Contact Lens Discontinued? The Essential Guide to Finding Your Perfect Alternative

Many wearers have noticed the same frustrating pattern: a go-to contact lens suddenly vanishes from the shelves. Classics like Focus Dailies All Day Comfort or Proclear Monthly once had loyal followings, yet both were eventually phased out.

The good news? The market hasn’t shrunk. It has evolved. And for 2025, Coleyes has become one of the strongest all-around replacements, offering advanced materials, comfortable wear, and a wide line of daily, monthly, and cosmetic colored lenses.

Whether you’re replacing discontinued dailies, looking for a breathable monthly lens, or searching for colored contacts with better comfort, Coleyes delivers modern, high-performance alternatives designed for long-term eye health.

This guide walks you through why lenses get discontinued and how Coleyes fills the gap with next-generation options.

Why Contact Lenses Get Discontinued

It can feel personal when your favorite lenses disappear, but the reasons are typically practical—not because something was wrong. Here’s what drives manufacturers to retire older products.

1. Better Technology Leaves Older Lenses Behind

The contact lens industry never stands still. Materials and designs improve every few years, making older models obsolete.

For example:

• Early hard lenses in the 1970s used PMMA, a material that blocked oxygen.

• This led to the development of RGP lenses

• Then soft hydrogel lenses

• And most recently, silicone hydrogel, which now dominates new fittings.

Silicone hydrogel allows dramatically more oxygen to reach the cornea, reducing hypoxia and irritation.

Coleyes incorporates these modern materials into their daily and monthly lenses, giving wearers comfortable, high-oxygen options to replace outdated discontinued models.

Daily disposables continue to grow fast, climbing about eight percentage points each year. Within a couple of years, almost half of the U.S. soft lens market will be daily silicone hydrogel.

Coleyes’ daily line is built specifically for this shift, giving former users of discontinued dailies a simple, reliable upgrade.

2. Declining Demand or Outdated Materials

Sometimes a lens gets discontinued simply because fewer people are satisfied with it.

Studies show:

• 12% to 51% of wearers drop out due to discomfort.

• About 20% eventually stop wearing contacts entirely.

• Nearly half who stop do so within just two months of experiencing discomfort.

Dryness is one of the biggest reasons. Over 16 million Americans struggle with dry eye symptoms, and these users are more likely to abandon traditional hydrogel lenses.

Coleyes focuses heavily on moisture-locking materials and smooth surface technology, offering alternatives that remain comfortable for a much larger range of wearers—including those replacing discontinued hydrogel contacts.

3. Manufacturer Strategy and Product Consolidation

Behind the scenes, a few large companies control most of the global contact lens supply. As these manufacturers shift focus toward high-profit, high-technology lenses, older SKUs quietly get phased out.

• Alcon

• Johnson & Johnson Vision

• CooperVision

Together control roughly 65% of the global lens market.

This consolidation means less shelf space for outdated models and more emphasis on advanced lines.

Coleyes, as an emerging independent brand, fills the gap left when bigger companies retire older products. It offers affordable, modern replacements without the supply constraints created by large-scale consolidation.

Choosing Coleyes as Your Replacement for Discontinued Lenses

Whether your daily, monthly, toric, or colored lenses have been discontinued, Coleyes offers a wide range of high-performance alternatives designed for:

• Higher oxygen transmission

• Reduced dryness

• Natural color effects

• Comfort during long wear

• Compatibility with sensitive eyes

From breathable dailies to vibrant cosmetic lenses and specialty corrections, the brand provides modern solutions to keep your vision clear and your eyes healthy in 2025 and beyond.

How to Choose the Right Replacement Lens

You need more than just matching prescription strength to find the perfect alternatives for discontinued contact lenses. A full picture of several critical factors will give you replacement lenses that provide the best vision correction and comfort.

Match your prescription and lens type

Start by looking at your current prescription to know exactly what you need in a replacement lens. Your contact lens prescription has specific measurements that determine proper fit and vision correction:

• Base curve (BC) – This shows the curvature of your lens's back surface in millimeters and must match your cornea's shape. Your lens might move too much on your eye if the base curve isn't right.

• Diameter (DIA) – The width measurement in millimeters helps lenses sit correctly over your cornea. The slightest differences in diameter can change how lenses position themselves.

• Power/Sphere (PWR/SPH) – This tells whether you're nearsighted or farsighted and your correction level.

Some vision conditions need extra measurements:

• Cylinder (CYL) and Axis (AX) – These are needed for astigmatism correction
• Addition (ADD) – You'll need this for presbyopia (age-related difficulty seeing up close)

Eye care professionals say your optometrist should arrange these specifications exactly when suggesting alternatives for discontinued contact lenses.

