Whether you do sport regularly or sporadically, contact lenses are your best choice! Not only will lenses give you more freedom than what you would find with glasses but they also allow for a wider visual field - and of course, a better level of safety. Even if you’re not a frequent contact lens wearer, there’s an option for you. Want to know more?
Advantages of exercising with contact lenses
Better peripheral vision: Contact lenses sit directly on the eye, allowing you a better peripheral vision than with glasses. Enjoy the full picture of what’s going on, even from the corner of your eye.
Play safer: In sports, especially in those where physical contact is more frequent, you’ll be kept safe from eye injury caused by a knock to your glasses or a clash with other players.
Run freely in full comfort: As opposed to glasses, contact lenses don’t slip down or move when you exercise. Forget about adjusting them in the middle of the match, enjoy full freedom and simply focus on the game.
The cleanest and clearest vision: Forget about having to clean your glasses. Whether you are exercising with rain, dust, grass or snow, your contact lenses will never get wet, dusty or foggy, giving you the best vision for the best performance.
Compatible with sports gear: If your favourite sport requires a helmet or headgear, contact lenses are the best option to make compatible a clear vision and the right equipment.
With UV Protection: Many contact lenses include UV protection, which is great if you exercise outdoors on sunny days. Keep your eyes protected while enjoying the fresh air. More on UV protection.
Here's why sporty people swear by contact lenses:
- “Initially I was a little apprehensive about switching from glasses to contact lenses but my glasses were annoying me by fogging up in the gym and sliding down my nose. I am used to the process now, and would never go back to wearing my glasses permanently, I love these lenses and I don’t even feel like I am wearing them at all! Also my vision is perfectly clear and doesn’t fog up in the gym!”
- Sarah (05/12/2012)
- “I don’t wear lenses very often, usually only for sport, as I find them better for cycling, football and going to the gym than my glasses. Daily lenses give me the freedom to store a couple of boxes at home for occasional use, they offer clear vision and feel very comfortable during wear.”
- Harry (05/12/2012)
Myths of wearing contact lenses for sport
Don’t be put off by myths and urban legends, contact lenses are the most comfortable and safest option when exercising.
- They can fall out of your eye: It is very rare that a contact lens will fall out of your eye, as soft lenses are moulded perfectly to the eyeball. The lens can occasionally be dislodged during contact sports. However, this would be extremely rare.
- They get drier when exercising outdoors: While it’s true that in some outdoor sports involving speed, like cycling, MTB or trail running, your contact lenses may get drier due to weather conditions, there are also plenty of solutions. You can use eye drops to keep them extra hydrated or wear protective glasses or sunglasses without having to add any prescription.
- They can get stuck behind my eye: A common misconception is that it's possible to lose a lens behind your eye. However, we can say with confidence that this can't happen. Despite being one of the most delicate parts of the body, it’s also one of the most protected. Any unwanted foreign body, like dust or displaced contact lenses are washed away by tears or pushed against the conjunctiva until they find their own way out.
- They can damage my eye if I’m hit: In the rare event of being hit directly in the eye either by another person or by a ball, your contact lens is a much safer option than glasses. Modern contact lenses are manufactured with incredibly light, soft and smooth materials, which won’t damage your eye. In an extreme case, you’ll just find some temporary discomfort until they’ll just come out your eye.
- It’s expensive to get contact lenses for sport: Sport with lenses doesn’t need to be expensive. Even if you want to stick to glasses the rest of the time, you can get a stock of 30 daily disposable lenses for an unbeatable price, for example, everclear ADM, to use only when exercising. This way you’ll also save on the cost of the solution, as you don't need solution for daily lenses. Simply wear them once then throw them away.
- They need too much care: If you choose to use daily disposable lenses only when you exercise, they won’t need any maintenance. Wear them for your session and throw them away when you finish. No solution or case is needed.
For what sports can I wear contact lenses?
Check out how wearing contact lenses will completely transform the experience of playing your favourite sport.
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Contact lenses for football, basketball and rugby
In team games anything can happen—fast races, crazy passes, hard clashes, sudden pace changes… Because these sports have such risk of impact and injury, it isn't practical to wear glasses. Not only are they at risk of falling off your face, or breaking— you are also in danger of injuring your eye should this happen. That’s why contact lenses for sports like football, basketball or rugby are the best solution for freedom on the pitch.
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Jogging, running and gym with contact lenses
Whether you enjoy an occasional jog around your local park or are fully committed to your training routine, and work-out frequently, wearing contact lenses could improve performance greatly. Wearing lenses will allow you to be more agile, and run, lift weights or use exercise machines without the worry of glasses slipping down, bouncing around or fogging-up. Just focus on your workout and go the extra mile with contact lenses!
