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Molly Calhoun Contributor Content written by Forbes Vetted Contributors is assigned, reviewed and edited by Forbes Staff
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Reviewed By Jane Sung
The fit and feel of contact lenses are very nuanced, and it can take some trial and error to make sure they’re just right. You want lenses that offer precise vision correction without causing eye strain, dryness or irritation. The best contact lenses fit well, are breathable, offer all-day comfort and give you crystal clear vision. In truth, you should completely forget you’re wearing them at all. Our top pick, the Acuvue Oasys lenses, cater to specific eye needs and offer crisp vision and comfortable wear.
Whether you’re nearsighted or farsighted, or you want to change your eye color, contact lenses offer consistent vision correction and freedom of movement during sports and other activities. Plus, they don’t fog up like glasses can, and they’re less expensive to replace. Still, contacts require getting used to; they demand discipline to keep them clean, and they can cause eye strain when using screens. With the help of an optometrist, here are the best contact lenses you can buy online.
Best Contact Lenses Overall: Acuvue Oasys One-Day With HydraLuxe
Best Value Contact Lenses: Hubble SkyHy
Best Subscription Contact Lenses: Waldo Hydra Boost Plus
Best Daily Contact Lenses: Alcon Dailies Total 1
Best Monthly Contact Lenses: CooperVision Biofinity
Most Comfortable Contact Lenses: Alcon Precision 1
Best Contacts For Dry Eyes: Alcon Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde
Best Contacts For Sensitive Eyes: Alcon Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus
Best Colored Contacts: Alcon Dailies Colors
Best Contacts For Astigmatism: CooperVision Biofinity Toric
Best Contact Lenses Overall
Innovative Design, Complete Clarity And Comfort
Acuvue Oasys One-Day With HydraLuxe
Type: Daily | Material: 62% senofilcon A | Water content: 38%
What you’ll love:
- Comfortable to wear while using screens
- Class 1 UV blocking
- Ideal for nearsighted and farsighted vision
Keep in mind:
- On the pricier side
Think of this as an all-around comfortable, hydrating and easy-to-wear lens that takes you from early morning workouts to late nights out. It features proprietary tear-infused technology that lubricates and moisturizes your lenses, reducing dryness, even if you work long days using digital devices for more than 8 hours at a time. Translation: No headaches, squinting or rubbing at dry, itchy eyes.
Best Value Contact Lenses
Superior Breathability And A Snug Fit
Type:Daily |Material:Olifilcon B | Water content: 55%
What you’ll love:
- Highly breathable for lasting comfort
- Surface technology promotes moistness
- You can choose from 3-, 6- or 12-month subscription bundle
Keep in mind:
- They don’t offer bi-weekly or monthly lenses
Subscription-based Hubble Contacts was founded in 2016 with the goal of providing high-quality lenses at economical prices. This silicone hydrogel style is one of three types offered by Hubble, and itfeatures increased oxygen permeability, which translates to breathability andextended comfort. It also has a multi-curvature design to minimize shifting on the eye, so it stays put even when you blink. New customers get 40% off their first order.
Best Subscription Contact Lenses
High Quality, Cost-Effective Contacts
MOST POPULAR
Type: Daily | Material: 42% etalficon A | Water content: 58%
What you’ll love:
- Affordable
- Hygienic daily use
Keep in mind:
- Not as breathable as some other lenses
- Don’t come as toric or multifocal lenses
Direct-to-consumer subscription contact lens brand Waldo has been in business since 2017, and since then they’ve partnered with Walmart to make affordable contacts more widely available. This hydrogel lens style features hyaluronic agents and vitamin B12 to keep eyes lubricated and help with water retention. They also have UV protection that blocks 83% of UVA and 97% UVB rays. Many reviewers report they can’t tell the difference between Waldo lenses and more expensive brands.
Best Daily Contact Lenses
Comfortable And Breathable Vision Correction
Type: Daily | Material: 67% delefilcon A | Water content: 33%
What you’ll love:
- Good for those who experience contact lens dryness
- Comes in a multifocal and astigmatism version
- Rebates available to keep costs down
Keep in mind:
- Doesn’t block UV
“These contacts are thin and highly breathable, which makes them great for everyday wear,” says optometrist Dr. Inna Lazar, of Greenwich Eye Care. In fact, Alcon Dailies claim to have the highest breathability of any daily disposable, meaning oxygen can permeate the contact and keep eyes comfortable. They also feature two technologies that improve your eye environment: water gradient technology, which increases moisture at the surface of the lens, and SmarTears technology, which releases phosphatidylcholine (PC)—an ingredient found naturally in tears—to stabilize the lipid layer of the lens. The result? Flawless vision, and the sensation that you’re not wearing contacts at all.
