How to Choose Between Daily vs. Monthly Contacts

Did you know that more than 24 million people in the United States wear contacts? Yes, it is true! Contacts can be very helpful when you have an active lifestyle. Or if you just flat out don’t like eyeglasses. However, with contacts, you must replace them frequently to maintain your eye health. 

How often you need to replace them depends on whether you choose daily or monthly contacts. Here are the pros and cons of daily contact lenses vs. monthly contact lenses.

Daily Contacts

Daily contact lenses are meant to be worn for just one day. When you're ready to remove them, simply take them out and toss them away. There is no cleaning, disinfecting, or storage necessary. If you have difficulty with the care and maintenance of your contact lenses, then daily contacts might be a good choice for you.

Pros of Daily Contacts

Since these contacts are meant to be worn once, daily contacts have a low risk of infection. This makes them less likely to incur a buildup of deposits, like proteins and allergens. Buildups like this can cause chronic inflammation and make the lens uncomfortable to wear.

Daily contacts don't require cleaning and storage, they’re also more convenient than monthly contacts. They can save you time in your daily routine, as you don't need to clean your lenses before you put them in. When you're done wearing them, simply throw them away — or better yet, learn how to properly recycle them.

After purchasing your daily contacts, you won't need to buy other contact lens supplies, like contact solutions. Some people find the solutions or cleansers used with contacts to be irritating. Since there's no disinfecting involved, your eyes won't be exposed to contact lens solutions, meaning you won’t experience irritation.

Cons of Daily Contacts

Daily contacts are made of thinner materials, which may increase the risk of tearing throughout the day. It's a good idea to carry a spare set of lenses and a backup pair of eyeglasses.

Also, the upfront cost of daily contacts can be much higher than monthly. That means you'll pay more initially for a supply of daily contacts. However, you may save money later since you won't need to buy lens solutions to clean and disinfect your contacts.

Monthly Contacts

Monthly contact lenses are meant to be worn for 30 days. However, this type of contact must be removed, cleaned, disinfected, and stored each night. When you’ve worn the set for 30 days, you dispose of your lenses and start fresh with a new pair.

Pros of Monthly Contacts

An advantage monthly contact lenses have is that the cost of purchasing them is lower than the cost of purchasing daily lenses. Though you may have to buy saline solutions and disinfectants, it costs less than replacing daily contacts over the same period. 

Additionally, the thicker material used to make the lens makes monthly lenses less prone to damage and tearing. This is beneficial because you are less likely to need backup pairs of lenses.

Cons of Monthly Contacts

Because monthly contacts are built to be handled more often and last longer than daily contacts, they're composed of stronger materials. Monthly contacts often feel thicker which may irritate some eyes. 

Additionally, since they're worn for longer periods, debris can accumulate on the lenses, interfering with clear vision. If deposits like proteins and allergen particles are allowed to build up, they could cause eye irritation and even an eye infection. That's why cleaning and storing your monthly contacts properly is important.