The Big Debate | Glasses vs Contact Lenses

My glasses - 'Delores' - by Specsavers

Unfortunately I am one of the millions of people who are unable to say that they have perfect vision. In fact, mine is far from perfect. It's just one of those things. But although my vision may be restricted, my options for rectifying it are most certainly not.

I've had poor eyesight and glasses since my high school years but in recent years contact lenses too - I like being able to have a choice about which to wear on a day-to-day basis. However, I have found, through my own experience, that there are positives and negatives for each.



Glasses:
‣ Although it used to be that having to wear glasses was one of life's burdens, nowadays they are more often than not seen as being stylish and more of an accessory.

‣ Glasses have different styles of frames, some are smart, some are casual, some are brightly coloured, some are plain black, so a huge range of choice is available.

‣ Unlike contact lenses, glasses don't require frequent replacement purchases - so long as your prescription doesn't change, one pair of glasses could last you an awfully long time.

‣ Sunglasses are not an option unless you buy a prescription pair

‣ They are breakable (although touch-wood I haven't had to deal with this yet!)

‣ Low maintenance - just a quick wipe with a lense-cloth every so often

‣ They don't give brilliant peripheral vision - you are at the end of the day restricted by the frames around the lenses - no sly glances out of the corner of your eye!

‣ Changes of temperature make them fog up - I forget this fact every single time I bend down to take something out of the oven...


Contact Lenses:
‣ Contact lenses do not need to be matched to what you're wearing (unlike those thick rimmed tortoishell brown specs you bought last week which look horrendous with that little black dress!)

‣ You can choose any pair of sunglasses you fancy and are not restricted by those available for prescription lenses

‣ Great for sports/swimming where you would usually have to remove glasses

‣ Contact lenses and solutions require frequent replacement purchases

‣ Contact lenses require cleaning and up-keep.

‣ They don't fog up with changes in temperature!

‣ You can get great direct-debit schemes which include free eye-tests and the lenses being sent directly to you in the post.


My personal opinion? There is a place on my dressing table for both my glasses and contact lense cases. Although my contact lenses may give me that little extra boost of confidence on a night out, I always enjoy the days where I rest my eyes behind my glasses. It's really a question of personal preference.