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Biofinity Contact Lens Review

on April 17th, 2010 | Filed under Optoblog, Reviews

Since “Biofinity” and “Biofinity contact lens review” are the most frequently searched terms leading to my website, I thought I would give everyone my view of the Biofinity contact lens.
Biofinity Contact Lens Box
Its technical specs can be found at the Coopervision website. Silicone hyrdrogel lenses (the super breathable class of contacts) have been on the market for years, but Coopervision came to the game after Ciba, Bausch & Lomb, and Vistakon. All the latter use a special coating on the surface to make the silicone material wettable for your eye, but Coopervision’s unique Biofinity material is wettable throughout the matrix of the material.

It’s a one month lens, which is convenient for most people to remember when to toss their now old lenses which will soon become cesspools ripe for eye infections. The reason is because they build up deposits, like this:

B&L and CL Spectrum photos

Replace your contacts on schedule!!!

Lots of lenses are only two week and toss lenses, but Biofinity is resistant to deposits enough to allow it to be a one month lens. Official and approved.

Biofinity also got an FDA indication for extended wear. In other words, if your doctor thinks your eyes can handle it, Biofinity can be worn one week straight, take it out, clean it, soak it overnight, and then repeat.

Now, I’ve tried this, and while it was totally doable, for me it’s not as comfortable for extended wear compared to Ciba’s Night & Day (by the way, I refuse to call it Air Optix Night & Day Aqua because that is just waaaaaaaay too long a name for a contact lens.) But guess what. That’s just me. Maybe for you it could be fine. However, almost every patient I’ve tried this with comes back a week or two later and says they would rather be Rx’d Night & Day if extended wear was their approved goal.

If you’re just interested in daily wear (taking out every night) or if price is the main consideration, then Biofinity wins over Night & Day because it’s only around $50 per box of 6 lenses rather than Night and Day at ~$70 per box of six. Another consideration is that you can now get Air Optix Aqua (regular, NOT Night & Day) for ~$47 per box. My only beef with that is that it’s basically the same lens as O2Optix which was released as a two week lens, so I’m not sure whether to believe that Ciba wants you to wear a 4 week lens for two weeks or a two week lens for four weeks.

Comfort-wise, it seems to me that the percentage of patients that like the comfort of the Biofinity is about the same percentage of people that like the feel of O2Optix. Now, the only thing is, both those percentages are less compared to Acuvue Oasys comfort. But consider that a year supply of Acuvue Oasys (a 2 week lens) is about ~$272 while Biofinity is around $200.

Biofinity has a great toric lens in case you have low to moderate amounts of astigmatism (0.75-2.50) in one or both eyes. For mild amounts of astigmatism (0.25-0.50 and maybe 0.75), its aspheric optics help mask it for clearer vision compared to contacts without aspheric optics.

Anyway, my advice is to just try it out. If you like it, buy it. If not, try something else. That’s how I roll. I alternate between wearing Biofinity, Acuvue Oasys, and Night & Day. Mostly Night & Day. But hey, I’ve been wearing contact lenses so long that you could poke me in the eye, and I’d barely feel it. But seriously, I think I have significant corneal hypoesthesia which allows me to tolerate pretty much any lens that gets pushed out into the contact lens market.

Another consideration for you is the compatibility of lens material to your desired contact lens solution system. Some lenses can only tolerate the most expensive solutions. The Biofinity material is pretty much compatible with even the most cheapest of house brand multi-purpose solutions. On average. Your eyes may vary.

I think Biofinity is a quality lens, but take it home along with your Oasys and Night & Day or O2Optix and see which one works best at which price for you.

There, does that answer your question?

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29 Comments

29 Responses to “Biofinity Contact Lens Review”

  1. […] [Edit: For some reason, this is the most popular page on my site thanks to people searching the internet for mentions of Biofinity. Please be sure to read my other article entitled There is No Biofinity Conspiracy.] Also, be sure to read my Full Review of the Biofinity Lens! […]

  2. Jesse says:

    That does answer my question. My next question is can you give me a prescription for the Biofinity for less than a whole eye exam since I just had an exam and they want to charge me again just to change my Rx?

