Where to Buy Colored Contact Lenses? Online or Nearby Stores?

In some countries like the United States, colored contact lenses (also known as decorative, fashion, or costume contact lenses) are considered medical devices and fall under the regulation of the U.S. FDA. They are not a "one size fits all" solution. Before purchasing, it's essential to have your eyes measured by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

Never buy contact lenses from places that don't require a prescription. According to the US FDA's use and purchase guide for colored contacts, avoid:

• street vendors
• salons or beauty supply stores
• boutiques
• flea markets
• novelty stores
• Halloween stores
• record or video stores
• convenience stores
• beach shops
• Internet sites that do not require a prescription

Just knowing where not to buy is not enough - where can you buy colored contact lenses? Keep reading to discover reliable sources, whether you need them for vision correction, desire a natural or eye-enlarging effect, or seek options for daily wear or Halloween cosplay.

Where to Order Prescription Colored Contacts?

🛒 Shop Prescription Colored Contacts at TTDeye >

Prescription colored contact lenses can change your eye color and also correct vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. TTDeye provides power ratings including -1.00, -1.25, -1.50, -1.75, -2.00, -2.25, -4.50, -4.75, -5.00, -5.50, -6.00, -6.50, -7.00, -7.50, and -8.00. Cover the majority of myopic sufferers.

You can find natural-looking colored prescription contacts at TTDeye like Polar Lights Brown and Trinity Green, as well as popular cosplay choices like Zombie Curse White and Darknight Black.

Where to Buy Non-Prescription Colored Contacts?

🛒 Buy Plano Prescription Color Contacts at TTDeye >

What are non-prescription colored contact lenses? Let's delve into this question first. Colored contacts with no prescription do not offer any level of vision correction and are just for fun.

It doesn't mean that you don't need a prescription when buying non-prescription colored contact lenses. Instead, you'll need to provide a "Plano(0.00)" prescription to prove that you have good vision.

Some popular options at TTDeye include Polar Lights Grey, Himalaya Grey, Daisy Blue, etc.

Where to Get Natural-Looking Colored Contacts?

🛒 Order Natural Color Contact Lenses at TTDeye >

Natural colored contact lenses are the best choices for daily wear. TTDeye is famous for its realistic and natural-looking color contacts and circle lenses, allowing you to enhance or enlarge your eyes secretly.

Where to Buy Halloween Contact Lenses?

🛒 Get Halloween Colored Contacts at TTDeye >

TTDEYE also offers a number of Halloween styles for cosplay! With our decorative contact lenses, you can temporarily make your eyes look like vampire eyes, cat eyes, zombie eyes, devil eyes, demon eyes, werewolf eyes, etc., for Halloween. See 16+ Halloween makeup ideas.

Check out how our colored contacts (such as Zombie Curse White, Vampire Red, and Darknight Black) for Halloween look on fashion folks here.

Where to Purchase Circle Lenses?

🛒 Buy Big Circle Lenses at TTDeye >

Circle lenses are a type of colored contact lenses that make your eyes look bigger. They are tinted not only in areas that cover the iris of the eye, but also prominently in the extra-wide outer rim of the lens.

TTDeye offers various diameters including 14.0mm, 14.2mm, 14.4mm, and 14.5mm and our lenses come in a range of shades like black, brown, blue, green, grey, pink, and yellow. Our best collections include:

- Trinity Brown, Green & Grey | 14.0mm

- Immersing Blue, Brown & Grey | 14.2mm

- Edge Grey, Yellow-Green & Brown | 14.4mm

- Norko Green, Grey, Blue & Brown | 14.5mm

Where to Buy Colored Contacts in Store?

In addition to buying colored contact lenses online, you can also locate nearby retailers. Go to an eye doctor first and make sure the lenses match your prescription, even if you don't need corrective lenses. Try the following places:

- Eye care clinics

- Retail optical stores

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it safe to buy colored contact lenses online?

Yes, it is safe to buy color contact lenses online, provided you purchase from reputable sources and adhere to prescription guidelines. TTDeye is a reliable online retailer of colored lenses, approved by the FDA, CE, and ISO, with a high customer rating on Trustpilot.

💡 Check out TTDeye's Prescription Verification Process >

2. How old do you have to be to buy colored eye contacts?

There isn't a specific age limit for buying color contacts. The decision depends on the child's ability to use and care for the lenses. On average, eye care professionals often recommend contact lenses for individuals between 11 and 14 years old.

