A Guide to Cheap Contacts

Impaired vision is no fun, I know because I’ve been wearing glasses/contacts for over a decade.  On my most recent trip to Disney World, I forgot my contacts and was stuck wearing glasses the whole trip.  It wasn’t the best situation, to say the least.

I wear Biofinity contacts, my eye doctor charges about $59 per box but I get them online for less than $20. I love this money saving tip because it saves me money and I don’t stress over contacts.

There are many retailers for your contact lenses, and each one offers different prices for virtually the same brand. Just like with anything in life, we want to know how to get cheap contacts.  

So, how do you know which retailer is the best? You could try using price comparison sites. However, these sites don’t consider special offers, shipping costs, rebates or stock availability.

You can use those price comparison sites as a starting point for your research, but you shouldn’t make your decision from that information right off the bat. In fact, there is a process of finding the best, cheap contacts online for both prescription and non-prescription lenses.

But really, where can you get cheap contacts?  

Cheap Contacts

There are many things you can do to save money on your contacts. Ask your eye care provider if they match online prices or if they offer a trial pack of contacts. If you’re not comfortable ordering your lenses online, consider checking out your local big box stores, such as Walmart and Costco. However, if you don’t have a problem with ordering your contacts online, here is a list of top-rated online retailers for your contacts.

Tip:

Shop around when looking for contacts, add them to your cart so that you can see the full total and be able to compare. I usually have 5-6 carts open on different browser tabs, trying to find the best deal.  

Since contacts are FDA regulated, as long as the site is trustworthy (which I will teach you about later), you can be assured.

1. Hubblecontacts.com

Hubble contact lenses are for daily contact lens wearers. Their site promises to provide sharper vision and all-day comfort. These are daily disposable contact lenses, which means you must change them out daily. This is a subscription-based service that you pay for monthly.

1. Coastal.com

Coastal contacts offer a wide variety of styles and brands of contacts (including Acuvue and Cooper Vision) at affordable prices, with free returns on all purchases. They feature a user-friendly search function to make finding and ordering your contacts online fast and easy.

1. Lens.com

If you’re searching for “buy more, save more” pricing for contacts, Lens.com is a good resource. According to their homepage, they’re the industry leader for customer service, with simple and hassle-free ordering. They will also deliver discounted contacts straight to your eye doctor. Their site is also very user-friendly. There are no hidden costs with your order, so you get what you pay for.

1. ColouredContacts.com

This site is your go-to source for colored contacts. You can completely transform your look by simply changing your eye color. You can purchase prescription colored contacts, as well as non-prescription lenses from colouredcontacts.com. Their site has safety guides, as well as instructions for inserting and removing your contacts. There are several top-rated reviews for this site from verified buyers.

1. Opticontacts.com

Opticontacts.com promises all orders are guaranteed to be 100% accurate and defect free, or they will replace and reship at no charge. The contacts come directly from the manufacturers in their original factory sealed packaging. Opticontact’s customer support page features three forms of contact – email, phone, and snail mail – so you are sure to reach someone when you have an issue.

Contact Lenses Prices

How much you pay for contact lenses depends on a few things: what brand you’re using, how frequently they need to be replaced, and where you buy them from.  There are other things that can affect the pricing such as vision problems, rebates, etc.

Nearsighted people usually spend about $250 a year on contact lenses.  That’s for contacts you change monthly, if you use daily contacts, it will be more expensive.  

You will also need contact solution and cases.   

White Contacts

White contact lenses, aka no pupil lenses, are so much fun to have.  They cover the iris and pupil giving a full whiteout look to the eye.

Usually, when you purchase these contact lenses, they are set for just 1-day use.  

Fruugo sells white contact lenses for about $23 (including shipping).

ColouredContacts sells them for about $20 (shipping is free)

FunkyLenses sells a 3 month supply for $14.99!!

Nonprescription Contact Lenses

A lot of people purchase nonprescription contact lenses for aesthetics.  But the truth is that all contact lenses are medical devices which means they are regulated by the FDA.  

You can buy them over the counter, online especially, without a prescription but be careful.

EyeCandy is a good place to start.

Researching Websites

Does the Site ask for your Prescription?

