Wanted-Contact Lenses Bargains

The_Bullman

Feel free to move this if it shouldn't be here.

Basically I'm new to the world of contacts. I'd imagine that the local opticians isn't the best place to buy them so I call upon your experiences.

Where do you get them from?

Smithers

i just got new specs in specsavers and enquired about them ,

i think the daily desposables are 110 for 100 pairs or something like that

oneweb

Originally posted by Smithers
i just got new specs in specsavers and enquired about them ,

i think the daily desposables are 110 for 100 pairs or something like that

Daily disposals: €105 for 3month's supply (6 boxes of 30 lenses) in Specsavers last time I got 'em. ww)

beezkneez

€105 - thats a crazy price. go with the monthly disposables - about €25 for 3 months and then you can buy the solution in boots or whereever is cheapest.
you can order your lens online when you run out from specsavers website - well handy.

koneko

Specsavers. Great price, great lenses. AFAIK they also deliver if you have a prescription with them.

joker77

I've been using contacts for a few years, I've found that it's cheapest to order them directly from the web, if you know your prescription, from somewhere like www.lensestogo.com

Lex_Diamonds

Wow, that site is excellent, *much* cheaper than what I would normally pay. Thanks.

The_Bullman

Do you guys know which brand Specsavers sell for that price?

magpie

I get mine from the States at www.visiondirect.com for a fraction of what those robbers in specsavers charge.... especially with the weak us dollar.

Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

Lucutus

www.getlenses.com is good too.

The_Bullman

Originally posted by magpie
Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

Now that you mention that, a mate of mine is reusing his daily disposibles the next day. He's getting twice the use out of them Something for me to try out when I get a little better at using them

Eurorunner

Originally posted by magpie
I get mine from the States at www.visiondirect.com for a fraction of what those robbers in specsavers charge.... especially with the weak us dollar.

Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

So how do you do this then..get an eye test via a ophthalmologist and send the test results to visiondirect.com?

I inquired at specsavers 6 months ago about lenses thinking that they'd been around for years and would be cheap at this stage...the price was ridiculous...

Spunog UIE

wearing contact lenses for 3 years now and comparing the prices with these is shocking, don't know why i never bothered checking before :S

Just went to check my contact lenses there to get new ones, Biomedics, Promedics 60 ocuflicon F. (oculer sciences)
Dia 14.1
D -3.5
sag 3.75
power -0.50 (i think)


Any opinons on them? Or recommended brands from the listed sites. Ah have me interested now.

Ever have any problems with them?

Brillant post!

magpie

So how do you do this then..get an eye test via a ophthalmologist and send the test results to visiondirect.com?

Pretty much, when you go on the site you just select your prescription, along with the make of lenses, diameter etc. If you've been to specsavers recently just drop in and ask for a copy of your prescription.

Ever have any problems with them?

Nope, no trouble at all.

Incidentally, with a prescription of -0.5 why are you bothering wearing them at all? Taking the piss out of us -6.0 types?

koneko

Originally posted by magpie
Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

AFAIK daily disposables are thinner and retain less water. This means they'll dry out quicker. Apparantly you can damage your eyes (even if the lenses don't feel uncomfortable) doing this.

For the record, when I ran out of lenses last time I tried wearing my daily disposables more and it just hurt my eyes. Maybe I'm just the sensitive type.

magpie

AFAIK daily disposables are thinner and retain less water. This means they'll dry out quicker. Apparantly you can damage your eyes (even if the lenses don't feel uncomfortable) doing this.

Hmm, I'm not talking about leaving them in for a month, or leaving them on the worktop to dry out between wears.

Obviously you have to soak them overnight in solution, much like the monthly disposables. I have to say I can't detect any difference between them, in fact the dailies are more comfortable as if anything they retain more water when you soak them in a good solution.

To be frank though, I think the best bet is to get a set of hard, air-permeable lenses and use them all the time... unfortunately I can't owing to weird astygmatism type issues.

Spunog UIE

lol i'm not sure about my power.

I went to check the box last night and the
Dia 14.1
D -3.5
sag 3.75

were the only things printed on them but i remember the optician writing -0.5 on them. My eye sight isn't brutal but would be lost with out them for driving.

So maybe its the --3.5? i don't know to be honest. Have to wait and check at next appointment. Last lot cost around 100quids 6months worth:(

Tried the hard lenses, they were smaller and were awful for me, I could feel them scraping my eye, don't notice the monthly disposible ones at all. Hard lenses ick, my eyes are too sensitive.

sionnach

Originally posted by magpie
Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

rubbish, i use daily disposables and my brother uses monthly ones, they're totally different

magpie

rubbish, I use daily disposables and my brother uses monthly, they're completely different (or words to that effect)

How can you tell? Are they a different colour? Made of different material? they look different under a microscope? or do they just have different things written on the box?

