Blurriness with contact lenses

Blurry vision while wearing contacts is a common complaint — and a frustrating one, especially when your glasses are giving you 20/20 and your contacts are serving “who turned out the lights?”

The blurriness might be happening in both eyes or just one. It could start the moment you put your lenses in — or sneak up on you midday. Usually, your glasses might still work perfectly fine, which only makes your contacts’ betrayal sting a little more.

Let’s take a sneak peek at what we’ll cover. (You might spot your culprit here):

1. You’re adjusting to a new prescription.

2. Your prescription is outdated.

3. Your lens is inside-out (yep, it happens).

4. The lens isn’t the right shape for your eye.

5. You inserted the lens incorrectly.

6. The lens is dirty or has buildup.

7. You’re not cleaning or storing lenses properly.

8. Your eyes are feeling dry or irritated.

9. There’s an underlying eye issue that needs attention.

We’ll go into all of these in more detail below, plus what to do next (so you can stop squinting at your group chat and get back to actually seeing it).

Why do contacts get blurry?

Blurry contact lenses can happen for a bunch of reasons, but the good news is that most of them are easily fixable (and don’t require a dramatic return-to-glasses moment).

Let’s walk through the most common causes of blurry contacts.

New prescription adjustment

You know how your feet feel weird in brand-new shoes? Yeah, your eyes kind of do that, too. When you switch to a new prescription, your brain and your eyeballs need a little time to recalibrate the world. 

Give it a few days. Your eyes usually adjust within a week. If things are still blurry (or shifting, or giving funhouse mirror), check in with your eye care professional. It might be more than just growing pains.

Outdated prescription

If your prescription is past its prime, your contacts might be too weak (or strong!) to keep things crisp. An updated prescription could solve the blur faster than you can say, “Why does my phone look smudged when I just cleaned it?”

Incorrect orientation

We love a good twist in a story — just not in our contact lenses. If your lens is inside-out, it’ll still fit on your eye (sort of), but everything might look slightly ... off. Like looking through cling film.

To fix this, place the lens on your fingertip and check the edges. If it looks like a tiny rice bowl, you’re good to go. If it’s flared, it’s inside out. (Rice bowl = good. Half a lemon = bad. Yes, this is now a food analogy.)

Incorrect fit

Contacts come in different shapes and sizes because (surprise!) so do eyeballs. If the lens doesn’t match your eye’s curve, it might move around, blur your vision, or just not feel right (hello, blinky sensation of doom).

Only your eye care professional can match you with a contact lens that fits just right (think of them as your contact lens sommelier). If your current pair feels like it’s sliding around or never settles, it’s time to swap for a better-fitting option.

Inserted incorrectly

Even if your lens is clean and right-side-out, a wonky insertion (technical term) can leave it off-center or folded. Result: blurry vision and general eye confusion.

Next steps are moving it, rinsing it, and trying again. Make sure it’s centered on your cornea and not hiding out on the whites of your eye (rude). Blink a few times, and if it still feels weird, take another look.

Dirty lens

Cue the dramatic gasp. Yes, even the most responsible contact wearers can get smudges, gunk, or mystery flecks on their lenses. And no, your vision won’t be clear until you show that lens a little love.

Take it out, rinse it with fresh solution (never water!), and give it a gentle rub with clean fingers. If it still looks suspect, grab a fresh pair — no need to play the “is this protein buildup or lint?” guessing game.

Improper care

Topping off your contact lens solution instead of using fresh? Sleeping in lenses that weren’t made for snoozing? Forgetting to clean your case? We see you (and so do your foggy lenses).

The remedy here is making sure you clean your lenses and case daily with the right solution. Replace lenses on schedule (even if they still feel fine), and always, always start with clean hands. Basically, treat your lenses like the tiny medical devices they are — not like spare change.

Lack of moisture

Dry eyes and contact lenses go together like sandpaper and your cornea (which is to say, not great). If your lenses feel dry or your eyes feel scratchy, vision can go hazy fast.

What to do? Use preservative-free rewetting drops made for contacts. Blink more (especially when staring at screens), and drink water like it’s your job. Still dry? Ask your eye care professional about switching to lenses designed for dryness or daily disposables.

Underlying condition

Sometimes, blur is your body’s way of waving a little red flag. Eye infections, allergies, corneal swelling, or more serious conditions like keratoconus could be behind the scenes. If your lenses are clean, fresh, correctly inserted, and still not playing nice, it’s time to call your eye care professional. 

New contacts are blurry

Ah, nothing like that fresh-out-of-the-pack feeling — except, wait, why is everything slightly soft-focus? New contact lenses should give you pristine, see-every-nostril-on-a-zebra levels of clarity, but sometimes, they take a little warming up (kind of like your coffee machine on a Monday).

Blurriness in brand-new contacts is usually temporary and totally solvable, but here are the most common reasons things might be looking a little fuzzy:

• Your eyes are adjusting. If you’ve just switched to a new brand or prescription, your eyes might need a few days to adjust.

