Guide to Contact Lenses, Glasses, and Laser Eye Surgery

Updated for 2025

Glasses, contact lenses, and Laser Eye Surgery can all be extremely effective solutions to refractive errors. But deciding which option is best can depend on a range of factors.

In fact, your opinion can change depending on the articles you have read, the people you have asked, and even what stage you are in in life. But here at London Vision Clinic, we’re on a mission to set the record straight. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide, covering the pros and cons of these three refractive solutions.

So, let’s take a look at the facts – and hopefully bust some myths along the way – to help you decide which is the right option for you.

A Brief Overview of the Options

There’s no denying that this is a long and complicated topic. So, let’s briefly summarise our three main solutions with a brief overview. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the finer points further down this page!

Glasses: A classic solution with its inconveniences

Glasses are the oldest form of vision correction still commonly in use today. Their longevity is a testament to their efficacy for a huge range of prescriptions, from short- and long-sightedness to astigmatism and presbyopia. What’s more, they are often accessible and affordable, making them the ideal first step in the vision correction journey.

But they are not without their inconveniences. Most glasses-wearers are well aware of the shortfalls of their frames. They are easily broken or misplaced, and can even stop us from taking part in certain activities and sports. And while they may seem like the cheapest option initially, over time, their value for money can become increasingly questionable.

Contact Lenses: Clear and discrete vision at an unexpected cost

Contact lenses have remained incredibly popular since they were introduced to the public in the mid-late 20th century. They are favoured largely thanks to their discretion, allowing people to ditch the conspicuous frames of their glasses. Contact lenses also provided a solution to lost and broken specs, allowing for added convenience.

But again, it’s not all good. The fact is, that many wearers are unaware of the potential risks of their lenses. Yet, when not applied and removed appropriately, contact lenses can be associated with dry eyes, irritation and redness, and even infections that can cause lasting damage to the eyes. Furthermore, despite being widely available today, they are not tolerable to everyone and they can end up being extremely expensive over the long term.

Laser Eye Surgery: The new(ish) way to improve your vision

Glasses and contact lenses offer temporary – albeit very effective solutions to common refractive errors. However, Laser Eye Surgery is able to address the error at the source, providing long-lasting results. This means that patients who opt for the treatment can enjoy clear vision for years to come – more often than not without the hindrance of glasses and contacts! Oh, and with improved treatments, most patients can be back to work and the activities they love before they know it.

Still, like all forms of vision correction, Laser Eye Surgery can have its drawbacks. The big elephant in the room is the cost. Let’s face it: Laser Eye Surgery is expensive. It needs to be to ensure the best results and safety standards; however, it is often not as expensive as many people realise (it may even work out cheaper than glasses and contact lenses in the long run!). Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that Laser Eye Surgery is not without its risks and it’s not an option for everyone.

A Closer Look at Your Options

There are limited options when it comes to vision correction. And yet, many people will realise that they never really made a conscious choice when it came to correcting their refractive error. For example, people who required visual aids as a child may have naturally stuck with their glasses as they got older. Adults might have simply chosen what was most accessible to them at the time, whether due to cost or convenience. And others still might have switched between contact lenses and glasses as they got fed up with the downsides of both.

Those who opt for Laser Eye Surgery tend to only do so after years of using glasses and/or contact lenses. Many more may have considered Laser Eye Surgery but are unsure of the pros and cons. So, where do you get all the information you need to make an informed decision?

Is it too much to ask to find a clear, impartial overview and comparison of the main methods you can use to improve your vision?

It turns out it is. So we decided to make one.

Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that we are a Laser Eye Surgery clinic – and we don’t intend to. Unlike many other providers, our primary aim is to be advocates for the general advancement of vision correction. We believe that clear vision should be accessible to all, whether through Laser eye Surgery or not.

As part of this mission, we aim to provide accurate information on all things vision correction (just take a look at our extensive blog!).

We know that Laser Eye Surgery isn’t the right solution for everyone, and we don’t pretend it is. This innovative treatment may be an option for more patients than ever before, but for many, glasses, contact lenses, or other alternative treatments are a better option.

