PureVision Vs. Night & Day Contacts

For decades, people have had to take out their contact lenses every night or almost every night and put them rest in a cleaning solution. Over the years, the cleaning has gotten easier, but the nightly routine stayed the same. That is until Purevision by Bausch and Lomb and Night and Day by Ciba Vision allowed you to not only sleep in them, but also to do so for a full 30 days. They belong to a group of lenses known as extended wear. They are intended to be worn for long periods. These revolutionary contacts are similar, but have distinct pros and cons.

PureVision - Overview

• PureVision is made of a hydrogel material called AerGel. It repels debris from the eyes and stays moist after weeks of wear. AerGel is designed to allow the same amount of oxygen to your eye as if there was no lens. It also has a special design to create crisper and clearer vision even in difficult driving conditions, according to the Bausch and Lomb website. Online the cost of the lenses in 2009 is about $40 per box.

PureVision - Reviews

• PureVision received average marks in vision, eye health and comfort from lensrate.com. A common complaint was blurry vision caused by the lens drying out, but the vision cleared once rewetting drops were applied. Several people said the lenses were easy to wear for long periods of time and many forgot the lenses were in their eyes. One reviewer wore the lenses for a month longer than recommended and his doctor said the lenses looked better than other lenses replaced after a month.

Night and Day - Overview

• Ciba Vision's Night and Day lenses have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be worn continuously for 30 days. The lenses allow for six times more oxygen to reach the eye than standard contact lenses and is resistant to deposits, according to the Ciba Vision website. Online the cost of the lenses in 2009 is about $60.

Night and Day - Review

• Night and Day lenses received average marks for eye health, comfort and vision, according to lensrate.com. Several reviews mentioned that Focus Day and Night lenses were discontinued and replaced with Air Optix Night and Day lenses, which the reviewers found less acceptable. Several reviewers mentioned that the blue tint of lenses made them easier to see.

Side by Side Comparison

• A side by side comparison of the two shows that the PureVision lenses are cheaper and have better reviews. The original version of Night and Day that was discontinued would have given PureVision a much better run for its money.