• The lens might not fit quite right. Contacts come in different shapes and sizes (like jeans, but less judgmental). If the base curve or diameter isn’t a match for your eyeball, your lens may shift or not sit correctly. A slightly off fit can make things look blurry, even if the prescription is perfect.

• You might need to blink it out. Sometimes, the lens just hasn’t settled yet. (It’s doing its best, promise.) A few good blinks can help it center or rotate into place — especially if you're wearing toric lenses for astigmatism.

• Your lens could be dry. Yep, even fresh lenses can get parched. Try a couple of rewetting drops to bring things back into focus. (Just make sure they’re made for contacts.)

• The prescription might be off. It happens! Maybe your eye care professional made a tweak that’s not working out — or maybe your eyes had ideas of their own. If things are still blurry after a few days (and you've ruled out fit, dryness, and insertion issues), it might be time to check your Rx.

Contact lens is blurry in one eye

So, one eye’s seeing life in high-def and the other’s more potato webcam from 2010? That one-sided blur usually points to a lens issue rather than anything eye-deep (though your other eye is probably feeling a bit smug about it).

Blurriness in just one contact is usually caused by a lens that’s dirty, dry, flipped inside-out, or accidentally swapped between eyes (we’ve all done it). And if you wear toric lenses for astigmatism, even a slight rotation can blur things up until the lens settles.

Fix it by:

• Taking the blurry lens out and inspecting it — clean it thoroughly, or toss it if it looks damaged

• Checking that it’s not inside-out (the edges should curve like a bowl, not flare like a saucer)

• Making sure it’s in the correct eye

• Blinking a few times after reinserting, especially if you wear toric lenses

If you’ve tried all that and one eye still insists on being dramatic, it might be time for a fresh pair or a new type of contact lens — or a quick chat with your eye care professional to make sure your prescription’s still up to date.

Blurry vision with contacts but not glasses

Here’s the deal, eye glasses and contacts don’t always play by the same rules. Glasses hang out a little away from your eyeballs (like binoculars on a staycation), while contacts sit directly on your eye. That difference in distance can mean the lens needs to be just right — in power, fit, size, and moisture — to give you that crisp, clear view you’re used to.

To troubleshoot like a vision detective:

• Give your lenses a clean. Smudges, gunk, or mystery fuzzies can sneak up fast.

• Try rewetting drops. Dry contacts = blurry contacts (also: cranky eyes).

• Check for astigmatism. If your toric lenses are moving and grooving, things will blur. Blink a few times to settle them.

• Review your prescription. It's possible your glasses are up to date, but your contacts are living in the past.

Still foggy? It might be time to switch lens types — or try daily disposables that feel fresher, longer.

Astigmatism contacts are blurry

If you’ve got astigmatism, your cornea isn’t a perfect little dome, it’s more like a slightly squished beach ball (no judgment, we love a unique vibe). To correct this, your lenses need to be very particular about positioning. That’s where toric lenses come in. They’re weighted to stay upright, like your eye is in a tiny bean bag chair for them. But when they shift? Oof, blurry vision.

Not all toric lenses behave the same way, and if yours are moving around in your eye, your view will go from sharp to soft-focus in the blink of an eye.

Try these steps to fix it:

• Blink gently. Toric lenses are designed to rotate into place (with a little help from your eyelids).

• Look left and right. Moving your eyes can settle a wayward lens.

• Give it a moment. Some lenses take 30–60 seconds to lock in after blinking.

• Still off? You might need something with more stability or a better fit for your eye’s particular shape.

If your vision keeps pulling a Monet, it might be time to ask your eye care professional about switching to a more stable daily toric lens. Less blur, more chill.

How to fix blurry contacts

Blurry lenses are the worst. They're like your contacts forgot their one job, and now you're squinting at your own toaster like it's a modern art piece. The fix? Pretty straightforward:

1. Wash your hands. Start clean. It’s eyeball time.

2. Check your lenses. Are they inside-out? Torn? Covered in mysterious lint? (RIP, sweater fuzz.) If yes, replace them stat.

3. Clean thoroughly. Rub and rinse your lenses with fresh solution — every time. No reusing yesterday’s juice. That’s not thrifty, it’s blurry.

4. Hydrate those eyes. Use contact-friendly rewetting drops. Blink like you just remembered how.

5. Make sure the fit’s right. If lenses feel floaty, spinny, or weirdly loose, they might not match your eye shape. Your eye care professional can help find your Goldilocks lens.

6. Stick to your schedule. Replace your lenses on time, clean your case, and don’t snooze in lenses unless they’re built for bedtime.

In a nutshell (or lens case), treat your contacts right, and they’ll return the favor — with crystal-clear vision of joy.

Did you know you can order contacts online? 

Say goodbye to trips to the eye doctor and hello to convenience! With 1-800 Contacts, you can easily order your contact lenses online and have them delivered straight to your door. Plus, our online vision exam makes it simple to get the prescription you need without leaving home. And the best part? You’ll save money on your first order with 1-800 Contacts. It’s never been easier to get your contacts!