Now, let’s get down to the finer points of this debate and the facts you need to know to make the best decision for you. Specifically, let’s take a closer look at how glasses, contact lenses, and Laser Eye Surgery really compare. 

Of course, it is important to remember that everyone is different, and this should be taken as a general guide. To better understand your options, why not book a consultation with one of our expert clinicians?

Glasses – Cheap Vision for the Masses

Glasses have been around for hundreds of years and, to this day, remain the most common form of vision correction. This popularity is due to a number of benefits, including because they…

• Are effective for a wide range of prescriptions;
• Can be available at a low upfront cost;
• Are suitable for most people;
• Can accommodate various types of lenses, including varifocals;
• Are safe and unlikely to cause any side effects;
• Can protect your eyes from injury.

These credentials might be – and likely have been – enough to consider glasses the best option for you. After all, they are suitable for practically all people and prescriptions. The fact is, even after centuries of development, glasses remain a simple, convenient, and accessible solution for all refractive errors.

A safe solution

Safety can be an important consideration when choosing your preferred method of vision correction and, in this category, glasses come out on top. Being an external visual aid, they are not generally associated with any side effects on the eyes – after all, they never touch them! In contrast, contact lenses open the door to the possibility of eye infections and Laser Eye Surgery carries the potential risks of many surgical procedures.

What’s more, glasses can even provide added protection for your eyes. They act as a barrier between your eyes and the world around you, potentially protecting them from dust, debris, wind, and even UV rays.

Wide scope for vision correction

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of glasses is their suitability for a wide range of correction needs. They are suitable for the most common refractive errors such as short-sightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism, but they are also often the first port of call for people who require help with reading vision (presbyopia). Glasses can accommodate different kinds of lenses, including bifocals, multifocals, and varifocals progressive lenses, to suit the specific needs of each wearer.

Glasses – A Limited Solution?

On paper, at this point, it looks like glasses can do no wrong when it comes to vision correction. But anyone who wears or has worn glasses in the past will know that this isn’t the case. While glasses are no doubt an excellent option for many people, it is important to also recognise their drawbacks.

The cons of glasses can include:

• Restricting the wearer’s ability to take part in some activities and types of work;
• Being easily lost or damaged, requiring regular replacement;
• Reading glasses can be a limited solution for presbyopia;
• Some people find glasses inconvenient and/or unattractive;
• They can be costly over the long term.

Vulnerable to loss and damage

The most obvious flaw of glasses in comparison to other forms of vision correction is their vulnerability to loss and damage. They are easily misplaced, accidentally left behind at the office, in a taxi, or a restaurant, and are easily scratched, scuffed, or even sat on! This is an inescapable problem with glasses but, as you can see from the list above, it’s not the only one.

Restrict certain activities

Glasses can also restrict several aspects of your lifestyle, whether you’re a passionate sportsperson or simply looking to pursue a particular career.

Spectacles can get in the way, and even prevent you from taking part in a wide array of activities, from yoga to running. If you enjoy swimming, you may have to invest in a pair of prescription goggles, while more extreme activities such as bungee diving and skydiving may simply be out of the question – that is if you want to see what’s happening!

Some people may also find that glasses can prevent them from pursuing certain careers or in simple, everyday activities. In fact, most glasses wearers will be well aware of a number of things that are potentially troublesome or irritating thanks to glasses. Whether it’s your lenses fogging up when entering a warm room or opening the oven, the seemingly constant film of fingerprints or dust, and of course, the visual obstruction that comes from a simple walk in the rain!

Over time, these little inconveniences can cause significant stress and potentially even affect your quality of life. What’s more, they can seem even more significant to those who aren’t used to wearing glasses, such as those beginning to notice the effects of presbyopia. Suddenly relying on glasses for your reading vision can feel like a major lifestyle change that, for many, is simply impossible to get used to.

