Daily contact lenses are intended to be worn for a single day and then thrown out each evening, which makes these the easiest contact lenses to adjust to and the most healthiest option for your eyes.
It is widely recognised that daily contact lenses are the safest mode of wear for contact lenses, due to having a fresh clean pair every day (1). This is why Daily disposable contact lenses are the primary contact lenses of choice for UK Optometrists, with 59% of all new fittings in 2021 being for daily disposable lenses (2).
It’s not just Optometrists that love daily disposable contact lenses, our customers love them too, they account for 12 out of our top 13 lenses sold.
There’s a good reason for this, daily disposable contact lenses are
No need to remember when lenses need changing, simply insert a new pair every morning and dispose of them before bed
Ideal for active lifestyles, long haul flights, festivals and occasional wear.
Great for healthy eyes. Recommended by 59% of optometrists.
No need for expensive solutions or cleaning regimes.
Although all daily lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown out, not all daily contact lenses are the same.
They can be subdivided into two main categories: Hydrogel contact lenses and Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses.
Designed to be an easy direct replacement contact lens for 'branded' contact lenses for example Focus Dailies Aquacomfort Plus and 1 Day Acuvue Moist.
Crystal Aqua Daily contact lenses have all the benefits of a recognised brand, comfort, convenience, reliability but at up to 50% cheaper.
Our customers rate Crystal Aqua Daily 4.7 out of 5 with 82.6% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Crystal Hydro Daily is designed with the advanced material Etafilcon A and contain UVA and UVB protection along with a handling tint.
Crystal Hydro Daily are a great low cost replacement for your existing daily lenses
Our customers rate Crystal Hydro Daily 4.7 out of 5 with 80.5% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Daily Aquacomfort Plus Alcon`s Daily Aquacomfort Plus contain triple action moisturising system for increased comfort, along with a cushioning agent to provide instant comfort. With a wide fitting range going up to +8.00 and -15.00 they allow more people to experience the comfort and convenience of daily disposable contact lenses.
Our customers rate Daily Aquacomfort Plus 4.5 out of 5 with 71.5% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Johnson and Johnson’s 1 Day Acuvue Moist uniquely combines the proven 1 Day Acuvue material of Etafilcon A and adds the moisture-rich ingredient Lacreon. Via a proprietary process, Johnson and Johnson embed this water retaining ingredient, very similar to your own tears, into the lens, creating a long-lasting smooth cushion throughout the lens, which keeps moisture in and dryness at bay, making 1 Day Acuvue Moist a great choice for dry eyes.
Our customers rate 1 Day Acuvue Moist 4.7 out of 5 with 76.1% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Bausch + Lombs Soflens Daily Disposable contact lens with Aspheric optics are designed to enhance vision even in low lighting conditions and helps with peripheral vision. The ComfortMoist technology in this extremely thin contact lens, provides high levels of all day comfort with a "lens free" feel. They also benefit from a slow release solution which helps create a "cushion of moisture" around the lens.
Our customers rate Soflens Daily Disposable 3.8 out of 5 with 63.1% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Alcon’s Dailies Total 1 is their first 'water gradient' contact lens.
Dailies Total 1 is a silicone hydrogel contact lens with a core of 33% water content that allows maximum oxygen transmission through the lens, sandwiched between a ultrasoft, high water content (greater than 80%) surface gel which provides exceptional comfort.
Our customers rate Dailies Total 1 4.6out of 5 with 80% of reviews awarding them 5 *
Daily contact lenses are often thought of as being the most expensive wearing mode, however when you factor in that you do not require solutions, and look at some of the great replacement brands out there, daily lenses can work out as cheap or cheaper than monthly contact lenses.
If you only wear lenses occasionally, just a weekend wearer for example then dailies work out much more cost effective because you do not waste any wear time, for example if you wear monthly lenses they should be disposed of after 30 days whether you have worn them for 30 days or only 3!
Daily disposable contact lenses vary in price depending on whether you choose a branded contact lens or a replacement contact lens and whether you need silicone hydrogel, hydrogel, Toric or Multifocal lenses.
| Qty Lenses | Price Range Branded lenses such as Acuvue | Price range Replacement such as Crystal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogel | 30 | £14.99 - £24.99 | £9.99 - £12.00 |
| Silicone Hydrogel | 30 | £24.00 - £34.95 | - |
| Toric | 30 | £32.40 -4231.00 | - |
| Multifocal | 30 | £32.34- £60.00 | - |
| Coloured | 10 | £15.50 | - |
*Prices include cost of solution with free case, all prices based on contactlenses.co.uk prices. Prices may differ on other websites and high street optical practices.
The Four main differences between daily disposable contact lenses and monthly or two weekly disposable contact lenses are:
Wearing Mode - As you have probably gathered the replacement frequency is stated in the wearing mode of the lenses.
Daily contact lenses are designed to be worn once then thrown out at the end of your wearing session.
Two weekly contact lenses are designed to be worn daily, and disposed of for a new pair after 14 days.
Monthly contact lenses are designed to be worn daily and disposed of after 1 month
Dailies, two weeklies or monthlies are not designed to be worn overnight - if you want to wear contact lenses overnight then ask your Optometrist about continuous wear contact lenses
Care - Daily contact lenses require the least care, you use a new pair of contact lenses each morning and dispose of them at night. There is no need for solutions, storage cases, nightly and morning routines or reminders to replace them.
Two weekly and monthly contact lenses both require the same type of morning and evening cleaning and storage routine, although this is quite quick once you become familiar with it, it does still take time and thought. You also need to remember when your 14 day or 30 days are up for replacement.
Convenience - Daily contact lenses provide the ultimate convenience. They take the least time and attention. They are ideal for occasional wear, travel and late nights - just take a few pairs with you!
