Toric contact lenses for astigmatism

  • Information
  • Products
  • Toric Contact Lenses

    Toric contact lenses are designed specifically for people who have astigmatism. We stock a wide range of toric lenses from the leading brands, including 1 Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism, Biofinity Toric, Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, Focus Dailies Toric or Soflens Daily for Astigmatism by Bausch & Lomb.

    Tips on Buying Contact Lenses for Astigmatism

    Watch this video for advice and eye care tips on buying and wearing contact lenses for astigmatism.

    What are toric contact lenses?

    Toric vs Spherical lenses shapes

    Having astigmatism means that one or both of your eyes have taken on a rugby ball shape. This means that traditional, spherical lenses may move around while you wear them, and your vision won't be as clear as it should be.

    Toric contact lenses are specifically designed for those with astigmatism, ensuring a perfect fit and comfort. Some toric lenses are weighted at the bottom to prevent side-to-side rotation when you blink, keeping your vision crisp-clear. Unlike spherical lenses, toric lenses have different levels of correction in each meridian.

    When choosing a toric contact lens you will be asked to enter the power and sometimes the diameter and base curve from your prescription, as you would with a spherical lens. You will also be asked to enter the cylinder (CYL) and the axis (AX), two measurements unique to contact lenses for astigmatism. The cylinder indicates how pronounced your astigmatism is, while the axis determines what angle the correction is needed to be at to provide clear vision.

    What is astigmatism?

    What vision problems do toric contact lenses correct?

    Let's back up for a second - you have astigmatism. But what is it? In scientific terms, it's a common refractive error in the same category as short-sightedness or long-sightedness. In terms of what you experience, astigmatism causes blurry or distorted vision, because your lens or cornea are not completely spherical in shape, so light can't enter evenly. The rugby ball shape scatters the light across the back of the eye, making it difficult to see clear images. But astigmatism can be easily corrected with toric lenses - so you've come to the right place.

    Except for blurry vision, other symptoms of astigmatism include headaches, fatigue or eye strain, mostly after performing a task that requires focusing on something for long periods of time, such as reading or driving. If any of the above sounds familiar to you, we'd recommend arranging a visit with your optician.

    The different types of astigmatism

    There are 3 different types of astigmatism, all of which depend on what optometrists call 'meridians'. If you imagine a clock face, a meridian would be a line connecting 12 to 6 or 4 to 10, for example. These meridians are used to mark out areas of the eye, and can cause myopia/short sight (myopic astigmatism), long sight (hyperopic astigmatism), or be a combination of the two (mixed astigmatism). But astigmatism can also exist in conjunction to another eye condition, such as presbyopia - and wearers can enjoy clear vision at all distances with toric multifocal contact lenses.

    Regular astigmatism
    Astigmatism gets classified as 'regular' or 'irregular'. Regular astigmatism refers to when your cornea is curved more in one direction than the other. This is the most common classification and is easily corrected with toric contact lenses.

    Irregular astigmatism
    Irregular astigmatism is less common and is most often caused by an eye injury. Rather than being curved in one direction it can vary over multiple directions or be steeper in one part of the surface of your eye than another.

    Why choose toric contact lenses?

    What vision problems do toric contact lenses correct?

    It's a no-brainer: toric lenses are the most effective way to correct astigmatism. Toric contact lenses are specifically designed to securely fit the shape of your eye like a glove, ensuring a comfortable and secure fit for astigmatic wearers. They are the best, safest method to preserve the quality of your vision and keep symptoms at bay. Toric lenses are the easiest, most fuss-free way of correcting and managing your astigmatism.

    Another amazing feature of toric lenses is that they contain different powers for the various meridians in the eye. This means it can correct the amount of short or long sight in one part of the eye without affecting the rest.

    Advice on choosing the right toric lenses for you

    Advice on choosing toric contact lenses

    When you're looking for contact lenses for astigmatism, it's easy to get confused. Most popular brands have toric versions with a similar name so it's important to double-check that the title on the webpage or the lens box says either 'toric' or 'for astigmatism' somewhere on it. If you see this, you're sure to have the right type of lenses.

    Remember, as we outlined above, astigmatism is an eye condition that is unique to each person. This means that not every type of toric contact lens is going to be perfect for you - that's why it's important to have a regular eye test and speak to your optician before choosing a product. Generally speaking, being proactive with your eye health and ensuring you buy your contact lenses using an up-to-date prescription is key to enjoying their amazing benefits.

    It's often advisable to stick to the brand or manufacturer that your optician has recommended for you to ensure that you get the best lenses for your needs.

    Have you been recommended a toric lens that is an opticians' own brand that you can't find online? Fear not: Boots and Specsavers lenses are basically equivalents of other branded contact lenses, but with different packaging. To find the equivalent lens to Boots own brand look at this table, and for Specsavers easyvision, you can use this table to find the right lens.

