Ever since we entered the online contact lens market, we’ve become a major force in the industry. As the UK’s top independent online supplier of contacts, our website boasts one of the most extensive range of contact lenses offered at competitive prices. If you have been prescribed contact lenses at your Optometrists, you can buy them from us online at a competitive price and have them delivered conveniently to your door.
But it’s not just our impressive contacts selection that sets us apart. As an independent company, we can offer superior customer care and highly personalised service. For instance, we don’t require you to send contact lens shipments only to your home address. Unlike many other companies, we can make product shipments to any address you specify.
Another benefit of ordering with us is that we have a free UK shipping policy on purchases over £30. Our employees also strive to send out all packages within 24-hours after receiving your request.
If clear vision is your goal, then we will find a way to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team on this Contact Us page.
The Quest For The Perfect Contact Lens
The number of contact lenses available nowadays is enough to make anyone’s head spin. New patients often find it difficult to choose from the huge variety of contact lenses now available online. Previously, you had the contact lens given to you by your optometrist - now you can really choose what suits your liefestyle and budget.
We want to make the contact lens buying experience as pleasant as possible and to help you on your quest for the perfect lens, so we’ve compiled a few contact lens buying tips to bear in mind. Read through all of the sections below to figure which lenses on our website are the best fit for your needs.
A Primer On Contact Lens Types
Honestly, there’s no such thing as an ideal contact lens. Each lens has its pros and cons that must be weighed against your personal needs.
To help you make an informed purchase, let’s run through some of the most common contact lens types available on our website.
Daily Disposable Lenses: Convenient & Safe
Trusted by most optometrists, daily disposable lenses are designed (surprise, surprise) for one-day use. This means you place a new pair of lenses in your eyes every morning and toss them away before bed. Simplicity itself - no messy solutions or cases to think about.
Why do optometrists typically prefer these lenses? Simple: dailies offer the best protection from disruptive tear deposits (protein, oil, and lipids). Since you’re changing your lenses every day, it’s difficult for deposits to attach to your contacts lenses. Protein deposits are quite common on long-term lenses and could cause eye irritation and blurry vision. Oil and lipids can cause a blurry oily film on your lenses, that disrupt vision and can cause a feeling of dryness.
People who have underlying eye conditions like dry eye syndrome or allergies like hay fever are often advised to use daily disposable lenses. These customers usually experience a massive reduction in discomforting symptoms and an increase in natural tear production.
There is a price to pay for all of this convenience, daily disposable lenses are typically the most expensive option. Although modern manufacturing practices have made dailies more affordable, they still tend to be the priciest lenses on the market. When you consider the safety and comfort benefits, however, many Optometrist contend this is extra money well spent.
Another drawback of using daily disposable lenses is that they are the least eco-friendly option on this list. Environmentalists strongly urge everyone wearing dailies to throw their lenses in recycle bins every day.
A “Middle Of The Road” Option: Two-Week Disposable Lenses
For customers seeking the “best of both worlds,” consider looking into two-week disposable lenses. As the name suggests, these lenses can be worn for two weeks before changing to a new pair. This time period is considered by many Optometrists to be a 'goldilocks' time period. Just long enough so the lenses stay almost deposit free before they are changed. Any longer, like with monthly lenses, and tear deposits can build up and start to affect wearing comfort and vision clarity.
Nevertheless, since you will be wearing these contacts bi-weekly, it’s important to 'rinse and rub' them in high-quality disinfectant solution. You will also need to store these lenses in a durable contact lens container with an adequate amount of solution every night.
For people who are willing to sacrifice the enhanced convenience of daily disposables for a more affordable price tag, two-week disposable lenses might be for you. Just be sure to look through our all-in-one solutions and contact lens cases to help you practice immaculate eye hygiene.
Monthly Disposable Lenses
Compared with dailies and two-week lenses, monthly disposable lenses are the most cost effective and eco-friendly options available. Since you wear these lenses for about 30 days before throwing them away, you need to be extra vigilant about caring for them.
Note: most monthly lenses are only designed for daytime wear. Unless the manufacturer lists otherwise, you must remove these contact lenses every night before going to bed.
On our website, you’ll find dozens of monthly disposable brands such as Biofinity, Air Optix, Crystal, and Proclear. Before you checkout, be sure to look through the disinfectant solutions and contact lens cases we offer to support your contact lens routine.
The Only Night-Approved Contacts: Continuous Wear
Continuous wear lenses are one of the most exciting innovations in the field of contact lens manufacturing. Usually made out of silicone hydrogel, continuous wear contacts are the only soft contacts that have been approved for overnight wear.
The secret to these lenses’ success has to do with silicone hydrogel’s enhanced breathability. Since the cornea has no blood vessels of its own, it heavily relies on oxygen from the air for its daily nutrient needs.
