A contact lens box serves as the standard unit of packaging for lenses, but the number of lenses inside is not uniform across all products. The quantity depends entirely on the lens’s prescribed replacement schedule, specifically whether it is a daily disposable or a type of extended-wear lens. The box contains the specified number of sterile lenses for a single prescription. The duration of the supply changes based on how often the lenses are meant to be discarded. Understanding the different box counts helps consumers accurately gauge their total supply needs.
Daily Disposable Lens Quantities
Daily disposable lenses are designed to be worn once and then discarded, meaning they are consumed much faster than other types of contacts. Because of this high-volume usage, packaging quantities are significantly larger. The most common packaging size for daily disposables is the 30-lens box, which covers a full month’s worth of wear for one eye.
This standard 30-pack offers one lens for each day of the month for a single eye. Many manufacturers also offer a larger 90-lens box. The 90-pack is an economy option, providing a three-month supply for a single eye in one purchase.
Consumers often prefer the 90-lens option because it results in a lower per-lens cost and reduces the frequency of ordering. Some brands offer a 180-pack, which is two 90-packs bundled together for a six-month supply for one eye. These large-format boxes cater to the frequent replacement schedule of daily disposables.
Bi-Weekly and Monthly Lens Quantities
Lenses with an extended replacement schedule, such as bi-weekly and monthly lenses, are designed to be cleaned, stored, and reused for a set period. Since a single lens is worn repeatedly, the number of lenses required over the same time frame is drastically reduced. Consequently, the boxes for these extended-wear contacts contain far fewer lenses than daily disposable packaging.
The industry standard for both bi-weekly and monthly lenses is a box containing six lenses. This quantity provides a multi-month supply for a single eye.
For monthly lenses, six lenses constitute a six-month supply for one eye, as each lens is replaced every 30 days. A bi-weekly lens is worn for 14 days before replacement, meaning six lenses provide a total of 12 weeks of wear for one eye. This six-lens count is consistent across most major brands.
Calculating Your Total Supply
A universal principle in ordering contact lenses is that the quantities listed on the box are for a single eye only. Contact lenses are sold per eye because most people require a different prescription strength for their right and left eyes. Therefore, a wearer must purchase two separate boxes for a complete supply, one for each eye, even if the prescriptions are the same.
To determine the total supply duration, you must factor in the need for two boxes. For example, if you wear daily disposables and buy two 90-lens boxes, you have 180 lenses for your right eye and 180 lenses for your left eye. Assuming full-time wear, this quantity provides a six-month supply for both eyes.
If you use monthly lenses and purchase two boxes of six lenses, you have a 12-lens supply (six for each eye). Since each lens lasts one month, this order provides a six-month supply for both eyes. When planning a purchase, calculate the total number of lenses needed for a period and then divide that number by the quantity in the preferred box size to determine the exact number of boxes to order for each eye.