Contact lenses · Children
Contact lenses for children
For sport, for confidence, and to slow rising short-sight.
The problem
What people tell us about children’s contact lenses.
- “My child wants to play sport without glasses.”
- “Is my child old enough for lenses?”
- “Can lenses slow my child’s short sight?”
- “Will they manage to put them in?”
Children often manage lenses better than parents expect, and some lenses slow short sight too.
Why us
Our optometrists fit and check every type of contact lens at all five practices.
4.9 ★ from 600+ Google reviews
“Getting my two-year-old her first pair of glasses was so worrying, and they sorted us out immediately.”Patient survey
Children
Which children suit contact lenses, and how they work
Who they suit
Children from about eight who are ready to look after their own lenses, sporty children who struggle with glasses, and any child whose short-sight is going up every year.
How they work
We fit children the same way we fit adults, only slower. The child learns to put the lens in and take it out themselves, with a parent watching, and nobody goes home until they can. Daily disposables are almost always the choice, because there is nothing to clean. For rising short-sight there are MiSight daily lenses designed to slow it, fitted at every practice as part of our myopia management. [Myopia management →](/eye-tests/myopia-management/)
Honestly
Not every eight-year-old is ready, and that is fine. We will tell you honestly whether your child is, and we will not fit a lens a child cannot manage safely.
Your options
Your options for a child
Every children option here is fitted at all five practices, and the fitting decides, with you.
Daily disposables
The lens for nearly every child: nothing to clean, a fresh pair each morning, the lowest risk.
MiSight and myopia-control dailies
Daily lenses designed to slow a rising short-sight, fitted as part of our myopia management with eye-length measurements every six months. We fit MiSight at every practice.
Ortho-K, worn asleep
A rigid lens worn overnight that reshapes the cornea gently, so the child sees clearly all day with nothing in. Slows short-sight too, and suits swimmers and sporty children. Ortho-K →
Toric and multifocal dailies
For children with astigmatism, and the multifocal designs used in myopia control.
The plan
How it works
- 1Book a contact lens fitting
Thirty minutes with an optometrist, £95, to choose the right lenses for your child for your eyes and your days.
- 2Wear them for a week
We teach you to use and look after your lenses for your child, then you wear them in your real life.
- 3Checked, then ordered
A follow-up to check how your lenses for your child sit and feel. Only then do we order your supply.
Keep a sporty child in glasses, and they take them off to play and cannot see the ball.
Fit the right lens, and they play, swim and learn with clear vision.
Near you
Book at your nearest practice
Children’s lenses are fitted at all five practices. Choose the one closest to you.
Children’s contact lenses in Cheadle
Abra & Co, 19 Wilmslow Road, Cheadle SK8 1DW
Five minutes from Cheadle Hulme and Gatley, ten from Stockport and Didsbury, fifteen from Wilmslow.
Children’s contact lenses in Heald Green
Ashworth Opticians, 214 Finney Lane, Heald Green SK8 3QA
Five minutes from Gatley, ten from Wythenshawe, fifteen from Sale and Altrincham.
Children’s contact lenses in Middleton
Abra & Co, 36 Long Street, Middleton M24 6UQ
Eight minutes from Heywood, ten from Chadderton and Blackley, fifteen from Rochdale, Oldham and Prestwich.
Children’s contact lenses in Winsford
Winsford Eye & Footcare, 27 Delamere Street, Winsford CW7 2LX
Ten minutes from Northwich and Middlewich, twenty from Knutsford, Crewe and Nantwich.
Children’s contact lenses in Heckmondwike
Armitage Opticians, 14 Market Street, Heckmondwike WF16 0JU
Eight minutes from Cleckheaton, ten from Dewsbury, Batley and Mirfield, twenty from Morley.
Frequently asked questions
What age can a child start?
From about eight, if they are ready to look after them. Readiness matters more than age.
Is it safe?
With dailies, taught properly and checked, yes. Children are often better at the routine than adults.
Will lenses slow my child’s prescription?
Specific myopia-control lenses can, by roughly half on the trial evidence. We measure the eye every six months so you can see whether it is working.
What does the fitting cost?
£95, including the teaching and the follow-up check, with free trial lenses if you are new to lenses. Your lenses are then paid by monthly direct debit, from £11 a month, or per box.