Glasses vs contact lenses

When it comes to deciding whether or not to get glasses or contacts, you may initially feel that contacts are the way forward. The glasses or contacts argument is one that has separated opinions more so than the nation’s love or hate for Marmite. To give you a helping hand, and before committing yourself to contact lenses, here are our 5 reasons why glasses are actually better than contact lenses.

1. Glasses take less adjusting to

While it might take a little time to get used to your first pair of prescription glasses, choosing contact lenses could not only take some getting used to, they could disrupt your entire routine at the same time.

With glasses, you can wake up in the morning, slip on your glasses, carry out your usual routine and you’re good to go. On the other hand, with contacts, it can take an awful lot of time to apply them and for them to feel comfortable before you can move on to the next stage of getting ready.

Glasses are a quick and simple fix for aiding your eyesight, and you will find it much easier to introduce them to your lifestyle than you would with contacts.

 

2. There’s less of a chance of developing infections & irritations

If you wear contact lenses, you will need to touch your eyes more frequently, which increases the chance of irritation or developing an eye infection. The Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL recently reported that the number of Acanthamoeba keratitis infections has increased significantly since 2011.

Covering the cornea of your eyes with contact lenses also restricts the amount of oxygen your eyes receive. If this is done for an extended period of time, such as if you fall asleep in your contacts, then you may be at risk of hypoxia. This can be very uncomfortable, as your eyes will turn red and become inflamed – in some cases, it can even cause temporary blurred vision. If this happens, there’s a greater risk of catching an eye infection.

It’s very easy for contacts to become contaminated when bathing or swimming, or even when you haven’t thoroughly washed or dried your hands before handling them. Wearing prescription glasses significantly reduces your chances of developing these irritations and infections.

 

3. Glasses give you more freedom

Many contact lens wearers initially choose them instead of wearing prescription glasses, because they think that they will have more freedom. In actual fact, with wearing contact lenses comes the added planning, scheduling, and baggage. Consider that you will have to take contact lens cases, lens solution, and eye drops with you on the go, as well as remembering to remove them and use eye drops every day. Wearing prescription glasses, on the other hand, simply requires a sturdy glasses case and a lens cleaning cloth.

Prescription glasses give you more freedom when out and about, such as when you’re going to the office or when you’re going on holiday – you’ll even be able to enjoy sleeping on a long flight, without having to remove your lenses in a small, turbulent aeroplane bathroom.

 

4. Contacts vs glasses – cost

Glasses are cheaper in the long-run than contact lenses. Unless you’re prone to breaking them on a regular basis, you won’t need to replace them – so long as your eyesight stays the same. If, over time, your prescription changes, you may be able to just replace the lenses and keep the frames. This also means you don’t need to worry about the monthly expense of buying contact lens solution or running out of your daily contact lenses.

 

5. Contact lenses vs glasses – which provides better vision?

Whether you’re getting out of the office during your lunch break, exploring the great British countryside, or enjoying a beach day on your holidays, you’ll want to make sure you’re able to enjoy the fantastic scenery. Although there isn’t a great deal of difference between contacts and glasses when it comes to the quality of vision they will offer, there are certainly some additional benefits when it comes to wearing glasses.

Glasses will offer some protection from the likes of wind, sand and dust, much more so than if you chose to wear contacts. Having this added level of protection will provide a greater quality of sight, even on those windy days at the beach!

Although contacts may be the way to go if you’re looking to mask your need for support with your eyesight, glasses boast many more benefits in other areas. They will protect your eyes and keep costs down in the long-run and, let’s face it, they’re fun and fashionable to wear.

Whether you want your prescription glasses to define your unique style or to keep up with the latest fashion trends, browse our huge selection of men’s prescription glasses and female prescription glasses. If you’re unsure which are the best glasses for your face shape, make sure to check out our useful and in-depth guide.