Best Contact Lenses for Astigmatism (and Can You Wear Them?)

Your last eye exam ended with the word ‘astigmatism’, and perhaps a hint that contacts might be off the table for you. Take a breath, because you can almost certainly wear them. A whole type of lens is built for eyes like yours, and it is called toric. This guide explains what astigmatism is and how toric lenses correct the blur. It also names the Clearly options worth your money, with real Canadian prices.

Can you wear contacts with astigmatism?

Have you just been handed an astigmatism diagnosis? Your first worry is probably whether you are stuck with glasses forever. You are not. Astigmatism is not a disease. It is a common vision condition that blurs your sight at every distance, according to the Canadian Association of Optometrists. [1] The cause is the shape of your eye. The cornea (the clear front surface) or the inner lens curves more like a rugby ball than a round one. Light then lands at several points, not one clean spot on the retina. Eye doctors group it with short- and long-sightedness as a refractive error, meaning it changes how your eyes bend light.

For years people believed astigmatism ruled out contacts, but that is simply not true. A plain round lens cannot correct sight that is off in one direction more than another. A toric lens can. It holds two powers in one surface: one corrects the astigmatism, and the other handles your usual short- or long-sightedness. Here’s what matters: the lens has to sit at a precise angle on your eye. So these contacts are prescribed and fitted by an eye-care professional, not picked off a shelf. Your prescription adds two numbers a standard one skips. One is a cylinder, for the strength. The other is an axis (its angle on your eye), for the direction.

What makes a toric lens different from a regular one?

A standard soft lens carries the same power all the way around. It can spin on your eye and you would never feel it. A toric lens cannot drift like that. Its two powers only work when they line up with your astigmatism. So lens makers weight and shape each one to hold its position every time you blink. Alcon builds its Dailies Total1 and Total30 toric lenses on a Precision Balance 8|4 design. Johnson & Johnson uses a Blink Stabilized design in Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism. CooperVision shapes its MyDay Toric with an Optimized Toric Lens Geometry. The names differ, but each pins the two powers to your prescribed axis as the lens settles.

Most toric lenses today are made with silicone hydrogel (a breathable material that lets more oxygen reach your eye). That extra air is a big reason wearers now report far less dryness. For example, Dailies Total1 uses Water Gradient tech, so the moisture sits highest right at the lens surface.

The best contact lenses for astigmatism

There is no single best toric lens. The best one fits your eyes, your budget and how often you want to swap them. Across Clearly’s range we weighed three things: the comfort tech in the lens, the wear schedule and the price per box in Canadian dollars. Four stand out.

Best daily for comfort: Dailies Total1 for Astigmatism

For dry, tired eyes by mid-afternoon, this daily disposable is our comfort pick. It uses Water Gradient tech, so the moisture sits right at the surface. The Precision Balance 8|4 design keeps the correction lined up. You open a fresh pair each morning and bin it at night. There is no solution and no case to fuss over. A 30-pack is $77.59 CAD, and a 90-pack is $152.79 CAD.

Best value daily: Precision1 for Astigmatism

On a tighter budget, Precision1 for Astigmatism keeps the daily habit affordable. It borrows Alcon’s SmartSurface tech and the same water-gradient idea in a silicone hydrogel lens, so you still get modern comfort. A 30-pack is $63.19 CAD, and 90 lenses cost $118.39 CAD.

Best for an active day: Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism

Movement is where Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism earns its place, whether you play sport, chase kids or spend all day on your feet. You will find it in Clearly’s Acuvue range. Its Blink Stabilized design uses your natural blink to nudge the lens back into place. Hydraclear Plus keeps the tear film smooth. The senofilcon A material breathes over a two-week wear cycle. A six-pack is $46.39 CAD.

Best monthly: Air Optix plus HydraGlyde for Astigmatism

Air Optix plus HydraGlyde for Astigmatism trades daily swaps for a single monthly box. It suits wearers who would rather restock less often. It holds moisture with its HydraGlyde Moisture Matrix. SmartShield tech helps it shrug off deposits, so day 30 feels close to day one. It uses the same Precision Balance 8|4 design and costs $80.79 CAD for a six-pack.

How to choose the right toric lens for you

When you are staring at a page of toric options, four things decide it. Think about how often you want to replace your lenses, how dry your eyes get by evening, whether you also read up close and what you can spend. The wear schedule is the biggest call, so here’s how the three options compare.

Prices are current at the time of writing, so confirm the number on the product page before you order. If your eyes run dry, lean toward the water-gradient and silicone hydrogel lenses above. CooperVision’s MyDay Toric is another daily worth a look, at $139.99 CAD for a 90-pack, built on that same Optimized Toric Lens Geometry. In your forties, small print can start to swim, and some toric lenses also correct presbyopia (the age-related loss of close-up focus). Biofinity Multifocal Toric is one, at $167.19 CAD for a six-pack. You can browse the full set of multifocal toric lenses to compare. Whatever you shortlist, your eye doctor has the final say. A proper fitting confirms the lens sits at the right axis and stays comfortable all day. Clearly’s Price Match Guarantee means you pay no more to get it.

The bottom line

Here is the short version for anyone still putting off contacts because of astigmatism. You can wear them, and toric lenses are built for exactly this. Astigmatism is a common refractive condition that toric lenses correct for, not a wall between you and contacts. Match the wear schedule and comfort tech to your day, then let your budget decide, with dailies from around $63.19 CAD a 30-pack and monthlies a little more. Explore Clearly’s full range of toric contact lenses and the wider contact lens selection. Then book or renew your prescription, so your optometrist can confirm the fit.

Sources

[1] Canadian Association of Optometrists, “Astigmatism” (Eye Health Library, opto.ca/eye-health-library/astigmatism) — astigmatism is a common vision condition that blurs sight at every distance.

Product names, technologies and CAD prices from Clearly’s contact-lens catalogue (clearly.ca).