Daily vs monthly contact lenses: which type suits you

You want contact lenses and the choice is not obvious

You are tired of glasses fogging on the netball court, or you want to see the alarm clock without reaching for a frame, and you have decided to try contact lenses. The lens wall at the practice has dailies, fortnightlies, monthlies and something rigid, and each has a different price per box and a different routine.

The honest answer is that the right type depends on how you will wear them, how disciplined you are with cleaning, how dry your eyes are and what your cornea is like, not on which is cheapest per box. This guide compares the main types on those things. The fitting itself is covered by our contact lens fitting packages, which include the eye exam. Our older post on the advantages of daily disposables makes the case for dailies; this guide is the balanced version.

What each type involves day to day

Daily disposables. Healthify NZ describes these as lenses you wear just once and then throw away. There is no case, no solution and no overnight cleaning. You open a fresh pair each morning. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that some ophthalmologists recommend daily disposables for people who wear lenses only now and then.

Fortnightly and monthly lenses. These are reusable soft lenses replaced every two weeks or every month, depending on what your optometrist recommends. Each night they come out, get rubbed and rinsed with disinfecting solution, and sit in fresh solution in a clean case. The CDC's advice is to never mix fresh and old solution and to replace the case at least every three months.

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses. These hold their shape and let oxygen through to the eye. The AAO says they can provide sharper vision than soft lenses when the cornea is unevenly curved, which is why they are used for moderate to severe astigmatism and keratoconus. Healthify notes they are less likely to be damaged than soft lenses but can be less comfortable at first. We fit rigid and scleral lenses as part of keratoconus care.

Hygiene and infection risk: where the real difference lies

The reason optometrists care so much about lens type is infection. The CDC says failure to wear, clean and store lenses as directed can increase the risk of eye infections such as microbial keratitis, and that most contact lens wearers do not practise proper hygiene. In its 2016 survey, published in 2017, more than eight in ten wearers in every age group reported at least one risky habit. Dailies remove the cleaning and storage steps where many of those slips happen, which is the main hygiene argument for them.

Two habits matter more than the lens type. The first is sleeping in lenses: the CDC states that sleeping in any type of contact lens increases the risk of eye infections, including lenses approved for overnight wear, and the FDA and AAO both say not to sleep in daily wear lenses. The second is water: the CDC says to keep contact lenses away from all water and to remove them before swimming or showering, and the FDA warns of infection from bacteria in pools, hot tubs, lakes and the sea. The AAO's version is blunt: water and contacts do not mix.

• Wash and dry your hands before touching lenses.
• Follow the replacement schedule your optometrist gives you; a monthly lens is not a six-week lens.
• Rub and rinse reusable lenses with disinfecting solution, store in fresh solution, never water.
• Take lenses out before swimming, surfing or a hot tub, or wear tight-fitting goggles over them and discard dailies afterwards.
• Carry back-up glasses with your current prescription so you can take lenses out the moment an eye feels wrong.

Dry eye, sport and teenagers

Dry eye. Healthify NZ lists wearing contact lenses as a risk factor for dry eye and discomfort in lenses as one of its symptoms, and advises not leaving lenses in for too long. If your eyes already feel gritty or tired by afternoon, tell us at the fitting; the lens material, wearing time and whether a daily lens suits you better are all part of the decision, and dry eye itself can be assessed and treated through our dry eye service.

Sport and water. For running, cycling and field sports, lenses have the obvious advantage over glasses, and dailies suit sport because a lens lost or dirtied mid-game is simply replaced. For swimming and surfing the water rule above applies whatever the type. Our post on glasses versus contact lenses covers the broader trade-offs.

Teenagers. Age is less important than habits. The CDC's survey found adolescents reported some healthier hygiene behaviours than adults, while young adults were more likely to replace lenses and cases later than recommended. For a teenager, a daily disposable removes the nightly routine that tends to lapse, and a parent can see at a glance whether the box is going down at the right rate. We list a soft lens fitting package for under-16s on the fees page.

Cost: what moves it

No figures here; our fitting fees are published on the consultation fees page, and lens supply is quoted for your prescription. What moves the ongoing cost is simple: dailies mean buying a new lens for every wearing day, so the more days you wear them, the more a daily habit costs compared with a monthly one. Monthlies are cheaper per lens but add solution and cases. Toric lenses for astigmatism and multifocal lenses often cost more than a standard soft lens, as the AAO notes. Rigid lenses cost more per lens and take more fitting visits, but each lens lasts far longer.

If you only wear lenses on weekends or for sport, dailies are usually the cheaper and safer choice. If you wear them every day, all day, a monthly lens may cost less over a year, provided you will actually do the nightly cleaning. Our post on how often to replace glasses and contact lenses covers the replacement schedules. The single vision vs progressive guide helps if you are weighing glasses against lenses for reading.

When this practice is the wrong place

For a contact lens wearer, a red and painful eye is urgent. Healthify NZ says to stop wearing lenses immediately if your eye is red and sore, and lists wearing contact lenses, eye pain, not tolerating light and blurry vision among the signs that a red eye needs urgent assessment. The AAO says to remove your lenses and call your eye care provider right away if your eyes are very red, painful, watery, blurry or have discharge. If we are open, call us the same day and say you wear lenses. If it is out of hours, do not wait until morning: go to an urgent care clinic or the hospital emergency department.

Some situations skip the optometrist entirely. Sudden loss of vision, a shadow or curtain across your vision, flashes with a sudden shower of new floaters, a chemical splash, or an eye injury need 111 or the nearest hospital emergency department. Healthify advises flushing a chemical splash with clean running water for at least 15 minutes first. If you are unsure, Healthline on 0800 611 116 is free and open around the clock.

What happens at a fitting

A contact lens fitting starts with an eye exam, then measurements of the curve of your cornea, a trial lens on the eye, and a check of how it sits and how you see. You learn to put lenses in and take them out before you leave, and a follow-up confirms the lens is still sitting well. Bring your current glasses and, if you already wear lenses, the boxes, because the brand and parameters are printed on them; the what to bring guide has the full list.