If you compare color contact lens prices at the doctor's office and at online contact lens shops, you will see that online you can get your lenses 50 to 70 percent cheaper. But you may ask, why such huge difference? Are the lenses sold online inferior in quality? Find out how you can buy discount color lenses and avoid all the pitfalls.
Luckily for you, the lenses you buy online are exactly the same as your doctor would order. Online stores have several advantages over traditional shops that result in lower prices. They don't have to be located in a busy area where rents are high, and they require less staff. Large online shops also sell thousands of color contact lenses every day, so they keep their prices low in order to hold the market.
One disadvantage of online shopping is that you have to use your credit card. Many people think this is risky. However, large reputable retailers always use secure order forms, so with them your card is as safe as it is when you use it in a local supermarket.
What color contacts are available online?
Online shops offer a great variety of color contact lenses. The most popular are disposable color contacts - Freshlook, Acuvue 2 Colors and Expressions. You will see them in any store. Large online shops also carry a variety of traditional (annual replacement) color contacts, like Durasoft 2 Colors, Durasoft Colorblends and Illusions.
It would be wise to see what color contacts are available through the Internet and compare the brands and prices before you visit your doctor for a prescription. This way you can ask your doctor for a particular brand, rather then leave the choice to him or her.
Non prescription color contacts online
You might see many ads saying ?order no-prescription color contact lenses?. In this case ?no-prescription? means color contacts with no corrective power for people with 20/20 vision. You can find many of those online. However, to buy them you still need doctor's prescription.
Actually, you need a doctor's prescription to buy any contact lenses, including color and even special effect contacts. While ordering, make sure that you order the exact brand and type of lens that you were prescribed. You can't just order Acuvue 2 Colors if you have a prescription for Freshlook Colorblends. The only thing that's up to you is the color of the lens.
How to choose the best online contact lens store?
Cooper Vision, Ciba Vision, Bausch & Lomb and other contact lens manufacturers have their own websites, but they usually don't sell lenses through them. So your only option for ordering color lenses on the Internet is to buy them from contact lens online stores.
Hundreds - if not thousands - of online shops sell color contact lenses, so it is not easy to find the best one. Their prices are usually similar, with only a 1 or 2 dollar price difference, per box of lenses. Some people compare prices between several companies and go with the one that offers the lowest price. However, there are several other things you will have to keep in mind.
When selecting an online contact lens store look at:
The shipping charges, and if free shipping is available How quickly your order will be shipped Whether they offer any additional discounts on larger orders Whether this contact lens retailer reputable and trustworthy
It might be a bit time consuming to compare many online stores, though. So, for your convenience, there are reviews of color contact lens online stores, where several shops are compared to help you make an educated choice.
Tip 1: Select color contacts that don't cost a fortune
Color contact lenses are not as expensive as they were five years ago and prices can vary dramatically from brand to brand. Of course, you don't want to go for the cheapest color lenses (their look will only disappoint you), but it is still possible to find good color contacts that don't cost a fortune.
First of all, colored lenses can be divided into two major groups - disposable color contacts and annual replacement color lenses. Usually a box of disposable color contacts costs less than a single annual replacement lens. However, it is cheaper to buy a pair of annual replacement lenses than a year's supply of disposal color contacts.
Disposable color lenses which you usually replace every month or 2 weeks are typically sold in boxes of six lenses. Good examples of disposable color contacts are Freshlook Colorblends (monthly lenses), Acuvue 2 Colors (2 weeks disposable) and Expressions (monthly replacement). Annual replacement (which are good for a year) lenses like Durasoft 2 Colors or Illusions come in vials and the price is usually indicated per vial (one lens).
However, be careful. Some sites offer cheap, ?no brand? color contacts. You don't want to get those - not only do they look obviously fake, but they are not comfortable in your eyes.
Tip 2: Look at comparison and review sites to find the cheapest price
After you select the brand you want and have obtained your prescription, it is time to find the best deal. Online prices are generally much lower than those offered by an optometrist's office. Also, from time to time online contact lens retailers put selected lenses on sale, which can get you an even better discount. There are plenty of sites that sell discount color contacts online - you can visit several of them and compare the prices.
But there is an easier way. There are many review sites that help consumers compare online deals. Visit a review site that compares prices at several online contact lens stores and gives reviews of color contact lens merchants. This way you can be sure that the company you want to buy your lens from is reputable and honest.
Tip 3: You can get cheaper color lenses if you buy large quantities.
Most online contact lens retailers give you additional discounts and free shipping on large orders. Even if you order different colors, you can usually get lower prices. For certain color lenses you can also get rebates, if you order a year's supply.
Tip 4: Get free trial color contacts before you order
Few people know about it, but you can try popular color contacts for free. Color contact lens manufacturers are happy to give you a chance to try their color contacts. They can't just send you a pair, however, because you need a prescription for color contacts the same as you do for any contact lenses. But you can get a trial certificate from manufacturer's site, and with this certificate you can get a trial pair at your doctor's office.
Tatyana Turner has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Acne Treatment and Home. Tatyana Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide which provides you with unbiased information about. Tatyana Turner's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.