About Contact Lens Prescriptions

Contact lens prescriptions

Do I need a prescription to order contact lenses?

Yes. You need a contact lens prescription to order contacts. You can get a contact lens prescription by seeing an optometrist.  A prescription for glasses is not the same as a prescription for contact lenses. As contact lenses are placed on the eyes, complications can occur. It is important that you are properly assessed by an optometrist and that you receive professional advice regarding what lenses are most appropriate for you, how to look after them and to maintain the health of your eyes.

What is the information on my contact lens prescription?

A contact lens prescription specifies the lens type (which determines the lens design, material and frequency of replacement), the base curve (how steep or flat the lens curve is) and the lens power. Single vision lenses have one power value only, the spherical power. Lenses for astigmatism, or toric lenses, have a spherical power, and also a cylinder power and axis (from 5 to 180 degrees). This is because these lenses have two curves or powers, to provide sharper vision for people with astigmatism. Multifocal lenses have a spherical power and also an add, or near addition power, which corrects for age-related changes in focusing (presbyopia). Add powers for multifocal lenses may be a number, from +1.00 to +2.50, or they may be classified as low, medium or high, depending on the lens design. Also, some multifocal lenses have a “D” for distance and an “N” for near, where each eye has a different design. If you would like assistance in entering your prescription, contact customer support and we would be happy to help.

How do I enter my prescription?

Single vision lenses:

If you wear single vision contact lenses, you will usually only need to enter the lens power for each eye. Be sure to check if you are entering a plus or minus power, as per your prescription. Most single vision lens designs come in one base curve and diameter only, and when you enter your prescription these values will be auto-filled by our website. A few lens designs come in a choice of 2 base curves. If that is the case for your lens, you will need to enter the base curve prescribed for you from the drop down list. This will be a number between 8.3 and 9.0. That’s the radius of the base curve of the lens, in millimetres, in case you were wondering! Here’s a sample contact lens prescription for single vision lenses:

Remember to check that your contact lens prescription has not expired. If it has, please see your optometrist for an updated prescription before ordering to ensure that you maintain clear vision and healthy eyes.

If you would like assistance in entering your prescription, contact customer support and we would be happy to help.

Lenses for astigmatism (Toric lenses)

If you are ordering lenses for astigmatism, or toric lenses, you will need to enter the power (also called the sphere or spherical power) first. Be sure to check you select the power as a plus or minus value, as per your prescription. Lenses for astigmatism also have a cylinder or cyl power. Select the cylinder power from the drop down list as per your prescription. This will be a value from  -0.75 to -2.25 typically, and will always be in minus form. Lastly, you need to select the axis from the drop down list. This will typically be a value from 10 to 180. That’s in degrees, and specifies the alignment of the cylinder power to correct your astigmatism, in case you were wondering! Here’s a sample contact lens prescription for lenses for astigmatism:

Remember to check that your contact lens prescription has not expired. If it has, please see your optometrist for an updated prescription before ordering to ensure that you maintain clear vision and healthy eyes.

If you would like assistance in entering your prescription, contact customer support and we would be happy to help.

Multifocal lenses

Firstly, you need to enter the spherical power (also called the sphere or power) from the drop down menu. Make sure you check if you have entered a plus or minus value, as per your prescription. You will also need to select the add (or near addition) power from the drop down list. This might be a number (from +0.75 to +2.50) or you may need to select low, medium or high, depending on your lens design. Lastly, some multifocal lens designs need you to specify a “D” for distance and an ”N” for near for each eye. If your lens design requires this, you will be prompted to enter the selection when entering your prescription. Here is a sample contact lens prescription for multifocal lenses:

Remember to check that your contact lens prescription has not expired. If it has, please see your optometrist for an updated prescription before ordering to ensure that you maintain clear vision and healthy eyes.

If you would like assistance in entering your prescription, contact customer support and we would be happy to help.

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