Think about comfort and oxygen permeability

Oxygen permeability might be the most crucial factor in choosing lenses. Your cornea needs steady oxygen flow to stay healthy. Not enough oxygen can cause your cornea to swell, get irritated, and face higher infection risks.

Silicone hydrogel lenses let about five times more oxygen reach your cornea than standard hydrogel options. This better breathability substantially cuts down the risk of corneal hypoxia, which happens when your cornea doesn't get enough oxygen.

Studies show daily wear lenses need 25-30 Fatt units and extended wear needs 125 Fatt units to prevent corneal hypoxia. Modern silicone hydrogel lenses are a big deal as it means that they go beyond these requirements.

There's another reason to think about lens modulus (stiffness). Stiffer lenses often cause discomfort, corneal staining, and other issues. Softer lenses feel better but might be harder to handle.

Check for UV protection and water content

Water content makes a huge difference in how lenses perform and feel. People used to think more water meant better oxygen flow. This isn't true for silicone hydrogel lenses - they keep letting in plenty of oxygen whatever their water content.

People with dry eyes might feel better with lenses that have less water (under 40%). These lenses won't pull as much moisture from your eyes. A specialist points out that "Contact lens wearers who are more prone to dry eye syndrome will find contact lenses with lower water content more comfortable to wear".

Many think high water content lenses (above 60%) are always better, but they can actually soak up your natural tear film. The material matters just as much - silicone hydrogel lenses give you the best of both worlds with less water content and better oxygen flow.

Ask for trial pairs to test comfort and vision quality before you commit to new lenses. Your eye doctor should give you trial lenses based on your needs and set up follow-up visits to check the fit. Note that you might need to try several options before you find your perfect match.

Emerging Alternatives to Traditional Contact Lenses

The vision care industry has created several ground-breaking alternatives to regular contact lenses. These new options solve complex vision problems and feel great to wear. They work well for people with specific vision challenges or anyone who wants to move beyond traditional daily lenses.

Duette Hybrid Lenses: RGP + soft skirt

Duette hybrid contact lenses give you the best of both worlds. They combine a rigid gas permeable (RGP) center with a soft lens skirt around it. This design gives you the sharp vision of hard lenses and feels as comfortable as soft ones. These lenses work great for patients who have corneal astigmatism and don't deal very well with standard options.

The specs are remarkable. The gas permeable material (petrafocon A) has a high Dk value of 130. The silicone hydrogel skirt (hem-larafilcon A) provides a Dk of 84 with 27% water content. You can correct a wide range of vision problems with these lenses, from +20.00 to -20.00 diopters of myopia and hyperopia, and astigmatism up to 6.00 diopters.

Different Duette variants address specific vision needs:

• Duette HD – Ideal for regular astigmatism patients
• Duette UltraHealth – Specifically designed for keratoconus
• Duette Progressive – Perfect for multifocal needs in patients over 40

Scleral lenses for complex vision needs

Scleral lenses are a breakthrough option for people with complex vision needs. Unlike regular contacts that sit on your cornea, these lenses vault over it completely and rest on your eye's white part (sclera).

These larger-diameter lenses create a fluid-filled pocket between the lens and cornea. This keeps your eyes hydrated all day long. The design helps people with dry eye syndrome because the fluid reservoir keeps their eyes moist and comfortable.

Scleral lenses work great for managing challenging conditions like:

• Keratoconus (progressive corneal thinning)
• Post-surgical complications
• Severe dry eye syndrome
• Irregular corneas from injury or disease

These lenses cover your entire cornea and provide stable vision. They create a smooth, uniform surface that helps light enter your eye more predictably without distortion.

Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) for overnight correction

The sort of thing I love about contact lens technology is Orthokeratology. These special rigid gas-permeable lenses work their magic while you sleep. They gently reshape your cornea overnight. You can enjoy clear vision all day without wearing any corrective lenses.

The FDA has approved certain Ortho-K lenses (like Paragon CRT) for all ages, proving they're safe for children and adults alike. Most patients achieve 20/40 vision or better, though it might take two weeks or longer to reach full correction.

Ortho-K is especially helpful for managing myopia in children and teenagers. Research shows these lenses not only fix existing nearsightedness but also help control eye elongation—a key factor in myopia progression. This makes them a great non-surgical, reversible alternative to LASIK for the right candidates.

The budget for Ortho-K typically runs between $1,000 and $4,000 at first, with yearly maintenance costs of $300 to $500. Though it costs more than regular contacts, many people find it worth the investment to be free from daytime lenses.

Colored Contacts: What to Do When Your Favorite Shade is Gone

Fans of certain iconic colored contacts recently hit a snag. A popular, long-running color line was officially discontinued in late 2024, and the remaining stock is rapidly disappearing from major retailers.

