What are the Different Types of Contact Lenses?

Understanding the different types of contact lenses can seem overwhelming.

Not yet prescribed contact lenses? Visit your Eye Care Professional who can provide an assessment to ensure that you have the correct prescription and product for your eye health and vision correction needs. As with all prescription eyewear products, no contact lenses should be purchased without a valid prescription.

What are the different types of contact lenses?

The two biggest contact lens categories are broken out by soft lenses and Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contacts.

Soft lenses are made from an oxygen permeable material, such as hydrogel, that is thin and flexible. Most people are prescribed to wear soft lenses as they are more comfortable, easier to adapt to, more affordable, and can be changed frequently for greater convenience.

RGP lenses, meanwhile, are often prescribed if your prescription and/or the surface of your eyes is simply better suited to a smaller, firmer lens. These lenses are made of rigid silicone material that allows more oxygen to pass through, compared with regular disposable contact lenses, and are custom fit to the eye.

What types of prescriptions can be corrected by contact lenses?

Spherical Lenses
Spherical lenses are designed to correct myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness). These are the most common type of contact lenses.

Toric Lenses
Toric lenses are designed to correct astigmatism, which occurs when the cornea (clear tissue covering the front of the eye) is shaped like a football, rather than a basketball.

Multifocal Lenses
Multifocal lenses are designed to correct presbyopia by allowing multiple prescriptions in one lens (known as the ADD) so you can see both near and far.

What kind of contact lenses are prescribed by Eye Care Professionals?

Daily Contact Lenses
Daily contact lenses are very simple to wear as they do not require cleaning at the end of the day. Instead, you can just throw it away before you go to bed and pop in a new pair the next time you need them.

Weekly & Monthly Contact Lenses
Weekly and monthly contact lenses are used continuously for anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Your wear schedule is determined by the product type and under the advisement of your Eye Care Professional.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP)
Rigid Gas Permeable contact lens replacement schedules range from 1 to 2 years, though the exact modality dependent on your individual needs.