Monthly Contact Lenses

Monthly disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn on a daily basis, up to 30 days.
Monthly lenses require the user to remove them each evening, clean and store them in an approved contact lens solution overnight before rinsing them and inserting them each morning.
As you would expect Monthly lenses are a bit more robust than Daily lenses so that they can withstand the extra handling and cleaning.
Monthly disposable contact lenses are one of the most Eco-friendly options for contact lens wearers, because instead of throwing away 2 plastic blisters (currently it is hard to find a recycling centre that will take these) per day you only throw out 2 plastic blisters per month.
Monthly contact lenses are also one of the most cost effective contact lens options, even when solutions are taken into account, monthly lenses can work out cheaper than daily contact lenses.
There are however some drawback to monthly disposable contact lenses, the main one being the possible accumulation of debris such as proteins, lipids and pollen's, this can lead to increased eye irritation. For this reason monthly contact lens are not normally recommended for people with dry eyes or hay fever.
Providing you commit to good contact lens hygiene and then you shouldn’t experience any serious issues while wearing monthly lenses.

If you don’t have the time for a daily cleaning routine and are not committed to cleaning and storing lenses every evening then monthly contact lenses may not be the best choice for you,daily disposable contact lenses may be a better option.

Key Points

Buying contact lenses online from Contactlenses.co.uk is both easy and convenient, no need for trips to your Optometrist to collect your lenses, they are shipped directly to your door in recyclable packaging.
Order what you need when you need it. No build up of unused lenses.
With over 90% of lenses in stock, most orders arrive within just 24 hours of ordering.

Helpful Guide to Monthly Contact Lenses

Types Of Monthly Contact Lenses

All monthly contact lenses are designed to be worn for up to 30 days and removed, cleaned and stored overnight, except Air Optix night and day which have been approved for continual wear upto 30 days and nights.
Monthly contact lenses can be subdivided into two main categories hydrogel and silicone hydrogel.

Hydrogel contact lenses -  currently the most popular type of daily lenses,  made from  gel-like, water containing polymers, enabling the contact lenses to be extremely thin and malleable.
Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses - were launched in the early 2000’s and are loved by Optometrists as the addition of silicone allows more oxygen to reach the cornea creating a safer, healthier contact lens (1).

A range of monthly disposable contact lenses have been especially designed to help correct specific eye condition, and whether you are best suited for hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses there should be a monthly lens suitable for you.

• Toric contact lenses - have been designed for the correction of astigmatism, see Biofinity Toric
• Multifocal contact lenses - have been designed to correct presbyopia, see Air Optix Multifocal Plus Hydraglyde
• Coloured contact lenses - can change or enhance your natural eye colour, see Freshlook Colorblends

Our Customers Top 10 Monthly Contact Lenses

Biofinity

These silicone hydrogel contact lenses from Coopervision contain their patented Aquaform technology resting a hydrophilic lens to allow greater levels of oxygen to flow through the lens to the eye, this allows them to stay moist and comfortable all day long.

Crystal Comfort

These silicone hydrogel contact lenses have HA Matrix lubricant embedded in the lens material providing superior comfort and excellent handling

Soflens 59

A mid water content soft lens from Bausch and Lomb containing Hilafilcon B a protein resistant material that combines excellent performance, comfort and visual acuity.

Air Optix Plus Hydraglyde

Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde from Alcon are an advanced silicone hydrogel contact lens that combines a new level of comfort with enhanced Oxygen capability ( Up to 5 times greater oxygen transmissibility than traditional soft contact lenses), which provides superior all day comfort in a lens that is healthy for your eyes.

Purevision 2 HD

Bausch and Lomb’s Purevision 2 HD are a silicone hydrogel contact lens containing high definition optics (HD) optics which reduces glare and halos around lights, whilst delivering crisp clear vision, even in low light conditions

Proclear

Proclear compatibles by CooperVison mimic natural eye cells and to help reduce the effects of your eyes drying out due to excessive screen time, air conditioning etc by locking in moisture to keep eyes hydrated.

