The many different types and brands of contact lenses available on the market are designed to cater for the particular needs and requirements of each individual. As everyone has uniquely shaped eyes, it is essential to ensure that your contact lenses fit comfortably at all times. Your Optician will prescribe you the lens that they believe best suits your needs and requirements. Different individuals also have different vision correction requirements: the need to cater for astigmatism, or multifocal lens wear, is another reason why such a large range of contact lenses exists. At Uklenscare.com, we believe that having more choice is better; this is why we are always looking to expand the range of contact lenses and contact lens solutions that we stock.

At Uklenscare.com we supply daily, two-weekly, monthly and three-monthly contact lenses. The wearing schedule of your contact lenses is typically specified on your prescription, or on the box containing the contact lenses you have been prescribed. Most contact lenses need to be either disposed of daily, or cleaned and stored in solution overnight; however we also offer a range of extended wear contact lenses. These can be worn continuously, and even slept in, under the supervision of your Optician. Please note that wearing contact lenses for extended periods is not suitable for everyone; we recommend that you follow the exact wear schedule specified by your Optician.

During your contact lens test your Optician will recommend a solution that suits the contact lenses you are prescribed. We recommend consulting your Optician before trying any new solution, as each brand contains different ingredients, and typically caters for specific needs (e.g. removal of protein build-up, or relief to dry eyes).

We would advise that you consult your Optician before changing lens type, as they will be able to ensure that the new type of lens is suitable for you in terms of prescription, fitting and material, and possibly provide you with trial lenses.

We recommend that you do two things when you visit your Optician’s practice:

1. Ensure that you are fitted with a reputable brand of contact lenses that you trust

2. Request a copy of your contact lens prescription before leaving

You should be given a copy of your prescription after each eye examination (just as your Doctor would hand you a copy of your medical prescription, and keep another copy for their records). Over time, this will become the normal procedure; at present, however, you need to specifically ask your Optician for it. Should you forget about it, it only takes a 1 minute phone call to ask for a copy to be posted, faxed, or emailed to you.

An Optician can only refuse to give you a prescription before the end of the contact lens fitting phase (i.e. while you are trying out a new contact lens), or if the prescription is out of date.

Article 26 (2) of the UK Opticians Act 1989 states that all Opticians have a legal obligation to provide patients with a signed copy of their contact lens prescription once the fitting has been completed. This means that your Optician should hand you a copy of your prescription before you walk out of their practice, regardless of whether you ask for it or not. The exact wording of the clause in the Opticians Act 1989, which you can quote to your Optician, is:

“It shall also be his [your Optician’s] duty to give the person whose sight he has tested, immediately following the test, either a signed, written prescription for an optical appliance or a signed, written statement that he does not need to wear or use an optical appliance”. Article 26 (2), Opticians Act 1989

Unfortunately, many people often have to ask for their prescription before they receive it. In case you don’t have your prescription, all you have to do is call your Optician and ask them to send you a copy via e mail, fax or post. Some Opticians are happy to read your prescription to you over the phone; in this case, make sure you refer to our “What should be included in a contact lens prescription?” section, to check that you are being provided with all the details you need.

You can find your prescription details on your contact lens box, or individual blister packs. If you don’t have either of these, contact your Optician to request the correct details.

Your prescription will include 3 to 7 values, depending on your specific requirements. Most contact lens prescriptions contain the Power (SPH), Base Curve (BC) and Diameter (DIA). However, some prescriptions may contain up to 4 additional values, to cater for Astigmatism and/or Multi-Focal needs. These extra values are the Cylinder (CYL) and Axis, which correct Astigmatism, and the Extra Power (ADD) and Dominance for Multi-Focal lenses. The table below outlines what each value means:

Most people need a contact lens check-up every 12 months. However, this may vary depending on individual needs.

Contact lenses that are “for astigmatism” or “toric” cater for those who have an astigmatism. This means that, instead of being perfectly spherical, the cornea is shaped similarly to the back of a spoon, being elongated on one side. This causes blurred vision, as the eye cannot focus light onto the retina sharply enough. Toric lenses provide vision correction by appropriately adjusting the focus of the light.

Your Optician will recommend the contact lens that they feel best matches your requirements. This lens type will typically be the most suitable lens for you in terms of prescription, fitting and material, but also in terms of your lifestyle and specific needs.

Your Optician will prescribe you monthly or daily contact lenses depending on your requirements. Your eyes may not be suitable for both types of lens, so you may find that it is not possible to swap from monthly to daily contact lenses (or vice versa). If you feel you would benefit from changing the type of contact lenses you wear, we recommend that you consult your Optician, as they will be able to assist you with further advice.

If you believe your prescription has changed before you are due for your check-up, we recommend that you seek your Optician’s advice. Having regular eye check-ups is very important: if your eyesight changes, and you don’t update your prescription, you may suffer eye strain and discomfort.

Uklenscare.com is the fastest growing online supplier of contact lenses. We supply the very same contact lenses that your Optician has prescribed to you, at more convenient and competitive prices, and we deliver them right to your door. We also have an in-house Optical Team, made of fully-qualified Opticians and Optical Consultants who provide our customers with expert product and optical advice.

As we are able to bulk buy the products we stock, we are confident that Uklenscare.com can offer you large savings compared to high street retailers. By buying from Uklenscare.com, you have the opportunity to achieve significant savings on high quality contact lenses: our customers have been able to save up to £xxx per year versus what they were previously paying their Opticians*.

*The exact amount of your savings may differ, depending on the price you currently pay for your contact lenses and the type of contact lenses that you wear.

You can find Uklenscare.com’s privacy policy here: Privacy Policy.

You can find Uklenscare.com’s terms and conditions here: Terms & Conditions.

We source all our contact lenses directly from the five major manufacturers: ACUVUE, Bausch & Lomb, CIBA Vision / Alcon, CooperVision and Sauflon. We also buy our solutions and accessories directly from these manufacturers, as well as from AMO, a worldwide specialist in pharmaceutical accessories (Please note: links to the manufacturers’ websites will open in a new page).

Different businesses enter the same market to do different things. Some want to boost their image and dominate their niche; others simply want to establish themselves as the cheapest player in the market. We believe that being honest with our customers, and gaining the endorsement of the optical community, is the most sensible and sustainable long-term business strategy for Uklenscare.com. Making sure that our customers can receive all the support they need to take care of their eyes, and promoting the values of responsible eye care, are stated goals of our business.

Buying contact lenses online is not quite the same as buying a “standard” product (such as a book or a stationery item). If you’re new to buying contact lenses on the internet, this section of our website is definitely worth reading, as it contains our recommendations on what to look out for when selecting your online supplier:

• Does the supplier provide you with advice on how to wear and take care of your contact lenses?
• Does the supplier offer competitive prices?
• Does the supplier source contact lenses and accessories from UK-based manufacturers?

We also recommend that you consider the following questions before making any payment to an e-commerce website:

• Does the website look professional?
• Can you find any customer testimonials?
• Are the supplier’s contact details easy to find?
• Does the supplier explain why they require all the personal details that they ask for during the ordering process?
• Does the company have a 100% no questions asked returns policy?
• Is the company upfront about delivery and postage costs?

If your online retailer fulfils all the criteria listed above, you can feel comfortable that you are purchasing your contact lenses from a responsible company.