The Eye-Opening Trial with Basis Contact Lenses

We’ve all been there. It’s 7 AM, you’re bleary-eyed, and you’re engaged in a microscopic wrestling match with a tiny, transparent sliver of plastic. For years, I was a loyalist to one of those “big” contact lens brands. You know the ones that dominate optical shop windows with glossy celebrity endorsements and price tags to match.

But lately, my relationship with my lenses has hit a rocky patch. Between the rising costs of living and the sheer frustration of lenses that folded like wet tissue paper the moment they touched my finger, I decided it was time for a change. That’s when I stumbled upon Two of a Kind (TWOOAK) and their Basis Daily Disposable Contact Lenses.

After a trial run with this homegrown brand, the results were, quite literally, clear and wallet-friendly.

Why “Thin” may not always be better

One of the most annoying quirks of some brands is their obsession with being “ultra-thin.” While that sounds excellent for breathability on paper, in practice, it’s a nightmare for someone like me with low myopia.

When your prescription isn’t very high, the lens itself is naturally thinner. Combine that with a “flimsy” material, and you end up with a lens that has zero structural integrity. I used to spend minutes trying to get my old lenses to stay upright on my fingertip without collapsing into a “taco” shape, and inserting them into my sleepy eyelids in the morning didn’t help either.

The Basis lenses from Two of a Kind are a relief to use. They use a well-adopted material called Ocufilcon D, which provides a perfect balance of softness and “body.” When I took the lens out of the blister pack during my trial, it held its shape. It stayed convex on my finger, making the “pop-in” process quick if not instantaneous. For the first time in months, I wasn’t wrestling with a crumpled piece of plastic at 7.30 AM. It turns out, a slightly more substantial lens is precisely what a low-myopia wearer like me might prefer for a frustration-free morning.

The economics

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the “Brand Tax.” When you buy from a multinational giant, you aren’t just paying for the lens; you’re paying for their global marketing budget, their supply chain layers, and their prime retail real estate.

Two of a Kind operates on a direct-to-consumer model, and the savings are passed straight to us. A month’s supply of Basis lenses is cheaper than the “well-known” brands I used to buy. We are talking about a price point that makes daily disposables actually tolerable on a long-term budget.

In a world where everything from coffee to rent is shooting toward “premium pricing,” finding a brand that offers UV protection and 55% water content that goes for cheaper than some others is a win for me.

The comfort test

Of course, a lens can be simple to put on and cheap to buy, but if it feels like sand in your eyes by 4 PM, it’s a failure.

I put the Basis lenses through the typical Singapore lifestyle test: eight hours in a dehydrating air-conditioned office, commutes to and from the office, and a late dinner. These Basis lenses were reasonable for comfort, and I could still remove them easily at the end of a workday, unlike my previous brand. While there are brands that boast of higher water content and may be more comfortable to wear, the Ocufilcon D used in Basis lenses has been well tested in the field for a while now, and they are comfortable till the end of my workday.

Let’s talk design

As a designer and artist, I appreciate excellent design. The Basis lenses are packaged in minimalist packaging, both in dimensions and stackability. There is intelligence in their design, given the minimal materials used. The packaging is rounded without sharp edges (unlike some competing brands).

Moving forward

What I appreciate most about the Two of a Kind experience is how they’ve decluttered the process of buying contacts. There is no friction from buying their lenses online, and I look forward to buying more for my daily wear. I am doing myself and my wallet a favor every morning from now on.

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