Daily disposables and monthly contacts aren’t the only options for contact lens wearers. Biweekly lenses offer a nice “middle ground” between the two.
Some people find that biweekly lenses work better for them because there’s less chance for deposits or bacteria to build up compared to monthly lenses. Sometimes, the cost per day also works out cheaper since you’re not using a new pair of lenses every day.
Here’s everything you need to know about biweekly contact lenses to help you see if they’re right for you.
At a Glance
- Biweekly contacts need to be replaced every 14 days.
- You still have to remove them at the end of the day, clean them, and store them in a case with new contact lens solution.
- You shouldn’t sleep in them. The only time you can sleep with your lenses in is when you have been prescribed extended-wear contacts and your eye doctor has told you it’s safe to leave them in overnight.
What Are Biweekly Contact Lenses?
As the name suggests, biweekly contacts are lenses that you need to throw away and replace every two weeks. That doesn’t mean you can wear them for two weeks straight, and you certainly shouldn’t sleep in them.
There is a small caveat here, as there are some contacts known as “extended-wear lenses” that you can sleep in. But it’s important to understand that you need to be prescribed this type of contact lens by a doctor, and the doctor needs to prescribe them specifically for overnight use.
Just remember that “biweekly” is referring to how often you need to replace the lenses, not how long you can leave them in your eyes.
That means you need to remove them at night, clean them, store them in a case, then re-insert them in the morning. After you’ve used the lenses for two weeks, that’s when you need to open a fresh pack of lenses.
How Long Can You Wear Biweekly Contacts?
It might seem like this question has an obvious answer, but there are two time limits you need to understand when wearing any type of contact lens. You need to think about both how long you can wear them each day and how long you can keep reusing them before throwing them away.
- Daily wear limit: This changes for each brand and type of lens. It also depends on the wear limit set by your eye doctor. But generally, most contacts can be worn for a maximum of 16 hours a day.
- Replacement schedule: Biweekly contacts must be replaced every two weeks or 14 days. This still applies even if you haven’t worn them every single day within those two weeks. You shouldn’t continue to wear biweekly lenses past their replacement schedule even if they look clean and fine to keep using.
Pros and Cons of Biweekly Contacts
Biweekly contacts are a nice compromise between daily or weekly lenses and monthly lenses. But as with every replacement schedule, there are some upsides and downsides.
Pros
- You don’t need a brand new pair every morning. You can reuse the lenses, which usually makes the cost per day cheaper than daily disposables. It also reduces the amount of trash you produce.
- Potentially more hygienic. Because they are replaced every 14 days instead of every month, there’s less time for deposits and bacteria to build up on the lenses. However, this doesn’t mean monthly contacts are unsafe—proper daily cleaning is essential no matter what type of reusable lens you wear.
Cons
- You have to clean them every day. Unlike daily disposables, which you just throw away every night, biweekly lenses have to be cleaned. You also have to learn the proper procedure for cleaning and handling reusable lenses.
- You need the right supplies. Wearing reusable lenses means you also need to buy the right contact lens solution and a case to store the lenses in.
- Possibly more risk compared to daily disposables. Reusable lenses are generally perfectly safe if you follow the proper lens hygiene and adhere to the replacement schedule. But there’s definitely more room for error with reusable lenses compared to daily disposable lenses.
If cleaning your lenses sounds like a chore to you, then you might prefer daily disposables. If you’re an eco-conscious person and want to save some money, biweekly lenses are a happy medium between daily and monthly lenses.
How to Care for Biweekly Lenses
Lens hygiene is critically important for biweekly lenses, just like it is for all reusable contacts. Make sure you follow the instructions given to you by your eye doctor. I’ll also share some good habits that you should be implementing as a biweekly contact wearer.
- Wash and dry your hands. Use soap and water, then dry your hands completely before touching your lenses. Drying your hands is important because your lenses should never come in contact with water since it can contain microorganisms.
- Clean and disinfect your lenses. Rub and rinse them with contact lens solution as directed in the instructions for that brand of contacts. Note that saline solution can’t be used to disinfect contacts.
- Use new solution in the case every time. Store the lenses in new disinfecting solution from the bottle every night. Never top off solution from the day before or reuse solution still in the case.
- Don’t let water touch your lenses. Don’t wear your lenses in the shower or when you go swimming. Never rinse them under the tap or store them in water.
- Clean your lens case. You should clean your case every day with contact lens solution, not water. You also have to let it dry before you put your lenses in. Throw away and replace your cases at least every three months.
- Stick to the replacement schedule. Replace your biweekly lenses every 14 days at most. Even if they look clean and feel comfortable in your eyes, they’re not designed to be used for longer than 14 days from the day you opened the pack.
FAQs About Biweekly Contact Lenses
Can you sleep in biweekly contacts?
Usually, you can’t. Just because they’re called “biweekly lenses” doesn’t mean you can wear them nonstop for two weeks. You still have to remove and clean them before you go to bed each night. Leaving them in while you sleep could raise the risk of getting a serious eye infection.
The only time you can sleep with contact lenses in is when you’ve been prescribed extended-wear lenses and your doctor has told you that it’s safe for you to do so.
Do you have to wear biweekly contacts every day?
No, you don’t necessarily have to wear them every day. Some people only wear contacts a few times a week, and the rest of the time, they wear their glasses. But biweekly contacts still have a 14-day replacement schedule that starts counting down each time you open a new pack of lenses. So you can’t use the same lenses for longer than two weeks just because you didn’t wear them every day.
