Table of Contents
- Introducing Hubble (the contacts, not the telescope)
- Oxygen permeability (i.e. breathability) comparison
- Misleading marketing?
- Powers, availability and more
- Does Hubble Contacts have a lens for astigmatism or presbyopia?
- Are Hubble Contacts right for you?
- How much do Hubble Contacts cost?
- My personal experience
- Two things that concern me about Hubble
- Final thoughts
First and foremost, let me be clear, this is NOT our normal contact lens review. In fact, no one on our team even fits Hubble Contacts (and I’ll explain why in this article). However, since we pride ourselves on providing you with accurate and transparent eye care information, I decided to research, order, and review Hubble Contacts. Below is a complete review of what you need to know about Hubble Contacts, including the pros and cons of wearing the lens.
Note: If you want to see how Hubble stacks up against other subscription contacts (i.e. Aveo, Sight Supply, and Waldo) watch the video below.
Introducing Hubble (the contacts, not the telescope)
To start, Hubble Contacts first became available to the US market in late 2016. Inspired by the subscription-based business model of Harry’s shaving company, Hubble launched with a vision of disrupting the contact lens marketplace. Since their launch, they have raised multiple rounds of funding and are now serving customers in Canada (2017), the UK (2018), and beyond.
Shipped to your door in fancy packaging, Hubble lenses are manufactured in Taiwan by St. Shine Optical. What most people don’t know is that the lens material these contacts are made of (methafilcon A) was developed over 20 years ago! Which raises the question, would you purchase a car, cell phone, or just about anything with 1990s technology? Probably not.
RELATED: These Are the Best Contact Lenses Currently Available
Oxygen permeability (i.e. breathability) comparison
Another thing to consider is that the oxygen permeability (i.e. Dk) of Hubble Contacts is 21. This is extraordinarily low compared to the newest contact lenses available.
Put in laymen’s terms, the Dk of a lens is the amount of oxygen that can pass through the lens to the front of your eye (i.e. the cornea). The higher this number is, the better. And just like the rest of your body, your cornea needs oxygen for proper functioning.
For comparison purposes, Hubble, Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe, MyDay, and Dailies Total1 were all launched in the US within the last 5 years. Their respective release years and Dk values are as follows:
| Year of US market release | Oxygen permeability (Dk) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hubble | 2016 | 21 |
| MyDay | 2015 | 80 |
| Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe | 2015 | 103 |
| Dailies Total1 | 2013 | 140 |
Looking at the chart above, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Hubble Contacts were the most recently released product yet they have the lowest Dk value. Also, it’s probably no surprise that with an increase in breathability comes superior comfort and vision.
RELATED: Aveo Contacts Review
Misleading marketing?
To be fair, there is a cost difference between these lenses and Hubble. The reason being, of the 4 lenses launched over this 5 year time period, only Hubble is manufactured with significantly outdated material. And, just like anything, innovative products take time, energy, and money to develop.
On their website, Hubble makes the statement, “Hubble is a new brand of contact lenses.” While true, what they aren’t being transparent about is that their new brand comes with a very old, outdated material.
RELATED: Biotrue ONEday Review
Powers, availability and more
Hubble Contacts are available in powers ranging from -12 to +8. Therefore, they’re designed to fit a large range of contact lens wearers. Also, Hubble has built-in UV protection (80% UVA and 95% UVB) and a light blue visibility tint for handling purposes.
On their website, Hubble advertises that your first box is free! Of course, this is after the company verifies the prescription with your eye doctor (or so they say).
Also, as noted in the name, these contacts are designed for daily wear and should be thrown away at the end of the day. Therefore, Hubble Contacts are NOT approved to be slept in!
Note: If you plan on taking your daily contact lenses out for a nap or to go swimming, we recommend storing them in Biotrue, RevitaLens, or Opti-free Pure Moist contact lens solutions. For more information on contact lens solutions, check out our complete guide!
Does Hubble Contacts have a lens for astigmatism or presbyopia?
No, not at this time. However, that doesn’t mean Hubble won’t launch a toric or multifocal lens for in the near future! Stay tuned.
RELATED: Waldo Contacts Review
Are Hubble Contacts right for you?
Pros
- Inexpensive (for a daily contact lens).
- Delivered to your door through an adjustable subscription service.
- Designed with recyclable packaging.
Cons
- Made from a significantly outdated lens material that can cause complications (i.e. dryness, infections, etc.).
