Buying colored contact lenses in 2026

Colored lenses come in two flavours: with power (corrective and cosmetic) and without power (purely cosmetic). Both are medical devices in the EU — only buy them from shops carrying certified brands.

Stay away from anonymous party-shop lenses without CE marking or a brand name. Established manufacturers (Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision and specialist brands) publish material and oxygen values; nameless imports do not.

Even for plano (no-power) colored lenses, BC and DIA must fit your eye. Get fitted once by an optician; after that you can reorder online safely.

Price tip: cosmetic lenses are often sold per piece or per 2-pack; convert to price per wear to compare properly. We include colored lenses in the comparison as soon as a shop carries them in its feed.