Are these cheap contact lenses worth subscribing to? (2024)

If you use contacts and have an internet connection, you’ve probably heard of Hubble. It’s a subscription-style service that lets you order daily contacts online and delivers them to your door as frequently as you need.

Hubble contacts might come in cute packaging and be easy to order, but whether they’re right for your eyes is a little more complicated. I tried Hubble’s SkyHy line (the most breathable contacts the brand offers) to find out more.

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Hubble is a subscription-based contacts and eyewear company founded in 2016 and based in New York City. The idea behind Hubble is simple—to provide affordable contact lenses with a straight-to-consumer model. How affordable? It varies, but typically close to a dollar a day.

Although Hubble is best known for contacts, the brand also sells eyeglasses, sunglasses, and eyecare accessories.

What kind of contacts does Hubble sell?

Hubble offers three kinds of soft contacts: basic Hubble contacts, a “Hydro” line, and a “SkyHy” line, which is what I tested. All of these are soft daily contacts meant to be disposed of after one use. They’re all priced differently, come from different manufacturers, and are made of different materials.

The classic Hubble contacts are basic, no-frills daily lenses. These contacts are made of methafilcon A hydrogel—a relatively old material. Methafilcon A is FDA-approved, but it is sometimes criticized for having worse breathability compared to more recently developed materials.

Next is the Hydro. As the name implies, these lenses are designed to keep your eyes hydrated. They’re made with hioxifilcon A material, which contains more water than the classic Hubble lenses.

Finally, we’ve got the SkyHy—Hubble’s most expensive contacts, and the ones I tried. They’re made of olifilcon B silicone hydrogel. Hubble was the only contact distributor I could find that uses this exact material, but silicone hydrogel is commonly used to make contacts with above-average comfort and breathability.

The classic Hubble contacts run $20 per eye for a month's supply. The Hydro and SkyHy are slightly more expensive, at $25 and $30 respectively.

If you’re new to Hubble contacts, though, starting off with the classic lenses could be a great deal. Your first box of 15 lenses is only $1. After that, it’ll go up to $20 for a box of 30 lenses.

What I liked about Hubble SkyHy Contacts

They’re comfortable

What I really want from contact lenses is to be able to forget I’m wearing them. Hubble’s SkyHy contacts passed this test with flying colors. Over a month of daily use, I only noticed my contacts on a few days—and those were days when the pollen count was high, so I was probably just feeling allergic. In other words, Hubble was at least as comfortable as my regular Air Optix lenses.

Poking around the internet, this was also the most common note I heard from happy Hubble customers. Everyone’s eyes are different. However for some people, Hubble contacts are uniquely irritation-free.

You can adjust them to your schedule

Here’s how my contacts purchasing usually works: Twice a year I order enough contacts to get me through the next six months. Inevitably, I don’t use them all. Either I wind up wearing my glasses more than I planned, or my prescription gets updated early, or I forget to swap out my contacts at the end of the month and get off schedule (oops—don’t do this). I wind up with a bunch of outdated contacts and no idea what to do with them.

I like that Hubble offers flexible shipping to lessen this problem. Because you’re only buying a month’s supply at a time, you really don’t have the same danger of buying too many. It’s easy to reschedule your shipping date, which saves me from potentially wasting contacts—and money.

They only offer daily lenses

Although Hubble did impress me with the convenience of dailies, I still prefer my monthlies. I find monthly contacts a little more durable, a little more comfortable for long days, and a little easier to remove. While my Hubbles were quite comfortable, I had a few evenings when I struggled to get them out. It was probably my fault for keeping them in too long, but it was still not my favorite!

Daily contacts definitely have benefits, but everyone has different needs. Hubble gives you plenty of options with schedules and timing, but I would like the option to purchase non-dailies.

They don’t work with insurance

Don’t get me wrong—Hubble contacts are unusually affordable for dailies. But compared to my insurance-covered monthly contacts, they’re actually more expensive. Whether or not Hubble saves you money will depend on your other options.

You may be able to submit a claim to your insurance provider after buying Hubble contacts. But Hubble itself won’t be able to help with this and makes no guarantees about coverage.

My eye doctor doesn’t offer them

If there’s one thing that will prevent me from becoming a permanent Hubble user, it’s this: My eye doctor doesn’t offer Hubble contacts and isn’t able to discuss them in much detail, beyond cautioning me about e-commerce supply chains.

While I was using Hubble contacts, I kept thinking, “Wow, this is easy—so easy that I could probably keep ordering contacts and not go to my optometrist for years.” Hubble does offer online vision checks but the brand does make it clear that the test is only for prescription renewals and is not a comprehensive eye exam. I don’t know about you, but my changing prescription is the biggest reminder I have to book an eye doctor appointment. Hubble contacts might work great for you, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the optometrist. Really, it’s all the more reason to double-check that your peepers are staying healthy.

Does Hubble have contacts for astigmatism?

Unfortunately, no, Hubble doesn’t offer contacts for astigmatism. You can buy contacts for astigmatism on the Hubble site, but they won’t be the Hubble brand.

On that note—Hubble’s sizing is pretty limited. All Hubble contacts come with a diameter of 14.2, but their base curves vary depending on the contact type. Classic Hubbles have a base curve of 8.6, while the Hydros have a base curve of 8.4, and the SkyHys have 8.7. It’s important to verify your contact prescription with your eye doctor and ensure that the contacts you order fit your eye.

Maybe, they’re a great option for those without insurance

Everyone’s eyes are different, and it can take some experimentation to find contacts that work for you. For many people, Hubble contacts are extremely comfortable, affordable, and convenient. It’s worth giving a starter box a try—although I’d advise checking in with your optometrist first. Some of Hubble’s materials are less common, and you’ll want to make sure your eyes are responding well.

I enjoyed trying Hubble, but I’ll be going back to my monthlies. I just prefer them—and I value being able to discuss them with my eye doctor. If you’re looking for daily contacts that are both comfortable and affordable, though, Hubble could be just the thing.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.