Biomedics 55 Evolution

From CooperVision this monthly disposable contact lens with Ocufilcon D has a slight blue tint, to make it easy to see when handling.

Air Optix Night and Day Aqua

Alcon’s Air Optix Night and Day Aqua is a silicone hydrogel contact lens approved to be worn a daily disposable contact lens or up to 30 consecutive nights Made from a breakthrough material Lotrafilcon A which makes sleeping in contact lenses much safer.
The addition of siloxane allows up to 6 times more oxygen to the cornea than standard soft contact lenses. (2)

Avaira Vitality

The Aberration Neutralising System™ is designed to enhance vision quality by minimising an optical imperfection commonly found in eyes (3)
High breathability allows your eyes to get 100% of the oxygen they need. Ariva vitality also has one of the highest levels of UV blocker 90% UVA and 99% UVB.

Soflens 38

Bausch and Lomb's Soflens® 38 contains Polymacon which is a protein resistant material helping the lens reduce  irritation due to protein deposits.
With their ultra thin design Soflens are incredibly comfortable all day.
Available in 3 fitting sizes and in plus and minus powers, making these lenses available to a wide range of contact lens wearers.

How Much Do Monthly Contact Lenses Cost

Monthly contact lenses are considered to be the least expensive contact lenses, however, when you look at the cost of monthly lenses you need to remember to factor in the cost of solution and a storage case.
Even with a month's supply of solution and a storage case taken into account (a storage case is often supplied free with a one-month supply of solution), monthly lenses can still work out cheaper than most daily contact lenses, especially if you wear contact lenses every day or almost every day.
The cheapest monthly contact lenses are Crystal Comfort at just £8.00 for three lenses so that works out at £16.00 for a 3 month supply, then with the solution and cases added on that’s an extra £8.25 x 3 so a total of £40.75 for a three months supply - working out at £13.58 per month or just 45p per day.
The price of monthly lenses will vary depending on whether you require regular hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contact lenses, and will vary again if you need lenses to correct astigmatism, presbyopia, or would like to change the colour of your eyes.

Monthly Contact Lenses Compared Daily And Two Weekly Disposable Contact Lenses

The Four main differences between Monthly disposable contact lenses, Two-Weekly disposable contact lenses, and Daily disposable lenses are

Wearing Mode - Monthly disposable contact lenses have been designed to be robust enough so that they can withstand the handling required for up to 30 days, whereas two weekly lenses have been designed to withstand 14 days of handling and Daily lenses have been designed to be thrown out after just one wear.
Dailies, two weeklies or monthlies are not designed to be worn overnight - if you want to wear contact lenses overnight then ask your Optometrist about continuous wear contact lenses.

Care - Monthly disposable contact lenses require removing each night, cleaned with an approved contact lens solution, and stored overnight, then the next morning they need to be rinsed before insertion for up to 30 days. This also applies to two weekly disposable lenses except 2 weekly lenses can be worn for up to 14 days. Whereas with daily disposable contact lenses, there is no cleaning and rinsing required, you simply insert a fresh new pair every morning.

Convenience - Monthly disposable contact lenses may not be the most convenient contact lens choice, because as mentioned above they do require time and attention each day, although once you become familiar with your nightly and morning routine this only takes a couple of minutes.

Cost - Monthly disposable contact lenses can work out much cheaper than two weekly or daily lenses even when the cost of contact lens solution is taken into account.

Getting The Best Out Of Your Monthly Contact Lenses

With monthly disposable contact lenses you will need to dedicate a few minutes each evening and morning to care for your lenses and get the best out of them.
Monthly lenses have been designed to be worn up to 30 days on a daily basis meaning each evening the lenses need to be removed, cleaned using an approved contact lens solution and then stored overnight in fresh solution, before rinsing in the morning prior to insertion.
If you do not wear contact lenses everyday, then you should clean them and replace the solution every few days to keep the lenses clean and fresh, and you will need to dispose of them after one month whether you have had 30 wears or not.

