Why It's Important to Have an Extra Pair of Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses

A spare pair is a must if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses. Backups are about more than just convenience. Your eyeglasses and lenses provide the sharp, clear vision you need to navigate the world safely. Take a look at five reasons keeping a backup pair on hand makes sense:

Accidents Aren't Predictable

No matter how carefully you handle your eyeglasses or contact lenses, accidents can still happen. Knocking your eyeglasses off the nightstand as you reach for them first thing in the morning could damage the frames or lenses. Tearing a contact lens just as you're ready to insert it might mean you'll spend the day struggling to see clearly. When you keep an extra pair on hand, a broken frame or torn lens is a minor inconvenience.

Backups Are Essential for Safety

What would you do if a lens popped out of your eyeglasses just before you turned on your table saw, or you lost a contact lens 10 minutes before a hike through uneven terrain? Squinting may improve your eyesight slightly, but won't sharpen your vision enough to make precision cuts safely or avoid tripping over a rock.

When researchers took a look at contributing factors in aviation accidents, they discovered that problems with eyeglasses and contact lenses played a part in some incidents. Their review evaluated 19 flying mishaps that occurred in part due to lost or broken eyeglasses, inappropriate prescriptions and contact lenses, and sunglass problems. The review was published in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine in 2002.

You may never pilot a plane, but these same issues may affect your ability to drive or use machinery safely if you break or lose your eyeglasses or contact lenses.

An Extra Pair Helps You Avoid Trouble Far from Home

Replacing your eyeglasses or contact lenses when traveling to another city or country can be challenging. In most cases, you won't be able to get a new pair of glasses or contacts immediately. Packing spare contact lenses and glasses helps you avoid travel disruptions.

Be sure to put your extra pair on you, not your carry-on bag, when you fly. Depending on the flight, you might be asked to check your carry-on bag at the gate. If your luggage doesn't reach your destination at the same time you do, you could lose your spare pair.

Backups Keep You Comfortable

You could muddle through the day without your eyeglasses or contact lenses, but it probably wouldn't be a comfortable experience. Your eyes must work much harder when you don't wear your eyeglasses or contact lenses. After a day of trying to decipher the words on your laptop or make sense of an instruction manual, you may develop eyestrain. In addition to sore, tired eyes, eyestrain causes headaches, dry eyes, difficulty concentrating, and tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

Struggling to see could also make you feel a little dizzy, particularly if you're a passenger in a vehicle. Fortunately, carrying a backup pair of glasses or contacts will help you avoid these issues.

Do You Wear Contact Lenses? A Backup Pair of Glasses Gives Your Eyes a Break

Although contact lenses can safely be worn for about 8 to 12 hours daily, your eyes may feel more comfortable if you remove your lenses during the early evening hours. Without a backup pair of glasses, you may struggle to read, watch TV, or participate in hobbies and other activities.

Have you ever woken up and noticed that your eyes felt sore or itchy due to allergies or eye irritation? Wearing your contact lenses when your eyes are uncomfortable may only increase irritation. Fortunately, there's a simple solution when you have a backup pair of eyeglasses.

Do you need an extra pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses? Contact our office to schedule your appointment with the optometrist.

Sources:

PubMed: Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine: Aviation Accidents and Incidents Associated with the Use of Ophthalmic Devices by Civilian Airmen, 11/2002

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12433236/

U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Everyday Eye Care

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/contact-lenses/everyday-eye-care

All About Vision: Why You Need a Spare Pair of Glasses or Contact Lenses, 3/9/2025

https://www.allaboutvision.com/eyewear/maintenance/spare-pair-of-glasses-contact-lenses/

Mayo Clinic: Eyestrain, 7/2/2024

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eyestrain/symptoms-causes/syc-20372397