It is no longer a secret that you can buy many goods online for less than you would pay in traditional shops. Contact lenses are no exception - in fact, you can save anywhere from 50 to 70 percent by ordering your contacts online. So where is the catch?

Why online shops sell discounted contact lenses?

First, internet businesses don't have as many expenses as eye care practitioners - they don't have to pay rent or hire staff. Second, large online contact lens retailers sell thousands of lenses per day, which is more than an average eye doctor would sell a year; so they make less profit per box of lenses, but win on the amount of sales. Third, large online retailers can get their stock of lenses cheaper than eye doctors, because they buy in bulk, directly from the manufacturer.

Are discount contacts from online stores inferior in quality?

If your doctor says that the lenses you buy online are not as good as the ones you order through his or her office, don't believe it. Discount contacts bought online are exactly the same contact lenses from exactly the same manufacturers.

In fact there are only a few large contact lens manufacturers. 95% of all soft contact lenses prescribed by optometrists are produced by Ciba Vision, Cooper Vision, Johnson and Johnson or Bausch and Lomb. You can find most of the lenses produced by all four manufacturers on the Net. Popular lenses like Acuvue, Acuvue Advance and Acuvue 2 Colors, all Focus lenses, varieties of SofLens, Freshlook Colorblends and other Freshlook color collections are widely available online.

How to select the best online contact lens store?

The only problem you face, when deciding to order your discount contacts online, is choosing a store to buy them from. Most people pick the store that offers the lowest price, but there are several other factors you need to keep in mind.

• Is the store large and reputable, and how long have they been in contact lens business? There are thousands of sites selling contacts online, but some sell thousands of contacts every day while others are only a one-person business. It is safer to buy from a large company: they usually have a better organized business.

• Do they offer free shipping? Some companies sell their lenses very cheaply but charge a lot for shipping. On the other hand, several online stores offer you free shipping on all orders, or orders larger than certain amount.

• Are there any additional discounts? Some sites offer an even better price if you buy a year's supply of contact lenses. Unopened contact lenses don't spoil, so it is sensible to order a year's supply and get an extra discount

• Does the company have a privacy policy? All respectable online retailers guarantee that your personal information will be kept secure

• What is the company's return policy?

• Does the store offer good customer service

For you it would be time-consuming to evaluate several companies, trying to find the best one. To save time, you can look for comparisons and reviews of contact lens retailers on sites that provide consumer information. It pays to read a review before you commit to buy.