Contact Lens Fitting Guide

Schedule a Contact Lens Fitting

If you currently wear contacts or are considering getting them, you’ll need a fitting to get a contact lens prescription. 

A contact fitting is different than an eye exam because it specifically assesses and measures your eyes for contacts—not just checking overall eye health and vision. When making an appointment, be sure to specify that you need a contact lens fitting, so your provider is prepared to meet your vision needs.

During your scheduled fitting, you can expect to discuss different types of contacts and how to wear contact lenses if you’re new to them.  

If you’re ready to go, schedule an contact lens fitting at your local Pearle Vision EyeCare Center today. When you schedule online with us, you can indicate whether you need contacts as part of your exam, so the doctor is fully prepped to meet your needs.

Try on Different Contacts

After the eye doctor takes your measurements, they will have you try a few different pairs of contact lenses to see which is the best fit. If you’re a first-time wearer, you’ll also be shown how to properly put your contacts in and take them out, and how to take care of the lenses. 

You may be sent home with a trial pair of contacts that don’t have your prescription but will help you assess if the fit is right. 

You’ll then return for a follow-up appointment about a week later to check how you are adjusting to the contacts. Your doctor may ask you to blink and move your eyes around to ensure the lenses are comfortable and working properly.  

If the trial lenses provided during the contact lens fitting are comfortable and your doctor is satisfied with how they’re performing, they’ll order your prescription contact lenses. If the trial pair is unsuccessful, your eye doctor can order another trial pair or recommend other vision solutions.

Taking Care After Your Contact Lens Fitting

Now that you’ve had your contact fitting and received your new lenses, you’re ready to enjoy great vision with ease—but it’s important to take proper care of your contacts! Here are a few recommendations for taking care of your new contact lenses:

• Clean with care: Always handle your lenses with clean hands and dry them with a lint-free cloth.
• Use solution to clean and soak lenses: Gently rub the contact solution onto the lenses, rinse, and soak in an approved contact lens solution. Make sure to use fresh solution each time and don’t reuse solution from the day before. Never use saliva or tap water to moisten your contacts.
• Keep the contact lens case clean: You can use the sterile contact lens solution to clean the case before letting it air dry completely. If the case gets damaged or too dirty, replace it immediately. 

You may be wondering how often you need a contact lens fitting. We surveyed 81 people who regularly wear contacts and found that a majority of them (64%) get a fitting every year—which is great! 

It’s important to get an annual fitting and eye exam to check for any changes in your eye shape and health. For example, your cornea may swell due to wearing contact lenses, in which case you would need to have a fitting to get different shaped contacts.