On top of letting more oxygen into the corneas, continuous wear lenses have evolved to treat a wide range of prescriptions - there are now continuous wear contact lenses for astigmatism, like Biofinity Toric and even lenses for Presbyopia.
Although you could wear these lenses overnight, you must remove them once their expiration date passes. Also, it’s a good idea to remove continuous lenses overnight once a week, to give your eyes a chance to breathe normally and to clean the lenses overnight in high-quality solution.
Continuous wear contact lenses have been around for a long time, but to a large extent daily wear lenses have superseded them. However, they are still popular among emergency service people, for example firemen or hospital staff, that have irregular hours and need to be able to see instantly on waking up, or if you are going to a music festival for a few days, then the lenses are very convenient as you don't need to fiddle around with solutions and cases in a field.
Be sure to ask your Optometrist if continuous lenses are a good option for your lifestyle and eye type.
Hope For Astigmatism Patients: Toric Lenses
Unlike standard soft lenses, toric contacts are made with two powers instead of one, so that they fully correct the astigmatic prescription caused by having an eye that is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football.
There are also toric lenses on our website that could help patients that have a tendancy to dry eyes when wearing contact lenses. For instance, Biofinity Toric has a fantastic reputation in the dry eye community for its ability to naturally re-wet lenses. With modern manufacturing methods and a lot of research, manufacturers have even managed to produce Daily disposable contact lens like Daily Aquacomfort Plus toric, combining the convenience of daily wear, with the ability to correct astigmatism in one lens.
Anyone who struggles with issues like astigmatism should take a closer look at the toric contact lenses we offer. As you’ll soon see, we have a great selection of the most up-to-date toric lenses perfect for all eye care customers.
Put Down Your Readers And Pick Up Some Multifocal Lenses
Varifocal (aka multifocal) lenses are the best choice for older patients who struggle with the common visual disorder known as presbyopia. Presbyopia typically affects people after they reach the age of 45 and causes blurred symptoms when reading up-close. This is an area where contact lens manufacturers have invested heavily - as the population of contact lens wearers has grown over the last few decades, the last thing the manufacturers wanted was for these same customers to drop out of contact lens wear, simply because they could no longer read with their contact lenses in - without putting reading glasses on over their contact lenses!
They came up with multifocal contact lenses - which have both the distance and reading powers worked onto the same lens, Technically a difficult problem to solve, but solve it they did. Today, there are many types of multifocal contact lenses for different wearing modes for example Biofinity Multifocal, an exceptional monthly multifocal lens that includes silicone for maximum breathability and comfort, to Daily Multifocal contact lenses like Dailies Aquacomfort Plus Multifocal.
Wearing multifocal contacts is certainly more convenient than lugging around different readers everywhere you go!
Interested in learning more about switching to multifocal contacts? Take a look at the varifocal contacts available on our website.
Due to the complexity of these lenses it is strongly advised to get your first pair fitted at your Optometrists in order to get the powers exactly right. After you have your contact lens prescription, it is easy to buy them online and save money.
For Super Long-Term Use: Vial Lenses
If you really don’t enjoy changing your lenses, then have we got the option for you: vial lenses. With proper care, these long-duration lenses could last for a maximum of one-year before you have to throw them away. These were some of the original contact lenses, but now they are mainly used by people who have very high prescriptions, as these lenses can be custom made to go as high as -30D (the average short sighted person is -2D!).
Vial lenses tend to be made with sturdier materials than short-term contacts, which is why they have such impressive longevity. It is important to note that, as these lenses can last up to a year, cleaning them is of crucial importance to maintain clear vision and reduce the chances of discomfort.
People with fantastic contact lens hygiene who want long-duration lenses might enjoy wearing these more rigid lenses. Check out the vial lenses available on our website to get a better sense whether they are good for you.
Change your Brown Eyes to Blue: Coloured Contact Lenses
No matter how much you love your natural eye colour, chances are you’ve wondered what life would be like with a different pair of irises. Well, wonder no longer; cosmetic lenses are here to add some new colour to your life!
It is now a simple matter to use coloured contact lenses to change your eye colour from, say, green to bright blue using Freshlook Colourblends, or if you have a darker eye colour, like brown, you can use a lens like Freshlook Colors to change it to a striking misty grey or sapphire colour. You will even find Daily Coloured lenses, for the occasional use.
Have a look at our range of coloured lenses here.
For Special Occasions: Funky FX Contact Lenses
An easy way to add a bit of spice to your eye care routine is to investigate our special effects contacts category. Whether or not you have a prescription, we can supply you with special effects contact lenses sure to catch a few eyes at your next social outing or halloween party!
