Passport? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Contact lenses? Check … but how should I pack my lenses? Do contact lenses count as liquids when travelling? And should I wear glasses or contacts on the flight?
If you’re wondering how to look after your eyes and store your contacts while travelling, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re off on business or pleasure, here’s all you need to know about stress-free packing and hassle-free flying with contact lenses.
Should I bring glasses or contact lenses on holiday?
Using daily disposable contact lenses on holiday is a no brainer when it comes to packing, travelling AND enjoying yourself. Daily disposables are low maintenance, hygienic and super-convenient. They don’t need to be stored or cleaned and you have a lovely, fresh pair every day. You can bring extra supplies if you know you’re going to be swimming or being active somewhere hot and dusty.
Just pop a pair in your day bag and switch up your lenses to the new set when all the fun and games are over.
Packing for your flight
Even if you’re a monthly contact lens wearer, it’s worth speaking to your optometrist to see if switching to daily disposable contact lenses for just a few days or weeks would work for you. It means no more buying extra travel-sized bottles of solution for your hand luggage. Plus, you won’t need to take up packing space in your checked bags with those big bottles of solution.
It’s also worth taking an up-to-date prescription with you in case of an emergency, as well as a back-up pair of glasses if your usual pair break or get lost.
Travelling with contact lenses: the essential kit
Make life even easier by keeping all your contact lens gear in one little case in your hand luggage. Here are our contact lens travel kit essentials:
1. A few pairs of your daily disposable contact lenses
It’s always useful to have an extra pair just in case you rip one with a nail, or drop it in the sink or on the floor. Our lenses come in boxes of 32 so one pack should be sufficient for your holiday or work trip.
2. An LED travel mirror
If you struggle to put your lenses in without decent light, pack a portable LED mirror so you get it right the first time.
3. Soap sheets
Sometimes the hand cleanser in the bathroom has run out. Soap sheets are your saving grace: simply take a sheet, run it under warm water and start washing. Or find an alcohol-free hand sanitiser. Most alcohol-based sanitisers can be hazardous if they come into contact with your eyes.
4. Quick-dry hand towel
Paper towels aren’t the best option for drying your hands if you’re a contact lens wearer. For a fluff and lint-free option, pack your own microfibre hand towel to dry your hands and keep them germ free when putting in and removing your lenses.
5. Eye drops
Air conditioning on planes may dry your eyes out so pack some eye drops if you know this will affect you. Just make sure your preferred eye drops are compatible with contact lenses. If you have been prescribed any medicated eye drops, please check with your prescriber before using them while wearing your lenses.
Do contact lenses count as liquids when travelling?
No, sealed daily disposable blister packs don’t count as liquids when you’re travelling. You can pack as many as you need in both your hand luggage and your hold bags.
No need to worry about solution with daysoft's daily disposables
With Daysoft daily contact lenses, there’s no need to worry about packing extra contact lens solution or pouring your solution into little bottles. Simply wash your hands, open the lens pack and apply straight on to your eyes! Hassle-free!
Can I fly with contact lenses?
Absolutely! Daily disposable contact lenses are super-convenient for both short and long-haul flights.
If you’re asking yourself: should I fly with glasses or contacts, we suggest wearing your contacts and packing your glasses in your hand luggage.
We don’t recommend having even a quick snooze in your lenses. daysoft® lenses are for single use daily wear only and should not be used for sleeping. But the eye health and vision benefits are so much greater than with lenses used for continuous wear. Plus, you can just pack another blister pack and pop in a fresh pair when you wake up – remember to wash your hands first.
Choose lenses with a UV filter
If you’re heading somewhere sunny, we’ve got your back. daysoft® contact lenses incorporate a UV filter to protect your eye from UV rays. However, areas not covered by the lens, such as the conjunctiva (over the white of the eye), eyelids and other eye tissue, are also sensitive to UV.
With that in mind, we recommend wearing normal, UV-protection sunglasses over your contact lenses at times of high UV exposure or whenever you would normally wear sunglasses.
What about swimming with lenses on holiday?
The advice from us at daysoft® is to not wear contact lenses when swimming. Water contains bacteria that can lodge behind your lens and cause an infection. You could try prescription goggles, but if they aren’t an option, take watertight swimming goggles instead. After your time in the water, remove your contact lenses as soon as possible and dispose of them responsibly. Pop a new set in and continue enjoying your time away!
Your holiday is a time to relax, rejuvenate and reset. With daysoft® daily disposable contact lenses, you can tick ‘travelling with contact lenses’ off your packing list. Order as you need them for your travels or start a subscription. It couldn’t be easier!
