Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (2024)

Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (1)

According to experts, using a high-quality contact solution is better for long-term eye health.A good contact lens solution will essentially act like a sponge, explains S. Moshe Roth, OD, FCOVD, board-certified in Vision Development & Vision Therapy and optometrist for Family Eye Care in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Contacts absorb proteins and lipids from your tears, as well as debris from the air and your fingers when you put them in, which is why lens solutions are so crucial. The best contact lens solutions are free of irritating chemicals, provide all-day moisture, and clean any micro-debris that might accumulate throughout the day.

To find the best products, we undertook 372 hours of home testing across 12 leading contact lens solutions. We chose solutions that provide all-day moisture and comfort, are easy to use one-handed, and are worth your money. Here are the seven that made the cut.

Solution Types

Contact lens solutions are either multipurpose or hydrogen peroxide-based. Both types disinfect and remove debris from your lenses. Hydrogen peroxide-based solutions are more effective at disinfecting and better for sensitive eyes, but your contacts will need to soak for at least six hours while the ingredients neutralize to not irritate your eyes.

Ingredients

Hydrogen peroxide is the key ingredient recommended by Roth because it kills bacteria and cleans and disinfects soft lenses and gas-permeable (GP) lenses. In terms of other ingredients, ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA) binds calcium to help reduce protein deposits and acts as a buffer to maintain pH for less stinging. If you use soft lenses, avoid chlorhexidine-bactericidal, which is a disinfectant that is only acceptable for GP lenses.

Other disinfectants include polyquad, which Inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, and benzyl alcohol, which is a preservative that helps kill bacteria and is a helpful cleaner for GP lenses. However, it's worth noting that those with sensitive eyes may find preservatives to feel irritating.

In This Article

  • Solution Types

  • Ingredients

  • Our Picks

  • We Also Tested

  • How We Tested

  • What to Look For

  • Our Experts

  • FAQ

  • Why Trust Verywell Health

Pros

  • pH balanced to minimize build-up during wear

  • Provides comfort for up to 20 hours

  • Includes new contact lens case

Cons

  • Requires multi-step process

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Hyaluronan, sulfobetaine, poloxamine, boric acid | Best For: Soft contact lenses | Use: Condition, clean/disinfect, rinse, store

Why We Recommend It

After two weeks of storing our contact lenses in Bausch & Lomb Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution, we had no complaints. The solution did a good job cleaning and disinfecting our lenses, and we didn't feel any debris buildup while using it. Most importantly, our contacts were comfortable to wear all day long.

These impressive results are largely thanks to the balanced pH of this formula, which matches that of healthy tears. Bausch & Lomb solution prevents tear proteins in your eyes from denaturing (binding to the surface of the lens), which keeps your lenses comfortable for longer.

We also like that this formula is “tech tested” to stay comfortable while using digital devices. It took us roughly 13 hours of working at a computer screen for discomfort to set in, which is a pretty remarkable feat.

Keep In Mind

Like most multipurpose formulas, disinfecting your lenses with this formula isn't as simple as dropping them into the solution. You have to rub the solution into each side of your lenses for 20 seconds, then rinse with the solution, then soak them in the filled case for at least four hours.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (3)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (4)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (5)

Pros

  • Multi-purpose

  • Gentle on the eyes

Cons

  • Packaging is hard to read

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Hydroxyalkylphosphonate | Best For: Soft contact lenses | Use: Condition, clean/disinfect, rinse, and store

Why We Recommend It

During our testing, we found the moisture level of the Bausch & Lomb Renu Lens Solution was great. We didn't have to use rewetting drops or remove our contacts because of dryness at all within the two weeks of testing, despite wearing lenses for 15-hour days. The Renu formula uses three disinfectants to kill bacteria on your lenses and get them squeaky clean. When used daily, it prevents the formation of deposits on your lenses.

We didn’t experience any redness or irritation while using this solution, and the bottle was easy to use with its flip-top lid and comfortable squeeze. It’s widely available at most drugstores, and it's the cheapest on our list.

Keep In Mind

The clear bottle makes it hard to read the fine print.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (7)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (8)

Pros

  • Solution visibly bubbles to indicate cleaning

  • No saline rinse required

  • Provides visibly cleaner contacts

Cons

  • Requires six hours to disinfect

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide, sodium chloride | Best For: Soft contact lenses, RGP contact lenses | Use: Clean, store, and disinfect

Why We Recommend It

Clear Care Triple Action Cleaning is a hydrogen peroxide-based formula, which is the key ingredient Roth recommends for all his patients. The contact-grade peroxide kills bacteria on your lenses. We noted a surprising difference when it came to the dryness and cleanliness of our contacts while using this solution. Unlike many other solutions, our contacts were much more comfortable for all-day wear while using Clear Care Triple Action, and we didn’t have to adjust our lenses or blink as often as usual.