Best Monthly Contact Lenses
Superior Breathability For Extended Wear
Type: Monthly | Material: 52% comfilcon A | Water content: 48%
What you’ll love:
- Enhanced vision quality
- Cost effective
- Less plastic waste
Keep in mind:
- Greater risk of bacteria buildup with monthly lenses
People often choose monthly contacts over dailies because they find them to be more convenient and less wasteful. CooperVision Biofinity contacts feature the company’s proprietary Aquaform Technology, which allows oxygen to permeate the lens and lock in moisture, even when you’re blinking less. “These lenses are great for extended wear, and they offer lasting comfort,” says Lazar. In addition to being good for 30 days, they can be safely worn overnight or continuously for up to 6 nights. Biofinity lenses also feature their Aberration Neutralizing System, which works to minimize a common optical imperfection and create better focus and sharper vision.
Most Comfortable Contact Lenses
An Easy-To-Wear, Barely There Style
Type: Daily | Material: 49% verofilcon A | Water content: 51%
What you’ll love:
- Blue visibility tint for easier handling
- Highly rated by users
- Also available for those with astigmatism
Keep in mind:
- Some say they can be harder to remove
These top-rated, daily wear contacts are equally popular with newbies as they are with longtime contacts wearers. Made from breathable silicone hydrogel, their proprietary Smart Surface technology keeps moisture on the outermost lens surface, which means they won’t dry out or stick and give you that irritated red-eye look. Since Precision 1 contacts are dailies, they’re less likely to accumulate deposits. These are also class 1 UV protections lenses, blocking 96% of UVA rays and 100% of UVB rays.
Best Contacts For Dry Eyes
More Moisture, More Comfort, Less Hassle
Alcon Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde
Type: Monthly | Material: 67% lotrafilcon B | Water content: 33%
What you’ll love:
- Good for daily wear or extended wear
- Extremely breathable
- Ideal for those who are nearsighted or farsighted
Keep in mind:
- Only available as monthly replacement lenses
Made from silicone hydrogel—a porous soft contact material—these lenses have an oxygen transmissibility of 138 Dk/t, which means they’re one of the most breathable options on the market. Two other standout features: SmartShield Technology, a thin layer that’s intended to protect your lenses from irritating deposits and HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix, which promises to maintain surface moisture for up to 16 hours.
Best Contacts For Sensitive Eyes
Crisp, Clear Vision Without Eye Redness
Type: Daily | Material: 31% nelfilcon A | Water content: 69%
What you’ll love:
- Available for farsightedness, nearsightedness, astigmatism or presbyopia
- Recyclable plastic component in each pack
- Visibly tinted for easy handling
Keep in mind:
- No UV blocking
Sensitive eyes are easily irritated by pretty much, well, everything—the surrounding environment, eye makeup, spending lots of time at a computer, you name it. So ensuring your contacts are as comfortable as possible is key to keeping eyes happy—and redness free. These lenses feature Blink-Activated Moisture Technology, which basically means they release a wetting agent every time you blink to keep eyes moist and comfortable.
Best Colored Contacts
Chic And Discreet Color Enhancement
Type: Daily | Material: 31% nelfilcon A | Water content: 69%
What you’ll love:
- Discreet color amplification
- Gives definition to the outer ring of the iris
- Virtual try-on tool on the Alcon website
Keep in mind:
- Not available for astigmatism correction
- Color can be subtle
Changing your eye color with contact lenses can be a transformative way to refresh your look, much like putting on a new outfit or unexpected accessory. Still, you don’t want colored contacts to be too obvious or they’ll look costume-y. “These daily contacts offer the most natural look when altering your eye color,” says Lazar. The brand’s technology uses three layers of color to brighten and add depth and make eyes appear larger. They come in four options—blue, green, grey and hazel.
Best Contacts For Astigmatism
Specially Shaped Lenses For Comfortable Vision Correction
Type: Monthly | Material: Comfilcon A | Water content: 48%
What you’ll love:
- Stable fit
- Breathable, all-day comfort
- Can be used for daily wear or extended wear
Keep in mind:
- Some say they could be more durable
Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye that causes blurry vision, and toric lenses are crafted to accommodate the shape. “This lens settles well on the eye and is comfortable to wear,” says Lazar. It has an innovative multifaceted design that keeps the lens from shifting, technology that locks in water and rounded edges for enhanced, barely-there comfort.
Best Multifocal Contact Lenses
Contacts That Help You Focus On The Fine Print
Type: Daily | Material: 62% senofilcon A | Water content: 38%
What you’ll love:
- Gives better vision in dim light
- Filters 60% of blue-violet light
- Combats eye dryness
Keep in mind:
- Expensive
Multifocal lenses have multiple prescriptions in a single lens, allowing wearers to focus on objects at a variety of distances—meaning, they can help you have clear vision whether driving or reading a book. These multifocal contacts are great for people who spend lots of time in front of a screen and for those over 40 who have problems focusing up close. Tear Stable Technology maintains moisture and reduces tear evaporation to keep eyes comfortable and lubricated.
Best Budget Contact Lenses
An Affordable Pick From A Popular Eyewear Brand
Type: Daily | Material:43%hioxifilcon A| Water Content:57%
What you’ll love:
- Saving 50% on eyewear when you buy a year’s supply
- Free shipping
- Uses 80% less packaging than other traditional blisterpacks
Keep in mind:
- Not great for those with dry eyes
Prescription glasses retailer Warby Parker is known for offering on-trend styles for low prices. That model translates to contacts with its in-house lens brand, Scout. The contacts are vinexpensive, thin and comfortable, especially if you have straightforwardeyeconditions. While they’re made from an older technology, if you haven’t typically had dryness with other contacts, these could be a great, low-cost option.
