Cost Comparison (Annual)
Glasses are cheaper by a factor of at least 4x. Even with annual prescription changes, new glasses at Fytoo every year cost less than half a year of daily contacts. The math is not close.
Cost Comparison Table
| Item | Glasses | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Initial purchase | $10-100 (Fytoo) | $100-300 (fitting + trial) |
| Annual supply | $0 (same pair, if Rx stable) | $200-600 (monthly lenses) |
| Solution | $0 | $60-120/year |
| Replacement if lost | $10 | $5-10 (one lens) |
| Annual total | $10-100 | $360-1,020 |
Where Contacts Win
Sports. Contacts do not fog up, fall off, or break during impact. Peripheral vision is better because there is no frame edge in your field of view. Swimming (with goggles) is possible with contacts but not with glasses. Rain does not blur contacts the way it blurs glasses.
Appearance. Some people simply prefer how they look without glasses. Contacts give you that option without surgery. For important events or days when you want a different look, having contacts available is nice.
Where Glasses Win
Cost. See the table above. Eye health. Contacts increase infection risk, especially if you sleep in them or wear them past their replacement schedule. Glasses have zero infection risk. Convenience. You put them on and forget about them. No morning routine of washing hands, inserting lenses, and waiting for them to settle. No evening routine of removal and cleaning.
The Smart Setup
Glasses as daily driver. Contacts for sports, special occasions, and days when you just do not want to wear glasses. A box of 30 daily disposable contacts lasts months if you only wear them occasionally. A $10 pair of Fytoo glasses handles the other 28 days of the month. Total annual cost: about $200 including a backup pair of glasses. This is the setup most eye doctors recommend to their own families.
LASIK cost comparison: a one-time LASIK procedure averages $2,000-3,000 per eye in the US. At Fytoo prices, that is 20-30 years of annual glasses replacements. LASIK results last about 10-15 years before presbyopia (age-related reading vision loss) kicks in regardless, at which point you still need reading glasses. Financially, glasses win over a lifetime. Dry eye syndrome affects roughly 30% of contact lens wearers and about 10% of glasses-only users. If your eyes already feel dry or gritty, contacts can make this worse - the lens absorbs tear film, and reduced oxygen transmission (even with modern silicone hydrogel lenses) can irritate the ocular surface. Switching to glasses for at least 2-3 days per week gives the eye surface time to recover. Daily disposables reduce the risk compared to monthly lenses but do not eliminate it.
Annual Cost Breakdown
Annual cost breakdown, real numbers: Glasses - one pair of Fytoo glasses with standard lenses costs $10-30. With high index and coatings, $50-100. Replace every 1-2 years. Annualized cost: $25-100. Contacts - a year of daily disposables runs $400-600. Monthly lenses with solution: $300-500. Add a fitting exam ($100-150) if you do not already have one. Annualized cost: $350-700. Over 10 years, glasses cost $250-1,000. Contacts cost $3,500-7,000. LASIK costs $2,000-3,000 per eye once, but does not prevent presbyopia - you will still need reading glasses after age 40-45 regardless. Dry eye: about 30% of contact lens wearers report dry eye symptoms versus roughly 10% of glasses-only users. The smart setup most eye doctors actually recommend to friends: glasses as daily driver, a box of daily disposables for sports and events (90 lenses = ~3 months of occasional use, about $100), total annual cost under $200 with a backup pair included.
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FAQ
Is it cheaper to wear glasses or contacts?
Glasses are significantly cheaper. At Fytoo prices, a full year of glasses costs $10-100. A year of daily contacts costs $360-1,020 including solution. The gap widens every year.
Can I wear contacts and glasses on different days?
Yes, and this is what most people do. Glasses most days, contacts for sports and special occasions. Daily disposable contacts are ideal for occasional use because you do not have to worry about solution and storage.
Do contacts increase the risk of eye infection?
Yes. Sleeping in contacts is the biggest risk factor. Wearing them past their replacement schedule is second. Proper hygiene reduces but does not eliminate the risk. This is why having a comfortable pair of glasses as backup matters - if your eyes feel irritated, you can switch to glasses for a few days.