The Best Contact Lenses for Athletes

Ideal Contact Lens Options for Athletes

While contact lenses are clearly a good option for athletes who need vision correction, which types are best?

Daily disposable contact lenses for athletes

There aren’t contact lenses that are specifically made for sports. However, some types are better suited. One example is daily disposable lenses, which don’t require the same maintenance as reusable lenses. They are simple to keep extras available and don’t require cleaning. 

Soft lenses are usually a better option than hard contact lenses as they move around less and are less likely to fall out during sporting events. 

Hard contact lenses for athletes

Gas permeable lenses are sometimes recommended for use during sports, as they provide very crisp vision and are breathable, which can be helpful for the eyes as you move about a lot. While they are hard lenses (as opposed to daily disposables, which are soft), the increased performance they can provide may be worth it. 

Scleral Lenses for Athletes

When it comes to hard contact lenses for athletes, scleral lenses are often considered the best option. Athletes can benefit from scleral lenses, which offer amazing vision and provide great results during athletics. Athletes like Brandon Williams from the Baltimore Ravens, Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors, and Diamond DeShields from the Chicago Sky know this firsthand. These star athletes wear scleral contact lenses and now have sharp vision to display their true sporting abilities.

A few benefits of scleral lenses for athletes include: 

• They are custom fit to the eye and therefore do not move around or get dislodged easily 
• They are considered as having the best optical characteristics over any contact lens, this can make a big difference in sports performance which is so heavily dependant on vision. 
• They are an ideal option for athletes that have a difficult time with soft contact lenses. Scleral lenses are generally prescribed for patients with corneal irregularities and severe dry eye that precludes them from wearing contact lenses. That is why they are sometimes referred to as “hard to fit contact lenses” or “medically necessary contact lenses”, which means that virtually any athlete can feel comfortable with