Legally, online retailers are required to verify your prescription before you complete your order.  Usually, there are two options, they ask for your prescription, or you can provide your eye care provider and they will verify. It is illegal in the US for online contact retailers to provide you with lenses without verifying your prescription.

Do they have a Working Phone Number for Customer Service?

It may not seem like a big deal, but a site that has a working phone number for customer service speaks volumes to their reliability. When an online retailer lists a phone number on their site, it lets you know they are a legit business. If you have an issue with your contacts, then you’ll need immediate results. You don’t want to wait to speak with customer service or fight with emailing services trying to find the right person to handle your issue. If there is no phone number for the site (or any type of visible customer support), walk away.

Do they have a Return Policy?

If they send you the wrong contacts – or worse, faulty contacts – can you send them back? If you buy a years’ worth of contacts and your prescription changes, can you return the unopen packs? A real and reputable lens seller will have a great return policy to protect you from these issues.

Is there a Wide Variety of Lenses?

The larger the retailer, the more stock they will have. This means they will have a large variety of brands and a faster shipping time. Every brand offers something different for the contact wearer. No two people are alike. Everyone who wears contacts prefers something different in their lenses for different reasons. For example, you might have mild astigmatism and require a lens that caters to your condition. Or, you may want disposable lenses for more convenience. A good retailer knows this: they will have your prescription and your favorite brand.

Knowing what to look for when searching for an online retailer for your contacts is essential to not only finding the best deal but also getting the best contacts at an affordable cost.

Buying contacts is a serious business.  Your vision is at stake, so you want the best.

Understanding Your Contact Lens Prescription

Your prescription provides information about your vision to ensure you wear the right lens for your eyes. In the US, all eye care providers are required by law to provide you with a copy of your prescription at the conclusion of your exam and fitting.

Terms and Definitions

(good to know when buying)

Eye care practitioners use specific terms and abbreviations as well as measurements to write your prescriptions. Understanding this can help you purchase your contacts.

• OD and OS
  • OD stands for Oculus Dexter, which is Latin for “right eye”.
  • OS stands for Oculus Sinister, which is Latin for “left eye”.
  • Even though OD stands for the right eye, it is usually found on the left side of your prescription, and OS is found on the right. OU may also appear on your prescription. This means Oculus Uterque, or “each eye”. This is usually written to say that the measurements apply to both eyes.
• PWR is Refractive Power
  • This is the number of diopters, which is the correction the lens must provide to sharpen your visual distance to the appropriate level. The minus sign is for nearsightedness and the plus sign is for farsightedness. The further the number is from zero, the more correction you need.
• BC means Base Curve
  • Base curve is used to describe the curvature of your cornea. This number is important as it ensures the lens fits comfortable around the eye.
• DIA is Diameter
  • DIA determines where the edges of the contacts will rest on your eye. Wearing a contact that is too big or too small can make the contact shift in the eye, making it extremely uncomfortable.
• CYL is Cylinder
  • The cylinder is typically used for contacts prescribed for those with astigmatism.
• Axis
  • Axis is the measurement necessary for contacts that are used to correct astigmatism.
• ADD for Add Power
  • This is used to describe the added magnifying power in portions of bifocal contact lenses for close viewing of your devices or book reading – similar to bifocals in eyeglasses.
• Color
  • Just as the term suggests, this is for the color of the lens you wish to have on your prescription.
• Brand
  • This is the brand the eye care provider suggests or prescribes.

Now that you know what to look for and where to look for great contact lenses, speak with your eye care provider. They can recommend the best brand for your eyes and help you find the right contacts for you. Typically, your eye care professional will have a list of reputable retailers for your contacts, but most doctors partner with certain brands. They will try to sell you brands from their partnered companies.

Remember, you can always go to an outside source for your contacts. Eye care professionals must provide you with a copy of your prescription, and they must verify your prescription with whatever company you choose for your purchase.

Always do thorough research when choosing a provider for your eye care as well as your contact lens purchase. Your vision is extremely important, so treat your contact-buying experience as you would if you were making a major purchase (such as buying a home or car). It may seem like a small thing, but it’s a huge deal.

Cheap contacts don’t have to mean cheap quality. With the right research, you can find just what you’re looking for and save tons of money.