A head-to-head comparison of DAILIES AquaComfort Plus and Focus DAILIES - both manufactured by Alcon Laboratories, Inc. a Novartis company.
Focus DAILIES were introduced in the early 2000s by CIBA Vision, long before the company got acquired by Alcon Laboratories Inc. It was one of CIBA Vision's top daily contact lenses and this continues today with DAILIES AquaComfort Plus, which was first made available in 2009. The two lenses are almost like twins when looking at each of the spec sheets.
Let's start with the prescription parameters which are identical. You can get into these lenses if you need vision correction between +10.00D and -6.00D with a tiny difference in the base curve and diameter parameters. The base material of DAILIES AquaComfort plus and the phased out Focus DAILIES is Nelfilcon A, a time-tested non-ionic hydrogel. Combined with various wetting agent technologies, both lenses get to a 69% water content.
For ease-of-use, both lenses are tinted in blue and with a daily cost per day of around $0.53 to $0.63, you can get into daily replaceable contacts for much less than with other lenses on the market.
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DAILIES AquaComfort Plus
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Focus DAILIES
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| Manufacturer | Alcon Laboratories, Inc. a Novartis company | CIBA VISION® Corporation, part of Novartis AG |
| Release Date | 2009 | 2002 (date unconfirmed) |
| Prescription Parameters | ||
| Replacement Schedule | Daily | Daily |
Wearing Details |
Daily wear | Daily wear |
| Available Sphere Powers | +0.50D to +6.00D in 0.25 steps -0.50D to -6.00D in 0.25 steps -6.50D to -10.00D in 0.50 steps | +0.50D to +6.00D in 0.25 steps -0.50D to -6.00D in 0.25 steps -6.50D to -10.00D in 0.50 steps |
| Available Base Curves | 8.7mm | 8.6mm |
| Available Diameters | 14.0mm | 13.8mm |
| Technical Parameters | ||
| Lens Material | Non-ionic hydrogel (Nelfilcon A) | Non-ionic hydrogel (Nelfilcon A) |
| Lens Type | Spherical | Spherical |
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Wetting Agent |
Yes - HPMC - PEG - PVA | Yes - PEG |
| % of Material | 31% | 31% |
| % of Water | 69% | 69% |
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Center Thickness |
0.10mm | 0.10mm |
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Oxygen Transmission |
26 Dk/t | 26 Dk/t |
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Modulus |
0.5 MPa | 0.90 MPa |
| Other Features | ||
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Special Features |
Triple Action Moisture AquaComfort® Technology Lightstream Technology™ for a thin edge | AquaComfort® Technology Lightstream Technology™ for a thin edge |
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UV Blocking |
No | No |
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Dynamic Light Absorption |
No | No |
| Visibility Tint | Yes (blue) | Yes (blue) |
| Inside-out Mark | Yes (OK) | Unknown |
| Packaging, Pricing and Ratings | ||
| Packaging Details | 30 lenses per box or 90 lenses per box | 30 lenses per box or 90 lenses per box in Phosphate-acetate buffered saline solution with up to 0.02% Poloxamer 108 |
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Online Retail Price |
$25 - $28 (30 lenses) $50 - $60 (90 lenses) | $20 - $25 (30 lenses) $44 - $53 (90 lenses) |
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Cost per Day |
$0.83 - $0.93 (30 lenses) $0.56 - $0.67 (90 lenses) | $0.67 - $0.83 (30 lenses) $0.49 - $0.59 (90 lenses) |
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Consumer Rating |
( 330 Votes ) | ( 71 Votes ) |
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Our Conclusion
These two daily disposable lenses from the same manufacturer look remarkably similar on paper using the same base material: A non-ionic hydrogel called Nelfilcon A. Most technical parameters are the same or very similar and Alcon kept the daily cost per eye stable when they introduced DAILIES AquaComfort Plus.
Have you tried any of these lenses or migrated from Focus DAILIES to DAILIES AquaComfort Plus? Share your experience here.