Whenever they hear words “Rigid Gas Permeable”, most people think “hard contact lenses”, confusing RGP lenses with PMMS - hard lenses of previous generation. RGP are made from a different type of plastic, which makes them more flexible than hard lenses. And their most important feature is high oxygen permeability. See comparison of RGP contact lenses and soft contact lenses.

Advantages of RGP lenses

As name suggests, these lenses are gas permeable - they don’t block oxygen flow to your corneas. Oxygen is very important for health of your eyes because its lack can cause serious eye problems, including inflammation of cornea.

Vision clarity

Both high quality soft and RGP contact lenses provide good vision. However, studies have shown that properly fitted RGP lenses provide better vision. This is important for people who rely on their eyes in their jobs - truck drivers, pilots - and for certain sports, like shooting.

Also, many soft lens wearers report that their contacts feel funny in dark and their vision decreases. RGP don’t have this problem.

Eye health comparison

Two important factors determine how healthy a contact lens is for your eyes - oxygen permeability and resistance to protein build-up.

RGP lenses let through 2-4 times more oxygen than soft contact lens. Therefore risk of corneal inflammation is much lower. The only soft lenses that have oxygen permeability comparable to RGP lenses are silicon hydrogel contacts, like Focus Night and Day or Acuvue Advance

Soft lenses are more prone to protein build-up than RGP contacts. Of course, if you wear daily disposable soft lenses, this is not an issue. But if you use monthly or quarterly replacement lenses, by end of its life lens is covered with proteins no matter how carefully you clean it. RGP are made from totally different material - plainly said proteins and other secretions don’t stick to them.