Our Crazy FX page has something to satisfy everyone’s unique colour cravings. From discreet eye colour changes to spooky special effects, our soft cosmetic lenses will alter how the world sees you.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Contacts: Essential Hygiene Tips
No matter how fancy your contact lenses are, they won’t do you any good if you have poor lens hygiene. Thankfully, most of the essential contact hygiene tips are pretty straightforward and won’t take up too much of your time.
To help new contacts wearers, we have compiled this list of healthful tips sure to decrease your risk of catching eye infections and keeping your lenses comfortable. Putting all of these strategies into place will have a positive impact on your eye health.
How To Properly Put Contacts In Your Eyes
A basic skill every new patient has to master is placing contacts in his/her eyes. Here’s a basic rundown of how to safely put in your contacts every day.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water and dry with a lint free clean towel.
• Pick up your first lens using your fingertips and spray it with a few drops of solution.
• After your lens is disinfected, place it right-side up on your dominant hand’s index finger.
• Look up and pull your upper eyelid with your non-dominant hand.
• Place the middle finger of your dominant hand under your eye and pull down.
• While either staring straight or looking up, gently drop the lens into your eye.
• Immediately close your eyes and roll your eyes a few times until the lens feels comfortable.
How Do I Take My Contacts Out?
Now that your contacts are snug on your eyes, how exactly do you get them out? Simple! Follow these steps to pull out your contacts like a pro.
• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water and dry with a lint free clean towel.
• If you’re using multi-day lenses, then place an adequate amount of solution into your contact lens case.
• Using your non-dominant hand, pull up on your upper eyelid.
• Use the middle finger of your dominant hand to pull down on your lower eyelid.
• With your dominant hand’s index finger, pull down on the contact lens towards the right.
• Grab the lens by pinching with your thumb and index finger.
• If you’re using a long-term lens, wash it with disinfectant solution and place inside your solution-filled lens case.
Learn “Rub & Rinse” Method
No, “rub & rinse” isn’t a new dance craze…at least not that we’re aware of. In the contact lens world, “rub & rinse” refers to a standard cleaning technique that’s highly successful at getting rid of debris/oils and any microorganism that may be on the lenses..
Thankfully, this technique is extremely easy to learn and practice every day. Here’s a brief explanation:
• Wash your hands with warm water and soap then dry off with a lint free clean towel.
• Place a contact lens on your thumb and apply a few drops of solution.
• Gently rub your lens with an index finger either on your thumb or the palm of your hand.
• After about 30 seconds, grab the contact with your thumb and index finger and “rinse” with a good dose of solution.
Where You Should Never Wear Contacts
No matter how hygienic you are, you should never expose your contacts to water or sleep with contact lenses on (unless, of course, they are especially prescribed continuous wear contact lenses). These two scenarios are considered the absolute worst habits to get into, so it’s essential to nip them in the bud ASAP.
When we close our eyes during sleep, we deprive our corneas of essential oxygen. Since contacts naturally put a buffer between our corneas and the outside world, this effect is intensified during bedtime. People who wear their contacts to sleep often develop serious corneal issues as well as eye infections. Basically don't do it!
Speaking of eye infections, there’s no easier way for viruses, parasites, and bacteria to attach themselves to contact lenses than by exposing lenses to water. Even if you wear protective swimming goggles, there’s still a high chance bad microorganisms will leach onto your lenses and cause an infection.
The simple solution to both of these dilemmas is to take lenses out before going to bed, showering, and swimming. Also, only wash your contacts with Optometrist approved disinfectant solution, never tap water.
If you’re struggling to take out your lenses every night, then you might want to consider continuous wear lenses approved for nighttime wear. For any competitive swimmers out there, most optometrists recommend investing in prescription goggles rather than wearing contact lenses in the pool.
How Often Should I Replace A Contact Lens Case?
One common question contacts wearers have is how often they should replace their contact lens case. As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to change your contact lens case at least once every three months unless you see obvious signs of bacterial or fungal growth.
Using one case for too long will put you at a higher risk of exposing contacts to harmful microorganisms, so it’s important to swap out your container at least a few times per year. Of course, if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask your optometrist about when s/he recommends.
Avoid “Topping Off” Solution
In an attempt to reduce eye care costs, some patients have begun using a “strategy” called “topping off.” Basically, this technique refers to placing a bit of new disinfectant in a contact lens container that’s already full of solution.
While it might seem like you’re saving some cash, “topping off” solution is a very dangerous practice. Instead of strengthening your old solution, the new solution loses its potency once you put it in your case. Of course, this could lead to an increased risk of serious infections.
Please don’t be tempted to top off old solution in your lens case. Doctors always recommend getting rid of old disinfectant completely and washing your cases with an adequate amount of new solution every night.
The Dangers Of Eye Rubbing
Whether you wear contacts or not, rubbing your eyes is a terrible habit to get into. Short term, eye-rubbing may relieve dry eye and mild stress, but this nasty habit could cause significant damage to your eyes over time.