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Contact lenses for tennis, squash and badminton
Racquet games are all about precision. If you want to be able to track the ball in a fraction of a second and hit it in the right moment, you need to see clearly and without restrictions. Contact lenses are your best option for playing tennis, squash or badminton, as they give you a better peripheral vision than glasses. Why is this? Because they sit directly on your eye, allowing you to see clearly even from the corner of your eye, helping your reflexes to act immediately.
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Cycling and Mountain Biking with contact lenses
When you hit the road or the mountain with your bike you know how important it is to have perfect vision, so that you can react to your environment as fast as possible—to cars, rocks, curves, rain or sun glare. Contact lenses will always offer the most complete vision no matter the conditions, and dirt won’t obscure your vision as easy as with the glasses. If you must wear headgear, contact lenses are compatible with it, so won't affect you wearing a helmet or sunglasses without prescription.
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Swimming with contact lenses
Contact lenses and water don’t get on very well. The water in swimming pools, seas and rivers contain several microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria, which can infect your contact lenses and lead to eye infections. That’s why swimming, scuba diving or playing other water sports with contact lenses is highly discouraged. Learn more about swimming with contact lenses and the alternatives.
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Skiing with contact lenses
If you love skiing, snowboarding or other winter sports, you know that glasses make them very uncomfortable. Forget about buying some very exclusive and expensive prescription goggles—simply use contact lenses with plain goggles instead and slide down the slopes! Besides, you can choose\ contact lenses with high UV protection, as snow reflects up to 80% of sunlight, making your eyes exposed to sun damage. Combine them with sunglasses for the healthiest ride. Learn more about skiing and contact lenses.
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Motorsports with contact lenses
If you are a petrolhead you know how messy and inconvenient it can be to wear glasses with all the extra equipment—helmet, visor, goggles… Contact lenses will allow you to wear the gear seamlessly and will provide you with a clearer vision without them getting steamy or cloudy.
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Extreme sports and contact lenses
For adrenaline addicts, contact lenses couldn’t be a better choice. If you are into extreme sports like skateboarding, BMX, rock climbing, parkour or bungee jumping, you know you’re constantly exposed to risk. After a hit or a fall the crystal found in glasses lenses can inflict serious damage to your eye. Contact lenses don’t only free you from that risk, but also make it easier to wear all the protective gear you need to enjoy all that thrill!
What are the best contact lenses for sport?
Do you want to give contact lenses for sport a go for the first time but you’re not sure where to start? Here’s a helping hand.
The right start—Soft Daily Disposable Contact Lenses
The best starting point are soft daily contact lenses. Soft lenses fit your eye in a much more stable way than semi-rigid lenses and they are more breathable, keeping your eyes fresh and healthy at all times. Dailies are the most hygienic option too, as they can be disposed at the end of the session, without worrying about maintenance. On top of that, a pack of 30, if not used on a daily basis, can last way longer saving you some extra money.
See all Daily Contact Lenses
Want to wear them longer?—Switch to Biweekly or Monthly Contact lenses
Have you tried daily contact lenses to exercise, liked the experience and you want to wear them also for other occasions? Then you can try Biweekly or Monthly contact lenses for an extra comfort in all aspects of your life. Store them every night in contact lens solution and they’ll be ready for the next day. Besides, reusable lenses an be significantly cheaper than dailies, even including solution.
See all Biweekly Contact Lenses
See all Monthly Contact Lenses
Exercising outdoor?—Ensure your lenses have UV Protection
Does your favourite sport involve being outdoors constantly? Then you better protect your eyes from the sun. Fortunately, many contact lenses include UV filters which help protect your eyes against harmful sun rays. For example, the daily contact lenses everclear ELITE, 1 Day Acuvue Moist, 1 Day Acuvue Trueye, Biomedics 1 Day Extra or MyDay.
Read more about UV protection contact lenses
Extra effort requires extra hydration—Use Eye drops
Whether you suffer from dry eye or not, when doing sport your eyes are more active and moving faster than usual. They are also more exposed to atmospheric factors like wind or high temperatures, that’s why you should keep them properly hydrated. Use some eye drops before and after exercising to enjoy high-level eye performance and the best vision.
See all Eye Drops
Sport stars who wear contact lenses
Believe it or not, sport stars also suffer from vision defects and many of them choose the comfort and convenience of contact lenses.
- Andrés Iniesta - Spanish football Player
- Novak Djokovic - Serbian tennis player
- Cristiano Ronaldo - Portuguese football player
- Paul Scholes - English former football player
- Venus Williams - American tennis player
- De Gea - Jugador de fútbol español
- Kevin Durant - American basketball player