Two weekly and monthly contact lenses both require some time and attention daily, if you travel, stay out etc you need to remember to take enough solution and your storage case with you, plus spare lenses if the end of your wearing schedule is approaching.
Cost - Daily contact lenses are generally more expensive than two weekly or monthly contact lenses, but once you factor in the cost of Multi purpose solution, the cost evens out quite a bit. If you switch from a proprietary brand such as Acuvue to non branded lenses such as Crystal then daily contacts can work out cheaper than monthlies.
The price of two weekly contact lenses can work out the most expensive and there are fewer options to choose from.
| Use a new pair each day | Wear lenses each day for up to 2 weeks | Wear lenses each day for up to 1 month | No need for cleaning and storing overnight | Needs cleaning and storing overnight | Convenient - no solution or storing cases | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | *£1.00 **£0.66 | ||||||
| Two Weekly | *£0.98 | ||||||
| Monthly | *£0.52 **£0.50 |
*Cost of branded contact lenses from per pair of lenses per day
** Cost of non branded contact lenses from per pair of lenses per day
Prices include cost of solution with free case, all prices based on contactlenses.co.uk prices, prices may differ on other websites and high street optician practices.
Daily contact lenses require very little maintenance.
Only basic hygiene of washing hands and drying them with a lint free cloth is required to get the most out of your daily wear lenses.
It’s a good idea to have a spare pair readily available, in the car, at the office, in your handbag etc, then, if you stay out longer than expected or experience any issues with your lens you can simply replace them with a fresh lens.
If you are new to contact lenses or require a reminder on how to insert or remove your contact lenses then you can check out our easy step by step guide, How Do I Put In My Contact Lenses, and How To Remove Contact Lenses.
We’ve included a quick step by step video clip here to make things even easier
| Sensitive Eyes | Dry Eyes | Active Lifestyle | Best Value | Best UV Protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acuve Moist | Dailies Aqua Comfortplus | All Daily lenses | Crystal Aqua Daily | 1 Day Acuvue Trueye |
There are four main contact lens manufacturers in the UK, Alcon, Bausch and Lomb, Coopervison and Johnson and Johnson, however many large high-street chains and online contact lens suppliers have developed their own contact lens, such as Crystal 1 Day or rebranded a main manufacturers lens to bring you their own range of lenses, these lenses are commonly cheaper, and in some cases much cheaper, than the four main manufacturers whilst offering the same technology, safety and healthy benefits.
Non branded contact lenses are a safe alternative to branded lenses. They are made to the same high standards, often in the same manufacturing warehouses as branded lenses. As an extra check look for the CE mark on the packaging.
Our cheapest daily contact lenses are Crystal Aqua Daily at just £6.99 per box. That works out at £13.98 per month for 30 pairs which is just 47pence per day.
Unfortunately not. Daily contact lenses have been designed to be worn just once. They have not been designed for daily cleaning, storing and rinsing. Their wear once and throw away makes them super convenient contact and the most healthiest option for your eyes.
Daily contact lenses have been designed to be worn all day. So once you have built up your wear time you should be able to wear daily lenses from the moment you get up right up until bedtime. Your Optometrist will advise should there be a reason you need to wear your lenses for less hours.
There is a big difference between daily wear lenses and daily disposable contact lenses.
Daily disposable contact lenses have been designed to be worn once and then disposed of, Daily wear lenses have been designed for daily wear, but you don’t dispose of them after one day, you can clean and store them and wear them again. Daily wear lenses are normally worn for up to 30 days and taken out each night, depending on the advice of your Optometrist.
It is not advised to sleep in daily disposable contact lenses, always remove them and dispose of them before sleeping for the night and replace with a fresh pair in the morning.
We do not advise letting your contact lenses come into contact with water, so it’s best to remove any type of contact lenses before showering, swimming or using a hot tub. However, if you do accidentally partake in any of these activities whilst wearing contact lenses, we advise you replace them with a fresh pair as soon as possible after the activity, to help maintain great healthy eyes.
Unfortunately not. A contact lens prescription and a glasses prescription are quite different. To wear contact lenses you require a contact lens fitting, whereby your Optometrist will check the health of your eyes, take measurements of your eyes and also ask questions about your life style and what you want from a contact lens, this enables them to prescribe the best contact lens for your eyes and lifestyle.
References
1. Stapleton F, Keay L, Edwards K, Naduvilath T, Dart JKG, Brian G et al. The incidence of contact lens related microbial keratitis. Ophthalmology. 2008;115:1655–1662. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.04.002 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Dart JKG, Radford CF, Minassian D, Verma S, Stapleton F. Risk Factors fr Microbial Keratitis with Contemporary Contact Lenses: A Case-Control Study. Ophthalmology. 2008;115:1647–1654. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.05.003 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Keay L, Edwards K, Stapleton F, Radford CF, Dart J. Perspective on 15 years of research: reduced risk of microbial keratitis in frequent replacement contact lenses with wider use. Eye Contact Lens. 2007;33:167–168. doi: 10.1097/01.icl.0000248157.94115.7c [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
2.Trends in UK contact lens prescribing 2021
Professor Philip Morgan reports on the 26th annual Eurolens Research survey into UK contact lens prescribing
Author: Professor Philip Morgan
Published: 11/11/2021
https://www.opticianonline.net/opinion/trends-in-u...
3. Hydrogel vs Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
Author:Dr. Russel Lazarus
Published: November 4, 2021
https://www.optometrists.org/general-practice-opto...
Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP
John qualified from Aston University in 1980, he has authored for Contactlenses.co.uk over the last 20 years, bringing his expertise to visitors to the site and providing valuable optical advice to customer questions throughout the years. He has been featured by several leading publications including The Express and ITProPortal
