GP Contact Lens Cost:
Are GPs a Better Value?
When comparing total cost of wearing over time, GPs provide greater value than many soft lenses.
How does the cost of GP contact lenses compare with disposable soft lenses?
The answer is based on several factors, but some generalizations can be made. The initial cost, including fitting, follow-up care, and lens materials is typically not much different. However, it's important to understand that GP lenses last an average of two years.
This time period can vary and can be shorter due to lens loss, dry eyes, or poor care and cleaning habits. Also, some highly oxygen permeable GP lens materials, frequently used for extended wear and also with farsighted patients, are often replaced annually.
GP Lenses: A Bargain Over Time
One GP lens will cost more than one soft lens. But when comparing total cost of lenses over a two-year period, GP lenses are quite a bargain.
Disposable soft lenses replaced every month cost anywhere from one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half times the cost of GP lenses.
Daily disposable lenses cost three times to five times as much as one pair of GP lenses, although this difference is reduced somewhat by GP care system costs.
Soft Toric Contacts Compared
If you wear toric soft contact lenses for astigmatism and replace them monthly, your cost will be anywhere from two to four times greater than for one pair of GP lenses.
Therefore, it is always important to understand the long-term costs associated with contact lens wear, not just the per lens cost.
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[Page updated April 2013]