I've been using both kinds for about 5 years and I can't tell the difference. Then again I am blind as a bat which is why I wear the things in the first place.

Oh, and Gideon, -3.5 is your prescription!

happydude13

just so you folks know, the main reason that one puts contact lenses in solution is to clean them. trying to clean your one day disposable lenses in the solution for the monthly ones will most likely brutalise your eyes (as they are not designed to be cleaned), maybe not today maybe not tomorrow, but someday.

Also it is advisable to get your eyes checked regularly, especially if you are putting your fingers into them frequently in case of infection, I know of someone who got an infection from contacts and now cannot wear contacts.

Ordering over the interweb is a good idea, if you know your prescription,
once you still go for checkups regular like.

Cake Fiend

I'm amazed at how many people are prepared to risk something as important as their eye health on the basis of what some bloke said in the pub or whatever. Don't take risks with your eyes - if your optician tells you not to wair daily disposables for a month then it might be a money-spinning con, or they might know what they're talking about.

kensutz

I make contact lenses and there is differences in them. Also what you're mainly looking for is the power of the lenses i.e. -0.50 -3.00. Dont go messing around if you don't know what to get and take it by chance.

oneweb

Originally posted by oneweb
Daily disposals: €105 for 3month's supply (6 boxes of 30 lenses) in Specsavers last time I got 'em. ww)

Um, what the hell was I thinking :eek:

OH MY GAWD! (x3) Every three months I'm gonna save myself €50 on contact lenses! http://www.lensestogo.com Daily disposables: €55 including delivery:) Whoa! I cannot believe my eyes! How the fudge can Specsavers charge soo much more for the
exact exact same product? Joker, you da man!

I would like to retract my previous post recommending Specsavers and replace cool smiley with eek smiley!

Originally posted by The_Bullman
Do you guys know which brand Specsavers sell for that price?

AFAIR, they're the Bausch & Lomb brand (SofLens).

As for re-using dailies - I personally wouldn't. It's bad enough that I need corrective lenses, but I certainly would not chance my eyesight by reusing old contacts, regardless how much money I would save.

Great thread ww)

magpie

I'm waiting for someone to explain to me categorically what the difference between daily and monthly contacts is (in terms of the material they are made of, diameter, thickness etc).

All I've had so far is a stream of people going "They're different.... my optician says so"

What you are not taking into account is that your optician is reaming you for €50 profit on lenses every time you go and see him, so I wouldn't regard his opinion as trustworthy. A good example is I went to McNally's for new lenses and a check up. They ended up selling me expensive glasses as you "need to wear glasses the majority of the time to avoid getting visible veins in your eyes". Absolute bollocks. What they should have sold me was air-permeable lenses which get around the issue by not creating a vacuum seal on your eye. I would regard opticians in the same category as dentists.... out for your cash.

Yes your eyes are important, yes you need to look after them, but either give me the scientific difference between dailies and monthlies or shut up.

Is1ldur

I am in the same opsition as a few others here in that I cannot believe never checked this out before. I have been wearing lenses for about 5 years now, and in one minute of checking a website I can save myself over EUR200 per year. That money would be just otherwise handed over to Vision Express, as it has in the past. Thanks guys.
By the Eurorunner, how long do lenses take to be delivered from VisionDirect.com

Thanks again

Stark

Your optician is perfectly right to suggest that you have a pair of glasses with your contacts. Daily disposables can get very uncomfortable if you leave them in for too long, I for one get very irritated eyes. I wouldn't risk re-using them after the first use.

The gas-permeables are supposed to be much better, but then again you can't be sure if everyone is suited to long term wearing of them.

magpie

By the Eurorunner, how long do lenses take to be delivered from VisionDirect.com

Normally about 3-4 days. They come via DHL.

I wouldn't risk re-using them after the first use.

More personal opinion... any chance of some facts? (see my post above)

oneweb

Ordered from http://www.visiondirect.com Friday afternoon (21st Nov, 11 days ago). Got them in the post this morning

SpecScammers: €102 (looks like a 3for2 deal, but still a ripoff)
VisionDirect: €46.01 including delivery. (That's less than SpecScammers' price for one month of lenses!! :eek:

Lex_Diamonds

Ahhh, dont you just love the net?

magpie

If only you could order cars tax-free on the net.

oneweb

Heh, there's a reason I need corrective lenses. :rolleyes: I got 90 lenses (45 days), not 90 days' worth from VisionDirect. Sorry bout that. Nevertheless, they're still €10 cheaper than Specsavers if I had bought another box!