Not as cheap as meets the eye

As we mentioned earlier, glasses are often available at a relatively cheap upfront cost. Yet, many glasses-wearers would likely be surprised to learn the full amount they have spent on their glasses and associated costs over the years. To give you a better idea, we decided to do some of the math for you.

For our calculation, we have not included the cost of eye examinations. That’s because you should have an examination every two years regardless of whether you wear contacts or glasses, or have Laser Eye Surgery.

Using an estimated cost of £250 per pair of glasses, being replaced every two years, the average daily cost is calculated at 34.2 pence per day. Over ten years, this puts the cost of your glasses at £1,523.74 (assuming an annual inflation rate of 4.5%).

Unsurprisingly, this figure is still less than the cost of contact lenses over the same period. However, some people may also need to consider the additional cost of prescription sunglasses and equipment such as goggles. It’s easy to see how these costs can add up over a lifetime of relying on glasses – and that’s with the many inconveniences that come with them!

Contact Lenses: Clear Vision in the Blink of an Eye

You might assume that contact lenses will address many of the drawbacks of glasses mentioned above – and this might be true. Contact lenses certainly have a lot of credentials to recommend them to former glasses wearers. For example, some of the key benefits of contact lenses include:

• Potentially improved visual acuity compared with glasses;
• A greater and clearer field of vision;
• Allowing wearers to take part in certain sports and activities more easily;
• Offering a more discrete appearance.

So, let’s take a closer look at these benefits.

Improved visual acuity

Many people are surprised to learn – especially when switching from glasses – that contact lenses often offer improved vision compared to their older adversary. Contact lenses fit directly onto the cornea, allowing them to bend light into the eye more effectively. The result is more accurate refractive correction.

Contact lenses are also available in monovision and multifocal variations, which help to reduce the need for reading glasses. But these aren’t the only ways contact lenses can provide clearer vision than glasses…

Obstruction-free vision

Getting rid of the external frames also means that contact lenses are not exposed to the same external elements as glasses. While glasses can be affected by steam, rain, and potential damage, contact lenses remain protected behind your eyelids. That means they’re generally safe from greasy fingerprints and even glare from light sources.

Ditching the frames also extends your peripheral vision, allowing you to see more clearly in all directions. However, perhaps the greatest benefit of the obstruction-free vision provided by contact lenses is the many activities they allow you to take part in without hindrance. Furthermore, their discreteness means they will never be an obstruction to your personal style!

Contact Lenses: A Temporary Solution with an Unexpected Cost

So far, we’ve developed a pretty positive view of contact lenses, but are we simply wearing rose-tinted glasses? (Sorry). The truth is, not everything is positive when it comes to contacts either. In fact, the benefits mentioned above can potentially come at an unexpected cost.

Some of the downsides of contact lenses can include:

• A risk of infection, potentially leading to permanent damage to the eyes;
• An increased risk of dry eyes and irritation;
• Requiring strict and inconvenient hygiene routines;
• Being intolerable for many people;
• Limitations when it comes to correcting astigmatism;
• Higher costs than both glasses and Laser Eye Surgery over the long term;
• Single-use plastic waste.

We owe many of the benefits of contact lenses to their position directly on the surface of the eye. However, this can also be the source of their most significant drawbacks. Placing a foreign object on the eye inevitably opens the door to an increased risk of infections. Wearing contact lenses – particularly over the long term can significantly increase your risk of contracting an eye infection. In a small number of cases, this can even lead to permanent damage to your eyes and vision.

According to the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA), around 6 in 100,000 contact lens wearers experience vision loss every year. In comparison, vision loss related to glasses is almost nil and vision loss as a result of LASIK (the most common Laser Eye Surgery procedure) is also extremely rare.

Moreover, these risks can be exacerbated by wearing your contact lenses for too long or failing to follow the recommended application regime. For example, sleeping in your lenses can reportedly quadruple your risk of infection!

Lifestyle restrictions

The ‘Pros’ section for contact lenses explains how these visual aids can help to reduce the lifestyle restrictions associated with glasses. But they do present some noteworthy restrictions of their own. This includes activities that involve water, such as swimming saunas, and even taking a shower! Exposing your contact lenses to water in these settings can again increase your risk of infections. And the restrictions don’t end there.