3. How do I get colored contacts?

Whether you buy colored contact lenses online or offline, follow these guidelines:

1) Schedule an eye exam with a licensed eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist), even if your vision seems fine.

2) Obtain a valid prescription containing details like the brand name, lens measurements, and longevity of lenses.

3) Purchase the lenses from a seller who requires a prescription, whether it's an in-person or online transaction.

Final Words

Now you know where you can buy colored contact lenses, whether online or at nearby stores.

TTDeye stands out as a trustworthy online destination. Offering a diverse selection, TTDeye provides options ranging from prescription to non-prescription (Plano), catering to various preferences such as natural looks, eye-enlarging effects, and choices for both daily wear and Halloween cosplay.

🛒 Shop all colored contacts at TTDeye here >

Once you've determined your contact needs, you'll be better prepared to find the best retailer for you. We researched dozens of online contact retailers and evaluated them for reviews, shipping speed, site experience, pricing, product selection, customer service, and return policies . An ophthalmologist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article for medical accuracy, why prescriptions are necessary, and safety considerations.

“To determine which contacts are best for you, it’s important to speak to your eye doctor regarding your contact lens routine,” explains Dr. Vanessa Hernandez, optometrist at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City. You'll want to take into account how often you want to dispose of them, how many hours per day and how many days per week you will wear your lenses, any allergies or problems with eye dryness, and if you plan to sleep or shower in them.

Contact lenses can make your life far easier for day-to-day activities like showering, driving, and exercising, even if they do require far more work than popping on a pair of glasses. Combined with the fact that contacts give wearers a wider field of vision, there are plenty of reasons to consider tackling the contact lens learning curve .

In addition to the great return policy, you have lots of brands to choose from and that customer service team can help you out with any questions you have before your order.

Filled the wrong prescription? Don’t like the way your lenses feel? No matter why you have to return your contacts, you can do so at any time—and for free. They’ll cover the cost of shipping them back, all you have to do is make sure to call the customer service center first (or email them) before packing them up. The rep will tell you what to do to get your order back, including the paperwork to fill out. It’ll take just two to three business days after you submit everything to get the cash back on your card.

If you're someone who waits by the window to watch for your package delivery, sign up for SMS notifications so you know exactly what's going on with your order (and shipping is free!). Life happens, and if you need to postpone or change your subscription, logging into your account to change the timing is a breeze. Want to cancel? Just text, email, or call and they take care of you right away.

Web Eye Care has a great selection of popular contact lenses at incredibly affordable prices, and their subscription service makes the contact-buying experience hassle-free—you can even reorder with Alexa.

Besides keeping contacts budget-friendly, Walgreens also offers tons of options for you to choose the right set. You can get daily disposables or pairs you toss after a month or a week—opt for colored lenses to change your pupil hue or focus on multifocal if you need better sight near and far.

Order popular brands like Dailies, Acuvue, or Bausch & Lomb (among others) for your everyday contact wearing. The Walgreens website often offers discounts on lenses—in fact, right now you can snag a 20 percent off deal on all contact lenses that the retailer sells.

Returns are not accepted unless there is damage or error

Coastal also offers colored contact lenses and “enhancers” that simply magnify the natural color of your eyes.

Known for their buy-one, give-one glasses, you can find more than just a pair of spectacles at Coastal. They also offer contact lenses, which you can easily order (and re-order) when you need them. If you aren’t sure how, they have an online chat option so a rep can help you out. They offer a price match guarantee, too, so you can get them inexpensively.

Besides the option to buy in-person, you can also easily order contacts online from Lenscrafters—a good idea if you’re just looking for a renewal and want to get it done quickly.

Get your eye exam and prescription and order contacts (and glasses, if you want them, too), all at Lenscrafters locations across the country. The vision care center offers a few different brands, and your eye doctor can easily suggest which would be best for you. Choose from different pack sizes, from a few dailies to a three-month supply of monthlies. You can also find contacts for different conditions like astigmatism or multifocal lenses.

"I've been ordering my contacts from 1-800 Contacts for over 10 years. I don't wear them regularly, which means sometimes my daily lens Rx changes or the lenses expire before I need to use them. Their customer service has always made it easy for me to exchange for what I need, which I really appreciate." — Nicole Kwan, Editorial Director of Verywell Health

If you decide not to do the subscription and realize you're out of lenses, you can also order a set for next-day delivery. Better yet, if your Rx changes and you still have some lenses left, you can send back the remaining unopened boxes for money toward your next order.

