Monthly and daily disposable contact lenses are the two main types of contacts available in the market. Also known as monthlies and dailies.
As their names suggest, monthly contacts are those which can be worn from 1-12 months, while daily contacts are good for only one wear.
Monthly Contact Lenses
Monthlies come in varieties of 1 month, 3 month, 6 month and even 12 months. They are built from high quality durable material can be reused over and over again until their expiry. The only catch is that they have to cleaned with contact lens solution every time they are worn to prevent eye infections or even pink eye.
As contact lenses dry up when out of your eye, they also need to be soaked in lens solution to maintain their moisture content. So by using monthlies, you will need a contact lens case and lots of lens solution.
Due to the higher built-to-last quality of he monthly contact lens, they tend to be more expensive than the daily wear contact lens.
Daily Contact Lenses
Daily lenses have become more popular in recent years due to their convenience. You literally just wear them and then throw them away. No need to clean them or store in a case.
Daily wear contact lenses come in individually packaged packets that are filled with solution so that they are clean, lubricated and ready to wear. After wearing them the whole day you just throw them away.
Never ever wear daily contact lenses more than once.
Daily disposable lenses are cheaper in terms of money per lens as you buy them in bulk. Some contact lens suppliers even offer monthly plans where they will ship you a 30 day supply of daily disposable contact lenses to your door. You also save money on the solution and cases because you don’t need any. This also makes them more travel friendly.
The nice thing about the dailies is that you don’t have to worry about dropping them, losing them, cleaning them, or having to wear them every day. You can easily switch between glasses and contacts if you don’t feel like wearing contacts on a particular day. Its harder to do this with monthlies where you have already opened the lens packaging and need to maximize value for your money.
For me personally, I only use dailies whenever I have to play sports like cricket, football, or squash. Otherwise, I stick to good old glasses.
Daily vs monthly contact lenses comparison
Lets summarize our comparison between daily and monthly contact lenses:
Are Daily contacts more expensive than monthly lenses
The overall cost of Monthly Contacts is Higher overall due to the added costs of solutions and cases. However, the price of daily contacts depends on the brand and quality.
Are Dailies more comfortable than monthlies
While the feeling of wearing either type of contact lens is the same, we can measure comfort in terms of the amount of preparation required for them. Having to wash and store monthly contacts is annoying. Another nuisance is having to carry around solution bottles and cases for trips. Daily contacts provide a more comfortable experience because you can just Wear and throw when youre done. No need to carry anything except the box of contacts.
Are monthly contact lenses more environmentally friendly than daily contacts
Daily disposable contact lenses are more environmentally friendly than monthly contacts because of less trash overall. The packaging of individual lenses is also some what recyclable. Monthly contacts have the added waste of solution manufacturing, bottles, and case plastic.
Are daily contacts cleaner than monthly lenses
The cleanliness of monthly contacts depends on how well you clean them. Daily disposable contacts are brand new every time.
Conclusion: Daily Disposables are better than monthly contacts
I hope this article helps you decide whether monthly contact lenses or daily contact lenses are better for everyday use. Always consult an eye doctor before transitioning from glasses to contact lenses to help you decide which type of contacts are better for you.
To learn about contact lens prescriptions and astigmatism, check out some of these helpful articles:
can i wear normal contacts with astigmatism
Convert astigmatism into normal contact lenses
