Calling all contact lens wearers.... About This Page:

[KathyL]

Do you buy your contacts online? If so, what online places can you recommend? I just purchased 3 pairs of contacts at my eye doctors ($45.00 for 3 pairs) and I am curious if I can get them for less online. Thanks.

KathyL

[simbarel]

I've yet to order them online, but what kind of contacts are you getting? I started wearing contacts when I was 12, before they came out with "disposable" lenses. Come to find out, the regular wear lenses and disposable lenses are the exact same lenses (for the Bausch and Lomb line, at least) so I just buy the ones marketed as disposable and stretch them out. I get six pair for $50 and they easily last me well over a year. Two years, even. (And they correct my astigmatism, too.)

So my best advice is to check out the disposable lenses...with proper care they last a very long time.

[denwol]

Originally posted by simbarel:
I've yet to order them online, but what kind of contacts are you getting? I started wearing contacts when I was 12, before they came out with "disposable" lenses. Come to find out, the regular wear lenses and disposable lenses are the exact same lenses (for the Bausch and Lomb line, at least) so I just buy the ones marketed as disposable and stretch them out. I get six pair for $50 and they easily last me well over a year. Two years, even. (And they correct my astigmatism, too.)

So my best advice is to check out the disposable lenses...with proper care they last a very long time.

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">THE SAME LENSES?!? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

You're kidding! I've been wearing the disposables for a couple of years now. Do you mean that I could have just bought one box, and worn them for a few months at a time? [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

If this is true, that would be great! Do you know how much money I could save?! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Where did you learn this?

[Brant]

I heard that you could wear disposables longer too, but I heard you have to treat them with the same enzyme cleaners that you use to clean non-disposables. Other they start to get dirty after their life expires and that's not good for the peepers.

[img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] &lt;--trying to fix my contacts

[simbarel]

Originally posted by denwol:
Where did you learn this?

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">It's a giant conspiracy of the optical world that was exposed on 20/20 one night---years ago.

I don't take the best care of my lenses...I just pop them in multi-purpose solution every night and I wear my glasses on weekends to give my eyes a rest. After a while they get all...well, all we lens wearers know how they get. (I'd enter an *ouch,dry eyeballs* emoticon here if there were one.)

[Suzie]

I have worn gas permiable hard lenses for 38 years now. I just had cataract surgery on one eye and with the lens implant, I don't have a contact for that eye anymore. Other eye gets the surgery in March. Yea!! But in defense of my gas-permiable lenses, they always gave me great sight and I can't even tell when they are in, aside from the fact I can see! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
Suzie

[Joanne929]

I've not purchased lenses online. I usually just go to whichever store has them cheapest (Pearlvision most recently). I got 6 pair for $35.55, which will last me at least 1 year. I normally wear a pair for a month (or until they get all *!*~, you know) and then I "dispose" of BOTH of them and put in a new pair. I take them out each night and put them in saline solution (don't like sleeping in them), so I wear them for about 12 hours each day.

When I first got lenses (about 14 years ago) I used to buy all the 'stuff' and spend my Saturday morning enzyming and cleansing and disinfecting and keeping them in saline for the specified time, and one pair would last me a year
(unless I ripped one [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] and then it would cost me like $50 for one!!!) And don't forget the initial cost of something like $100 for one pair.

I've found them to be more expensive at a regular eye doctor vs. PearlVision or LensCrafters around here.
Good luck! [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img]

[wdwlovers]

Okay, I just gotta add to this posting. I am so jealous of you guys! I just went for a checkup and got my new trial pair of contacts. I need to have Touric lenses and they cost $140 [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] per eye for 2 boxes of disposables. Any idea if this type of lense is cheaper online. Where do ya'll shop online? I gotta look into this. [img]graemlins/ukid.gif[/img]

[debe]

Our DD has worn contacts now for a few year. Her preference is the Focus 1-2 wk Softcolors / NewVues and I do order them for her on-line through [url=http://www.coastalcontacts.com/index.cfm[/url]. It's been years since we have ordered through the eye Dr's office but do know Costal has saved us quiet a bit of money.

She works in a kitchen & is around heat sources so she at times has to change her contacts often & sometimes has to resort to her glasses (which she hates).

Will say with Costal, they have always been friendly and upon ordering, the contacts usually arrive in approx 3 to 5 days (pending we don't have weather problems! Pretty windy out right now!)

[KathyL]

Debe - Thank you for your information. I will have to look into that company.

Denise - I too am suppossed to wear the special Touric contacts. Did your eye specialist give you specific reasons as to why you need them? I have severe astignatism (can't see near or far) and to get perfect 20/20 vision, the Touric lenses can give me a special curve (I believe that's what it is) to get the perfect vision. With normal lenses, I only get 20/30 which is just fine. My eye doctor told me that most people don't have 20/20 vision unless they visit their eye doctor because they just don't know the difference. My "normal lenses " work just fine. I do have glasses (which I don't like to use) with my correct prescription.
Good Luck

KathyL

[Grumpygal]

I got my last set for $70 for six pair. They're supposed to be worn for a month and then replaced so that's a good six months supply.

[wdwlovers]

Kathy, yeah I have astigmatism in both eyes. My right is worse and have been wearing a toric lens for yearsin that eye. I have tried not using a toric lens and just can't do it. I will have to check out that website Debe! Thanks!

[maggieworkman]

I have to buy Touric lenses too. They are more expensive. I buy them online at 1800contacts.com (If you do MyPoints reward program, you can get points for this.)

For my prescription, one box is $30.95. I have found these to be cheaper than at the eye doctors. I use the bausch and Lomb SoftLens Toric 66. I have found working with them to be very easy. You have to type in your Doctor's address/phone number and then they get the prescription information. You can also get saline solution too. I usually get the No-Rub kind that already has the enzyme stuff in it (because I am too lazy/busy to clean them). This costs $8 at the store for one bottle. I got 4 for $20 from 1800contacts. ITs a different brand than I have used in the past, but it seems to be working fine.

I wear my disposables for 1 month and then throw them out. This is a routine on the first day of the month.

Maggie

[Erinsmom]

I wear disposables and until recently got them at 1800contacts.com (or whatever their website is). I had to get a new prescription so my most recent batch I got at my eye doctor. I asked them for my prescription on paper and they wouldn't give it to me, saying that they are cheaper than the website is. I signed up for mypoints so I will go thru the website again next time.

I used to wear my disposables for weeks at a time but then in April I started having eye troubles, red and horrid looking about once every two weeks. The eye doctor said that when you wear your contacts too long without replacing them then as time goes on it gets harder for your eyes to breathe so they create new vessels and that is what was making my eyes red and painful. Now I replace them every three weeks (not two, but better than 6) and I don't have eye issues (knock on wood)

Cami