Astigmatism | Causes of Astigmatism | Symptoms of Astigmatism | What makes for an ideal toric lens? | Why are some toric lenses more popular than others? | Best Contacts for Astigmatism | Conclusion | FAQs | Facts About Astigmatism
Do you suffer from astigmatism? If so, then you need contact lenses that are specifically designed to correct astigmatism called toric contact lenses. In this post, you’ll learn about the best-selling contact lenses for astigmatism, and you’ll also gain a clearer understanding of what astigmatism is and how you can address it through contact lenses.
What is astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common and generally treatable imperfection in the eye’s curvature that causes blurred near and distance vision.
To understand astigmatism, think of your eye as an optical device. Optical devices, such as magnifying glasses, binoculars, and cameras, are precision instruments that focus light to a single focal point. The human eye is the same. If a clear (i.e., properly focused) image lands on the back of your eye, you see what you’re looking at clearly and sharply.
Unlike optical devices, however, our eyes are not made in a factory. They are not perfect, hence why many people have oddly shaped eyes or distorted elements in their eyes. Such imperfections are barely noticeable without the use of the special tools and instruments that optometrists use.
There are two main reasons for astigmatism. The first is that the shape of the cornea (the first part of the eye that starts bending the light entering it) is not perfect. Under normal circumstances, the cornea is shaped like a sphere. This shape allows light to bend evenly. Anything but a perfect shape will cause blurry or distorted vision.
The second reason for astigmatism is an eyeball that is shaped more like a football rather than a baseball. An eyeball that is shaped like a perfectly round ball allows light to bend evenly, giving you a clear image. But if your eyeball is shaped more like a football, light gets bent more in one direction than another. This means only part of an object is in focus.
What causes astigmatism?
The vast majority of people with astigmatism were born with it, but experts still have no explanation as to what causes astigmatism. In rare cases, people can get astigmatism through an eye injury or a disease.
What are the symptoms of astigmatism?
Symptoms of astigmatism include:
- Blurred vision
- Double vision
- Headaches
- Eye strain
- Squinting
If you notice one or more of these symptoms, you might want to visit an eye care professional and take an eye exam.
What makes for an ideal toric contact lens?
A toric lens is a contact lens that is shaped like a torus. Think of a slice of the side of a donut. In contrast, a standard contact lens has a spherical surface. Think of a slice of a side of a beach ball.
The unique shape of a toric lens allows it to correct for astigmatism issues that arise from a different curvature of the eye’s cornea or lens.
Toric contact lenses have a particular orientation, so they need to stay on the eye in the correct way. To help the lenses stay put, manufacturers design toric contacts with special features, including:
- thin-thick zones, where the lens is a little thicker in some parts
- lens truncation, where the lens is cut a little at the bottom
- ballasting, where the lens is a little heavier in some parts
Why are some toric contact lenses more popular than others?
This is one of those questions that require a lot of understanding of the contact lens market (and marketing) — more than most people really want to know. It goes like this. Contact lenses for astigmatism work. Most of them are comfortable and, when worn according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and guidelines provided by your eye doctor, will provide you with years of comfortable, clear vision.
The two biggest sellers historically are ACUVUE OASYS for ASTIGMATISM and Biofinity toric. ACUVUE OASYS for ASTIGMATISM is a 1-2 week lens (take out daily, clean, and replace after 14 days), while Biofinity toric is a monthly lens (take out daily, clean, and replace after 30 days).
What are the best contact lenses for astigmatism?
Only an eye care professional can recommend specific contact lenses based on your personal situation. However, it’s still ideal that you keep yourself informed of your options. To that end, we’ve listed the 10 best-selling contact lenses on Lens.com for 2022 (so far), along with the key features and benefits of each one. We’ve provided the 2021 table as well for your reference.
