There will come the point in everyone’s life where they get told they need their vision correcting, either with glasses or contact lenses. For some people, that will happen sooner than others. According to Statista, over 68% of people in the UK wear glasses, and the Association of British Dispensing Opticians says that over 6% of the population wear contact lenses.
The statistics alone show that glasses are more popular than contacts. But, are they better for people that need vision correction? In a word, yes. Here’s why:
Glasses don’t need much maintenance
Whether you wear glasses with the same lens prescription for one year or five, one thing’s for sure. They don’t need much in the way of maintenance! The only thing you need to do with glasses is to keep them clean and dry. That can get done with a soft, inexpensive cloth and some cleaning solution like washing-up liquid. What happens if you have to wear your glasses all the time? The good news is you don’t have to clean them regularly depending on your home and work environment.
You can reuse your frames with new lenses
As someone that wears glasses, you will need to have your eyes tested at least once a year. Doing so will ensure you’ve always got the right prescription for your lenses. Now, you might think that can spell an expensive trip to the opticians if you need new glasses each year. However, the good news is you can have new lenses fitted to your glasses, saving you a considerable amount of money!
Glasses are cheaper than contacts
The thing about contact lenses is they can become an expensive endeavor. Some figures suggest that those who wear contacts spend around £180 to £400 per year, depending on the lenses and cleaning solution purchased.
In comparison, a new pair of glasses and lenses can cost anywhere from £10 up to £235, depending on the brand and type of lenses bought. It’s worth bearing in mind that most people don’t need to replace their glasses (or their lenses) each year.
As you can deduce from the above figures, glasses work out considerably cheaper than contact lenses.
Lower risk of eye infections with glasses
With contact lenses, you have to replace them daily. They don’t stay on your eyes for days, weeks, months or even years at a time. Due to the fact you have to change your contacts every day, the risk of getting eye infections is high. And that applies to even the most careful of contact lens wearers.
When you wear glasses, you only put them on, and go about your day. It takes about a second to put glasses on and you make no contact at all with your eyes.
Glasses make an excellent fashion statement
Last, but not least, there is a plethora of frame styles on the market to suit all tastes and head shapes. That means you are easily bound to find a pair of spectacles that act as an extension of your personality and make a definite fashion statement!