If you want to make sure you get a fresh set of lenses every month, then the 1800contacts.com page should get a spot on your bookmark list. You can easily input your prescription information—and update it at any time—and you'll automatically get your contacts when you need them, without even thinking about it.

Because the company has been around since 1995, they’ve got the system down, with easy navigation to order contacts online. If you do have a question, you can give them a call as well. Keep in mind, you do have to spend $99 to get free shipping with an online order at this site.

With more than 42 brands to choose from, you’ll find the best contact lenses for you—and all at an affordable price. New members also get 20 percent off on all contact lenses, so you save a little money with your first-time order.

The only downside our tester found to ordering with Discount Contact Lens is the app experience. The mobile app is just a dashboard for users with an account. To do anything beyond manage your account information, the app sends you to the website. Our tester said she wished the app could support the entire purchasing process beyond simple account management.

One of the easiest and most seamless features of the site is how you add prescriptions. On every single listing, they will show a diagram of the box and highlight exactly which numbers correspond to the entry field so even if you don’t know what the numbers mean, you can add your prescription details. Our tester chose to have Discount Contact Lens confirm the prescription with her doctor (a nice option if you don’t have it in hand), but there is also an upload tool where you can add a photo or attachment.

As a new customer, she was eligible for a 20% discount (which may fluctuate, but at time of publication was still 20% off). The site also offers several different subscription plans. You can choose the interval—they have options ranging from every two weeks to every two years. All subscription plans offer 20% off and free shipping (regular orders are eligible for free shipping over $99).

When it comes to buying contacts online there are a ton of options, but we like Discount Contacts the best because it’s easy to use, has massive brand selection, and flexible subscriptions with steep discounts. Our tester was a first-time Discount Contact Lens customer filling a new contact lens prescription. The first thing that struck her about ordering her contacts with this site was the product selection, which she called deep and extensive. “I was quickly able to find my specific contact lenses and along the way noticed that every single other brand I’ve ever worn over the last 20 years was also available,” she said.

Final Verdict

Discount Contact Lenses is a great place to look for your next pair of contacts. They offer a wide range of prices and prescriptions, and have subscription options that make getting your prescription easy. If you're not looking for a subscription service, and would rather have a one-stop-shop purchase, LensCrafters is your best bet.

How We Selected

When choosing the best places to buy contact lenses, we spoke with optometrists and spent hours combing the web for the best and most effective products. After taking all of our options into consideration, we determined which to feature based on a few key criteria as recommended by dermatologists: prescription availability, selection size, shipping time, and return policies.

The experts we talked to included:

• Vanessa Hernandez, optometrist at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in New York City.
• Brad Brocwell, optometrist and vice president of clinical operations for Now Optics

Once we narrowed down our options, we compared each treatment's benefits to its price tag. While some choices on our list may be more expensive, we wanted to give a wide range of options that would fit all needs and budgets. Based on all of these factors, we compiled this list of the best places to buy contact lenses.

What to Look for When Buying Contact Lenses

Prescription

If there’s one singularly important takeaway about buying contact lenses, it’s that you need a current eye prescription before shopping around. Why?

1. Contact lenses are medical devices. Wearing ill-fitting or incorrect lenses could actually damage your vision. You should get an eye exam once per year and verify or update your contact lens prescription accordingly. Credible vendors won’t fill prescriptions for contact lenses that are more than one or two years old.
2. Speaking of credible vendors, per the Federal Trade Commission, it’s illegal to sell any kind of contact lenses to someone without a legitimate prescription.
   This includes cosmetic lenses, like ones that simply change the color of your iris without correcting your vision. 
3. You may need a different type of contact lens based on your vision like if you’re near-sighted versus far-sighted or have astigmatism in one or both eyes. This is something only an eye doctor can tell you based on an eye exam. Sometimes different eyes need different accommodations, too, so knowing your specific vision needs for both your left and right eyes is critical.

If you already wear glasses, you can’t use your glasses prescription to buy contacts. Contacts correct your vision in a totally different way than glasses—including measurements for the curve and diameter of your eye—so you need a prescription specifically designed to work for contacts.

Daily Lenses vs. Monthly Lenses

Whatever your normal day-to-day optical needs are, there’s probably a lens type to suit them.

For example, people with severe seasonal or environmental allergies might want to choose daily disposable lenses; over time, longer-wear lenses may accumulate too much microscopic dust, pollen, and debris to be kept in place comfortably. On the other hand, if you work long shifts, unpredictable hours, or travel frequently, lenses that can be worn for one month at a time—through every activity including sleep—could be better for you.