Keep in mind that it’s misleading to claim there can be a best contact lens for everyone. Websites and online contact lens retailers that make such claims often use affiliate links, which earn them commissions. There’s nothing inherently wrong with affiliate links, but it’s worth being aware of these links and how they are used. You can rest assured that we do not use such links on Eyestyle. Instead, we rely on a number of hard metrics (e.g., water content, material type, oxygen transmissibility) to compare lenses.
Even so, there’s no right or wrong way to compare contacts. Moreover, only your ECP can tell you the best contacts for your eyes. All things considered, the best thing we can do is expand your awareness about contact lens brands and their features so that you know what to discuss with your ECP.
Without further ado, here are the best-selling contacts for astigmatism on Lens.com for 2022 and 2023:
| Rank | Summary: The Top Astigmatism Contacts of 2022 |
| 1 | ACUVUE® OASYS for ASTIGMATISM |
| 2 | 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST® for ASTIGMATISM |
| 3 | AIR OPTIX® for Astigmatism |
| 4 | Biofinity® toric |
| 5 | SofLens Toric |
| 6 | ACUVUE OASYS® 1-DAY for ASTIGMATISM |
| 7 | DAILIES® AquaComfort PLUS® Toric |
| 8 | Proclear® toric |
| 9 | ULTRA® for Astigmatism |
| 10 | Biotrue® ONEday for Astigmatism |
1) ACUVUE OASYS for ASTIGMATISM contact lenses are designed to provide both visual stability and comfort to wearers with astigmatism.
- Replacement schedule
– 2-week replacement - Material
– Senofilcon A (62% polymer) - Water content
– 38% - Features
– Equipped with HYDRACLEAR® PLUS technology that helps maintain a stable tear film
– Highest level of UV protection available in a contact lens - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (3-month supply)
2) Biofinity toric contact lenses are designed to give you both comfort and vision stability.
- Replacement schedule
– Monthly replacement - Material
– Comfilcon A (52% polymer) - Water content
– 48% - Features
– Aquaform technology retains water in your eyes so that you feel comfortable even with continuous wear
– High level of breathability for clearer and healthier eyes - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (6-month supply)
3) AIR OPTIX for Astigmatism are designed for maximum breathability. These lenses will provide you with both comfort and clear vision.
- Replacement schedule
– Monthly replacement - Material
– Lotrafilcon B (67% polymer) - Water content
– 33% - Features
– PRECISION BALANCE 8|4 lens design that keeps the contact lenses in place while you’re wearing them
– Provides you with consistently clear vision without sacrificing comfort - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (6-month supply)
4) 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST for ASTIGMATISM provide the perfect balance of comfort, stability, and performance.
- Replacement schedule
– Daily replacement - Material
– Etafilcon A (42% polymer) - Water content
– 58% - Features
– Designed to maximize the power of your blinking to provide clarity and stability of vision throughout the day
– LACREON® technology creates a cushion of moisture for your eyes that lasts all-day - Lenses per box
– 30 or 90 lenses (1-month or 3-month supply)
.
5) ULTRA for Astigmatism contact lenses are equipped with OpticAlign technology that provides consistently clear vision and spherical aberration control that helps reduce glare.
- Replacement schedule
– Monthly replacement - Material
– Samfilcon A (54% polymer) - Water content
– 42% - Features
– MoistureSeal Technology that helps maintain lens moisture even after 16 hours of wear
– Easy insertion due to orientation marks on the contact lenses - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (6-month supply)
6) ACUVUE OASYS 1-DAY for ASTIGMATISM provide clear, consistent, and stable vision all day.
- Replacement schedule
– Daily replacement - Material
– Senofilcon A (62% polymer) - Water content
– 38% - Features
– HydraLuxe™ Technology keeps eyes moist all day
– BLINK STABILIZED® Design keeps the lenses from shifting or rotating - Lenses per box
– 30 or 90 lenses (1-month or 3-month supply)
7) DAILIES AquaComfort PLUS Toric use blink-activated moisture technology to deliver maximum comfort and stable vision.
