164 million Americans wear glasses.
45 million Americans wear contact lenses.
Which one is right for you?
In this blog post, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of contacts vs. glasses to help you choose the vision correction that works the best in your life. There are pluses and minuses to each, and you can always choose to mix and match.
Read on for more information to help you make the best-informed choice about whether glasses or contacts are right for you.
Pros: Glasses
Most people who start with vision correction begin with glasses. They will often only wear their glasses to read or see a movie; most glasses correct either near-sightedness or far-sightedness.
You may start to wear the glasses as a child and have to level up to wearing them all of the time as an adult. Or, you may still only wear them some of the time. So, what are the pros of glasses?
Firstly, with glasses, you can put them on at any time without having to worry about having contact solution or other items. If you go on vacation, you don’t need to worry about packing the contact solution and your contact lens cases; you can put them on or take them off as needed.
They’re a good solution for people who only rely on glasses part of the time, such as to drive or to read.
Additionally, if the idea of touching your eye isn’t your thing, glasses may be your only option, aside from LASIK correction surgery, to correct your vision.
Cons: Glasses
Glasses do come with a few cons, and many people decide to wear contact lenses because of these cons. This is especially the case for those who need vision correction all of the time.
Firstly, you typically can’t wear sunglasses if you have glasses. This can become an issue if you’re driving in very sunny climates, as the sun can be brutal when coming at you head-on. If you want sunglasses, you can’t grab a cute pair off the shelf; instead, you’ll need to have them made for you, which can get rather expensive. You’ll also need to remember them when you go out and to keep them someplace safe, so you don’t lose them.
This is especially important in the Texas sun.
Many people find wearing glasses over very long periods of time to be uncomfortable. They can slip down your nose or can slide if you’re sweaty.
Glasses also only correct your field of vision in front of you; they don’t correct your peripheral vision. As such, when you wear glasses, things will still be blurry around you.
They are also difficult to play sports in or to be active in. You have the risk of them slipping off and breaking, especially if you’re playing any kind of contact sport. Most people purchase sports goggles if they can’t wear contacts for sports, which can also be uncomfortable.
Glasses are breakable. Those who wear glasses all of the time will usually get more than one pair if something happens to the first, as this will leave you blind.
Lastly, for some people, glasses don’t fit their aesthetic, especially if they want to look more formal.
Pros: Contacts
Contacts allow you to live a life free of the constraint of glasses. This means you can purchase cute sunglasses off the shelf and drive with clear vision.
They correct your peripheral vision in addition to the vision straight in front of you, making them a great alternative to glasses for those who find that difficult.
They don’t slide along your face, and soft contacts are very difficult to knock out when you’re playing sports so that you can exercise with them just fine. This is why many sports players choose contacts.
With new technology, you can dispose of them every day, negating the need for you to bring along a case.
And the most important pro is that they allow you to have an aesthetic that is entirely free of glasses.
Cons: Contacts
There are a few cons to contacts that you should be aware of.
The first con is that you can’t pop them in and out the way you can reading glasses. They’re either in for a few hours, or they’re not.
You’ll likely also need glasses if you wear contacts, as you’re probably dependent on vision correction. As such, you’ll need to bring your glasses with you.
They can make your eyes feel very dry, which is a major con for people who work on the computer a lot or who already suffer from dry eye.
Contacts can get lost in your eye or tear. This can be very painful and can waste an entire chunk of your day.
Lastly, they can be a pain to take out and put in every day. Once you have your routine down, it’s not so bad. But this issue is, of course, that if you go away for vacation, or even just overnight, you’ll need to bring solution, extra contacts, and your case.
Contacts vs. Glasses; Which Is Right For You?
Now that you’ve read our pros and cons of contacts vs. glasses, which one is right for you?
You may wish to experiment with both and later decide based on how you feel the most comfortable. No one can decide for you; it is totally up to you at the end of the day.
Click here to request an appointment at EZ Opticals and discuss which option is best for you with our optometrist.
