Hard vs Soft Contact Lenses: What are the Differences and Which Ones Do You Need?

Contact lenses have become extremely popular among consumers now that many people are diagnosed with eye conditions. Global Market Insights speculates that the contact lenses market will exceed $14 billion by 2025 due to patients' increasing awareness of eye conditions. About 26.9 million American adults are already diagnosed with vision impairments, but this number is expected to increase further due to the rising prevalence of myopia and other eye conditions.

As such, eye doctors have been recommending contact lenses as one of the solutions that can address these eye conditions. However, it can be difficult for people to find out which contact lenses are the best for them because there are different types of contact lenses available in the market. So if you're interested in wearing contact lenses, you'll need to figure out which products work best for you based on your prescription needs, lifestyle, and even your budget. You can start your decision-making process by learning more about hard and soft contact lenses:

Soft contact lenses were first introduced in the market in 1971. These are made primarily of standard hydrogel and silicone hydrogel, resulting in a soft, flexible, absorbent plastic that conforms to the eye and allows more oxygen to penetrate the lens. This makes soft lenses beneficial for individuals who need to wear contacts for longer periods of time, play sports, spend many hours in front of a computer screen, or suffer from conditions such as dry eye.

Meanwhile, hard contact lenses were made available in 1979 through a co-polymer of PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate, i.e., Plexiglas) and silicone. Today, PMMA is rarely used for contact lenses because it does not allow oxygen to pass through the lens, as explained by a 2023 journal article published in Scientific Reports. Instead, rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses are made from sophisticated fluorocarbon compounds with better surface characteristics. These typically provide sharper, clearer vision than soft lenses and are often used in special cases. In that case, they may be preferred by individuals with a high prescription or by patients with keratoconus, aphakia, and strong corneal astigmatism that cannot be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses.

While hard contact lenses require a longer adaptation period to get used to wearing, they also boast of higher durability and lower risk of eye infection than soft contact lenses. RGP lenses aren’t made of materials that contain water and are thereby more resistant to protein and lipid build-up from your tear films. That said, dust and debris can collect underneath hard contact lenses more easily. Additionally, soft contact lenses are available in daily disposable options, which are more convenient for the wearer and healthier for the eye.

If you only need contacts for regular vision correction, you may be recommended to try out soft contacts, which are widely accessible in various retailers. In fact, you can even buy contact lenses online, especially if you already know the grade and lens type you are looking for. ContactsDirect carries contact lenses from all major brands, such as Acuvue and Soflens, and customers can also place orders for specialized lenses, such as colored or daily disposable contact lenses. It also offers in-store pickups and accepts vision insurance to help you get discounts for your prescription needs.

Hard contact lenses can also be found through online retailers such as 1-800 Contacts, which offers vision exams and hosts 24/7 customer support through its website. However, people who are new to wearing hard contact lenses may benefit from visiting the brick-and-mortar stores of retailers such as Warby Parker or Target Optical. Here, you can readily consult a medical professional if you are having difficulty inserting the contacts or adjusting to the fit.

Determining which contact lenses best suit your needs is an important decision that will shape your eye health. As such, it's important to research by reading free articles written by experts. Through your own research, you'll be able to find the right answers to the questions that you may be wondering about contact lenses.