Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

As silicone hydrogel is a popular material in modern contact lens manufacturing, silicone hydrogel contact lenses can correct a wide range of vision problems.

• Myopia: Short-sightedness can be easily corrected with silicone hydrogel lenses, making it easy to see far away objects.
• Hyperopia: Long-sightedness makes it tricky to focus on close objects and can be treated with silicone hydrogel contacts.
• Astigmatism: If your eye has more of an elongated shape than a perfect sphere it can result in blurry vision and discomfort. Toric contact lenses are specially designed to fit securely and many brands of toric lenses are made from silicone hydrogel.
• Presbyopia: As you get older, your eye can struggle to focus on nearby objects, making reading tricky. Multifocal lenses provide a convenient solution to this problem, allowing you to focus on objects at all distance without needing to use glasses. Several brands of multifocal lenses are made from silicone hydrogel.

If you have been told by an eye doctor that you have hypoxia or have symptoms related to the condition then silicone hydrogel lenses are most likely to be the right choice for you. Also, if you do find yourself wearing contact lenses for long hours they'll help to prevent discomfort caused by the lack of oxygen reaching your eyes.

The most important thing to remember is that everyone's eyes are different. What works for one person might not work for the another, and some people still find it more comfortable to wear soft hydrogel lenses. Which is better for you depends on how your eyes feel when you wear them and what your optician recommends as being the best option.

If you normally wear Boots own brand or Specsavers easyvision silicone hydrogel contact lenses then you can still get your contact lenses online. These lenses have branded equivalents and we've put together some tables so you can see what they are.

• See our Boots own brand equivalent contact lenses table
• See our Specsavers easyvision equivalent contact lens table

Silicone hydrogel daily contact lenses
There are a number silicone hydrogel daily contact lenses available from the leading manufacturers. Products such as Dailies Total 1, Clariti 1 Day and 1 Day Acuvue TruEye are all popular 1 day silicone hydrogel lenses that are among the most convenient and hygienic available. Daily lenses free you from the routine of cleaning and storing your contacts each night, providing crisp, clear vision every day with no hassle.

Silicone hydrogel monthly contact lenses
Monthly lenses provide great value for money as each pair lasts up to 30 consecutive days. All that you need to do is clean and store them in multipurpose solution each night for perfect eyesight all day. CooperVision silicone hydrogel monthly lenses include Biofinity, Biofinity Toric and Avaira Vitality, which all make use of CooperVision's advanced technologies for high levels of comfort and performance.

Silicone hydrogel 2-weekly contact lenses
2-weekly contact lenses offer the great value of monthly lenses with a more regular replacement schedule of every fortnight, meaning that you can wear fresh lenses on a more frequent basis. Acuvue Oasys are popular silicone hydrogel lenses that can be worn for up to 14 consecutive days and come in toric and multifocal forms as well as regular types for short and long sight.

Extended wear silicone hydrogel contact lenses
Because silicone hydrogel lenses are so breathable, they're often recommended by opticians for extended wear. Extended wear means you can keep your contact lenses on for anything between a week and 30 days without having to remove them, meaning that they don't need cleaning and can be slept in. If recommended by your optician, Air Optix Aqua Night & Day Aqua and Biofinity are silicone hydrogel lenses that are suitable choices for extended wear.