Contact Lenses: Daily Vs. Bi-Weekly

Wearing disposable contact lenses is the best way to maintain sanitary eye care each day. There are many types of disposable contacts to choose from, most notably daily lenses and bi-weekly lenses. The one you chose should be the one that best fits your lifestyle.

The Main Difference Between Daily and Bi-weekly Contact Lenses

There's basically no difference between the feel or vision quality of a daily contact lens and a bi-weekly lens. The main difference is that with a daily lens, you open two new contact units each morning and throw them away when you take them out at night. On the other hand, bi-weekly lenses must be washed each night until they reach their two-week expiration.

Cleansing Routine for Bi-Weekly Contact Lenses

Unless you experience trouble with a daily contact lens, there's no need to wash them at all. But with bi-weekly contacts, you need to rub your contacts with soft contact cleaning and conditioning solution to remove any build-up, makeup, or dirt deposits that have accumulated throughout the day to prevent bacteria and infection in your eye.

Who Should Wear Daily Disposable Lenses?

Daily disposable contact lenses are convenient and somewhat more cost efficient, since they don't require contact solution for soaking and cleansing. Young children starting out in contacts who are not yet responsible enough to handle caring for bi-weekly or traditional lenses, as well as anyone desiring a more convenient way of wearing contacts, are some of the best candidates for daily disposables.

Benefits of Bi-Weekly Contact Lenses

It is often easier to order and store bi-weekly contact lenses, since you only need to buy a new box every six weeks or so. Plus, with bi-weekly lenses, you have the advantage of having backup contacts in case one tears or irritates your eye, and you don't have to worry about opening new units of contacts each morning.

Drawbacks of Daily and Bi-Weekly Contacts

Daily disposable contacts tend to lose some of their convenience when you constantly have to keep several boxes of lenses on hand or continually order them from the eye doctor or an online provider. Bi-weekly contacts are much less of a hassle to order, but they require more cleaning, and according to Dr. Oliver Schein of John Hopkins Medical Institute, pose more of a risk to corneal infection than daily contacts.