The lens’s position directly on your eyeball can disrupt natural lubrication and flow of oxygen to the surface cells. This barrier can lead to dry and irritated eyes – a problem that can be exacerbated by spending extended periods looking at digital devices. Combined, these factors all mean that, while convenient, contact lenses can only be considered safe and suitable as a temporary solution.

The risks of “cosmetic” contact lenses

Contact lenses were designed as medical aids specifically for those who require vision correction. However, in recent years, there has been a growing demand for “novelty” or “cosmetic” contact lenses, primarily for costume dressing. These novelty lenses are widely available but are rarely manufactured to the same standards as prescription lenses – a fact that can pose some risks to your eyes.

According to laser eye surgeon Mr Glenn Carp, such lenses, which are particularly popular around Halloween, “tend to be larger in size and have a much lower oxygen transmission rate”. As such, they can pose a higher risk of irritation and infection than standard contact lenses.

An expensive solution

As we mentioned earlier, contact lenses are generally a more expensive vision correction option than glasses. However, you might be surprised to learn that they could even be pricier than Laser Eye Surgery. The exact cost of your contacts can depend on several factors, including your prescription and how often you use them.

Let’s take a look at some example costs for an individual who wears contacts on a daily basis.

According to Specsavers, the cost of contacts typically ranges from £24 to £55 per month for 30 pairs – with multifocal and toric lenses costing more. This would mean an annual cost of between £288 and £660 and – assuming an annual inflation rate of 5.2%, this could add up to between £4,780 and £10,030 over ten years!

But contact lenses don’t only come at a high financial cost. A growing number of us are also starting to consider the environmental cost of contact lenses. The fact is, contact lenses are often made from single-use plastics – and with millions of wearers around the world, that is a lot of waste!

Laser Eye Surgery: Improve and Own Your Vision

Finally, we reach the most recent form of vision correction. Since its introduction, Laser Eye Surgery has grown consistently in popularity. But could it really be all it’s cracked up to be?

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of the treatment:

• Laser Eye Surgery delivers permanent changes to your eyes;
• In the vast majority of cases, it offers clear and limitation-free vision – even to the most active individuals;
• It is one of the safest elective procedures in the world;
• Over the long term, the treatment may be cheaper than other options.

A Permanent Solution

One of the biggest downsides of glasses and contact lenses is that they are temporary solutions. In contrast, the changes made to your eyes in Laser Eye Surgery are completely permanent. That means that you could enjoy clear vision, free from glasses and contact lenses, for years afterwards! You might say it is comparable to owning a home rather than renting.

With the majority of patients able to ditch their glasses and contacts after treatment, Laser Eye Surgery can also free you from many of the downsides of the alternatives. For example, repairs, replacements, trips to the optometrist, risk of infection, dry eye, irritation, and exercise restrictions can all be avoided with Laser Eye Surgery.

Even Better Results

Not only are the changes made in Laser Eye Surgery permanent but they can often result in better outcomes than glasses and contact lenses. At London Vision Clinic, 100% of our long-sighted patients achieved 20/32 vision or better, with 93% achieving 20/ 20 vision! When it comes to short-sightedness, 98% of patients achieve 20/20 vision!

Clear Vision without Restrictions

For the active among us – be it attending a weekly fitness class or running multiple marathons – visual aids can often be an obstacle. Laser Eye Surgery can offer an effective alternative. In fact, the procedure is particularly popular among professional sportspeople, from swimmers to F1 drivers.

For example, paralympic hand-cycling champion, Karen Darke opted for Laser Eye Surgery to improve her vision during her races. Following her treatment, Karen explained: “I feel to be much more ‘in’ the world again, safer when I ride my bike, and grateful for the bright new world I see every day.”

A Suitable Option for Most

Since its introduction in the late 1980s, ongoing developments and advancements have helped to make Laser Eye Surgery increasingly accessible. Today, it is a suitable option for more people than ever before – including those with very high prescriptions and those who cannot tolerate contact lenses. At London Vision Clinic, we are proud to be able to offer treatment to up to 98% of the patients we see.