  3. If you can physically stop by my office, then my policy is that I just charge a contact lens fitting (usually $30) as long as you’ve had an eye exam within the last six months. (We’ll need proof like a copy of your records faxed over or at least a signed Rx.)

    If I provided your contact lens prescription, then I would gladly see you back in to change lenses without additional cost for up to 60 days after the prescription was given. ($20 after 60 days, full exam price after six months).

    If your eye doctor office doesn’t have that type of policy, then I think they’re not very customer service oriented.

  4. Jackie Vaughn says:

    What a great site. I was just prescribed contacts after going 10 years contact-free after having LASIK in 2000. I’m a -2.00 in my left and a -.75 in my right with minimal astigmatism. Anyway, my right eye seems to feel irritated in all the contacts I’ve tried, and I get inconsistent vision correction between brand. I’ve tried: Accuvue Oasys (can’t see great out of these and annoyingly flimsy when taking out/putting in(, Pure Vision (awful– irritating), Optix Day & Night (best vision out of all of them–very noticible clarity—still feel it in my right eye though), and Biofinity (about as comfy as Night & Day but a little less clarity). What is the difference between Optix Night & Day and Biofinity (diff in thickness, specs, etc). And is there another brand I should consider that has the clarity of Night & Day but more comfy? Thanks.

  5. @Jackie. I think Night and Day has great optics that are probably attributable to the lens thickness. Probably the thickest soft lens on the market, there is currently nothing like it.

  6. Jackie says:

    Thanks!

  7. MG says:

    Hello Doc,

    I recently started wearing biofinity. I love them.

    I have a question regarding soaking it overnight. The pattern in which I wear them is a little different. I wear them day long, sleep with them. I take them off during shower and put it back on. so its like 10- 20 mins of soaking each day. Is that enough?

    Thanks,
    MG

  8. Aquify advertises that it can disinfect your lenses in five minutes. The rest say four hours or overnight.
    Also, if your doctor has approved your eyes for continuous/extended wear in Biofinity, they should be taken out overnight at least once per week according to the destructions. I don’t get really worried about showering in your lenses. Hot tubs, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools are the risky environs.

  9. Ben says:

    Great review, thanks! I was using Focus night & day for more than 2 years and when I went to see a doctor to get a new prescription, I was told that the brand name changed into Air Optix. I thought it was all right and wanted go with Air Optix, but after a week I started having very bad eye irritations. It was unbearable, so I went so see the doctor again. I ended up using eye drops and ointments for 2 weeks and used my glasses. I tried the Air Optix again and after a week, same problem. I took them out and not using them until they undo whatever change they made to the night & day. So I have been trying new brands. Purevision: not so comfortable. Now I was given Biofinity and told I could wear it for a week without taking them out. I want a contact lens that I can wear for at least a week without taking them and use for 2-4 weeks, I haven’t tried Acuvue products yet, so my question is how would you compare Biofinity and Acuvue (comparable product) to Night & Day (not Air Optix)? Thank you!

  10. AV comes in a tighter fitting curve and a looser fit curve while the Biofinity comes in a middle of the road curve. Depending on your cornea, you could be able to wear either one. The AV is a great two week lens but a poor one month lens while the Biofinity is made for one month.
    Ask your eye doctor to see if you can try them both out.

  11. Teresa says:

    Your comment about swimming with contacts being risky is worrying me… I am wearing contacts again after Lasik (worked great for about 7 years, with reading glasses only)… and was hoping I could swim in the gym pool with contacts because I sure can’t do any kind of sport without some kind of visual assistance. My bioinfinity work seem to well +3.00 and +3.75… (tried Acuvue but they were very painful — I think it was the material they were made of.) So back to the point, you don’t recommend swimming with them? What can I do to see and swim again? Would swim goggles over contacts make it safer? Thank you —

  12. admin says:

    @Teresa It’s a little like eating food after it touches a latrine for a few seconds. Only…risking stomach flu isn’t the same thing as risking a blinding eye infection, which could happen if you wear your contacts the rest of the day after they’ve been exposed to the filth of swimming pool/hot tub water.