The most obvious danger of rubbing your eyes is an increased chance of infection. As you could imagine, it’s very easy to pick up debris, oil, or germs from unwashed hands. Those who wear contacts are at an elevated risk of infections anyway, so eye rubbing is really pushing your luck. Always remember - never chop up a chili and then rub your eyes without washing your hands. You will only do it once!
In addition to infection exposure, rubbing your eyes puts a great deal of strain on your cornea and retina. Frequent eye scratching has also been linked to an increased risk of potentially blinding disorders like glaucoma, keratoconus, and corneal ulcers.
So, what are you supposed to do if your eyes are irritating you? Well, for starters, consider looking into the re-wetting drops available on our website. Although there’s a risk of developing a dependency with re-wetting drops, this is far less severe than the risks associated with eye rubbing.
Patients who are struggling to break their eye rubbing habit should speak with a certified physician. Your optometrist will probably run a few tests to figure out what’s causing your dry eye symptoms and tailor a personalised treatment protocol.
UV Protection For Contacts Wearers
Scientists now know the sun’s UV radiation could cause serious damage to a person’s eyes. Fortunately, wearing contact lenses reduces your risk as almost all contact lenses now have built in UV filters to reduce harmful UV radiation. A good example is Crystal Aqua Daily that have built in UV filters that block out 70% of UVA and 95% of UVB radiation. Combine these daily lenses with UV blocking sunglasses and you have virtually 100% UV protection.
By the way, it is true that people with lighter coloured eyes sustain more damage from UV radiation. However, recent studies also show people with brown eyes have the highest rates of cataracts. Bottom line: there’s no excuse for wearing UV-blocking sunglasses or contact lenses when outside.
Luckily for you, we have a plethora of fashionable UV-blocking sunwear on our website and every contact lens that has a UV block is listed in it's description.
Getting Rid Of A Stuck Contact Lens
Please don’t let the fear of contact lenses getting stuck behind your eyes prevent you from trying them out…because it’s not true! Yes, contacts could get stuck behind under eyelids, but the clear conjunctiva forms an impenetrable barrier at the back of your eyes that no contact lens could cross. A contact lens simply cannot get lost 'behind your eyes'.
If you happen to get your contact lenses stuck on under your eyelids, or simply find them very hard to remove - usually because they have dried out a little on your eyes, then follow the steps below to easily remove them.
If you try out these methods and aren’t able to remove your lens, however, please seek out professional medical attention.
If your lens is stuck on your eye and difficult to remove:
- After washing and drying your hands on a lint free towel, place a few re-wetting drops or sterile saline solution in your eyes to loosen the stuck lens.
- Close your eyes and apply gentle circular motions to the eyelid where your lens is stuck.
- You should be able to start the lens moving and then you can remove it as normal.
- If you still don’t feel your lens moving out, apply more re-wetting drops and blink repeatedly before massaging again.
- It should take you no more than 15 minutes using this method to move the contact lens out of your eyelid.
If your think your lens is stuck under your eyelid
- Use a good magnifying mirror - preferably with integrated lights, like a make up mirror.
- After washing and drying your hands on a lint free towel, place a few re-wetting drops or sterile saline solution in your eyes to loosen the stuck lens.
- Close your eyes and apply gentle circular motions to the eyelid where your lens is stuck.
- The lens should start to move out from under your lid - sometimes it is folded up and will end up in the corner of your eye.
- Carefully pinch out the contact lens
If you think your lens has broken in your eye and you can't find a piece of it
- Use a good magnifying mirror - preferably with integrated lights, like a make up mirror.
- After washing and drying your hands on a lint free towel, place a few re-wetting drops or sterile saline solution in your eyes to loosen the broken piece of lens and to get it moving.
- Carefully look for the piece of lens, and when you find it, pinch it out.
- It can take a while to find the lens piece - you eye may get irritated as a result and you may feel that a piece of lens is still in your eye. But, if you are sure you have removed it, then leave your eyes alone for an hour or so, and usually the sensation of a something in your eye will go away.
- Occasionally, if you really can't find the lens piece - usually because it is stuck far up under your eyelid - it commonly turns up in the corner of your eye when you wake up in the morning. Don't worry, having a piece of lens in your eyes overnight won't harm your eyes. No need to go to casualty!
- If, the next day, you still feel there is something in your eye - make an appointment to see your Optometrist and they can examine your eyes with specialised equipment, and if a piece of lens is still there, they can safely remove it.
How To Order Contacts On Our Website
Before ordering any products, you will either need to sign into an existing account or register as a new customer. After filling out your information, simply add the contact lenses you want into your cart and proceed to checkout.
If you experience a problem during your online experience, please never hesitate to get in touch with one of our staff. Customers can easily reach us on the phone by calling 0345 319 3000.
