Soft lenses have the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages

• Greater comfort than hard or rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses
• Short adjustment period for new wearers
• Ideal for intermittent wear
• Less susceptible to the intrusion of foreign objects under the lens
• Less sensitivity to light than with hard or RGP lenses
• Rarely fall out of the eye
• Available in tinted versions
  

Disadvantages

• Less durable than hard or RGP lenses
• May dry out, causing discomfort for some, especially under a hair dryer, in hot rooms, or in windy, dry weather
• More involved lens care, especially for conventional soft lenses
• Susceptible to more protein or lipid deposits that reduce lens performance
• May absorb chemicals from the environment, which can cause irritation