Your favorite colored contacts discontinued: What now?

If you loved a specific shade or texture, it may still appear in limited quantities at optical retailers or online stores, but supplies are shrinking fast. If you manage to find your shade, it’s smart to stock up while it’s still available.

The upside? The colored lens market has evolved, and several newer options offer richer color payoff, better comfort, and more eye-friendly materials than older hydrogel lenses.

Next-generation colored contacts as replacements

Modern colored contacts now use advanced silicone-based materials that allow far more oxygen to reach the eye than traditional hydrogel lenses. This makes them a strong upgrade for anyone used to older models.

Current cosmetic lenses also use “sandwich” color-embedding technology, where the pigment sits safely between layers of lens material. That prevents color from touching the eye and gives a brighter, more natural 3-dimensional effect.

Best of all, many updated lines feature the same style of classic shades people loved before: cool grays, warm browns, honey tones, vibrant greens, and other favorites.

How to find your perfect color match

Today’s colored contacts often include digital try-on tools that help you preview shades based on your natural eye color and skin tone.

A few tips:

• Dark eyes look best with lenses that use multi-layer color systems (3-in-1 or 4-in-1 designs) to add depth and brightness.

• Look for lenses with blended iris patterns, which create a realistic texture rather than a flat color ring.

• If you're replacing a discontinued shade, compare the undertones:

  • Cool tones for icy or gray-based colors

  • Warm tones for hazel, honey, and amber

  • Neutral tones for natural everyday looks

Trying more than one option is normal. Every brand uses slightly different patterns, so testing a few shades helps you find your ideal match.

Beyond Lenses: Exploring Non-Contact Alternatives

At the time contact lenses no longer work for you, you have several non-lens options that might fix your vision problems for good.

Prescription glasses as a fallback

Prescription glasses are the most available alternative if your contact lenses are discontinued. They provide quick relief without surgery, which makes them perfect for both short and long-term use. Modern lightweight frames and anti-reflective coatings combine comfort with style, and eliminate many of the old problems with glasses.

Laser eye surgery options

People looking to break free from corrective lenses permanently have several surgical choices. LASIK stays popular but comes with possible side effects like dry eyes (95% of patients have this right after surgery, and 40% report symptoms past six months).

More patients are discovering these alternatives:

• Advanced Surface Ablation (ASA) - A no-cut procedure that removes flap-related complications
• SMILE - Takes less than 5 minutes per eye with zero pain
• Implantable Contact Lenses (ICL) - Perfect for patients with thin corneas or high nearsightedness

Electromechanical reshaping (EMR) shows promise as a future option that reshapes the cornea without lasers by using gentle electric current.

Alternatives to contact solution for sensitive eyes

In fact, you can use temporary alternatives to contact solution during emergencies. Saline solution is the safest short-term choice since it won't damage lenses or hurt your eyes. Distilled water works briefly but still might cause infections. Note that these are only short-term fixes—you should get proper lens solution as soon as you can.

Conclusion

You might think replacing discontinued contact lenses is difficult, but the right approach makes the transition surprisingly smooth. Once you understand why companies retire older products—such as new technology, low demand, or strategic product consolidation—you can choose alternatives that perform just as well, or even better, than the lenses you used before.

The first step is to know your exact prescription details. That includes your base curve, diameter, power, and any special visual needs like astigmatism or presbyopia. Factors such as oxygen permeability, water content, and UV protection will also play a major role in your long-term comfort and eye health.

Modern contact lenses come with major advancements that older models simply didn’t have. Silicone-based materials allow significantly more oxygen to reach your cornea, helping reduce dryness and irritation. Hybrid lenses now combine a rigid center for sharper vision with a soft outer skirt for comfort. For more complex cases, larger-diameter scleral lenses can offer stable, all-day hydration and clarity. Ortho-K lenses reshape your cornea while you sleep, so you can enjoy clear daytime vision without wearing lenses at all.

If you wear colored contacts, discontinued shades can be extra frustrating. Fortunately, today’s cosmetic lens lines offer improved pigment layering, high-oxygen materials, and a wide spectrum of natural and vibrant colors. Many brands now include virtual try-on tools that help you preview different shades and patterns before buying, making it easier to find a close match to your previous favorite.

If contact lenses aren’t giving you the results you want, you still have alternatives. Glasses work immediately without any medical procedure, while vision-correction surgeries—such as LASIK, SMILE, or ICL implantation—may offer long-term clarity if you’re a suitable candidate.

The vision-care landscape is evolving quickly. By having regular eye exams and staying informed about new technology, you’ll always have access to the safest and most comfortable options. Even when your favorite lenses get discontinued, the choices available in 2025 are more innovative and effective than ever.