Are there different kinds of lens materials to choose from?

Soft lenses clearly dominate 95% of the market dealt with here. There are indeed different kinds of lenses to choose from. Each manufacturer have their own ideas as to how the best lens possible is produced one can generally say that there are almost as many different kinds of base materials as there are differing kinds of lenses. Nonetheless, there are a number of material groupings which lenses can be differentiated with. There are both advantages and disadvantages with the differing lens materials here. Silicone/hydrogel lenses differ considerably with hydrogel-lenses so that the +/- list should be interpreted in comparison with the silicone hydrogel models but also baring in mind that the lenses classified under the hydrogel grouping also differ from one to another.

I will now try to give you some pros and cons on these different materials. The siliconhydrogel lenses are so different from the hydrogels so I choose to compare the siliconhydrogel to the hydrogelmaterials 1-4 as one group, but the pros and cons given on each hydrogelmaterial is a comparison towards the other three hydrogelmaterials.

Silicone/hydrogel

Pros

-A high degree of oxygen admission to the eye.

-A high degree of resistance against dry eyes.

-Material rigidity.

Cons

-Low surface liquidity which means that the tear ducts open along the surface of the lens which causes reduced sight sharpness and unnecessary friction between the lenses and the eyelid when blinking. The latest silicone/hydrogel lenses are by far the best with regard to this problem.

Which lens should I choose?

There is no simple answer to this question. You must consult with your optician and attempt to come to a conclusion as to which lens suits you and your eyes best.

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