV-B radiation)
- Embedded water-holding ingredient similar to your tears
- Material: 42% etafilcon A; 58% water
- Manufacturer: Johnson & Johnson
Most Breathable Daily Contacts: 1-Day Acuvue TruEye
1-Day Acuvue TruEye contacts are made of silicone hydrogel. This material lets the most oxygen through the lens, providing maximum breathability. They also have HYDRACLEAR® 1 Technology that maintains a consistently lubricated surface.
Lens Features:
- HYDRACLEAR® 1 Technology for ultimate lubrication
- High UV protection (at least 96.9% of UV-A and 99.9% of UV-B radiation)
- Material: 54% narafilcon A; 46% water
- Manufacturer: Johnson & Johnson
Best Daily Contacts for Astigmatism: 1-Day Acuvue Moist Astigmatism
1-Day Acuvue Moist lenses are one of the most popular brands. They feature LACREON® technology with an embedded wetting agent. This gives your eyes a cushion of moisture all day.
Lens Features:
- High UV protection (at least 82% of UV-A and 97% of UV-B radiation)
- BLINK STABILIZED® design to keep contacts in place
- Material: 42% polymer; 58% water
- Manufacturer: Johnson & Johnson
Best Multifocal Daily Contacts: Dailies Total 1 Multifocal
Dailies Total 1 Multifocal contact lenses were designed specifically for people with presbyopia (farsightedness). They seamlessly blend prescription strengths to give you clear vision near, far, and in between.
Lens Features:
- Precision Profile® design for seamless multifocal vision correction
- Water gradient technology provides a cushion of moisture around the lens
- Material: delefilcon A 67%; 33% water
- Manufacturer: Alcon
Best Budget Daily Contacts: Biotrue ONEday 90 pack
Biotrue ONEday contacts retain moisture naturally produced by your eye. They also help to reduce halos and glares. They are a great choice if you suffer from these conditions in low light.
Lens Features:
- High Definition Optics reduce glare and halos
- Maintain nearly 100% of moisture for 16 hours
- Material: 22% nesofilcon A; 78% water
- Manufacturer: Bausch + Lomb
Dailies AquaComfort Plus and 1-Day Acuvue Moist also have similar prices.
90 packs are the most cost-effective way to buy daily disposable lenses. These three lenses are some of the best contact lenses on the market. If you wear contacts, don’t sacrifice quality for cost.
Best Colored Daily Contacts: Dailies Colors One Day Contact Lenses
Dailies Colors One Day lenses make your eyes appear bigger and brighter. They feature color enhancement and a unique eye-defining outer ring.
Lens Features:
- 3-in-1 Color Technology brightens and emphasizes the iris
- 4 colors to choose from
- Material: 31% Nelfilcon A; 69% water
- Manufacturer: Alcon
Daily Disposable Contact Lenses Pros:
Eye Health. Your eyes contain calcium, proteins, lipids, and other substances. These substances can build up on reusable lenses, which increases your chances of irritation and infection.
Disposable lenses don’t have the chance to accumulate these substances. This means your chances of getting an infection are greatly reduced.
Convenience. Weekly and monthly lenses require proper daily maintenance. If you don’t take care of your lenses, you could wind up ruining them or causing an eye infection.
Daily disposables require no maintenance. When you are done wearing them, simply throw them away. This eliminates the need for contact lens solutions and cases.
Daily Disposable Contact Lenses Cons:
Price. Daily disposables do cost more. For an annual supply, they typically cost twice or three times as much as monthly lenses. They do not require additional products such as cases and cleaning solutions. However, this does little to offset the price difference.
You can offset the price by wearing glasses some days. Monthly contact lenses must be disposed of after 30 days, regardless of how often you wear them. You don’t need to open a pair of dailies when you wear your glasses.
Waste. Another complaint is the additional waste that daily disposable lenses cause. This is a valid complaint, as you’ll go through a lot more packaging. However, you can help offset this by recycling your contact packaging with TerraCycle and Bausch + Lomb’s ONE Recycling Program.
Before ordering contacts, get a comprehensive eye exam and contact lens fitting from an eye care professional. Only a qualified eye doctor can provide personalized insights to find the best lenses for daily wear.
Why Trust Us?
The Vision Center team spends several hours researching and writing every review page. We scour the internet and base all of our recommendations on:
- Customer reviews
- Product details and specifications
- Company reputation and reports
- Contemporary scholarly articles
Every review is then edited for medical accuracy by our medical reviewer, Dr. Melody Huang, O.D.
Daily Contact Lens FAQs
How to order daily contacts
First, get an eye exam and contact lens fitting from your local optometrist. Then you can use a reputable website such as 1-800 Contacts, GlassesUSA, and Next Day Contacts to order lenses. You’ll have to upload your eye prescription at checkout.
Are daily disposable contacts more expensive?
Yes, daily disposable contacts cost approximately two to three times as much as weekly or monthly contacts. However, they are more hygienic and convenient than reusable lenses.
Are daily contact lenses better for dry eyes?
Usually, yes. People who suffer from dry eyes tend to prefer daily contact lenses. Speak with a qualified eye care professional to find out what types of contact lenses are best for your personal vision problems.
Is a higher water content better for dry eyes?
Not necessarily. Non-silicone hydrogel contact lenses with high water content may actually worsen your dry eye symptoms. Lenses developed specifically for moisture retention such as 1-Day Acuvue Moist and Dailies AquaComfort Plus are best for dry eyes.
In this article
Best Places to Buy Contacts
Best Overall
1-800 Contacts is our #1 recommendation to buy contacts online.
Also Great
GlassesUSA has a huge selection of contacts, glasses, & sunglasses.
Best Places to Buy Glasses
Best Overall
Warby Parker has stylish, high-quality frames at affordable prices.
Also Great
Liingo Eyewear is another great option to buy glasses online.
Best on a Budget
EyeBuyDirect has a wide variety of budget frames starting at $6.