    I think microbiology should be mandatory in high school.

    How to swim with contacts: two different pair, regular and swimming. Take your swimming pair out as soon as you are done with the pool and disinfect it with Optifree or ClearCare. Wear out of the locker room your regular pair or your glasses.

    I personally wear daily disposable contacts for swimming/hot tubs. If I loose it in the water then it’s no big deal because I was going to toss it in the locker room anyway.

  13. Mathilda says:

    When you are talking about Night and Day, are you talking about the old one or the new one? Cause’ i’ve heard that the new one (Night and Day Aqua) is supposed to be bad but the old one is good.

  14. admin says:

    @ Mathilda I’m talking about both. The cosmetic redesign of the Night and Day packaging, and the blue handling tint, plus the “OK” inversion indicator, and the “Aqua” additive in the saline of the blister pack are the only differences between old and new Night & Day.

    I’ve only ever heard one patient tell me they could tell a difference between the new Night & Day vs. the old, and I’m skeptical that they are discernible. The only reason I like the old better is because it’s clear instead of the blue handling tint. I dislike having a faint blue ring on the whites of my eyes, and it’s one of the few contacts that come perfectly clear.

  15. Teri Szucs says:

    The reason I landed in your page is because I too notice the difference between the old and the new optix, I have the same story as Ben, I ended up with a corneal ulcer with the new ones, they get dry and dirty much faster and half of times I have remove them through the month to clean them they just shred.
    I want the old ones back.

  16. Andy says:

    I like the information and the comparisons and I have to say that I agree with most of it. There seems to be a bigger difference between lenses like oasys / biofinity than oasys / ciba

    Based on the responses that we have gotten in our office, it seems that most patients care for the biofinity over the oasys when switched from oasys to biofinity. However, if switched from oasys to ciba the response is a love or hate deal (50/50).

  17. Dan says:

    I currently use Biomedics 38. I don’t have dry eyes until I wear my lenses. Should I try a lense with more water content? I’d like to try the Biofinity.

  18. Darlene says:

    I just tried a pair of Biofinity. I also had Lasek in 1999 The power of these lens are +1.50 and -.50 I am having a problem with the left eye as when I blink it bounces. Any suggestions?

  19. Dale says:

    I am wearing Biofinity (well, actually, the package sample I got from my doc is labeled as CooperVision SiH 48, but that seems to be the same thing as Biofinity).
    I’m only trying these because I wore Night & Day lenses for years & was happy. Since the name change (& I’m told the only change was the OK logo & the blue tint), the Night & Day lenses now slide around on my eye. I’ve tried two pair of the new Night & Day lenses with the same result (thought I think it defies logic, it is happening).

  20. Lori says:

    I wore the CSI contact lenses for many years with no problems and they corrected my vision perfectly. They were a daily wear lens but not a disposable. I generally got about 2 years of good wear out of them. CIBA discontinued this lens just when I went to get a new pair this year, so my eye doctor had me try some other lenses( 2 types of Air Optics that left my eyes in such bad shape I needed a month of ointments and drops before trying anything else). So far the Bioinfinity is the one that I have been able to tolerate the best, but it doesn’t seem to do as great of a job correcting my vision and it drys out much faster (I can only get a full day out of them for about the first week to 10 days at most. After that, the time that I can wear them gets progressively shorter). Can you suggest any other lenses that might be closer to the old CSI lenses? I have worn contacts for 35 years and never had these problems before.

    • @Lori
      CSI is apparantly made from crofilcon A which is a Group 1, low water, non-ionic polymer. A very similar material still on the market is Bausch and Lomb Soflens 38. So if the comfort your eyes experience with the CSI was owed to material, try the Soflens 38.
      If it was comfortable due to lens design (curve, edge design, thickness), then it’s going to be trial and error with finding a current lens that your eyes and eyelids will like.
      Good Luck!

