Best inexpensive contact lens solution

**shoiji** · 05-26-2010, 03:16 PM

Well I finally broke down and got contacts again. With my need for bifocals and wanting no-line bifocal glasses I realized I could get contacts for the same amount. Around here the price for non-line bifocals has realy gone up. I went to America's Best. I do not have any eye care insurance.

So now I am looking at all the different types of contact lens solutions out there. I have soft contact lenses. What type of solution do you use. The doctor only seemed to suggest possibly using the Wal-mart solution or the more expensive name brand. He did not seem very positive about other store brand solutions. So let me know what you use. I realize I need to use coupons and match with sales.

Thanks in advance.

**Darlene** · 05-26-2010, 03:57 PM

Our family likes the Walmart equate brand multi purpose solution. All in one that: cleans, rinses. stores & disinfects your lenses. We buy it in a twin pack, each bottle is 12 oz. Bonus is it's not expensive even without coupons.

**savvy_sniper** · 05-26-2010, 04:17 PM

Shop around and check the store brand prices. Walmart's Equate will probably be the best priced. I wore contacts for years and bought whatever brand was cheapest/on sale and never had any problems.

Be sure to check the date on the bottle. I wouldn't buy it if it is past the date or very close to the date. I have used an open bottle I had past the date with no problems.

**starsapphire** · 05-26-2010, 06:35 PM

Ditto the Walmart brand.

**frugalfriend** · 05-26-2010, 07:04 PM

I use the Walmart Equate brand multi-purpose solution too. Works great! The double pack saves money over buying the individual bottles.

**Libby** · 05-26-2010, 07:41 PM

I had issues with the store brand

I kept getting re-occuring eye infections. What my eye doc told me that the stores won't tell you is that they buy up the avail solution at the time of packaging and use that as their own 'store brand'. (I thought I was getting the best bargain by buying store brand too)

So if Allergan sold to Walmart in the fall, by the time summer hits you could be buying leftovers from Alcon all packaged as Walmart's Equate brand. Not everyone has sensitive eyes but paying a lil bit more for a consistent product each time spared me from unnecessary future eye infections along with all the discomfort and meds required to treat it.

To me, thats the best inexpensive contact lens solution.

On a side note: my eye doc office sells contacts and solutions and buying the brand name from them in the twin pack was substantially cheaper then buying it at the drug store or big box store. Shop around.

**baronmom** · 05-26-2010, 09:13 PM

I find that hard to believe that they use left over solution. Many factories package not only the name brand stuff but also the generic stuff as well. There is no way that they would be able to get away with using the old solution which of course has an expiration date on it.

**Libby** · 05-26-2010, 09:21 PM

Sorry - I should've clarified, this is just an example so don't quote me:

One truck drives around collecting one name brand's 'no rub' solution and say the truck is filled 75% then it drives over to the other name brand's facilities and tops off with 25% of their 'no rub' solution.

The next time they need to make more - it could be 50/50 or 30/70 - the point is the mix is never the same thus an inconsistent product. Not expired product.

By 'leftover' I mean the company batches so much volume to fill "x" # of bottles - should for some unforseen reason they're short bottles due to a damaged shipment, they've overbatched solution so it just sits until the product is ready to run again. This would be the stuff sold off in bulk to make 'store brand' version of lens solutions.

This was how it was explained to me by the eye doc who got used to seeing me bi-weekly with eye infections. I told him I was using the Walmart brand loyally and he suggested trying one brand name only for a while to see results - it worked. I'm not sure which other brands I'm allergic to but I'm not changing unless I have to but again as mentioned in my previous post - I do have sensitive eyes.

**frugalfranny** · 05-26-2010, 11:33 PM

I use WM Equate too.

I will sometimes buy the drops that remove protein deposits....little tiny bottle but it lasts a long time.......only use a drop.

**ktsmama** · 05-27-2010, 09:43 AM

I use the WM brand when I need it in a hurry, but I normally buy the Sam's brand (probably the same stuff).

**shoiji** · 05-28-2010, 06:51 PM

Thanks everyone. Will go to Wal-mart and buy a double pack and try it out.

**Jerseygirl** · 06-10-2010, 07:08 PM

I don't wear contacts, but in the past 8 months I have gotten 28 large bottles of name brands for free for family from Walgreens and CVS, also travel size renew brand from Target and CVS.
Between matching coupons with their rewards programs, they are often paying me to take it out of the store, keep an eye out and stock up!!! Good luck!

**starsapphire** · 06-10-2010, 10:36 PM

I have just recently discovered Clear Care made by Ciba Vision which, while not inexpensive, works better for me than the multipurpose solutions. Cleans them better and helps with the dry eye problem. Its different than the multipurpose solutions - its a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution that converts to an inert saline solution after six hours. And no - you don't put it in your eyes, you only soak your lenses in it in a special case thats included and use plain saline solution or rewetting drops for anything else. I really like it.