    Astigmatism and dry eyes

    If you have dry eyes it's worth choosing a lens that is particularly adept at retaining moisture. You should also see if the lens is particularly breathable and lets plenty of oxygen reach the eye to guarantee that your eyes will be comfortable throughout the day. Other features you might want to check for are additional UV blocking and a handling tint for easy application. Equally, you can get effective relief and comfort from eye drops.

    What toric contact lenses can I wear?

    The two most popular types of contact lenses for astigmatism are:

    • Daily disposable toric contact lenses: These lenses are to be worn for a day before being disposed of and replaced the next day. They offer the highest level of hygiene in a contact lens and require no cleaning so are ideal if you're looking for a convenient and comfortable lens. Examples include 1 day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism and Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric.
    • Biweekly toric contact lenses: Two weekly toric lenses offer a good middle ground between monthly contact lenses and dailies, still offering good value for money but also less of a wait to replace them. This means fresher-feeling lenses, without having to pay as much as you do for dailies. Examples include Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism and SofLens Toric.

    Bestselling Toric Contact Lenses

    Looking to buy contact lenses for astigmatism online? Check out our customer favourites:

    1 Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism

    1 Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism

    These convenient disposable contact lenses use LACREON® technology to create a moisture cushion for extra comfort. 1 Day Acuvue Moist for Astigmatism also have a UV blocking filter for an extra layer of defence from sun damage and a 1-2-3 indicator for easy application. The popular Acuvue family includes other toric contact lenses such as Acuvue Oasys 1 Day for Astigmatism.

    Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism

    Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism

    As two-weekly lenses, Acuvue Oasys offer you the chance to replace your lenses while providing great value for money. Suitable for dry or sensitive eyes, they also include a UV filter for added protection from the sun along with an Accelerated Stabilisation Design to ensure clear and consistent vision all day.

    Biofinity Toric

    Biofinity Toric

    Biofinity Toric are monthly lenses so offer great value for money. They use Aquaform technology to soothe dry eyes and are naturally moist for fresh-feeling comfort even in dry or air-conditioned environments.

    Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric

    Dailies AquaComfort Plus Toric

    Dailies AquaComfort Plus offer the highest levels of convenience and hygiene along with blink-activation technology to release moisture gradually with each blink. They're made with Lightstream Technology™ for a smooth surface that resists protein build ups, with a handling tint that helps to make applying your contact lenses easy.

    Focus Dailies Toric

    Focus Dailies Toric

    Made from light, flexible material that fits comfortably, Focus Dailies Toric are daily lenses that provide hygienic and healthy vision. They're convenient and easy to apply, with a handling tint to assist you and blink-activation technology to keep your eyes hydrated over the course of the day.

    Air Optix for Astigmatism

    Air Optix for Astigmatism

    Air Optix for Astigmatism are monthly lenses that provide 30 consecutive days of wear. These lenses use TriComfort™ technology for healthy and comfortable eyes and are made from a material that is ultra-breathable and retains a large amount of moisture meaning that they can be worn for up to 16 hours a day. There are other popular toric lenses in the Air Optix family, such as Air Optix plus HydraGlyde for Astigmatism.

    Clariti 1 Day Toric

    Clariti 1 Day Toric

    As one of the only daily toric lenses that are made from silicone hydrogel available today, Clariti 1 Day Toric are flexible and comfortable lenses to wear. Using WetLoc™ technology to retain moisture they are also an excellent choice if you suffer from dry eyes and have a built-in UV blocking filter for an extra layer of protection against sun damage.

    Proclear Toric

    Proclear Toric

    With an optimised lens shape that fits your eye securely, Proclear Toric are a comfortable and great value monthly option. Using CooperVision's PC Technology™ these are great lenses to wear for a natural-feeling experience.

    Frequency Xcel Toric

    Frequency Xcel Toric

    Using UltraSync Technology for a perfectly stable lens, Frequency Xcel Toric offer consistently perfect vision for the entire day. Made with a high water content, these lenses are ideal if you suffer from dry eyes and have a handling tint to make applying them easier.

    Benjamin Dumaine, Head of Business Development

    Co-written by: Benjamin Dumaine

    Optometrist and Head of Business Development

    Benjamin Dumaine graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the Institut Supérieur d'Optique and has been a qualified optometrist since 2003. Apart from being Vision Direct's Head Optician, he is also the Head of Business Development, where he gets to use his clinical expertise and knowledge of contact lens technology towards supporting all departments of Vision Direct.

    Find out more about our experienced eye care professionals here.

    Contact us icon

    Got questions? We're here to help

    If you need any advice about how to buy your contact lenses online, we're here to assist you 24/7 via live chat, phone (020 7768 5000 in the UK or 1 800 870 0741 in the US) or email We like saving you time and money, so ordering with us is easy and fuss-free. We've put together some handy guides to help you understand the ins-and-outs of your lenses:

  • Filters:
    Wearing cycle
    Sort by:
    Filters applied:
      Clear All
      Filters (0)
      Customer favourites
      Clear All Filters
      Wearing cycle
      Sort by
      Customer favourites
      Alphabetical order
      Price low to high
      Price high to low
      29 items found