# Contact lens wearers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922 "2013-01-31T15:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/1 "2013-01-31T15:45:29Z")
Do you also keep a pair of prescription glasses on hand? ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/2 "2013-01-31T15:58:52Z")
Just to clarify, by “on hand” do you mean do I keep them handy like having a extra pair at work? Or do you mean do I have a pair at all? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/3 "2013-01-31T16:02:05Z")
I voted assuming at all. I would be a particularly foolish person to bin my glasses upon getting contacts. At 80 bucks a pop, you better believe if I lose one, I look until I find it. Having glasses makes that easier. And at least with my kind, you’re not supposed to wear them for more than 8-10 hours a day. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/4 "2013-01-31T16:05:06Z")
Of course. I wear glasses most of the time when I’m at home and I need them find my in the night or first thing in the morning - without my glasses, I couldn’t find my contact lenses. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/5 "2013-01-31T16:07:17Z")
I mean on hand, like by your bedside at night and/or on your person during the day. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/6 "2013-01-31T16:09:42Z")
I’ve more or less stopped wearing contacts but when I did I always had glasses at home. Didn’t generally take them with me when I went out, though. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/7 "2013-01-31T16:20:36Z")
Yes. I take my contacts out at some point between getting home from work and going to bed and I really can’t see without my contacts in or my glasses on. I usually wear my glasses for 3 or 4 hours before I go to bed and an hour or so in the morning. I suspect that’s the general consensus you’re going to get other then a few outliers that don’t need that much vision correction, sleep in them or take them out only when they sleep. It should be noted that because I don’t wear my glasses that often, they tend to lag a few scripts behind. I keep my contacts up to date, but my glasses are usually 5-10 years old before I replace them. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/8 "2013-01-31T16:24:22Z")
Ah, didn’t read before posting. I don’t generally carry glasses with me all the time. I used to, but eventually gave it up in the effort to downsize the amount of crap I was lugging around. There’ve only been a couple of occasions when I regretted that decision. I do always own glasses and know where they are. I need them in the morning before I put in my contacts, I need them handy if I drop a contact, I need them on the weekends to give my eyes a break, I need them in the evenings if my contacts are giving me trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/9 "2013-01-31T16:26:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I mean on hand, like by your bedside at night and/or on your person during the day. I honestly can’t remember a time when my last action at night wasn’t putting my glasses on the nightstand and my first action (second if I have an alarm set) is putting them on. On my person? Only if I’m going to the optometrist or if I think there’s a good chance I’ll be somewhere with a lot of dust or grit in the air or if I’m planning on going swimming. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/10 "2013-01-31T16:51:37Z")
I keep my glasses at home but I do take them with me on any overnight trips. I made the mistake of not packing them one time and got to go through an airport one-eyed when I lost one of my lenses. e: I just leave the contacts in and wear goggles when I go swimming. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Slippers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/94ad74/32.png) [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/11 "2013-01-31T17:12:54Z")
I guess I’m the odd one out. Ever since I got my first contact lenses, back in 1964 or so, I’ve tried to have glasses as a backup but have never been able to get a prescription that gave me anywhere near the same clarity. It may be due to the fact that I started out with rigid lenses and am still wearing gas permeable rigid lenses. Over the years I’ve gone to different eyecare professionals, including ophthalmologists, all with no success. I can’t say I’ve made it a constant quest, but I’ve tried on several occasions. I now wear reading glasses for close work, but that’s in addition to my contact lenses. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/12 "2013-01-31T17:34:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I mean on hand, like by your bedside at night and/or on your person during the day. Crap, then I voted wrong. I keep my lenses in all the time, except for a rinse in the morning, so the glasses are kept for emergencies only. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/13 "2013-01-31T18:39:48Z")
I wear my glasses last thing at night and first thing in the morning. If I’m leaving the house for anything longer than running errands, I take a pair with me too. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/14 "2013-01-31T18:45:46Z")
I have switched back to full time glasses in the last year (love the transition lenses!) but when I wore contacts, I kept an up to date pair of glasses at home, and had an old pair in the car for emergency purposes. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/15 "2013-01-31T18:51:43Z")
I have a pair at home, at pair in my purse, and an emergency back-up pair in my desk at work. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/16 "2013-01-31T18:57:27Z")
Yep, I can only stand to wear my contacts for 3-4 hours at a time…I always have glasses handy in case they become unbearable. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/17 "2013-01-31T19:36:41Z")
I don’t know what I’ll ever do if I can’t wear my contacts. I’m basically blind as a bat without them and glasses give me headaches because they’re so thick. I don’t even have any glasses anymore. My contacts are those two-week wear ones that I wear for every bit of those two weeks (including sleeping in them). Most of the time I forget I’ve got them in because they’re so comfortable. My eye doctor (the same one for over 20 years) checks me every year and marvels at the fact that I seem to have cast-iron eyes–he says he’s given up telling me not to do that because I never show any ill effects. I probably should get a pair of glasses just for emergencies… ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/18 "2013-02-01T01:01:29Z")
I voted “other”…I have a pair of prescription glasses, and I purchased them with the intention of alternating them with the contacts. Unfortunately, the glasses have never really fit me properly…I only wear them whenever I’m just going to stay home. Despite the small amount of use they see, the glasses are falling apart. I need to replace them, but my local eye care practice isn’t in my insurance’s network…I don’t see the point in spending that much money for something that I might not use. > [@Ruby\_Slippers](#): > > I guess I’m the odd one out. Ever since I got my first contact lenses, back in 1964 or so, I’ve tried to have glasses as a backup but have never been able to get a prescription that gave me anywhere near the same clarity. I think it’s just something about contacts. I’ve never had a pair of glasses that came anywhere close to giving me the clarity I get with my soft contacts. This is despite the fact that the soft contacts I use have rarely matched my actual prescription; since they are made in graduated strengths, I often end up with one eye slightly overcorrected and one eye slightly undercorrected. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/19 "2013-02-01T01:04:42Z")
Thanks to the miracle of laser surgery, I don’t wear contacts any more… but I did for 30+ years. My vision was so bad that having a pair of glasses wasn’t an option. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922/20 "2013-02-01T01:13:22Z")
I wear 30-day contacts, and don’t bother carrying glasses with me when I’m out and about. I generally go a day or two without contacts when I’m between pairs, and keep a pair of glasses specifically for those days. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/contact-lens-wearers/648922.md?page=2)