“The most popular and arguably the healthiest contact lens option is the daily disposable lenses," says Brad Brocwell, optometrist and vice president of clinical operations for Now Optics. "They offer the benefit of a fresh clean lens every morning for an everyday wearer, convenience for the part-time or occasional wearer, and are also great for first-time wearers and younger patients that might lack a little responsibility.”

Convenience

Since contacts are a bigger inconvenience than glasses in terms of maintenance, you probably want to minimize the strain on both your budget and your supply.

“Convenience is a big factor and if you prefer to purchase your supply throughout the year, online retailers can offer more flexibility and mail your supply quarterly,” says Dr. Hernandez.

On the other hand, you may be more limited when committing to auto-deliveries from a particular company. 

“Subscription-based contact lens services offer convenience as well as peace of mind,” says Brocwell, “[but] the disadvantage is some subscription-based sites only offer their own private label contact lenses, which may not be the best choice or modality for some customers.”

Legitimacy

Look into all your available options to find a seller that will offer you the most affordable contact lenses, and do some research to make sure that the seller is maintaining a high level of quality service. 

Specifically, you should verify that:

• the company only sells contacts approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA);
• the company requires a current prescription from customers;
• the company is not plagued with poor online reviews and/or complaints to consumer regulation boards;
• and the company does not make unauthorized changes to your prescription or attempt to sell you a similar but cheaper or lesser-known brand than the one your doctor prescribed.

“Companies who offer to change the prescription without a visit to the eye doctor will often use a subpar contact lens that uses outdated technology and materials,” explains Dr. Hernandez, “which increases the risk for complications and infections in contact lenses.”

Safety

Most people can safely wear contacts without damaging their vision, but there are rare cases when contacts aren’t compatible with your eyes. This includes medical conditions that cause excessive dryness or inflammation, certain kinds of allergies or infections, or if you work around a lot of environmental debris. 

Also, keep in mind that correct maintenance of your contacts is hugely important; your contacts are only safe to wear if they’re being cleaned, stored, and disposed of properly. Failure to maintain your contacts can easily lead to eye infections that could, if left untreated, damage your vision temporarily or even permanently. 

Verywell / Sarah Vanbuskirk

Frequently Asked Questions

• How often should you replace your contacts?

  That depends on the style of contacts you and your doctor agree on. With the exception of gas permeable or scleral lenses, which can last for years with proper care, most contacts have a shelf life of three months at the most. That doesn’t apply to all lenses, however: if you’re opting for daily disposables, weekly, or monthly lenses, you’ll need to follow the replacement schedule outlined by the manufacturer of your contacts.

• Do you need a prescription to order contacts?

  You should have a prescription from your doctor. If a website claims you can order contacts without a prescription, you should steer clear—it’s not a legitimate retailer. The FDA has mandated that contact lenses cannot be sold without a valid prescription. Even if you are only ordering contacts for cosmetic reasons, like wanting to change your eye color or the physical appearance of your eye, you still need a current prescription from an eye doctor.

  You also need to make sure you’ve told your doctor about wanting to wear contact lenses (either along with or instead of glasses). Contact lens prescriptions are different from eyeglass prescriptions because contacts are inserted into your eyes and are considered medical devices. You won’t be able to order contacts with a prescription for eyeglasses.

• How much do contacts cost?

  The price for contacts varies based on how many you’re purchasing. Contact lens boxes often come in packs with a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month supply. For a 3-month supply, you can expect to pay between $30 to $100 per month. Discount Contact Lens, our top pick, offers 3-month supplies ranging between $30 to $50. And they often offer 20% off for first-time customers. Some ways to lower the cost of contact lenses include using free shipping codes, buying larger quantities at a time, or buying them with a Healthcare Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through insurance.

Why Trust Verywell Health

Mallory Creveling is a health and fitness writer and ACE-certified personal trainer living in Brooklyn, NY. She previously worked on staff at Shape magazine for more than four years and worked as the associate health editor at Family Circle magazine for nearly two years.

Additional reporting for this story by Sarah Bradley

Sarah Bradley has been writing health content since 2017—everything from product roundups and illness FAQs to nutrition explainers and the dish on diet trends. She knows how important it is to receive trustworthy and expert-approved advice about over-the-counter products that manage everyday health conditions, from GI issues and allergies to chronic headaches and joint pain.