contact lens discussion thread (merged)

lindos90

nottslass wrote: »

Hi, I get my lenses from specsavers and only get one pot every 3 months.

Thank you for your post, can you please tell me which solution you have, the ordinary green, or the new preservative free?
Thanks

amy4

You only get 1 pot for 3 months! Mine have never broken but at my specsavers they give the pots out for free anyway so why don't you just ask for a couple of spares.

Blackpool_Saver

use lenses that you throw away and have a new one each day

Fuzzy_Duck

I have the exact same issue. I used to get three bottles of solution and I'm fairly certain three cases as well, one for each month. Now the green capped bottle has been replaced with the turtle one (I didn't even know there was a difference, Specsavers never told me about it), and I only get one case for three months. The plastic bit that holds the contact lenses keeps popping out from the rest of the case so I've nearly lost them a few times now when it falls off and cracks open.

I told Specsavers at my last appointment not to bother giving me three contact solution bottles each time as my OH has the same ones and we never get through them all. So I was a bit miffed to find I was receiving just as many bottles and less cases. I will try to check up on how many cases I started off getting, but I'm quite sure the quality of the cases has slipped over time and that may be why I'm constantly going grrr when am I getting a new one?? :P

System

When using the anti bacterial cases they really should be changed once a month as the anti bacterial stuff is meant to last for a month.
If anyone uses the peroxide solution (I do) then you MUST change the case every month, it's vital.
I've found phoning up Specsavers contact lens people (lens mail) gets you replacement cases/solution. I had a problem with being sent the wrong solution and the wrong lenses and they sorted it asap.

lindos90

Fuzzy_Duck wrote: »

I have the exact same issue. I used to get three bottles of solution and I'm fairly certain three cases as well, one for each month. Now the green capped bottle has been replaced with the turtle one (I didn't even know there was a difference, Specsavers never told me about it), and I only get one case for three months. The plastic bit that holds the contact lenses keeps popping out from the rest of the case so I've nearly lost them a few times now when it falls off and cracks open.

I told Specsavers at my last appointment not to bother giving me three contact solution bottles each time as my OH has the same ones and we never get through them all. So I was a bit miffed to find I was receiving just as many bottles and less cases. I will try to check up on how many cases I started off getting, but I'm quite sure the quality of the cases has slipped over time and that may be why I'm constantly going grrr when am I getting a new one?? :P

Thats interesting, thankyou for your reply, maybe im not as mad as I began to think!

I was told that they were trying to transfer everyone from the ordinary green to the turtle green as it was better for the eyes....now im thinking if they are charging the same price, not putting preservatives in the solution, and providing less pots, its perhaps to increase their margins?...its abit like wagon wheels getting smaller, but the price staying the same maybe iyswim.

Im wondering if the newer pots with the antibactirial coating are being made at a different place than the others and they are not as good quaility perhaps.

I had the same problem as well, with the cup bits coming out of the lid, I also had one where the cup bits were not formed properly and some of the little 'poles' didnt join the middle bit to the outside edge, they were like little spikes, others had too much plastic so they had little flat 'wings'. There must be a problem with the moulding process.
Difficult to describe, wish I had taken a pic!

wulfhere

Hi,

I'm going to get an eye test courtesy of Tesco later today.

To cut a long story short, I've heard that the quality of the lens material can have a big impact on the quality of the resultant glasses even with the same prescription.

I was just wondering what kind of experience others had had with this. I've heard that Boots are the best to go to for this issue; they're not the cheapest, I believe, but seeing as one is going to be wearing the glasses a lot, it might be worth spending that extra £10.

tidus

Sounds like you've got a bit confused here.

In general terms all spectacle lenses are made of the same material - plastic. The only significant variation is in the optical density, or refractive index. In laymans terms, a high "index" material will make the lenses thinner. The higher the presription the higher the refractive index you should go for to make the lenses thinner. You should be advised about this when you go to buy your glasses. This is the only way lens materials vary - some are not better "quality" than others.

eklynne

Hello. I have just come to the end of my DD's contact lens contract with Specsavers. She had daily disposables but only 10 pairs a month as they were for weekend only initially but after a year she has decided she would like to wear them full time. I am happy with this as she's broken/damaged/lost too many pairs of expensive specs to count and i think she's getting to that age where she is self conscious of being a speccy now
I would rather not enter into another contract with a company, but buy them up front off the internet if that is possible? I think it might work out cheaper? Any advice would be welcome. I am taking her for an eye test at the weekend, should I tell the optician I want to do this? What info do I need to buy them online? Can you buy 6 months worth up front? Is it wise to do this?
Thanks for your help in advance.

GlasweJen

Hi Eklynne,

What brand were her contacts before? It may be that the brand is exclusive to specsavers so she may need to change lens brand. I would talk to the new optician about your daughters contacts, most places have the dreaded direct debit but asda, tesco and boots (i think) have an online ordering service. All you need is the brand of the lenses and the powers of them, the online company will phone the optician who did the test to make sure that you've chosen the right lenses and that the sight test and contact lens prescriptions are still in date.

There are some good offers if you buy in bulk, if it's the same lenses your daughter always wears then definately go for it, if she changes lenses then i'd hold off the massive supply.

If your daughter has a one year prescription she can buy up to 1 years worth of lenses, if she's only got 30 days left on her prescription they can only give 1 month of lenses.

Hope that helps.