Contact lenses

[potsy]

I've been using contacts for a few years now (started because of cycling).

I started with the fortnightly ones, but after a recent eye infection they switched me to dailies. I much prefer the dailies, getting home after a long/night ride, wash hands and just dispose of them, rather than having to clean them first.

I get mine on DD from Vision Express, so I also get free eye test, which was a wallet saver when I went through a period of having checks every 2 weeks for about 4 months. I also got £100 of a pair of glasses, so splashed out on a fancy pair for the first ever time.

That's the scheme I was on a few years ago,although mine were monthly ones,bit of a pain keeping them clean,though better than the 1-2 year pair I had at 1st,soaking,cleaning,protein removing tablets-it was like a mini chemistry lab in my bathroom

 

[srj10]

I have a toric lens in one eye and a normal lens in the other, both soft. I have a yearly contract with my local optician costing £23/month, for that I get a new normal lens every month but just one toric lens every six months, all solutions and eye tests included.I find the only downside when cycling with lenses is the wind and I limit wear time to 8hrs.

 

[HLaB]

Just need to get some sunglasses now,might see if magnatom will lend me his new ones,won't be needing them in Scotland they've had their one week of summer

We've had our 1 week of summer

 

[potsy]

We've had our 1 week of summer

Was it a good one? Think I'll PM him in case he's not read this thread

 

[Davidc]

... (although I go through some guilt about all the packaging and waste).

I persuaded myself that the plastic bottles plus fluid and its transport which I no longer need cancel out the extra packaging.

 

[ttcycle]

Alright Potsy, coming to this late and sort of without time to read through the replies thoroughly- I wear monthlies- I also need toric lenses and would be blind without the contacts - I do think they make cycling and life in general much easier. I did trial these much more permeable oxygen type lenses but actually for the massive increase in cost they were not much better then my usual monthlies. I think dailies can be quite expensive but that just might be me with dodgy 'none sight eye' prescriptions.

So hope they work out -make sure you get the fit ie the ovalness of the lens and the thickness (thicker ones for me sit on the eye much nicer) right as it makes all the difference for atigmatism and this may take a trial of a couple of types of lenses.

As Ian pointed out, I took ages to be able to get lenses in and out of my eye and remember the first crappy optician saying that even babies can do it-- eventually got the hang of it!

Go for it - I haven't looked back since!

 

[potsy]

Alright Potsy, coming to this late and sort of without time to read through the replies thoroughly- I wear monthlies- I also need toric lenses and would be blind without the contacts - I do think they make cycling and life in general much easier. I did trial these much more permeable oxygen type lenses but actually for the massive increase in cost they were not much better then my usual monthlies. I think dailies can be quite expensive but that just might be me with dodgy 'none sight eye' prescriptions.

So hope they work out -make sure you get the fit ie the ovalness of the lens and the thickness (thicker ones for me sit on the eye much nicer) right as it makes all the difference for atigmatism and this may take a trial of a couple of types of lenses.

As Ian pointed out, I took ages to be able to get lenses in and out of my eye and remember the first crappy optician saying that even babies can do it-- eventually got the hang of it!

Go for it - I haven't looked back since!

Thanks tt,I too have quite a strong prescription(-4.5) last time I was tested so will take the advice of the experts and hopefully they'll get me the best ones for me.
Do fancy the conveniance of dailies,but imagine the compromise is in stable vision which I would much rather have.
Have set my mind to the fact I will be free of glasses again and have even bought some sunglasses in readiness

 

[ianrauk]

Potsy,
have the same prescription as you, well one eye, my right is -4.50, my left is -2.75. Glasses are a pain in the arse. Daily's are the way to go. As some one else has posted, contactlenses.co.uk prices are very good. 90 pairs for £62.00. And of course it's very east to carry an extra pair when cycling.

 

[potsy]

Potsy,
have the same prescription as you, well one eye, my right is -4.50, my left is -2.75. Glasses are a pain in the arse. Daily's are the way to go. As some one else has posted, contactlenses.co.uk prices are very good. 90 pairs for £62.00. And of course it's very east to carry an extra pair when cycling.

Having only ever used the opticians to source lenses,do I get some from them this time but not sign up to a DD scheme,and just buy my own then?
Or maybe buy a months worth initially then go my own way?
How much dearer will they be from an optician?

 

[ianrauk]

I get an initial set (3 months) from my opticians. After every 2 yearly check up.
Then further sets online which about £15-£20 cheaper for 90 pairs.

Having only ever used the opticians to source lenses,do I get some from them this time but not sign up to a DD scheme,and just buy my own then?
Or maybe buy a months worth initially then go my own way?
How much dearer will they be from an optician?

 

[potsy]

I get an initial set (3 months) from my opticians. After every 2 yearly check up.
Then further sets online which about £15-£20 cheaper for 90 pairs.

Cheers Ian,that sounds like a plan I could live with.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I've worn daily disposables for years. Once in, you don't even feel them.

I wear standard Accuvue. There are more expensive variants, Moist and something else, but I found that for me the Moist ones didn't seem any different in the eye and were fiddlier to insert.

Tesco is as cheap as the online prices.

 

[potsy]

I've worn daily disposables for years. Once in, you don't even feel them.

I wear standard Accuvue. There are more expensive variants, Moist and something else, but I found that for me the Moist ones didn't seem any different in the eye and were fiddlier to insert.

Tesco is as cheap as the online prices.

Good spot Ben,have a Tesco opticians 2 mins walk from me

These from online place-£24 for 30 http://www.contactlenses.co.uk/details326_148.html?referrer=Froogle

These from Tesco - £38 for 30 pairs http://www.tescoopticians.com/product.aspx?prod=46

confused now as that means Tesco is £10 cheaper than the on-line place

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yep, I used to buy mine from the States, but Tesco was within pence of that price. They are cheaper than any UK online supplier I've seen.

 

[potsy]

Right,eyetest done and got the OK to try some lenses,they have ordered a pair of fortnightly ones,and some dailies for me to test.
Pick them up next friday

Plus being a tight Northerner,got the eye-test and consultation for £13 bargain.