Contact Lenses vs. Glasses: What Are the Differences?

Where do you stand on the contact lenses vs. glasses debate? While more and more people are choosing contact lenses as their preferred method of vision correction, 164 million Americans still favor eyeglasses.

Of course, deciding between contact lenses and glasses can depend on a lot of different factors. These might include the kinds of activities you want to take part in and whether you have allergies.

Still not sure whether eyeglasses or contacts are the right choice for you? Let’s weigh up the pros and cons of both to help you decide!

Eyeglasses

As your eye doctor at www.medicalartseye.com will tell you, choosing contact lenses or glasses is often a personal preference. But some eyeglasses benefits include:

• Minimal Care – You don’t need any special solutions to clean glasses and they don’t require much care
• Easy to Wear – Glasses are quick and easy to put on and take off. This makes them better for people who only need glasses for driving or reading
• Stylish – Designs have come a long way and many people now use glasses to make a fashion statement

That said, glasses do have some cons:

• Vision Distortion – Since glasses sit around an inch from your eye, they can distort your peripheral vision
• Affected by the Elements – Rain, fog, steam, and other elements can collect on your glasses and obstruct your vision
• Impractical – From skiing to tennis and even riding rollercoasters, wearing glasses can be impractical and even dangerous for many activities
• Impact Appearance – Some people don’t like how wearing eyeglasses hides or detracts from their facial features

Glasses are often the first choice for people who need vision correction. But what are contact lenses like in comparison?

Contact Lenses

If you’re considering choosing contact lenses, these are some of the benefits you can look forward to:

• Clearer Vision – As they conform to the curvature of your eye, contacts provide a wider field of view and fewer distortions than glasses
• Invisible – Contact lenses won’t detract from your facial features or clash with what you’re wearing
• Practical – There’s no danger of contact lenses getting in the way when you’re playing sports or enjoying other physical activities

Contact lenses do, however, come with some cons:

• Care Requirements – Contact lenses require a lot of care and cleaning to avoid serious eye infections
• Dangerous in Water – Water and contact lenses are a bad combination. Since water isn’t germ-free, it can cause an infection if it gets on your lenses
• Problematic for Allergy Sufferers – Itchy, watery eyes as a result of allergies can get worse when wearing lenses while contact lenses also attract allergens

Wearing daily disposable contact lenses can be a way to minimize these cons. Although they’re more expensive, you don’t have to clean disposable lenses and you can throw them away if they get wet or your allergies start to play up.

Contact Lenses vs. Glasses: Which Is Right for You?

Both contacts and eyeglasses have their pros and cons. But deciding on the best option for you doesn’t have to mean only ever choosing one side in the contact lenses vs. glasses debate.

You might like the freedom of contacts but appreciate the ease of glasses. And, being able to alternate between the two depending on your mood or your plans is always handy!

Want more of the latest updates and insights? Be sure to check out our other blog posts for all the best tips, tricks, and how-to guides.