Keep In Mind

Like all peroxide-based solutions, you’ll need to soak your lenses in this one for at least six hours before they're safe to put back into your eyes.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (10)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (11)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (12)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (13)

Pros

  • Multi-purpose solution

  • Gentle on the eyes

Cons

  • Slightly inconvenient bottle design

  • Not widely available

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Polyhexamethylene biguanide | Best For: Soft contact lenses | Use: Condition, clean/disinfect, rinse, and store

Why We Recommend It

If you’ve tried multiple contact lens solutions and are still struggling with dry eyes, we think you’ll be satisfied with the moisture retention of COMPLETE Multi-Purpose Solution. During the two weeks of testing this product, our eyes didn't feel as dry at the end of a long day, and we didn't have to re-wet our contacts at all.

Additionally, this solution was effective at cleaning and disinfecting. Our contact felt notably clean after each use, and we didn’t experience any itchiness or irritation throughout the testing period.

Keep In Mind

You have to remove the cap completely every time you use the solution, which is a bit less convenient than a flip-cap.

Pros

  • Vegan and cruelty-free

  • Brand donates 10% of proceeds to animal welfare organizations

  • Provides great moisture

Cons

  • Packaging doesn’t specify compatibility with RPG lenses

  • Not widely available

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Poloxamer, sodium phosphate buffer, sodium chloride, and disodium edetate | Best For: Soft contact lenses, RGP contact lenses | Use: Clean/disinfect, rinse, and store

Why We Recommend It

Crafted without boric acid and other additives, Clear Conscience Multi-Purpose Solution is formulated to be gentle on the eyes while still cleansing and moisturizing your lenses. During the two-week testing period, this solution provided more comfort throughout the day, even when we wore our lenses longer than recommended or napped while wearing them.

Our eyes felt fresh and free of any debris on our lenses after using this solution. Perhaps best of all, we didn’t notice our eyes getting tired or itchy in the late afternoon like they often had in the past.

Keep In Mind

The cap has to be twisted off completely, so it’s not easy to use one-handed.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (16)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (17)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (18)

Pros

  • Gentle on eyes

  • Solution visibly bubbles to indicate cleaning

  • Good packaging design

Cons

  • Requires six hours to disinfect

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide 3%, phosphonic acid, sodium chloride | Best For: Soft contact lenses, RGP contact lenses | Use: Clean, store, disinfect

Why We Recommend It

There are many potential causes of red eyes, and one of them may be a sensitivity to preservatives, says Ronald L. Benner, OD, president of the American Optometric Association and owner of Southern Montana Optometric Center. Peroxide-based disinfectants, including Clear Care Plus with Hydraglyde, don't contain preservatives. This solution has the deep cleaning and protein-removal properties of Clear Care's Triple Action Cleaning (our top choice for all-day comfort), but is also fortified with patented HydraGlydeMoisture Matrix to coat soft lenses in long-lasting moisture.

During two weeks of testing this solution, we found Clear Care Plus with Hydraglyde to be incredibly effective at disinfecting, which made our lenses comfortable and less irritated than usual. We didn't have to think about our eyes during the day, and we even forgot we were wearing contact lenses.

Keep In Mind

Like all peroxide-based solutions, you’ll have to let your lenses soak in this solution for at least six hours before they're safe to put back in your eyes.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (20)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (21)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (22)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (23)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (24)

Pros

  • Gentle on the eyes

  • No-rub formula

  • TSA-compliant size

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Opened bottle is only good for two weeks

Key Specs

Active Ingredients: Purified water, sodium chloride, boric acid, and sodium borate | Best For: Soft contact lenses, RGP contact lenses | Use: To clean, store, disinfect lenses

Why We Recommend It

Contact lens solutions with preservatives can make lenses uncomfortable for some people, causing redness, itching, tearing, or sensitivity, Benner explains. Purilens Saline Solution is crafted with naturally derived ingredients and no preservatives. It's a buffered contact solution, which means it mimics the natural pH levels of your eyes’ tears when you blink. It's also a no-rub solution.

Using this solution left our contact lenses feeling more moisturized for a longer period of time than other brands. We didn't need to use rewetting drops throughout the day, and the comfort level didn't fade until well into the evening.

Keep In Mind

Because there are no preservatives, the solution expires 14 days after opening. This might be wasteful ecologically and from a cost-perspective, as most people won’t go through 4 ounces in two weeks.

