Contacts - Dailies or Weekly?

[BlsdMama]

I don't wear contacts a lot - at most a couple times per week.  At least?  A couple times per month. 

 

My eye doctor gave me dailies to try for a few weeks.  She says they are more hygenic and thinner.  I agree they are *slightly* more comfortable.  However, I tore one today right out of the package.  So, while they are more expensive, I don't wear contacts daily so not having to take care of them would be great.  But do they tear easily or was that a freak thing?

 

Thanks!

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'd love to have the dailies, but they are so much more expensive than the weeklies. 

 

I've never tried the dailies.  The tearing too easily thing would probably be a problem for me.  When I go to put the lenses in I'm literally blind to what I'm doing.  So there is a bit of fumbling sometimes.  And geesh I have been wearing contacts since I was 12 so you think I'd never screw it up. 

Prior to using weeklies, I had permanent ones.  Not exactly permanent, but I don't know what to call them.  Going from that to the weeklies was an adjustment because the weeklies were quite a bit thinner, but not so thin that I would rip them regularly.  They were trickier to get it being that thin.  So if the dailies are even thinner...I'm not sure that would work out for me. 

So I'm curious to hear about these.  I still am considering trying them. 

[edelweiss]

I wear Dailies and love them. They are thinner than weeklies, but you get used to them fairly quickly. I think I might have ripped one or two when I first got them, but haven't ripped one since. I've probably been wearing dailies for about 5 years.

[VaKim]

I have had contacts for probably near 30 years. I have the daily ones. I haven't torn any for years. Also, a pack of 6 lasts me a year, if not more. My doc said as long as I take them out at night and soak them in all-purpose solution, I can just wear them until they become uncomfortable. Often, after months, I just change out because I figure I ought to. So they really aren't any less cost effective than the others. 

[umsami]

What brand?  The Acuvue brand seems to be more sturdy in my experience.  The ones made by CIBA now Allergan or Alcon, Focus Dailies, are known for tearing easily.  They call it "built in compliance." ;) 

 

Although, honestly, unless you have issues with cleaning your lenses or are prone to eye infections, I'd just stick with the normal lenses that you replace very two weeks or whatever.  Most cost effective and work great.  You can look for the kinds that are more breathable like Acuvue Oasys or whatever. 

[ktgrok]

I had to wear daily's for a while do to some eye issues. LOVED them! So nice. Never tore one. But I can't justify the expense. 

[Lady Florida.]

 I'm like you in that I don't wear mine very often. My doctor gave me a two week sample of dailies and they really are very comfortable. They are also very, very thin so you might be able to use them one more day, but not much longer. I don't remember the brand, because I ended up going with monthly which is what I've had for years. I see that some people do wear theirs more than once so maybe it depends on the brand. I have dry eyes, so I need contacts with a high water content and that's one reason I considered the dailies.

 

I couldn't justify the cost of dailies for me, even though we could afford them. If I wore them every day or even 4+ days a week the convenience would be worth it. Since I don't wear them that often, I don't find the cleaning and maintenance to be an issue. I do have to periodically check and make sure the solution isn't evaporating, but once I clean them they stay in their case until the next time I wear them.

 

My monthlies last longer than a month too, because of not wearing them often. I try to keep a general date in my head when I opened a new pair, but my eyes will usually tell me anyway when they need to be changed. They're Air Optix Aqua - breatheable contact lenses, by Alcon. I use Pure Moist to clean and store them.

[Lady Florida.]

What brand?  ...  Focus Dailies, are known for tearing easily.  They call it "built in compliance." ;)

 

 

I think those are the samples I had. It sounds familiar. And yes, the eye doctor told me they're made to tear easily so you won't be tempted to wear them again.

[melbotoast]

I have Alcon Aqua Comfort Plus Dailies. They are very comfortable and I haven't had problems with tearing. They are more expensive but I love that I don't have to mess with cleaning and storage. 

 

[Rebel Yell]

Diamond uses the dailies. She had the weekly ones, but did not wear them every day, and whether she wore them one day or seven they were only comfortable for a week- as in, no wearing the same contact lens 1 day/week for seven weeks.

 

So for her, the dailies were more cost-effective as an occasional wearer.

[FaithManor]

My Accuvues are very sturdy. I've never torn one.

 

I'm on monthlies - multifocals, so mine are pretty thick. I adjusted very rapidly so my guess is that weekly would be just fine. Mine have a nasty solution they soak in at night that keeps them really clean. I suspect it is hydrogen peroxide, but I haven't bothered to read the ingredient list. At any rate, when I throw them out at the end of the month, they do not feel at all uncomfortable so I think the solution must work pretty well.