Col_Loki

Hey was reading this thread a while back thought id ask a few questions.

I have tried the hard glass contacts the re-useable ones and i found them terrible. I hate putting them in and taking them out all the time. I can take the slight discomfort and will adjust but not the in and out thing.

I know you can get lenses that you leave in day and night and replace them after ..... i think its a month. Just wondering if someone knows where to get them (ie best price if possible ), and if anyone has used them how do you find them?

Cheers.

bk

I get my lenses from www.visiondirect.com also and I highly recommend them. The more lenses you buy the more you save, they have loads of special deals like buy $100 of lenses and get $10 off or $50 and get $5 off and they also give you points everytime you buy lenses, which gives you even more money off the next time you buy from them

BTW The Specsaver lens are made by Bausch & Lomb and are called SofLens One Day, you can get them on visiondirect.com.

I know this because when I used to buy from specsavers, they use to often give me the B&L instead and they told me they where exactly the same, specsavers just rebranded the box.

You can ask specsavers for your prescription, they are required by law to give it to you and it is never any problem anyway.

BTW Concerning using daily disposables as monthly disposables. For the first few years when daily disposables came out, they where exactly the same lens as monthly disposables. In the US a group of people brought a class action case against Johnson & Johnson over it and Johnson & Johnson settled out of court.

In recent years I believe J&J have been slightly changing their daily disposables from their monthly's in order to avoid future cases. However the difference is very small. By using more modern non rub cleaning solutions many people get at least 2 or 3 weeks out of one daily disposable. There is lots of interesting info on the web about this, just do a search on google groups.

I personally use daily disposables as dailies, because I don't use them every day (only when doing sport or heading out for the night) and I couldn't be bothered cleaning them.

BTW if you are using dailies for longer periods, then you will need a proper container, fluid and cleaner for them.

bk

BTW do people here use contacts and work in front of a computer all day. I've never been able to do that, my eyes usually get blurry and tired if I use contacts with a PC for long periods, so I use glasses with my PC instead.

Has anybody had similar experiences?

seamus

Originally posted by bk
BTW do people here use contacts and work in front of a computer all day. I've never been able to do that, my eyes usually get blurry and tired if I use contacts with a PC for long periods, so I use glasses with my PC instead.

Has anybody had similar experiences?

Yeah, my eyes tend to get tired and slightly irritated with contacts, even when using a TFT screen. It's not a big deal though. Take a 15 minute break and they're fine again for another couple of hours.

I hadn't thought of buying online, but I can get a year's supply for €212, with one eye being toric.....that's a massive reduction in cost.

bk

Originally posted by seamus
Yeah, my eyes tend to get tired and slightly irritated with contacts, even when using a TFT screen. It's not a big deal though. Take a 15 minute break and they're fine again for another couple of hours.

What do you mean by a break!!!! There have us shackled to our machines here at work :eek:

Just kidding.

oneweb

Originally posted by bk
BTW do people here use contacts and work in front of a computer all day. I've never been able to do that, my eyes usually get blurry and tired if I use contacts with a PC for long periods, so I use glasses with my PC instead.

Has anybody had similar experiences?

Here's an interesting fact, (well, I thought it was interesting!) - direct from my optician - the reason your eyes feel dry/irritated when you're sitting at a PC is because you blink less. Because you blink less, your contacts aren't 'flushed' as often so dry out a little

Mercury_Tilt

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Col_Loki

Yea its the thread that has stuck in my mind out of all the rest. Its also an area that people are nervous about and shouldnt be.

Anyone know what the lenses you can leave in 24/7 for a couple of weeks are like? Have seen them on one of the irish lense sites but not on the american ones. Im very intersted in getting them but im clueless as to what "toric" etc actually means (as ive only ever had one pair that i hated - not the disposable kind).

Cheers for the info btw guys !!

Mercury_Tilt

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Eurorunner

Yeah - this was one of those threads i'm glad i didnt miss. Its quite straightforward if you already have a prescription - just order up same lenses. For me, i didnt see the point of getting ripped off initially and then ordering from the states. I made it clear to the opticians that i just wanted a prescription for contacts and i tried out one brand - they charged for this and thats ok. However, after the trial they obviously knew what i had in mind and didnt like the idea of sending me away with just the prescription. Any chance they had of getting a lense sale out of me went completely out the window as apart from the price difference, they claimed that you couldnt run with a 3 month supply - they came in a pack which would last 6 months. I know this to be lies.

