Choosing the right contact lenses when you have dry eyes can transform your daily comfort and quality of life. Two of the most popular options for dry eye sufferers—1 Day Acuvue Moist and Dailies AquaComfort Plus—both promise exceptional moisture retention and all-day comfort. But which one is right for you? This guide will help you make an informed decision based on your specific needs, lifestyle, and eye characteristics.
Understanding Your Dry Eye Type
Before comparing lenses, it’s essential to understand what’s causing your dry eyes. This knowledge will guide your lens selection more effectively.
Evaporative Dry Eye: Your tears evaporate too quickly, often due to poor tear film quality or meibomian gland dysfunction. You might notice symptoms worsen in windy or air-conditioned environments.
Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye: Your eyes don’t produce enough tears. This type often feels worse upon waking and may be related to medications, age, or autoimmune conditions.
Mixed Type: A combination of both evaporative and aqueous deficiency, which is actually the most common form.
Your eye care professional can determine your dry eye type through simple tests. This information becomes valuable when selecting lenses, as different moisture technologies address different underlying issues.
The Science Behind 1 Day Acuvue Moist
1 Day Acuvue Moist employs LACREON Technology, a breakthrough approach to lens hydration. Instead of coating the lens surface with moisturizing agents that can wear off, the technology permanently integrates a moisture-rich ingredient into the lens material itself during the manufacturing process.
Who Benefits Most
This lens excels for people with moderate to severe dry eye who need consistent, reliable moisture throughout the day. The embedded moisture agent mimics the mucin layer of your natural tears, creating compatibility with your eye’s surface. If your dry eye symptoms tend to be steady rather than fluctuating, the constant moisture delivery of LACREON technology may suit you perfectly.
The 58% water content strikes a balance—high enough to provide comfort without becoming so water-heavy that the lens dehydrates your eyes. The etafilcon A material also offers excellent oxygen permeability, which is crucial since oxygen-deprived corneas can exacerbate dryness symptoms.
Additional Considerations
1 Day Acuvue Moist includes Class 2 UV protection, blocking harmful rays that can contribute to eye surface irritation and long-term damage. If you spend considerable time outdoors or drive frequently, this built-in protection adds meaningful value beyond just moisture management.
The lens also has a visibility tint, making handling easier—particularly helpful if you struggle with insertion and removal due to dryness-related sensitivity.
The Innovation of Dailies AquaComfort Plus
Dailies AquaComfort Plus takes a dynamic approach with its triple-action moisture system. Rather than providing static hydration, these lenses work in harmony with your natural eye movements.
The Triple-Action Breakdown
The first component involves polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) embedded in the lens material, which attracts and holds water molecules. The second layer uses hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) to create a smooth, cushioning surface. The third and most innovative aspect releases moisture with each blink, continuously refreshing the lens surface throughout your wearing time.
Ideal Candidates
This lens particularly benefits people whose dry eye symptoms fluctuate throughout the day or worsen with extended visual tasks. If you experience increased dryness during computer work, reading, or driving—activities that reduce blink rate—the blink-activated moisture can counteract this problem.
The 69% water content is notably higher than Acuvue Moist, which some wearers with severe dryness find more immediately comfortable. The ultra-thin nelfilcon A material creates a barely-there sensation that appeals to those with heightened eye sensitivity.
Key Comparison Factors for Dry Eye Sufferers
Moisture Delivery Method
Acuvue Moist: Constant, embedded moisture that doesn’t depend on external factors. Provides baseline comfort from insertion to removal.
Dailies AquaComfort Plus: Active, blink-responsive moisture that increases with use. Adapts to your activity level and blinking patterns.
Water Content
Higher water content isn’t always better for dry eyes—it depends on the lens material and design. Dailies AquaComfort Plus at 69% offers more initial hydration, while Acuvue Moist at 58% maintains moisture balance more consistently over extended wear for some users.
Thickness and Feel
Dailies AquaComfort Plus features an ultra-thin design that many wearers describe as “disappearing” on the eye. 1 Day Acuvue Moist has slightly more substance, which some find reassuring and others notice more during wear.
