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Contact lenses online: what you need to know before buying
Specifications, materials, expert advice and safety when shopping online
Buying contact lenses online is convenient and quick, but it requires care. Contact lenses are medical devices that must be chosen and used correctly, in accordance with professional guidance and precise specifications.
This Isolani guide helps you understand what information to check, why you shouldn’t make the decision on your own, and how to shop safely.
Transparency and verifiability: the foundation for a secure purchase
The safety of buying contact lenses online depends on being able to check all the information clearly and immediately. For this reason, Isolani provides official pages dedicated to each stage of the purchase process, so that customers can check the details, terms and conditions, and consumer protections for themselves.
• Terms and Conditions – full company details, registered office, operational headquarters and official contact details
• Deliveries and payments – secure payment methods, HTTPS protocols and traceability
• Returns – clear and transparent procedures
• Warranty – product protection and after-sales service
• Contact Us – telephone, email and a direct form for expert support
• Tax deduction – official information on contact lenses and prescription glasses
This structure of verifiable information makes the online shopping experience secure, clear and completely transparent.
1. Contact lens specifications: what they mean
Each contact lens has specific parameters that must be adhered to:
• Power (PWR / SPH) – the spherical value of the correction
• Cylinder (CYL) and axis (AX / AXIS) – found in toric lenses for astigmatism
• Addition (ADD) – recommended for multifocal or progressive contact lenses
• Radius of curvature (BC) – a geometric parameter relating to the lens’s seating
• Diameter (DIA) – helps with alignment and stability
• Material – affects the lens’s performance and comfort
• Instructions for use and replacement – daily, fortnightly, monthly or as scheduled
These parameters are not interchangeable: changing the brand, material or geometry without professional assessment may compromise comfort and safety.
Please note: the lens strength is merely a starting point. Very often, the specifications of contact lenses differ, as the distance between the lens and the eye, the geometry and the way in which the correction is applied all vary. For toric and multifocal lenses, the cylinder, axis and addition also come into play. Converting the prescription yourself is therefore risky: it can lead to ordering a lens with the wrong power or parameters. Before buying a new pair, you should use the exact same lens that has already been fitted and checked.
The limit specified for the product is not a target
The port time on a single day and the replacement cycle The lens’s specifications are not the same as the actual wearing schedule. The product information describes the recommended wearing schedule and the maximum limits for which the lens is intended; it does not automatically specify how many hours are appropriate for each individual. A realistic wearing schedule is established during fitting, taking into account individual response, tear production, lens centration, lens movement, comfort and actual usage.
A practical example is a day at the beach. Contact lenses must be removed before swimming; if they come into contact with water, they must be taken out as soon as possible. A daily lens should be discarded, whilst a reusable lens must be cleaned and disinfected properly before being worn again. Even without going in the water, wind, sand and a very long day may make it sensible to plan to remove them earlier, rather than automatically leaving them in until late at night.
There are specialised solutions for seeing clearly in the water: at our Centri Isolani centres, we can provide prescription swimming goggles and prescription diving masks, depending on the prescription, the model and the activity. Prescription swimming goggles can often be a simple and affordable solution, costing just a few tens of euros; for diving, the choice is more specific and also takes into account the field of vision and the conditions of use.
Contact lenses are not a substitute for glasses: They add a sense of freedom to your day. Even those who use them regularly should have a Up-to-date and properly adjusted glasses, ready for when it’s time to remove your contact lenses or when they aren’t the most suitable option. True comfort comes from knowing how to alternate between the two options according to the agreed schedule, your activities and your actual needs.
Attempting to work out wearing times yourself is just as risky as adjusting the lens power on your own: it can increase the risk of infections and complications, some of which may be serious. In some cases, it may be necessary to stop wearing the lenses for an extended period; it is always up to the ophthalmologist to assess any symptoms or consequences.
Find out more about the daily rules in the Isolani’s comprehensive guide to contact lenses. Further information: CDC e FDA.
