1-2 Week Disposables: Convenience in Your Contact Lenses

1-2 week disposables are contact lenses meant to be used for one or two weeks. They are no different from the more popular daily disposable lenses. The only difference is that the daily lenses are to be thrown away after using them for a day. As for the 1-2 week disposables, they should be thrown away after one or two weeks. These contact lenses are also known as weekly lenses.

A lot of people have already made the big switch from using conventional lenses to using lenses meant for short-term use. The main reason behind the big switch is convenience. Several contact lens wearers or even those planning to get lenses but are hesitant because of the extra effort required by lens care are glad to know that there are lenses that can be used for shorter periods of time, which require less care and maintenance. However, some people find daily disposable lenses a bit expensive since they have to buy lenses for every day. But to maintain almost the same level of convenience at a more affordable price, they can use 1-2 week disposables instead.

1-2 week disposables are also not just convenient. They are also highly comfortable and are very healthy for the eyes. There are contact lenses that are conventionally designed for extended wear, but though these lenses are meant to be used for long periods of time without replacement, they often accumulate dirt and dust as well as protein deposits. It is sometimes inevitable that the comfort and effectiveness of the lenses get sacrificed in the long run. But when you decide to use 1-2 week disposables, you can keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp and clear with your frequent lens replacement.

These weekly lenses still require a certain amount of care since you need to take them off before sleeping and also clean and rinse the lenses during the period of use. There are now a wide variety of weekly lenses in the market nowadays as contact lens manufacturers recognize the changing needs of contact lens wearers. There are also special weekly lenses such as Toric lenses that provide special astigmatism correction.

The most popular 1-2 week disposables include the Acuvue Advance, Acuvue OASYS, O2-Optix by Ciba Vision, Focus 1-2 Week and Focus Progressives also by Ciba Vision. For those looking for 1-2 week color lenses, the top choices are Acuvue 2 Colours, Expressions Accents by CooperVision, Focus SoftColors 1-2 week by Ciba Vision, and the very popular FreshLook Colorblends and FreshLook Colors, another brand under the leading company Ciba Vision. For those looking for weekly lenses that also offer superior correction of astigmatism, the top selections are Acuvue OASYS for Astigmatism, AirOptix for Astigmatism by Ciba Vision, FreshLook Toric, and SofLens 66 Toric, which is a product of top contact lens manufacturer, Bausch and Lomb.

Weekly disposable lenses include daily wear and extended wear lenses. Extended wear lenses may be worn overnight, and overnight use may reduce the life of the lens. Ultimately your eye care practitioner decides how long you should use extended wear lenses.

Extended wear lenses use silicon hydrogels. Silcon is permeable to oxygen allowing greater flow of oxygen to the eye. Water content in this lens type is reduced. Acuvue Oasys and Acuvue Advance are both weekly and silicone hydrogel based lenses, however, only Oasys is designed for overnight use. The use of silicon creates stiffer lenses, which may be more difficult for patient fittings. Weekly disposable lenses may be prescribed for one or two week use. Usage period largely depends on comfort level.

Providing wearers replace this type of lens according to eye doctors’ directions, symptoms should be significantly reduced compared to longer term lenses. Popular 1-2 week disposable lenses are made by Acuvue, Biomedics, CibaVision, Focus, Bausch & Lomb and Coopervision.