Due to the increased risk of the build up of proteins, lipids and deposits, there are a few essential practices all monthly contact lenses wearers should be aware of and put into practice

• Always wash and dry your hands before handling lenses
• Removing lenses every night and soaking them in an approved solution.
• Never exposing lenses to tap or swimming pool water.
• Gently rub lenses clean with solution before putting them in.
• Throw away lenses as soon as they reach their expiration date.

When you are fitted with monthly contact lenses your optical practice will provide a demonstration of how to insert and remove your contact lenses along with guidelines of how best to clean and care for your lenses. You will normally find full instruction on insertion, removal and cleaning in all monthly contact lens packaging.
Here’s a quick guide, or reminder, of how to inert, remove and care for your monthly contact lenses.

A simple five step process will get your contacts in

1. Clean your hands.
2. Remove the contact lens from it's case.
3. Separate your upper and lower lid.
4. Place the contact lens on your eye.
5. Blink slowly to allow lens to settle

It's that easy, but if you are new to contact lenses you may benefit from our more in-depth guide on How to put In Contact Lenses

A simple four step process will get your contacts out.

1. Clean your hands.
2. Pull down your lower eyelid.
3. Pinch the contact lens gently.
4. Look up and slide the lens downwards

That may not sound that easy, but once you get use to it you can do in a matter of seconds, however if you are new to monthly contact lenses you may benefit from our in depth guide on How to remove Contact Lenses.

Mastering how to insert and remove your lenses will come with time and practice.

Every night, monthly contact lenses need to be removed, cleaned with an approved contact lens solution and stored in a contact lens case with fresh solution using this procedure:

Morning

• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling your contact lenses
• Remove your contact lens from it’s storage case, apply a few drops of your recommended solution on the front and back of the lens and rub gently with your index finger
• Insert your contact lens
• Empty your contact lens case of solution and let it air dry

Evening

• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling your contact lenses
• Remove contact lens from your eye, apply a few drops of your recommended solution on the front and back of the lens and rub gently with your index finger
• Store the lens in your contact lens case and submerge with fresh solution

This may all seem like a lot to take in, but caring for your contact lenses soon becomes a simple routine at the end of the day, and many people prefer monthly lenses as they are generally cheaper and more Eco friendly than daily disposable contact lenses.

FAQ's

References
1.  Hydrogel vs Silicone Hydrogel Lenses
Author: Dr. Russel Lazarus
Published: November 4, 2021
https://www.optometrists.org/general-practice-opto... versus any available soft contact lens based on the ratio of lens oxygen transmissibilities; Alcon data on file, 2009, 2010 Monthly Contact Lenses - AIR OPTIX® NIGHT&DAY® AQUA | myalconcouk

2. Air Optix Plus Hydraglyde data released by Alcon
https://airoptix.myalcon.com/contact-lenses/air-op...

3. Aspheric contact lenses: fact and fiction 
Author: Kollbaum P, Bradley A
Contact Lens Spectrum 2005
https://www.clspectrum.com/issues/2005/march-2005/...

4. Hydrogel vs Silicone Hydrogel Lense
Author: Dr. Russel Lazarus
Published: November 4, 2021
https://www.optometrists.org/general-practice-opto...

5. What are contact lenses
https://coopervision.co.uk/about-contacts/what-are...

6. Free NHS eye tests and optical vouchers
Page last reviewed 2020
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/opticians/how-ofte...

Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP
John qualified from Aston University in 1980, he has authored for Contactlenses.co.uk over the last 20 years, bringing his expertise to visitors to the site and providing valuable optical advice to customer questions throughout the years. He has been featured by several leading publications including The Express and ITProPortal