Anyways, i rang beforehand to say i was coming in to pick up my prescription. They left me waiting for quite a while then gave me the prescription in a sealed envelope..and of course i opened it then and there cos i had the feeling it wouldnt be right....a prescription for glasses! I then had the owner deal with me and she took me aside ..i assume so that she could slam me back into line and keep me away from other customers in case i piped up about why i wouldnt be buying from them. She hesitated - obviously saw that i wasnt for turnin' and wrote out the prescription.


Anyways, moral of the story...if your in the same scenario, dont fall for this bullcráp. Why should your hard earned cash support a poor/rippoff business model?

savemejebus

brilliant thread, my question is this:

In the end, which is the better site for lenses
visiondirect, lensestogo or getlenses?

catho_monster

i have a few questions too...

i used to have soft lenses, the ones that you keep using for months on end... but i split them (as you do when fake nails and new years drinkeys are involved)

but everyone seems to be talking about disposable ones, can you get the "permanant" ones anymore?

I know i have to go and get a new prescription, but do i need to do the fitting as well? i have a vague recollection of there being different sizes in the contacts?

bk

Originally posted by savemejebus
brilliant thread, my question is this:

In the end, which is the better site for lenses
visiondirect, lensestogo or getlenses?

Well, I think visiondirect have the best value (don't forget to take into account all the special offers they do, spend $50 get $5 off, $100 get $10 and also you get points everytime you buy which reduces the cost again).

I also have no complaints at all about the service, it has been perfect.

Of course you should shop around, decide what lenses you are getting and compare the prices.

bk

Originally posted by catho_monster
i have a few questions too...

i used to have soft lenses, the ones that you keep using for months on end... but i split them (as you do when fake nails and new years drinkeys are involved)

but everyone seems to be talking about disposable ones, can you get the "permanant" ones anymore?

You can get soft contact lens in daily disposable, 1 - 2 weekly disposable or monthly. Most people get daily disposable as they are a lot less hastle (no cleaning etc.) and more convenient. They also reduce the risk of infection to your eyes.

I used to get monthly, but I changed a few years ago and I'm very happy since, I find the daily disposable more comfortable and less hastle.

I know i have to go and get a new prescription, but do i need to do the fitting as well? i have a vague recollection of there being different sizes in the contacts?

Generally they would do it all in one go, well at specsavers at least, it doesn't take long.

bk

Originally posted by savemejebus

In the end, which is the better site for lenses
visiondirect, lensestogo or getlenses?

Just did a comparison on my brand of contact lens
Bausch & Lomb SofLens One Day (same as the specsavers lens):
For a three month supply (180 Lens, or two 90 boxes):

visiondirect.com
e63.90

Shipping: e11.64 ($13.99)
Note if you where to spend more then $99 then you get another $5.99 off the shipping.
For e63.90 you would get 760 points, you get $1 off for every 500 points on your next purchase, however they often have specials where they give you loads of points when you sign up and double and triples points etc.

lensestogo.com
e110
Shipping: Free

getlenses.com
e100
Shipping: Free

I think that should answer your question

savemejebus

cheers buddy, that definitely answers my question, thanks

Nowhere man

anyone ever tried the focus night and day contact lenses, the ones that you sleep with them in and they last for a month?



http://www.allaboutvision.com/nightanddaycontacts/index.htm

Nala

Originally posted by magpie
Here's an interesting fact (but don't quote me, I'm not an opthalmologist)... according to my sources the daily disposable contact lenses are EXACTLY the same as the monthly ones. They're just marketed differently, so save yourself big money, buy a supply of dailies and wear each set for a month.

I was told by a fully qualified optician that the daily ones are different, they're a lot thinner.Learn your facts from people who know before you get an eye infection.

bk

Originally posted by neev
I was told by a fully qualified optician that the daily ones are different, they're a lot thinner.Learn your facts from people who know before you get an eye infection.

And I was told the opposite by a fully qualified optician.

What you have to remember is that it is in your opticians interest that you use daily contacts once a day as they will make a lot more money off you then (Instead of you using one set of daily contacts for two weeks).

Now I'm not saying you should try it, it is up to yourself, but don't just trust everything a so called professional tells you, remember they may have their own agenda.

As I posted earlier it was well known that for the first few years when contact lenses came out, the daily contacts and monthlys where exactly the same, as in same maunfacturing line just put in different boxes. A class action case was taken in the US about this against J&J and it was settled out of court. In recent years it is likley that J&J have changed the lens slightly to avoid further cases. If you go to optician newsgroups on the web (google groups) you will find plenty of information about this including info from many opticians.

Here is just one interesting thread from
sci.med.vision

Mercury_Tilt

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