 

[JumpyTheFrog]

I use monthlies. They are comfy for a month as long as I use Clear Care solution. Other brands of hydrogen peroxide solution or regular multi-purpose solution make me want new lenses after a few days.

[shawthorne44]

I used to wear the weeklies.  Loved them.   But I have roseacea and the ocular part of that means that I produce more of what builds up on the contacts.  So, I wasn't getting a full week out of the weeklies.  At the end, it was more like 3 days.  So, my doc switched me to dailies.  I am going to stick with these.  I need reading glasses if I wear contacts, but if I wear my glasses I don't need reading glasses.   So, often I just skip the contacts and wear my glasses.  But, when I want contacts, I always have some on hand.   

[Upptacka]

For occasional wear, dailies are the most cost effective and easiest to deal with. A monthly replacement lens isn't designed to be replaced after 30 wears......you are supposed to replace them every month regardless of if you wore them 1 day or 30 days that month. So from that standpoint, a big box of dailies is going to last you a long time. And you can't beat the convenience. Dailies have been known to tear a little more easy, or be defective out of the pack (where they just feel "off"), but it shouldn't be a lot.....maybe a few casualties out of a big box.

 

Some lens materials are more durable than others. Ask to try another brand if you are interested in dailies but not sold on the brand you are trying. There are a lot of great options for dailies.

[Seasider]

I had to wear daily's for a while do to some eye issues. LOVED them! So nice. Never tore one. But I can't justify the expense.

Same here. I wore dailies when I was in the water often for a my job due to the increased chance of losing one (easy replacement). But nowadays I can't justify the cost. I wear progressive contact lens and replace them monthly.

 

But I big puffy heart loved my dailies. Never tore one, though one I opened the package to find a defective one (not completely round).

Edited March 10, 2016 by Seasider

[Lady Florida.]

For occasional wear, dailies are the most cost effective and easiest to deal with. A monthly replacement lens isn't designed to be replaced after 30 wears......you are supposed to replace them every month regardless of if you wore them 1 day or 30 days that month. So from that standpoint, a big box of dailies is going to last you a long time. And you can't beat the convenience. Dailies have been known to tear a little more easy, or be defective out of the pack (where they just feel "off"), but it shouldn't be a lot.....maybe a few casualties out of a big box.

 

Some lens materials are more durable than others. Ask to try another brand if you are interested in dailies but not sold on the brand you are trying. There are a lot of great options for dailies.

 

No actually, that's not true. In fact, some monthly contacts can be worn for 1 to 3 months depending on the manufacturer, type of lens, and the wearer. Someone like me for example with allergies couldn't wear them 90 times (3 months). Allergy debris tends to build up on the lenses even when they're thoroughly and properly cleaned. Still, monthly disposable lenses do not need to be automatically discarded after 30 days whether or not they were worn every day. 

 

Also, many lenses can be left in solution (after being cleaned) for up to 30 days. After 30 days they still don't need to be discarded but the solution needs to be changed. Again, it will depend on several factors, including the type of solution used.

 

What is cost effective for one might be not for someone else. My monthly lenses can be left in solution for days or weeks after being cleaned and for that reason they are many, many times more cost effective than dailies.

 

The only one size fits all advice for contact lens wearers is to properly care for your lenses and follow the recommendations of your eye doctor as well as the manufacturer of your lenses.

[magnificent_baby]

I have grown to really like my dailies. At first, I had several tear or find a few that were defective, but stuck with it. I have seasonal allergies and my eyes feel so much better with being able to toss out any buildup at the end of the day. With my 2 week contacts, I would get burning and tearing nearly everyday. They are much more finicky to put in, but I've gotten used to it. 

[rjand6more]

Our eye doc recommended the dailies for my painter dh.  He said he could wear them as long as comfortable as long as he is removing and cleaning them nightly.  If he gets something in his eye, he tosses them right away, but he normally wears them up to a week with no problems.

[catz]

My kids wear dailies.  They are expensive.  We do have some vision coverage through my DH's work, which helps.  With kids, I think they'd lose and destroy the weeklies so much it's worth it.  They very rarely destroy or rip or lose them before they use them.

 

I used to wear dailies and they were just so much easier to deal with and since I only wore them occasionally, it didn't really add up to all that much. 

[Katy]

Get the night and day that last a month.  If you rarely wear them you can go longer than a month.  Super comfortable, plus it doesn't seem like your eyelids are stuck if you take a nap in them.