Laser Eye Surgery can effectively treat myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and – with the development of PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision – presbyopia! This means that you could get rid of those pesky reading glasses for good. PRESBYOND® Laser Blended Vision is incredibly safe and easy to adapt to (especially compared with alternatives), therefore suitable for nearly all patients.

Tens of millions of people around the world have now been successfully treated with Laser Eye Surgery. It has become one of the most common – and safest – elective surgeries.

Laser Eye Surgery: An Industry that Can be Difficult to Navigate

There’s no doubt that Laser Eye Surgery is the most significant development in the field of vision correction. But it is important to recognise the remaining limitations of the treatment.

Some of the potential downsides of Laser Eye Surgery include:

• The high upfront cost;
• It is not suitable for all patients;
• Being associated with some risks of a surgical procedure;
• The industry can be difficult for patients to navigate.

Patient Suitability

As we mentioned above, Laser Eye Surgery is not a suitable option for more patients than ever before. However, there are still some exceptions and some people are simply unsuitable for Laser Eye Surgery treatment. This can be down to having an underlying health condition, or an ocular condition such as keratoconus.

Some people are only temporarily unsuitable for treatment. For example, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding will have to postpone treatment as the associated hormones can cause their prescription to fluctuate. However, they will likely be suitable for treatment once they have finished breastfeeding and their hormones and prescription have stabilised.

The Upfront Cost

Understandably, the cost of Laser Eye Surgery is one of the biggest concerns for people considering the treatment. The fact is, high-quality Laser Eye Surgery isn’t cheap by anyone’s standards; however, as we have mentioned in this guide, the difference between the cost of Laser Eye Surgery, glasses, and contact lenses is often surprisingly similar. In some cases, it may even turn out to be cheaper over the long term!

The good news is, many clinics offer finance options, allowing you to spread the cost of your treatment. Our Finance Plan allows you to pay for the cost of Laser Eye Surgery through a number of affordable monthly instalments. For more information, visit our Prices page.

Associated Risks

Laser Eye Surgery is now considered one of the safest elective procedures in the world; however, as a surgical procedure, the treatment is not without its risks. Being aware of these risks is vital when considering treatment. As with any surgery, there is always the risk that things won’t go 100% according to plan. The good news is that this risk is extremely small.

In the hands of an expert surgeon (such as the world-renowned surgeons at London Vision Clinic), the chance of something going noticeably wrong is around 1 in 1,000. Nonetheless, complications can include a potential loss of visual acuity and post-operative dry eyes. Every clinic should make sure you are informed of these risks during your consultation to allow you to make an informed decision about your treatment.

Confusing to Navigate

There have been some incredible developments in the Laser Eye Surgery field. Yet, there remains a huge amount of misinformation and unclear advice surrounding this potentially life-changing procedure. This can often stem from competition between clinics and a lack of regulation within the industry itself.

However, this is slowly changing. With the RCOphth guidelines published in April 2017 and the updated Certificate of Laser Refractive Surgery, there is now more regulation in the Laser Eye Surgery field. Furthermore, more training is now available, including the Postgraduate Diploma in Cataract and Refractive Surgery at Ulster University, with our very own Professor Dan Reinstein on the teaching faculty.

Nonetheless, the burden of finding a high-quality clinic and surgeon still often falls on the patient. This can involve wading through endless information and data – not an easy feat for anyone. But making the right choice can help to give you peace of mind that you will receive the very best care at every step of the journey.

And so we come to the end of our guide to glasses, contact lenses and Laser Eye Surgery! We hope you have found this helpful and insightful, and that it has helped you to choose the best form of vision correction for you. If you’d like to learn more, get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today!

We hope you found this practical guide to glasses, contacts, and Laser Eye Surgery useful. If you’d like to find out if Laser Eye Surgery could be the best option for you why not get in touch? Alternatively, Book a Consultation today.

This article has been updated for 2025.