Contact lenses are as diverse as the patients that wear them. What type of contact lens one patient ranks as number one versus what another patient likes best is an individual choice. Some patients' eyes will only tolerate single use lenses while others will do better with extended wear contact lenses. There are many different brands of contact lenses and most doctors have their own preferences as to which brand they will prescribe. While no one brand can be considered the best, there is a clear distinction as to which type of disposable contact lens is rated highest.
Single Use Contact Lenses
Single contact lenses are the best soft contact lenses for people with sensitive eyes but come in second in overall prescriptions. These contact lenses are disposed of at the end of each day. No special solutions are needed with single use contact lenses because these lenses come packaged with an adequate amount of solution. Single use contact lenses are the most expensive soft contact lenses. Brands of single use contact lenses include Acuvue, Biomedics, ClearSight, Dailies, and FreshLook. The most recognized and prescribed brand in the United States is Acuvue.
Daily Wear Contact Lenses
Daily wear contact lenses are another disposable soft contact lens and are the most prescribed type of contact lenses around the world. These lenses are reused every day from one to four weeks. The longer the daily wear contact lenses are meant to be used, the stiffer they are. Daily wear contact lenses must be removed at the end of every day and stored in a special contact lens solution in order to remove proteins and micro-organisms that collect on the surface of the lenses. The manufacturer will dictate when the contact lenses need to be disposed of. Brands of daily wear contact lenses include Air Optix, Biofinity, Clarity, Expressions, Focus, Acuvue, Frequency, and Pro Clear. The Frequency brand is the daily wear contact lens with the most options for patient's eyes but yet again, Acuvue leads the market in sales and prescriptions of daily wear contact lenses.
Extended Wear Contact Lenses
Extended wear contact lenses are disposable contacts that are meant to be left in the eye for up to seven continuous days. Extended wear lenses are prescribed much less frequently than other types of disposable contacts. These lenses allow oxygen to reach the cornea while they lenses are still on the eye. Brands of extended wear contact lenses include Acuvue and Purevision. According to Dr. Richard Fish, an East Texas ophthalmologist, Acuvue makes the best extended wear contact lenses but he prefers not to prescribe them due to safety issues that revolve around wearing contact lenses around the clock.
