One of the perks of being an optometrist-in-training is that I am able to receive free contact lenses through numerous contact lens companies. My optometry school, Salus University, calls this the “Student Comp Program,” and through this service, I can try many different contact lenses so I can trial all the products and make recommendations for my patients.
Johnson & Johnson is one of the contact lens manufacturing companies that participate in this program, so I have been able to try both the Acuvue Oasys 1 Day and the 1 Day Acuvue Moist for an extended period of time. Both of these are among the best daily contacts available.
When considering what type of lens I am looking for, it all comes down to convenience for me. For this reason, I choose to wear daily lenses because they are more convenient to travel with, easy to take out and pitch before bed time, and easy to handle for insertion and removal. They are also the healthiest contact lens option for me and the most comfortable option as well.
I have around -6.00 diopters of myopia in both eyes, so I am pretty nearsighted without my glasses or contacts. Thankfully I do not have astigmatism, so I do not require a toric contact lens prescription and I have more lens options because of this. I typically wear my lenses for 10-15 hours a day. I prefer wearing my contacts because I don’t have to deal with the thick lenses in glasses, and I feel like I have more peripheral, sharper vision with my contacts.
Below is my comprehensive review of the Acuvue Oasys 1 Day and the 1 Day Acuvue Moist contact lenses. It is important to mention that everyone will have a different experience with trialing lenses since everyone has unique eyes and visual demands. This is just my personal experience with the lenses and yours may differ, which is okay!
Acuvue Oasys 1 Day Overview
Acuvue Oasys 1 Day with HydraLuxe was released in 2016 from Johnson & Johnson Vision.
The HydraLuxe technology incorporated into the lenses features a tear-inspired design that mimics the natural properties of human tears. The lens provides Class 1 (the best class) UV protection and boasts that it is superior to other daily disposable lenses in reducing dry eye symptoms from digital strain.
This lens is available for toric/astigmatism prescriptions. The lens is made out of a silicone hydrogel material that allows for superior oxygen transmission. These lenses are NOT approved for overnight wear, as there are currently no daily disposable lenses approved for such wear. The non-daily disposable option of this lens, however, is FDA approved for extended/overnight wear.
The cost for a 90 pack of spherical lenses (not astigmatism) typically ranges from $90-110. You can use the price comparison page for Acuvue Oasys 1 Day 90 Pack to see the current prices different stores offer. At this time, these contacts are eligible for Acuvue’s rebate program.
For a more direct competitor, check out the Bausch and Lomb Infuse vs Acuvue Oasys.
1 Day Acuvue Moist Overview
1 Day Acuvue Moist daily disposable lenses were released in 2006 from Johnson & Johnson Vision. This is known to be the best-selling daily disposable contact lens brand in the world.
The lens incorporates LACERON Technology that permanently imbeds a water-holding ingredient into the lens that allows for high water content. The lens is made out of ionic hydrogel, which does not have a high oxygen transmission compared to lenses made out of silicone hydrogel.
The lens boasts a water content of 58% which is higher than the water content in Acuvue Oasys 1 Day. The lens provides Class 2 UV protection. This lens is available for toric/astigmatism prescriptions. These lenses are NOT approved for overnight wear, as there are currently no daily disposable lenses approved for such wear.
The cost for a 90 pack of spherical lenses (not astigmatism) ranges from $60-90. You can use the price comparison page for 1-Day Acuvue Moist 90 Pack to see the current prices different stores offer. At this time, these contacts are eligible for Acuvue’s rebate program.
Are Acuvue Oasys 1 Day or 1 Day Acuvue Moist Better?
The simple answer is neither lens is “better” than the other. However, both contact lens brands are better in different areas.
I did not personally prefer one brand over the other – they were equal in comfort, vision, insertion, removal. Both lenses did not dry out by the end of the day and both did not cause any lens awareness in my eye. I have been wearing lenses for 15 years and I do not consider myself a “picky” contact lens wearer so for me, both lenses were equally great. However many other wearers of these lenses have a preference due to their specific visual needs and ocular comfort levels.