  21. Brian says:

    Hi, I haven’t worn contacts in about 20 years because I’ve been allergic to the material. My doc fitted me with the Biofinity Toric today. My eyes haven’t started itching but I can definitely feel them. Is there a contact made for stigmatism that has a coating to alleviate the allergy? Thank you

    [Note from Webmaster: Brian. Thank you for your question. Please ask your doctor. That is what you are paying him for. If he charges you extra for contact lens followup appointments within a couple months of your initial evaluation, I would suggest reminding him that there are plenty of eye doctors out there that don’t charge for contact lens follow-up visits during the first month or two after you get a prescription.

    But since you asked, I know of no particular contact lenses that have a better material to negate your allergies. If you really do have an allergy to certain polymers, that would be trial and error in finding out what lens could work for you.

    Perhaps you really had an allergy to a contact lens solution. If so, I would try the Clear Care contact lens care system. Read the instructions carefully, since it is H2O2.

    If it’s really just allergies in general and not to a contact lens polymer or particular contact lens multi-purpose solution, there are other options. Depending on your severity and orientation (axis) of astigmatism, you can try daily disposable contacts which have the advantage of not building up allergens on the lens since you just toss them after one day. Also ask your doctor about trying the Clear Care contact lens care system and also ask if a prescription for anti-allergy eye drop could be indicated for you.]

  22. Allison says:

    If I find that my Biofinity lenses are starting to feel dry and uncomfortable after about a week to a week and a half of wear…is that a material problem? I’m not finding them breathable at all. They get a foggy buildup on them, requiring me to constantly re-wet with drops, or take them out and rinse them, only to have it build up again within minutes after re-wetting or rinsing. Am I doing something wrong, or is this typical with these lenses? I’m having a heck of a time, and I am almost unable to tolerate this any longer! I’ve never had problems like this before with contacts. Sure, they get dry if you wear them all day long or once they start to reach the end of their wear-life…but I’ve never started having trouble only a week in. I am having to change them much more frequently than necessary, which is frustrating because they’re expensive! Any feedback would be great…I want to call my eye doctor about changing lenses, but I’d like to have an idea of what would be better for me before I call them. 🙂 Thanks!

  23. lc says:

    I miss my focus Night and Day. I don’t know what to do. The new Air Optics replacement are totally different, can’t wear them, irritate my eyes, PERIOD. I guess it is the new solution they are immersed in which can’t really be removed or washed off, according to CIBA. I was thinking of trying the Biofinity but I guess not. It seems like all the REGULAR PLAIN CONTACTS that always worked fine are being discontinued! I wore plain Bausch & Lomb since 1976 and don’t even know which Bausch & Lomb may work now but am going to go back to them somehow.

  24. Jamie says:

    I have very dry eyes, and wanted to wear contacts again after going 10yrs without them. My optometrist was very patient with helping me find the perfect contact for my eyes. I think we tried 4 different kinds. The ONLY contact that I could wear a full day, without needing to constantly rewet with eyedrops, are the Coopervision Proclear Compatibles. They are made very thin, and some people complain about them tearing easily, but I have not had that problem with them at all. If you have very sensitive, dry eyes…I would suggest giving them a try!

  25. dr doc says:

    Hello i just got my contacts, i have a biofinity torc in my left eye and a biofinity in the right. Well so far so good. But a little off. Was use to weaing freshlook. Which was biweekly now im wearing monthly. Would be any damage from going to biweekly to wearing them for a month.

  26. Manjila Nakarmi says:

    I was using Acuvue monthly disposable lenses when I came from Asia and when I came to US I changed to biofinity, Although biofinity feels fresh in the morning after continuous use of about 12 hours my eyes feels irritated and a burning sensation persists until I rest my eyes. But I guess it is just that my eyes can’t handle continuous use. But as I read other comments, I wondered, if I get a daily wear lens for swimming, I can still use them and using contacts in water is not so harmful if I change them immediately, is it??

  27. Nina Jo Edelman says:

    I have been using biofinity multifocal for 3 months now. Although they are supposed to be month lenses, I find that they tear within the first week to 2 weeks. Am I doing something wrong? Is there a different type I could try. Would love to have day and night lenses, would that help? Thanks