Contact lenses subscription.

[SusannaM]

DD (16) is trialling contact lenses and is loving them. Can anyone talk to me about contact lenses subscription services, before I get the hard sell from Specsavers tomorrow?

I buy them from spec savers, two boxes at a time (daily disposables) for my 16 year old. But he only wears them once or twice a week, so I don’t want them piling up on a subscription, I just ring when he’s running out and order some more. I get my own from an independent optician, which is more expensive, but I wear them every day (these are monthly ones). I consider myself fairly thrifty, and I reckon Specsavers is an OK deal.

@PutTheBathOnPlease, Thanks for the reply.
She wants to wear them everyday, but not sure if I can afford that. They have given her Acuvue, which I think are fairly pricey. Looking online there are cheaper options, I'm wondering if there is any difference?

I've got them on direct debit and get them delivered every month. For me it's easier plus I get free contact lens checks, discount on glasses and free replacement lenses should I lose one. I should add mine are with spec savers as well.

I get mine from specsavers, monthly ones for £18 a month. That includes all the solution needed as well.

Ive got them from independent optician before which was more expensive and more hassle as i had to go and pick them up,bur specsavers post them out to me.

I think mine are pretty cheap but ive worn them all my life and have never had any issues with drying out etc so have been happy not to have the hard sell to super duper moisture ones that i think they have as a more expensive option.

I get mine from vision direct just order on a monthly basis. Get the prescription from SPecsavers. I pay 24 I think per month for mine and wear them every day.

Remember to factor in the cost of checkups if you buy online. At 16 she'll probably be asked to come in every 6 months for a checkup, at least at first,which means another £5 month added to the online cost compared to buying at Specsavers.
She must have the checkups for lens wear to be safe for her eyes.

If she can't afford a daily lens how about one she cleans- Acuvue do 2 weekly ones. The Acuvue ones are v good so make sure if you compare online you're comparing the same lens.
Think Specsavers are competitive on price generally. They probably will have cheaper own brand lenses, but have gone with Acuvue as being the healthiest for her eyes at age 16- ask the optician if you've got a budget and there may be another suitable cheaper lens.
I personally wouldn't buy online until she is older as you need the reassurance of an optician on hand.

My optician told me daily ones are much better, especially during covid times. More hygienic. They do cost more though! I am at Vision Express and get 10 daily pairs a month for £16. I think it was about £18 for the monthly ones but with eye tests and glasses discounts etc included.

I order mine from Daysoft and pay £11 for a months worth of contacts. I used to pay over £30 from Specsavers.

If you can find out what his prescription is you can order a trial pack and you just pay for delivery.

I use Boots which is linked to my advantage card and I get discounts on Boots’ own products

*her prescription, sorry!

I pay about £18 a month from Specsavers. There are very few lenses I can use that fit my eyes so it is one of the more expensive options.

Don’t forget that a subscription includes cost of the yearly contact lens check and free glasses every two years.

Monthlies are cheaper than daily disposables. Yes it’s more faff but she’s old enough to clean her lenses, it’s not difficult.

I pay £45 a month for expensive daily disposables but if I had monthly ones it would be £24. A contact lens trial though isn’t just about general lenses, it’s a trial of that specific brand as you can get on with one from a comfort pov but not others. So if you want her to have a cheaper brand she will need to trial those.

I’m not sure it’s free glasses with the specsavers scheme but certainly discounted. I still pay.

I pay £13 a month for lenses from specsavers for dd. She has monthly ones. She gets a discount on glasses every 2 years as well on the scheme. It’s really good.

(Whether the glasses are free or not depends on the prescription strength/ complexity and the type of glasses you choose. If you have a low, easy prescription and choose cheaper frames they are free on the scheme).

I got my prescription and buy them myself from lenstore.co.uk.

Exactly the same lens - less than half the price I paid with my optician!

I use Asda opticians and order when I need my lenses as I dont wear them every day and dont want a build up of lenses. So I pay for just what I need and order on line at no extra cost.

Acuvue (and a toric lens) for me as well and find Asda price wise a little better, but even though I dont have I direct debit each month I still get a free lens check up and any other visits are not charged for (other than an eye test)

I'm on there £13 a month scheme for monthlies. I don't wear them every day anymore but it's still good value.

I dont pay for eye tests or lense check appointments and get a good deal on a pair of glasses every 2 years

Sorry, meant to say this is with Specsavers!

I’ve been wearing lenses for years. I started on monthlies but I had loads of issues with dropping them/tearing them and ended up switching to dailies. More expensive and not great for the planet (although some places recycle) but definitely better for me.

I use a local independent optician. I am Autistic and felt rushed at Specsavers, it was a sensory nightmare. My optician is lovely and quiet.

I pay monthly but I get free contact lens care (which should never be skipped!) and discount on my glasses. They post out to me for an extra £1 a month which is good because they’re in the city centre so I’m not passing that often. It’s worth shopping around. I asked at another optician near me but they said it would be the same amount as I was already paying for the lenses plus an extra £10 a month for the contact lens care (mine is included). Probably a bit cheaper at Spesavers but I can’t fault the care I receive.

My son pays £25 a month for dailies from Specsavers, he also gets free lens checks, a free eye test and a free pair of glasses every two years.

It's deffo worth a little more for dailies, I started with monthly's and I always lost one or broke one!

I have monthly subscription from die savers, £26 a month for daily disposables and free Sight test and money off glasses. Have done it for 10 years plus, as has DH, and we love it. I can’t wear my lenses at the moment due to surgery but can’t wait to restart.

Day Soft dailies for me. Get my test/prescription at Specsavers.

Surprised at people who had issues with breaking monthly lenses, ive been wearing them for nearly 20 years now and never had this!