Prescription Range
Both lenses accommodate a wide range of prescriptions, but availability in higher powers and different parameters may vary. Check with your eye care provider about options for your specific prescription.
The Role of Dry Eye Drops in Your Lens Choice
Regardless of which lens you choose, incorporating dry eye drops into your routine maximizes comfort and extends wearing time. The type of drops you use can actually influence your lens selection.
Matching Drops to Lenses
For 1 Day Acuvue Moist, drops with thicker consistency work well since the lens’s embedded moisture provides a strong foundation. You’re supplementing rather than compensating.
For Dailies AquaComfort Plus, thinner drops that mimic natural tears complement the blink-activated system without interfering with the moisture release mechanism.
Always choose preservative-free formulations labeled as compatible with contact lenses. Preservatives can accumulate on lens surfaces and ironically worsen dry eye symptoms.
Practical Testing Strategies
The most reliable way to choose between these lenses is systematic testing. Here’s how to approach it:
Week-Long Trials
Ask your eye care provider for trial supplies of each lens. Wear one type exclusively for at least a week before switching. This duration allows your eyes to adjust and reveals how the lenses perform during various activities and environmental conditions.
Track Your Experience
Keep a simple log noting:
- Comfort level at insertion, midday, and evening
- Performance during specific activities (screen work, driving, outdoor time)
- Need for dry eye drops and how often
- Any irritation, redness, or vision fluctuations
- Overall satisfaction at day’s end
Consider Different Days
Test each lens type on both demanding days (long work hours, extended screen time) and easier days (weekends, varied activities). Performance under stress reveals the most about long-term suitability.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors
Your daily environment significantly impacts which lens performs better for your dry eyes.
Climate: In very dry or high-altitude environments, Dailies AquaComfort Plus’s higher water content might feel more comfortable initially. However, 1 Day Acuvue Moist’s moisture-retaining technology can prevent dehydration over extended wear.
Screen Time: Heavy computer users often prefer Dailies AquaComfort Plus because the blink-activated moisture compensates for reduced blinking during focused tasks.
Outdoor Activities: The UV protection in 1 Day Acuvue Moist provides added value, while also protecting your already-sensitive eyes from environmental irritants.
Air Quality: In dusty, polluted, or allergen-heavy environments, the daily disposable nature of both lenses helps, but the ultra-smooth surface of Dailies AquaComfort Plus may resist particle adherence slightly better.
Cost Considerations
Both 1 Day Acuvue Moist and Dailies AquaComfort Plus fall into similar price ranges, though costs vary by retailer and prescription. Consider the total cost of ownership, including any additional dry eye drops you’ll need.
Some wearers find one lens requires fewer supplemental drops, potentially offsetting any price difference. Insurance coverage and bulk purchase discounts can also influence your decision.
Making Your Final Decision
After considering all factors, your decision might come down to these simple questions:
Do you prefer consistent, reliable moisture or adaptive, responsive hydration? Choose Acuvue Moist for the former, Dailies AquaComfort Plus for the latter.
Is UV protection important to you? 1 Day Acuvue Moist includes it; Dailies AquaComfort Plus doesn’t.
Do you have extreme sensitivity to lens presence? The ultra-thin Dailies AquaComfort Plus might feel more comfortable.
Does your dry eye worsen with reduced blinking? The blink-activated moisture of Dailies AquaComfort Plus directly addresses this.
Conclusion
Both 1 Day Acuvue Moist and Dailies AquaComfort Plus represent excellent choices for contact lens wearers managing dry eyes. Your optimal selection depends on your specific dry eye type, daily activities, environmental factors, and personal preferences.
The best approach combines quality daily disposable lenses with appropriate dry eye drops and healthy eye care habits. Work closely with your eye care professional to trial both options and make an informed choice based on real-world performance. With the right lens supporting your eyes, dry eye syndrome doesn’t have to limit your contact lens success.