A patient that prefers a wetter lens that contains more moisture throughout the day might prefer the 1 Day Acuvue Moist lens. At the same time, a patient who prefers more oxygen transmission might find the Acuvue Oasys 1 Day lens more comfortable.
With that said, studies conducted by Acuvue found that patients found Acuvue Oasys 1 Day to be more comfortable.
A patient who is more cost-conscious and who does not notice a big difference in comfort will prefer the 1 Day Acuvue Moist lenses since they have been on the market longer and tend to be a little cheaper compared to Acuvue Oasys 1 Day. A patient who wants the premium, best lens on the market in terms of lens technology will prefer the Acuvue Oasys 1 Day lens since it is a newer, more advanced lens.
Case in point, each lens is better for different patients depending on what they want out of the lenses, so it is important to talk with your eye doctor and work with them to determine which lens will be best for you.
Are 1 Day Acuvue Moist or Acuvue Oasys 1 Day Contacts More Comfortable?
In my personal experience of trialing these lenses, I honestly do not notice a difference in comfort between the two brands. I will say that I don’t particularly feel that I am a “picky” patient when it comes to lenses, so this might be why I do not notice a difference.
I have been wearing soft contact lenses for around 15 years now, and I typically do not have an issue with comfort with a majority of the lenses I’ve worn in the past.
Both lenses feel great upon insertion, with no discomfort or pain. I do not experience any lens awareness with either lens, and both lenses provide clear, sharp vision throughout the day and do not dry out later in the evening.
As mentioned before, this is just my own personal experience, and the comfort of lenses will differ from person to person. Many of my other optometry friends feel differently, however, with some saying they prefer the 1 Day Moist option and others saying that Acuvue Oasys 1 Day is better for them.
Those people who prefer the 1 Day Moist typically like it better because as the name implies, they feel wetter and more comfortable on the eye. The lens incorporates LACREON Technology and is “moisture-infused for hydration” with a water content of 58%.
Those other patients who prefer Acuvue Oasys 1-Day might like this lens because of the breathability of the lens material. This lens uses HYDRALUXE technology which “supports a stable tear film.” This lens is also made of a silicone hydrogel material, so it has a greater value of oxygen transmission compared to the 1 Day Moist lens.
How To Determine Which Contact Lens Is Right For You
As you’ve probably already gathered by now, both of these are among the best contact lenses, and each person will have a different ideal contact lens for them based on their visual demands and the anatomy of their eye. Trialing different contact lenses is the ultimate way to find what makes sense for you, as it is the best way to determine comfort and performance.
In order to find the best lens for you quickly and efficiently, work with your doctor to figure out which lenses would be the best starting point. Make sure you tell them what brands you’ve worn in the past, and why you did or did not like them. If you’ve never worn lenses before, let them know any issues you’ve had that prevented you from wearing contacts and any concerns that you have with the contact lens wearing process.
Make sure to mention whether cost is a concern and how often you’d like to wear contact lenses versus glasses. Tell them what you want to accomplish with your lenses, including ideal wear time, what distances you’d like to see clearly, and whether you have any special requests like colored lenses. Don’t feel bad if the cost of contacts is the largest driver of your decision, just be open and transparent.
As a practitioner, the patient’s contact lens history is crucial for making recommendations for lenses. I will typically look at the patient’s prescription to figure out what is available, listen to what they want to accomplish and their concerns, and consider which lenses to start with from there. I like to give patients at least a couple of different options to start with and go from there.
Thankfully there are many different contact lens manufacturers and brands that produce hundreds of contact lens options, so there is a very high chance that by working with your doctor, you’ll be able to find the lens that is right for you.
Dr. Olivia Burger, O.D. is an optometrist who graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She is pursuing a 1-year residency at the UC Berkeley School of Optometry in Vision Science in Primary Care / Contact Lens. Her optometric areas of interest include private practice, contact lenses, and optometric service organizations such as VOSH. In her free time, she enjoys live music and is a freelance concert photographer.