Contact Lenses As Stocking Stuffers

It's Christmas time again and most of us need to find stocking stuffers for our  loved ones. Do your friends and family wear contact lenses? Have your thought about getting contact lens related items to stuff that stocking with? Are contact lenses as stocking stuffers even a good idea??

Stocking Stuffers For Contact Lens Wearers

Should you buy contact lenses as stocking stuffers? Contacts are considered medical devices, and should only be dispensed to people who have worn them before, know how to put them in and remove them, and understand how to care for them. There are reasons why not to give lenses as a Christmas present, but that doesn't mean you can't give contact related items. There are times that you can give contact lenses as gifts, but only if the person has worn before. See below.

For People Who Have Not Worn Contact Lenses Before

Contacts can now be easily purchased online, quickly and inexpensively. You may think they are a great idea for someone who wears glasses, or wants to try coloured lenses.


The biggest concern we have when giving contact lenses as a gift is when the person receiving the gift has never worn contacts before. A number of questions arise:

  1.  How will the person know how to insert them into the eye, and more importantly, remove them?
  2.  How will the person know how to care for them?
  3.  How do you know what brand to order, what power, what base curve?
  4.  How do you know that what you order will be comfortable, and the vision will be good?


The reason for all these questions is to protect the eye health of the person you are giving contact lenses to. Every person's eyes have different physiological features, such as curvature, strength, dryness, and even allergies come into the picture. That is why we recommend everyone to be fitted professionally before ordering contact lenses online.


This does not mean that contact lenses are a bad gift idea... you just have to do things a little differently.

Some suggestions:

  •  A gift card to a contact lens dispensing optical can be used to pay for a contact fitting fee if the person already has their prescription
  •  Contact lens related items, like colourful and fun contact lens cases, multipurpose rinsing solution, non-prescription sunglasses along with a gift card to an optical that fits contact lenses
  •  Coloured contacts still need to be fitted (even with no prescription), but along with the gift card you can give pamphlets and information relating to coloured lenses

When To Give Contact Lenses as Stocking Stuffers

Prescription Items and the Privacy Act

It's a little easier to give a gift of contact lenses for people who have worn contact lenses before. The biggest issue that comes into effect is the individual's privacy. Because contact lenses are medical devices, you must go to the same place that the person receiving the gift goes for contacts, and purchase the identical lenses there. Contacts are prescription items, and because of this the privacy act comes into play.  You may not be able to purchase lenses if you have not been approved by the person to pick up prescription items for them. Countries, states and provinces differ with their privacy laws, and individual stores have different policies, so it doesn't hurt to try. 


Contact Lens Boxes

If you don't know where the person you want to buy for gets their contact lenses, but you have access to their contact lens boxes, you could purchase the contacts for them online. Just be very sure you are entering the information correctly, because the wrong information could cause problems with vision and eye health. Also make sure you order right and left lenses if their eyes are different strengths!

Contact lenses as stocking stuffers can be a good idea, if you use some creativity. Hopefully this article has given you some ideas for the contact lens wearer or eyeglass wearer on your Christmas list!


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