Air Optix or not Air Optix.

bowtyjim · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2010, 10:28 AM

Last August I saw my local high Street Optician because the standard unbranded lenses were causing irritation due to drying out. He suggested I try Air Optix on a free trial which I did. They were much better and I contracted to use them instead of my original lenses. When the new lenses arrived I noted they were Easy Vision, so I called the opticians and was told they were the same as Air Optix as they were manufactured by Ciba Vision. I contacted Ciba Vision and after about two weeks I received a firm denial that they sold Air Optix lenses under any other name.

Never the less, I have given the new lenses a fair trial. It may be because my eyes are drying out as I get older, but the lenses are causing more irritation than the trial set of Air Optix.

Has anyone anything to add as way of explanation or should I demand of my optician the lenses I trialled and thought I was contracting into?

Regards and many thanks in advance for any assistance offered.

LP39A · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2010, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowtyjim

Last August I saw my local high Street Optician because the standard unbranded lenses were causing irritation due to drying out. He suggested I try Air Optix on a free trial which I did. They were much better and I contracted to use them instead of my original lenses. When the new lenses arrived I noted they were Easy Vision, so I called the opticians and was told they were the same as Air Optix as they were manufactured by Ciba Vision. I contacted Ciba Vision and after about two weeks I received a firm denial that they sold Air Optix lenses under any other name.

Never the less, I have given the new lenses a fair trial. It may be because my eyes are drying out as I get older, but the lenses are causing more irritation than the trial set of Air Optix.

Has anyone anything to add as way of explanation or should I demand of my optician the lenses I trialled and thought I was contracting into?

Regards and many thanks in advance for any assistance offered.

Greetings Bowtyjim, and welcome to Lens 101. Judging by your use of terms such as "high street" and "Easyvision" I perceive that you are a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. I welcome you to this US site, and I thank your people for the generous gifts of Benny Hill and Doctor Who (but not in that order).

I did a bit of a search on line and on at least two web sites I found that Air Optix are sometimes sold in the UK as Specsavers Easyvision Elite (sometimes called Easyvision Elite Monthly). It would appear the they are the same contact lenses. Why CIBA Vision would deny this, I don't know. For one thing, it's a fairly common and accepted practice and for another, it doesn't take long to determine the truth. So go ahead and wear the Easyvision contacts, knowing that they're simply Air Optix in European packaging.