Compare
Specialty contact lenses, side by side
Six lens types, compared on the things that actually decide between them: what the lens rests on, how much corneal irregularity it corrects, whether it helps a dry eye, how hard it is to handle, and what it costs to keep wearing. Below the table are detailed head-to-head comparisons.
| Custom soft | Corneal GP | Hybrid | Scleral | Ortho-k | Prosthetic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rests on | Cornea | Cornea | Cornea + conjunctiva | Sclera only | Cornea, overnight | Cornea |
| Corrects irregular cornea | Partly | Yes | Yes | Yes, most completely | No | No |
| Comfort on day one | Highest | Lowest | Good | Good | Worn asleep | Highest |
| Adaptation needed | None | 1–2 weeks | Short | Short | Days to stabilise | None |
| Helps severe dry eye | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Handling difficulty | Lowest | Low | Moderate | Highest | Moderate | Lowest |
| Typical lifespan | Months | A year or more | ~6 months | A year or more | A year or more | ~1 year |
| Daily consumables | Solution | Solution | Solution | Solution + saline | Solution | Solution |
| Mainly fitted for | High astigmatism, mild keratoconus | Keratoconus, irregular astigmatism | Keratoconus, irregular corneas | Advanced irregularity, dry eye | Myopia, myopia control | Iris damage, glare |
Lifespans and adaptation times are typical patterns, not promises. Your fitter sets both for your eyes and your lens design.
Head to head
The two comparisons people most often need to make.
How to read the table
One pattern runs through all of it. The further the lens's support moves away from the cornea, the more irregularity it can correct — and the more handling it asks of you in return.
A soft lens rests entirely on the cornea and conforms to it, so it corrects irregularity least. A corneal rigid lens rests on the cornea but holds its own shape, so the tear layer beneath it cancels the irregularity. A hybrid moves part of its support out onto the conjunctiva. A scleral moves all of it, clearing the cornea completely — which is why it works on corneas nothing else fits, and why it is the hardest to insert.
Two lens types in the table are not really competing with the others. Ortho-k is worn overnight to reshape a regular cornea, and prosthetic lenses address appearance and glare rather than corneal shape.