What is Hubble?
Hubble is a web-based company that heavily advertises daily disposable contact lenses, available to order online at a lower cost than most other 1-day contact lens brands. As the rising popularity of Hubble’s product has caught the attention of many concerned eye health providers, Metro Eye’s optometrists and staff advise consumers to educate themselves and always put their eye health first. Hubble contact lenses are not safe to wear on your eyes, and are surprisingly overpriced for what they actually are.
Contact lenses manufactured for Hubble come from St. Shine Optical in Taiwan, and the material used to make these lenses (methafilcon A) was actually developed back in the 1980’s. Major contact lens companies and reputable optometrists have since moved away from this outdated technology, as there are many new lens materials available for healthier, safer and more comfortable contact lens wear. Hubble lenses are technically FDA-approved, yet there are serious associated risks that wearers should be aware of.
What is Dk/t?
When determining which lens is best suited for a contact lens patient, optometrists consider the oxygen permeability, or “Dk/t” of the material that it is made from. This is a measure of how much oxygen can pass through the lens to reach the cornea, which is the front of the eye, while also taking lens thickness into account.
Eye health studies show that a Dk/t of 24 or higher is necessary to maintain a healthy cornea, since oxygen is a key component for proper eye health and function. The newest daily contact lens materials, prescribed by Metro Eye’s optometrists and other reputable eye care providers, range in Dk/t from 118-156. The Dk/t of Hubble contacts is an alarmingly low 18. (Waldo, which is another emerging web-based brand of contact lenses, should also be avoided with an extremely low Dk/t of 25.)
Health Risks
In addition to irritation and swelling, some of the more serious threats to vision caused by inferior contact lens materials are infection and neovascularization. Lack of oxygen can lead to neovascularization, which is when blood vessels grow into your cornea. Since this is an abnormal place for blood vessels to grow, this can cause corneal irregularity, visual impairment, and some sufferers may require a corneal transplant.
Educated Choice
Numerous reports from eye care professionals around the country express deep concern for the substantial health risks associated with Hubble contact lenses. This company widely distributes a medical device of inferior quality that increases serious risks to lens wearers’ eye health, while simultaneously overcharging consumers for the very outdated lens technology that it provides. When making health and safety related decisions, Metro Eye’s optometrists strongly encourage you to put your health first.