Buying gas permeable contact lenes online.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I got my current gas permeable contact lenses from Specsavers. Good value (for the UK) at £100 a pair then. Oddly, they charge the same for a replacement pair as they do for fitting and supplying. Which seems wrong to me.

You do get your prescription.

So looked at buying online out of interest. And unless I'm missing something you can't from a UK supplier.

But you can from the US. Simple website ordering. Postage to the UK included - and less than half the Specsavers price (at the time - will vary with exchange rate) Even call themselves Eurolens.

So decided to give it a try.

Took about 6 weeks to arrive, and thought I may have to pay VAT and duty. But no. Perhaps I was just lucky.

They are fine. Only mistake I made was to order clear. As you really can't see them in a white case filled with overnight solution. All the UK lenses I've ever had have a slight tint - usially neutral density, or green/blue.

[Andy Burns]

I used to have RGP lenses, which I got on 'okish' with, yes they had a very pale blue tint so you can find them.

But it was back in the day of smoking in pubs, where after having them in all day, the smoke could end-up feeling like sandpaper in your eyes...

[Dave Plowman (News]

The first ones I had - many years ago, before gas permeable - were made of IIRC 912 tint Perspex. In sheet form, near black. I used it to make a cover for my home made record player cover. Does let a little light through. But plenty when very thin, like a lens.

You didn't blink enough. Or spent too much time in pubs. ;-)

I might be near claiming a record. Been using rigid lenses every day all day for well over 50 years.

[Clive Arthur]

<snip>

Not what you asked, but Daysoft daily disposables work out at about 16p per lens. I've been using them for a few years and am very pleased with them. They do 0.25 dioptre steps, and I have a small range depending on what I'm going to be doing.

I used to be nervous of losing a lens while swimming in the sea. Now they're so cheap I don't care, and as a result have never lost one.

[Clive Arthur]

<snip>

I had those since 1970 for probably 30 years. The disposables are so much better.

The only problem with changing is that the rigid lenses shape your eye to some extent, and it takes a while before your vision settles down.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Not here, sadly. They don't correct my type of astigmatism as well as rigid.

Yes- rigid lenses seem to stop the change in the eye lens to a great extent. My distance prescription has barely changed in over 50 years.

[Andy Burns]

I never got on well with daily lenses, one of them 'droops' down on the the eye, have tried various manufacturers to get different Base Curves but always happens, so I'm forever blinking to try to keep pushing it upwards.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Other thing is pretty well everyone I know with soft lenses has had an eye infection at one time or another. Maybe not with dailies, though.