Whether or not you opt to wear glasses or contacts to correct your vision, it will likely boil down to your individual preferences. Convenience, comfort, lifestyle, budget, as well as aesthetics will all play a role into the decision that you make.

Prior to deciding between glasses and contacts, you should keep in mind that one isn’t particularly better than the other. Each one of these has its own set of pros and cons when it comes to eyesight, eye health, and ease of use.

Eyeglasses offer numerous advantages over contacts. For instance, there is very minimal maintenance and cleaning involved with eyeglasses, they are more economical in the long run due to the fact that they do not require frequent replacement, and you do not need to touch your eyes in order to wear them (minimizing the risk of eye infections).

In addition, glasses are able to do something that contacts are not—they are able to adjust the amount of light that enters into the eye for optimal vision and comfort. For example, photochromic lenses remain clear at night and inside, but they will automatically darken in the sun for comfortable and clear vision. While there are some contacts that are designed to block some amount of UV light, photochromic eyeglasses are designed to block 100 percent of UV light and protect both the interior and exterior of the eyes and eyelids.

Eyeglasses are also able to serve as an extension of your individual personality and can make an excellent fashion statement.

With that being said, contacts can have several advantages over eyeglasses. For example, contact lenses will sit directly on the eye, which means that your vision will not be obstructed. With contacts, you don’t have to worry about your eyeglasses falling off or breaking when you participate in outdoor activities, sports, or other physical activities. It is even possible to change your eye color with colored lenses.

So, when it comes down to it, are glasses or contacts better for your individual lifestyle and needs? Keep reading to look at more of a breakdown of the pros and cons of contacts and eyeglasses.

Pros and Cons of Contact Lenses

Pros

• Contact lenses are able to conform to your eye’s natural curvature, which allows a much wider field of vision. This also reduces vision obstructions and distortions than eyeglasses.
• Contacts do not get in your way when exercising and playing sports.
• Contacts will not clash with your outfits.
• Contact lenses are not generally impacted by the weather conditions and will not fog up when it is cold outside like eyeglasses.
• If you’re interested in seeing how you would look with another eye color, color contact lenses allow this experimentation. Special-effect contacts are even available, which are great at Halloween or for a fancy dress party.
• Some contacts have the ability to reshape your cornea as you sleep. For instance, overnight orthokeratology can temporarily correct myopia, allowing you to clearly see the following day without the need of vision correction eyewear.

Cons

• Some individuals actually find it difficult to apply contact lenses to their eyes, although practice and the right technique can usually rectify this issue more often than not.
• Contact lenses decrease the amount of oxygen that is able to get to your eyes, which can increase the risk and severity of dry eye syndrome.
• If you work for prolonged periods of time at a computer, contacts can help contribute to computer vision syndrome symptoms.
• Contact lenses require very precise care and cleaning of the lens case every day so that serious eye infections can be prevented. If this is not a commitment that can be made, then daily disposables can be considered. Otherwise, contacts may not be for you.
• If you fall asleep accidentally while wearing daily contacts, you will generally suffer from dry and irritated eyes the next morning. If you frequently do this, you should consider switching to extended wear contacts, as these are often approved for as many as 30 days of continuous wear.

Pros and Cons of Eyeglasses

Pros

• Wearing eyeglasses minimizes how much you have to touch your eyes, which reduces the risk of developing eye infections.
• If you have sensitive or dry eyes, eyeglasses will not worsen the issue the way contacts could.
• Glasses tend to be cheaper than contacts in the long run. Glasses do not need to be replaced as frequently, unless you break them, of course. In the event that your prescription changes at some point in time, it may be possible to simply replace the lenses and keep your frames, if you wish to do so.
• Frames tend to be fashionable and can say a lot about your individual style and personality. They can truly make a bold fashion statement.
• Eyeglasses offer some level of protection against environmental factors like dust, debris, and wind.

Cons

• Glasses will sit roughly half an inch from your eyes, and because of this your side vision can be obstructed. A lot of people say that they find it hard to focus on objects and have blurry vision when they first begin wearing glasses.
• Some individuals do not like how they look in eyeglasses and feel that it either hides their facial features or detracts from their overall facial aesthetics.
• If you have a very strong prescription, the edges of the lenses may be unappealing and thick or the glasses may cause your eyes to appear unnaturally magnified or minified.
• Glasses may be impacted by the elements. For instance, your vision ca be blurred or obstructed by moisture collecting on the lenses or when they fog up because of the colder weather.
• Some eyeglass frames may exert continuous pressure behind your ears and on your nose, resulting in general discomfort and headaches.

So, Which Is Better? Contacts? Eyeglasses? Both?

Thanks to technological advances with contacts, many people that wear them today can do so successfully, even if they like to wear glasses primarily.

So, when it comes down to it, the decision as to which form of vision correction to wear and when to wear them is simply a matter of personal preference.

However, you should keep in mind that if you choose to wear contacts all the time that you should always have a pair of glasses with your current prescription handy in case your eyes become irritated or get an infection and you need to take out your contacts for a bit.

If you would like to learn more, contact Performance Vision.