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (26)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (27)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (28)

  • Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (29)

We Also Tested

  • Bausch + Lomb Sensitive Eye Saline Solution: While we liked the other Bausch + Lomb solutions we tried, we found our contacts dried out much quicker and became irritating by the end of the day when we tested this one. Other solutions on our list proved better for sensitive eyes.
  • ACUVUE RevitaLens Multipurpose Solution: We saw mixed results with this solution, and it caused dry eyes.
  • Blink-N-Clean Lens Drops: This solution cleaned contact lenses well, but wasn’t good at moisturizing. We had to use rewetting drops more often while using this solution than we did before.
  • Opti-Free Replenish Multi-Purpose Solution: This product claims it creates a “shield of comfort moisture,” but we found our eyes felt dryer and more itchy than with other solutions.

How We Tested the Contact Lens Solutions

To find the best contact lens solutions, we had 13 people test 12 products in the comfort of their homes for a total of 372 hours of testing. Each tester has been wearing contact lenses for a notable period of time and switched over to their trial solution for two weeks.We graded each lens solution in five areas:

  • Comfort: We noted how comfortable our contact lenses were to wear after using the solution compared to other solutions. We also paid attention to whether or not that level of comfort remained consistent throughout the day
  • Moisture: We examined how well our contact lenses retained the moisture from the overnight solution throughout the day.
  • Ease of Use: Products with instructions that were easy to follow got our stamp of approval, and we noted if the design of the solution's bottle was intuitive and easy to use.
  • Effectiveness: We noted how well did the solution performed based on its listed benefits such as disinfecting, moisturizing, etc. We also looked for any reduction in eye redness, irritation, or dryness.
  • Value: For our top picks, we narrowed the list down even further by analyzing whether the solution was worth the money for the benefits it offered.

What to Look for in a Contact Lens Solution

  • Compatibility: There are as many brands of solutions on the market as there are places to buy contact lenses. You may want to talk to your eye doctor to ensure your contact lens solution (and overall contact lens care system) meets your individual needs.
  • Value: When it comes to contact lens solutions, buying in bulk or large quantities will usually provide the greatest value. Travel-size solutions are usually more costly, so we recommend limiting this option to when you’re on the go.
  • Brand: For many products, generic or store brand options are just as good as their name brand equivalents, but this isn’t the case when it comes to contact lens solutions. The technology used to make contact lenses has advanced considerably, and generic solutions may have been formulated for older lenses, Benner points out. New lens materials have chemical compositions that might not be compatible with generic solutions. Of course, generics are often more affordable, so talk with your doctor before opting for a store brand.

Our Experts

To determine what makes the best contact lens solution, we spoke with experts who shared their insights, including:

  • S. Moshe Roth, OD, FCOVD, board-certified in Vision Development & Vision Therapy and optometrist for Family Eye Care in Old Bridge, New Jersey
  • Renee Reeder, OD, assistant dean of curriculum and assessment and professor of optometry at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky
  • Ronald L. Benner, OD, president of the American Optometric Association and owner of the Southern Montana Optometric Center
  • Christina Cherny, OD FAAO Dip. ABO, a board-certified optometrist specializing in cornea, specialty contact lenses, primary eye care, and myopia control, and an instructor of ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How often should you replace the contact lens solution in your contact case?

    It depends on the brand: Some solutions are good for 24 hours of storage, while others stay good for up to one month in a tightly-sealed contact lens case, Benner explains.

  • How long can I store my contacts in solution?

    Most monthly disposable soft contact lenses can sit in solution for up to 30 days and still be wearable, though you should clean and disinfect them with new solution before putting them in your eyes.

Why Trust Verywell Health

As a science-based health writer and product journalist for over 10 years, Rachael Schultz understands the nuances of what make a product effective, trustworthy, and worth your money. As a long-time soft contact lens wearer herself, she has experience using several contact lens solutions on this list, including Bausch + Lomb Biotrue Multi-Purpose Solution and Bausch + Lomb Renu Lens Solution.

Clear Vision, All Day Long: We Tested These Top Contact Lens Solutions for Comfort and Clarity (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Arielle Torp

Last Updated:

Views: 5547

Rating: 4 / 5 (41 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arielle Torp

Birthday: 1997-09-20

Address: 87313 Erdman Vista, North Dustinborough, WA 37563

Phone: +97216742823598

Job: Central Technology Officer

Hobby: Taekwondo, Macrame, Foreign language learning, Kite flying, Cooking, Skiing, Computer programming

Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.