- Replacement schedule
– Daily replacement - Material
– Nelfilcon A (31% polymer) - Water content
– 69% - Features
– Lenses release a moisturizing agent each time you blink
– No cleaning necessary - Lenses per box
– 90 lenses (3-month supply)
8) Proclear toric contact lenses correct astigmatism and also prevent dryness and discomfort.
- Replacement schedule
– Monthly replacement - Material
– Omafilcon A (38% polymer) - Water content
– 62% - Features
– Lenses keep your eyes comfortable even after 12 hours of wear
– Patented PC Technology provides exceptional resistance to dryness - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (6-month supply)
9) SofLens Toric are designed to provide not just clear and stable vision, but also exceptional comfort.
- Replacement schedule
– 2-week replacement - Material
– Alphaphilcon A (34% polymer) - Water content
– 66% - Features
– Lo-Torque design that maintains visual stability during wear, thereby preventing blurred vision
– The contact lens material prevents deposit buildup - Lenses per box
– 6 lenses (3-month supply)
10) Biotrue ONEday for Astigmatism correct blurry vision, provide moisture for your eyes, and protect your eyes from both UVA and UVB rays.
- Replacement schedule
– Daily replacement - Material
– Nesofilcon A (22% polymer) - Water content
– 78% - Features
– Maintains almost 100% of the lenses’ moisture even after 16 hours of wear
– Designed to reduce halos and glare - Lenses per box
– 30 lenses (1-month supply)
Conclusion
We find little concentration of brands and manufacturers when it comes to the top-selling toric lenses, meaning there’s a good variety for wearers to choose from or consider switching to. Lens.com has a large inventory of contact lenses for astigmatism that includes all the major brands featured on this list and others. We have toric contacts with a variety of replacement schedules such as daily, bi-weekly, and monthly. To ensure that you find the right contact lenses, keep the list mentioned in this blog post in mind and consult with your eye care professional.
FAQs on Contact Lenses for Astigmatism
- Are toric lenses and astigmatism lenses the same thing?
Yes, they are one and the same. Astigmatism is a condition of the eye (an imperfection in its curvature), while toric is a type of lens designed to correct it. Confusion may arise because ‘toric lenses’ are also referred to as ‘astigmatism lenses’, but they refer to the same thing. Instead of just one power that a regular contact lens has, toric lenses have two: one for distance vision and one for astigmatism.
- Do astigmatism lenses cost more than regular contacts (what’s the least expensive one)?
Yes, toric lenses are generally more expensive than their standard lens counterparts. This is because toric lenses incur greater development costs by manufacturers and are slightly more complex to produce. Their difference varies from product to product, but you can expect to pay 25% to 75% more for toric lenses.
- Are there daily contacts for astigmatism?
Yes. Popular daily contacts for astigmatism include 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST for ASTIGMATISM, Biotrue ONEday for Astigmatism, and DAILIES Aquacomfort PLUS Toric.
6 Interesting Facts About Astigmatism
- Astigmatism is genetic – Astigmatism is a condition less related to old age and more related to genetics.
- LASIK can correct astigmatism – LASIK surgery can correct astigmatism by reshaping the cornea. However, not everyone will be a good candidate for this procedure.
- There are three types of astigmatism – Astigmatism can be one of three types: myopic, hyperopic, and mixed.
- Most people have some type of astigmatism – Most people have or will develop some type and level of astigmatism as they age.
- Astigmatism can also be corrected by eyeglasses – There are specialized eyeglasses that can also correct astigmatism. However, they typically don’t provide as wide a field of vision as toric contacts do.
- We know a lot about astigmatism – Researchers began studying astigmatism in the late 1700s. By the mid-1800s, astigmatism was already a well-understood concept in ophthalmology.
Find some of the lowest prices on Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, Biofinity Toric, and other toric lenses featured in this article, on Lens.com.