2. Why a professional assessment is needed
Contact lenses are not chosen on the basis of your spectacle prescription. A professional assessment enables you to determine:
• individual responses to the materials
• compatibility between the lens and the ocular surface
• the stability and centring of the lens
• everyday visual needs
• the most suitable shipping methods
The starting point remains the optometrist’s prescription. The technical application then makes it possible to identify and verify the lens that matches that prescription, without having to work out the parameters independently from the spectacle prescription.
3. Isolani Professional Contact Lens Fitting
Contact lens practice is a technical field that requires specialist expertise. Isolani was one of the first centres in Italy to fit contact lenses: in the 1960s and 1970s, people from all over Italy came to Genoa to be treated by our specialists.
Today, the head office has a department dedicated to contact lens fitting, with 8 specialist professionals. This experience is not confined to a single location: it is shared with opticians at all Centri Isolani branches through ongoing training, joint practical workshops and staff rotation. The aim is to maintain a consistent approach to work and the same level of technical expertise, regardless of which branch is chosen.
To help you find your way around first-time application, types, maintenance and repurchasing, start with the Isolani’s comprehensive guide to contact lenses. If, on the other hand, you need to start or review the application, find out about the process of Isolani Advanced Contact Lens Practice.
Before buying contact lenses online, it is essential to have an up-to-date professional assessment and never to change the brand, material or specifications without the guidance of a qualified contact lens specialist.
4. How to buy contact lenses online safely
Once you have determined the correct specifications, you can buy contact lenses online safely. The Isolani e-commerce site guides you through the process of entering your details and offers only genuine products from leading manufacturers.
The following are available for each product:
• comprehensive technical data sheets
• materials and features
• instructions for use and replacement
• available pack sizes and quantities
If you have any queries, Isolani’s customer support is available by telephone, email and via the dedicated form.
5. Genuine, specialist support
Customer support is a key factor in making a secure purchase. Isolani provides direct support via:
• telephone: 010 362 3053
• email: eshop@isolani.com
• dedicated module: /it/contact-us
The answers are provided by opticians and specialist professionals.
6. Secure payments and buyer protection
Isolani uses HTTPS protocols and certified systems to secure transactions. Full details are available on the page:
Furthermore, the e-commerce site is certified Trusted Shops, which insures every purchase up to €2,500.
7. Delivery, returns and warranty
Before making a purchase, it is important to be aware of the delivery times, procedures and terms and conditions. Isolani provides dedicated pages:
8. Tax deduction
Contact lenses may be eligible for tax relief. Isolani provides a dedicated guide:
Frequently asked questions before buying online
Is the prescription for glasses the same as that for contact lenses?
Not necessarily: very often the values differ. The spectacle prescription is a starting point, whilst the power and parameters of the contact lens must be derived from a fitting that has already been carried out and verified.
What information should I check on the packaging?
Exact name of the lens, PWR or SPH, BC and DIA; for toric lenses, also CYL and AX or AXIS; for multifocal lenses, also ADD. The size and number of lenses must match those in the pack you have already used.
Can I switch to a different brand whilst keeping the same numbers?
No, not on its own. Materials and geometries may vary even when certain values appear to be identical. Online re-purchases must relate to lenses that have already been fitted and checked.
Is the Isolani contact lens service available at all centres?
Yes. The head office has a dedicated department and team of specialists; their expertise and working methods are shared with all the centres through training sessions, joint practical workshops and staff rotation.
Can I wear the contact lenses for the maximum period stated?
Not automatically. The wear limit specified for the product is not a personal target: the wear time is determined during fitting, based on the individual’s response, the behaviour of the lens and their daily activities.
Are contact lenses tax-deductible?
These may be classified as deductible expenses provided the relevant criteria are met. For details of the required documents and conditions, please refer to the dedicated Isolani guide.
The information on this page is provided for information purposes only and relates to the optical and commercial sectors. It does not contain any medical, clinical or diagnostic content.