MORE FROMFORBES VETTED
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve researched and written a wide catalog of eyewear stories and roundups of the best personal care products on the market.
- Author of this article Molly Calhoun is a regular Vetted contributor with dozens of beauty shopping guides to her name, including the best places to buy contact online. She’s also a seasoned contact lens wearer with firsthand experience purchasing contacts online, and has tried most of the contacts on this list.
- This article was assigned and edited by deputy editor Jane Sung, another longtime contacts wearer who has extensively covered beauty, wellness and personal care topics for over a decade.
- In her reporting, Calhoun spoke with Dr. Inna Lazar, an optometrist at Greenwich Eye Care, for her insight on some of the most popular, high quality contact lenses available today.
How We Chose The Best Contact Lenses
When assembling this list, we considered a number of factors to cover every type of contact wearing need and preference.
- We evaluated which brands and lenses were top sellers, had competitive pricing and were easy to purchase online.
- We took a deep dive into specs such as the category of contacts (whether daily or monthly), material type, water content, oxygen transmissibility, special technologies, UV protection and ease of wear.
- We also tapped a vision expert and took into account our beauty team’s own testing experiences using contact lenses.
What To Consider When Ordering Contact Lenses Online
There are several factors to consider when shopping for the best contact lenses. Here’s what to look for.
Eye Conditions
Contact lenses offer vision correction for refractive errors such as nearsightedness (when faraway objects look blurry), farsightedness (when nearby objects appear blurry) and astigmatism (an imperfection in the cornea or lens that causes blurriness). If you have astigmatism, you may need toric lenses to correct your vision. Multifocal lenses are those that have multiple prescription strengths on the same lens so that they can correct vision at different distances—for instance, if you are nearsighted but have difficulty reading things close up as you get older. If you experience eye dryness or sensitivity, you’ll want to seek out contacts that promote moisture in the eye.
Usage
Contacts can be for daily use, two-week use or 30-day use:
- Daily contacts are thrown out at the end of each day and are typically more expensive because of their convenience. They tend to be more hygienic and can be less irritating because deposits don’t have time to build up on them. However, they produce plastic waste from the packs they come in, which are not always recyclable.
- Monthly contacts last for 30 days, and are usually more cost effective and durable. While they seem to produce less waste, the plastic waste from required contact lens solution bottles and contact cases is significant. Monthlies also require more effort on your part to clean and store each night.
- Biweekly contacts must be removed at night and then discarded after two weeks. They’re considered to be a balance between low maintenance and comfortable.
Breathability
Soft contact lenses—like those we described above—are made of hydrogels and silicone hydrogels, which are both plastic lenses that include water as a significant component for more hydration.
The Dk/t number for contact lenses describes its oxygen transmissibility—how much oxygen passes through the lens to your eye. The higher the Dk/t number, the more breathable the lens, which typically translates directly to comfort. Soft contact lenses usually have a Dk/t number between 25 and 150, with silicone hydrogel lenses offering the highest oxygen permeability.
Rebates
Contact lenses can be expensive, especially when you buy multifocal lenses or ones for astigmatism. But here’s the good news: Rebates for many brands are often available, and can significantly cut down on the cost if you’re willing to put in a little extra work. Don’t forget to take rebates into account when purchasing contacts online, and if you need help submitting your rebate, you can call customer service to be sure you’re doing everything possible to receive the money back that you’re due. Check out our story on the best places to buy contacts online for more on how—and where—to save.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is The Best Contact Lens Brand?
There are many great contact brands available, with Acuvue, Dailies, Air Optix, Biofinity and Biotrue being some of the most popular. Some direct-to-consumer brands, like Hubble, Waldo and Scout By Warby Parker offer inexpensive contacts with positive customer reviews as well. The best contact lens brand for you depends on a combination of what vision correction you need, your specific eye needs and personal preference for feel.
How Many Hours A Day Should You Wear Daily Contact Lenses?
Typically, you can safely wear contact lenses up to 14 or 16 hours each day. “In the past, we used to recommend limiting wear due to the low breathability of the lenses, which resulted in corneal hypoxia,” says Dr. Inna Lazar. “New lenses available today are super thin and offer incredible breathability, so the wear time can be as long as the patient finds comfortable.” However, it's crucial not to sleep in them, she says. “Even the thinnest lenses should ideally be replaced after 14-16 hours of wear, mainly because they can become uncomfortable for the eye.”
Are More Expensive Contact Lenses Better?
Again, it all depends on which contact lenses work best for you. “More expensive contacts often reflect newer technology, advanced materials and a design for single use,” says Lazar. “When compared to extended wear, single-use contacts might seem like the pricier option. However, when you factor in the amount of plastic used for housing contact lens cleaning solutions and the annual cost, the price difference between daily and monthly contacts narrows significantly.”
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