You may be familiar with bifocal and multifocal eyeglasses. But can contact lenses work for those same prescription types? 

The short answer is yes. Thanks to advances in technology, contact lenses today can help with a variety of vision needs. Learn more about the different types of contact lenses.

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Single-Vision Contact Lenses

Single-vision contacts correct for one focal area, usually distance. They may be right for you if you’re nearsighted or have an astigmatism and want an alternative to glasses.

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Multifocal Contact Lenses

Multifocal contacts correct for more than one type of distance. For instance, they can help you read things up close and see things at a distance. Around age 40, most people start to need reading glasses. If you already wear contacts for distance vision, consider multifocal contacts. They allow you to see far away and up close without needing reading glasses.

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Monovision Lenses 

Monovision lenses have different corrective powers in each lens. The goal is for each eye to see at a slightly different focal distance. This gives you a bifocal-like vision without bifocal lenses. For example, your right eye can help you see distance, while your left eye is used for reading. Your brain can usually adapt to using each eye for its specific vision ability. The advantage of monovision is that you won’t need bifocal lenses. However, it may compromise your depth perception. (This is your ability to judge how far away objects are.)

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Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

Astigmatism is where the eye is more oval-shaped than round. This affects the eye’s ability to see well. Toric contact lenses are used for astigmatism. They have a specific orientation to them — or a specific top and bottom. This is so they fit your eye to account for the specific shape of your eye. If you’re nearsighted or farsighted with astigmatism, toric lenses may be an option for you. They’re available as both soft and hard lenses.

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Other Factors to Consider

Prescription type is one key factor in deciding if contact lenses are right for you and which ones to choose. But there are other factors as well. These include:

• Contact lens material like soft or hard lenses.
• Wear duration and replacement schedules like daily disposables, biweekly or monthly disposables, or extended-wear lenses.
• Special lens features. These are mostly used for people with large amounts of astigmatism, dry eye, or other eye problems. 

(Check out our guide to contact lenses to learn more.)

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Work with Your Eye Doctor

Your eye doctor is your best resource for making this decision. They will help you determine what type of contact lens is best for you. They will let you try out lenses to make sure they’re comfortable and work well. Your eye doctor will write your prescription for contact lenses as well. This will include the brand and type of content lens, like daily, weekly, or monthly.

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Once you have your contact lens prescription, shop our contacts. We’ve got daily, weekly, or monthly options from top brands like Acuvue, Dailies, Air Optix, and Biofinity.