Contact lenses - where to start

[GuigiaroBertone]

Where's the best place to buy contact lenses? I currently wear glasses.

I try to avoid high street opticians as they are upselling charlatans of the highest order.

Can I just get my eyes retested and order online? I don't need an optician to teach me how to insert them and about eye hygeine etc.

[pidsy]

Get a copy of your current prescription and use that online.

I use lenstore.co.uk

[Freakuk]

I use feel good contact lenses site for mine.

[Mr Pointy]

You need to find a better optician.

[simon_harris]

go and see a proper contact lens optician -they are different from a regular optician that does contact lenses.

[MesoForm]

I've never had Specsavers try to upsell me anything, in fact they suggested I go with some standard lenses for my eye with an slight astigmatism rather than the astigmatism lenses as they would be a bit cheaper. They didn't work particular well so I went with the lenses that adjusted properly instead but even they were they cheapest of their lenses and any upselling is just "we've got some new silicone lenses in if you want to try, they're a bit more expensive but should be more comfortable" at the end of an appointment.
They are franchises though so obviously YMMV.

[EmilA]

I also use lenstore. They also cover the cost for yearly lense tests with Vision Express which is ideal.

[phil4]

If you've never ever had contact lenses before, defo go see an optician.

Firstly they're not dead simple to put in... they're reasonably easy once you have a the hang of it, but it's not obvious.
Even more so for taking them out, or when you lose one.

Also, when you first put them in, you'll find your eyes really don't like them. That sensation will go away, but could easily take a few days to a week or two.

Finally, you really want the optician to sell you something to sterelise them with (and may make them more comfortable to wear too), and you need to learn about sterelising yourself when putting them in and taking them out.

They're really not just pick up and put in.

[UTH]

pidsy said:

Get a copy of your current prescription and use that online.

I use lenstore.co.uk

Yep, also use them, no complaints.

[RizzoTheRat]

If you've not worn them before you do need an optician to teach you how to put them in, and more importantly get them out. When I first tried them Specsavers wouldn't let me leave with the lenses until I could get them out myself, that meant coming back the next day as I really struggled to get them out initially, although the optician taking them out was pretty scary as she had quite long fingernails!

You also need a slightly more complex prescription as I believe there are some details on the shape too.

Most people these days wear disposables, so no cleaning to bother about.

[GuigiaroBertone]

phil4 said:

If you've never ever had contact lenses before, defo go see an optician.

Firstly they're not dead simple to put in... they're reasonably easy once you have a the hang of it, but it's not obvious.
Even more so for taking them out, or when you lose one.

Also, when you first put them in, you'll find your eyes really don't like them. That sensation will go away, but could easily take a few days to a week or two.

Finally, you really want the optician to sell you something to sterelise them with (and may make them more comfortable to wear too), and you need to learn about sterelising yourself when putting them in and taking them out.

They're really not just pick up and put in.

I've had a contact lens before- in one eye! it was for a colour deficiency medical trial so I know how to fit and remove a very thin lens with no prescription on it.

I'd go for daily disposables to avoid the need to sterilize them.

[thebraketester]

You need to get them fit really. Once you’ve got your correct prescription and spec then you can get them from anywhere.

[Beggarall]

I wore contact lenses for years - I have astigmatism and hypermetropia. I tried lots of different types and materials - hard and soft - but in the end had problems wearing them because my eyelids became inflamed and swollen - so, after much procrastination, went for surgery and clear lens extraction. The surgery has been transformative and I am now more or less free of glasses - certainly so for everyday activities and driving.
Regards the contact lenses they are a bit of a fiddle. I preferred hard to soft lenses as I couldn't get used to the squeezing trick you need to remove the soft ones, and the hard ones are less prone to complications particularly with extended use. Both sorts require a high degree of hygiene and are inconvenient for travel because of all the solutions etc. If you are suitable for them, daily disposable would save some of the hassle (but I wasn't suitable because of the degree of astigmatism). They are all awful in dusty conditions .....
If you are going to get lenses I would strongly recommend an expert optician/optometrist who specialises in contacts. They need to measure the curvature of your cornea apart from just the refraction. I think Specsavers have certainly raised their game in the past few years and would be a reasonable place to start.