1. Get an eye exam
Eye care professionals urge consumers to undergo regular eye exams (typically once a year) to ensure their contact lens prescription is up to date since the health of your eyes can change between checkups. Never buy contact lenses with an expired prescription, eye care experts say.
2. Check your contact lens prescription
- Your name
- Name of the prescriber
- Date of your eye exam
- Power of the vision correction expressed in numbers preceded by plus or minus signs
- The curvature of the lenses
- Diameter of the lenses
- Brand name of the lenses
“If the lenses will not be dispensed by the prescribing practitioner, it is important that whoever fills the prescription does so completely and accurately,” says the GP Lens Institute, the educational arm of the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association.
3. Be aware contacts and glasses prescriptions are different
4. Stick to the prescribed brand
The FDA suggests being on the lookout for attempts to substitute one contact lens brand (perhaps a cheaper variety) for the one that appears on your prescription.
5. Shop around
Prices for the same brand of contacts frequently vary from seller to seller. Therefore, it can pay to do some comparison shopping — you might be able to save some money.
6. Ensure you always have contacts and lens care supplies
“Some contact lenses may take time to get to you, so make sure you order early enough you don’t run out,” says Mike Suh, director of contact lenses at an online eyewear retailer.
No matter how many contact lenses you plan to buy, don’t select an online retailer based on price alone. You should take other factors into account, including whether you or your friends, relatives, or colleagues are familiar with or have a good impression of the retailer.
7. Check out the seller’s reputation
Before buying contact lenses from an online retailer, do some online research. Look at customer reviews, and visit the websites of organizations like the Better Business Bureau to see whether complaints have been filed against the retailer.
8. Beware of online eye exams of contact lenses.
“These services are not likely to get someone a correct prescription and cannot diagnose eye problems that could be occurring. They are not evaluating the material and fit with how it interacts with someone’s anatomy,” Wang says.
“They are in no way a substitute for an in-person eye examination and customized contact lens fitting. Anyone who needs contact lenses should be sure to have a fitting done with a local doctor.”
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