When shopping for contact lenses, you are likely to be bombarded with power numbers, brands, manufacturers, colors, acronyms and a lot of other features that don’t make sense.
If you already feel that way, check out our 7 contact lens buying tips for matching your eyes with the right pair of lenses.
1. Prepare for and visit your doctor. To prepare for your trip to the doctor beging by writing down your medical history. This doesn’t just include you eye history, but every piece of medical history even if it doesn’t seem relevant. Your doctor went to medical school, so let him decide what information is relevant. You’ll want to insist of a complete eye evaluation to make sure that you are a good candidate for contact lenses. After your meeting with your doctor or optmetrist, he or she should be able to tell you what power level you’re going to need.
2. Total cost of ownership. Regular glasses incur a one time fee. You get checked out and buy proper glasses. Most people won’t need a new pair for a year or two. Contact lenses are completely the opposite. You’ll likely end up with disposable contact lenses and you’re eyes will go through an adjustment period. Disposable contact lenses will need to be purchased on a regular basis. You’ll also need a contact lens case and cleaning solution. These additional costs will likely offset the initial cost of regular glasses.
3. Get informed. Begin by search the internet for different contact lens articles. You’ll find an overload of information, but you really want to become familiar with the terms as well as different types and brands of contact lenses. You can also read some reviews to get accustomed to what people like and what they’ll recommend. If you have questions that you can’t find answers to write them down and ask your doctor to explain.
4. Look at your life. Is there a particular reason you’re looking to switch from glasses to contact lenses? Are you active in sports? Do you hate wearing glasses? Are your eyes easily irritated? These are good questions to discuss with your medical professional. It is likely that one of these questions will resonate with you. Give it careful consideration before making the final decision.
5. Compare costs. Once your doctor has prescribed your contact lenses, you don’t have to buy from him. You can buy through your pharmacy, online or directly from the manufacturer. This is where your online research will come in handy. If you’ve done the research, you have an idea of what type of lenses you would like to try. Now is the time to either get some free contact lenses or see if you can get a variety pack without having to buy a 30 day supply of each.
6. Look for the guarantee. Since there are so many options when it comes to contact lenses, most manufacturers have some sort of money back guarantee. Acuvue is one of those companies that offers a guarantee. If the brand you’re thinking about doesn’t offer a guarantee, you might want to find out why they don’t stand behind their product.
7. Verify everything. Make sure the company you’re buying from requires your prescription. Make sure you’re buying from a company that is selling genuine product and not fake contact lenses. When your contact lenses arrive, make sure and verify the power as well. The box will tell you, but you should check and make sure that what you’re seeing through the contact lenses is an accurate representation of what you see with your glasses.
I know that buying contact lenses can be an overwhelming process, but these 7 tips should help you get started!
