What is one significant advantage of soft lenses over rigid gas-permeable lenses?

Soft lenses are known for their comfort and ease of adaptation. One significant advantage of soft lenses is their ability to conform to the shape of the eye, which helps distribute pressure evenly across the cornea. This flexibility, combined with the use of softer materials, allows for a more comfortable wearing experience right from the outset. Many wearers find that soft lenses feel more natural and less intrusive than rigid gas-permeable lenses, which can take longer for individuals to adapt to due to their firmer structure and tendency to create more awareness on the eye.

While oxygen permeability, visual acuity, and production costs are all important factors in lens selection, these attributes typically favor rigid gas-permeable lenses in many scenarios. Rigid lenses often provide superior oxygen permeability and better visual acuity for certain prescriptions. Additionally, the production cost of lenses can vary widely depending on various materials and designs, making it not a definitive advantage of soft lenses. Thus, the comfort and initial ease of wear with soft lenses remain a primary reason for their widespread usage among contact lens wearers.