Can you buy generic contacts to save money? What you need to know about contact lens brands

Anyone who wears them knows that contact lenses are expensive. However, there is no shortage of retailers these days selling contacts online and in person. With the right approach, you can boost your vision without having to spend a lot of money when ordering your next batch of contact lenses.

But can you choose a generic brand of contact lenses instead of the brand your doctor prescribes? The answer is a little tricky because of the way contact lens prescriptions work. Although you may be able to switch contact brands, doctors prescribe certain lens brands based on the anatomy of your eye or your specific vision needs.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why doctors prescribe specific brands of contact lenses

When you look at your contact box, you will see a series of numbers that make up your contact lens prescription.

There is the ‘power’, or strength of your prescription, which is a negative number if you need correction for distance vision and positive if you need correction for near vision.

You will also see a base curve (how deep the curve of the lens is) and a diameter (width of the lens) of your eyes. If you have astigmatismyou will also see a cylinder and axle measurement.

This is where things get complicated. While the actual strength of your prescription can be easily transferred from one brand to another, brands may only accommodate certain contact lens measurements. For example, one brand only sells contact lenses with a basic curve of 8.8 and 8.4, but you need a higher or lower curve.

Among other concerns such as comfort, cost and whether you want daily lenses or longer-lasting sets, this is the case why ophthalmologists prescribe specific contact brands.

Do they make generic contact lenses?

Buying store brand contact lenses or generic contact lenses is not as easy as buying generic contact solutions – or generic anything for that matter, as contact lenses are prescription dependent and are only considered identical if they are not manufactured by the same company alone, but also have exactly the same dimensions.

Still, there are a few common options available, so it’s worth shopping around to see if there’s a contact lens option that’s “the same” as your prescribed brand of lens. For example, ScoutWarby Parker’s daily contact lens brand, costs $52 for a pack of 90 if it’s your first time ordering through the company. Miru daily lenses, which 1-800 Contacts says are the same lens as Scout and come from the same manufacturer, cost $44 for a pack of 90 with the first discount.

There is another generic or store brand contact lens on the market Costco’s Kirkland Contact Lenseswhich cost $59 for a 90-count box. These lenses are the same as MyDay daily lenses from CooperVision, according to Lens.comwhat costs $71 per box.

If you want to shop around online to see if there’s an identical and cheaper version of your preferred lens, you can browse an online store (1-800 Contactsfor example) and type ‘same as’ in the search box. The best way to get a “generic” version of your contact lenses is to ask your doctor if they have one while you are in the office and they will write your prescription.

How to make sure you get the best deal on contact lenses

The first step to finding a better price on contact lenses is finding an affordable vision exam to get your prescription. Retailers love Sam’s clubWalmart and Target may offer more reasonable rates if you don’t have vision insurance and going to an optometrist’s office is too expensive.

Then, during your eye exam, tell your doctor that you are interested in finding a cheaper brand of contact lenses. If you’ve already asked about a generic version for the current brand you’re using, see if they can prescribe a different but similar brand that’s more within your budget. (You can also ask for a ‘test’ pair of contact lenses, which most optometrists should have in stock, depending on your prescription.)

If you want to be prepared for your eye exam, here’s a handy list of (what appears to be) the majority of contact lens brands produced by the major contact lens manufacturers: Alcon, Bausch and Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson. You can see per brand and which contact lens measurements they offer. (However, we found this list in a Reddit answer from five years ago, so it’s just a starting point.) You can also check out online contact seller sites like 1-800 Contacts, Warby Parker, Walmart, and Lens.com to compare prices .

Where can you buy affordable contact lenses?

Another big part of the cost of contact lenses is where you buy them. Again, take the time to compare prices between the online retailers that sell contact lenses or glasses, specifically with traditional brick-and-mortar stores. For example, when I wrote this article, I realized that I could have saved about $50 on my most recent Biofinity prescription order if I had ordered them from Sam’s club and not 1-800 Contacts. However, a new buyer from contact lens sites such as 1-800 Contacts and Warby Parker will automatically receive a discount applied to their first order, so this really depends on your individual circumstances. Adding a few extra minutes to your order time can help you see the higher cost picture more clearly.