- Not available in a toric or multifocal lens.
- Questionable company ethics and concern for consumer eye health (see more below).
How much do Hubble Contacts cost?
One thing the team at Hubble really prides themselves on is their cost to the consumer. In fact, the first thing you see when you go to their homepage is a statement that says, “The more affordable daily contact lens.” What’s also interesting is that they’re now selling contact lenses from other manufacturers.
As a result, a month supply of lenses for both eyes is $33 (plus tax). This breaks down to $30 for 60 contact lenses (or $0.50 a lens) and $3 for shipping and handling. Another way of looking at this is that Hubble Contacts are $49.50 for a 90 lens supply for one eye ($90 if you want to run the math on both eyes).
When compared to older contacts, designed with similar (outdated) lens materials, Hubble Contacts are around the same price (and, in some cases, more expensive).
My personal experience
Truth be told, I first ran across Hubble Contacts on Facebook and Instagram. In fact, according to their interview with Forbes, 95% of their ad dollars have been used on these social platforms. After repeatedly seeing their ads, I decided to investigate the lens further and requested my free box.
As soon as I clicked on their ad to “learn more”, I immediately noticed how clean, user-friendly, and well designed their website was. After entering in my prescription, I was prompted to input my doctor’s information. As a practicing optometrist, I typed in my provider information and was immediately congratulated on two free weeks of contacts. Of course, I was also informed that my prescription would first be verified by my eye doctor.
RELATED: Dailies AquaComfort Plus Review
Where things got interesting
As soon as I made the order, I informed my office staff to let me know when they received a verification request from Hubble to verify my prescription. To my surprise, a few days went by and we never received a verification request. A week or so later, still nothing. This is despite the fact that I was promised at checkout my prescription would be verified. Not to mention, Hubble has this disclaimer printed at the top center of their professional fitting guide:
CAUTION: FEDERAL (USA) LAW RESTRICTS THIS DEVICE TO SALE BY OR ON THE ORDER OF A LICENSED PRACTITIONER.
Without being verified, one week went by and my free trial of Hubble Contacts arrived in the mail. The packaging was fun and aesthetically pleasing while the instructions booklet contained cute, colorful graphics with user-friendly information.
The next morning, I had no trouble putting them in and actually found them quite comfortable…for the first few hours. However, it was right around lunchtime when I noticed my eyes started to feel extremely irritated and gritty. An hour or two more went by and I came to the conclusion that these contacts were simply not comfortable. As a result, I took them out and never looked back.
RELATED: Clariti 1 Day Review
Canceling my Hubble subscription
A few weeks went by and I received another package in the mail from Hubble. This time it was a 30-day supply and it dawned on me that I forgot to cancel my subscription! Uninterested in the contacts, I still opened the shipping box (because who doesn’t like opening mail).
Upon logging into my Hubble account, I discovered I could only cancel my subscription by calling them at 844-334-1640. The cancelation process was easy but returning my unopened boxes was another story. To my surprise, since I had opened the shipping box, I was advised I could not return the lenses.
Turns out Hubble does not seal their contact lens boxes on both ends. Therefore, to prevent tampering of the product, they only allow you to return unopened shipping boxes (for a $5.00 restocking fee plus shipping and handling costs).
Note: Standard practice for most contact lens retailers is that you can return unopened contact lens boxes within a specific time period.
RELATED: Sight Supply Review
Two things that concern me about Hubble
First, Hubble took an old, outdated lens material and is branding it as a cool, new product. In fact, they even display on their website, “Nothing is more important to us than the quality and comfort of our contacts.” Yet, when you research what they’re actually selling, there is nothing quality (or innovative) about it.
If the company really cared about your eyes, why didn’t they take the time to develop a product that aligns with today’s standards and technology? Also, why are they selling contact lenses from other manufacturers? None of this makes sense to me (outside of the fact that they’re simply trying to make money).
Second, my prescription was never verified (yet I still was mailed Hubble Contacts). After doing some research, I discovered I’m not the only person this has happened to (as you can see here and here).
This is also why I don’t know any eye doctors that fit this lens. From an eye health and safety perspective, the gross negligence that occurred here could be devastating!
RELATED: 1-Day Acuvue Moist Review
Final thoughts
Overall, kudos to the Hubble cofounders (one of which used to work at Harry’s). They took an old material and built a brand behind a fun name and sexy marketing campaign. But, unlike razors, contact lenses are medical devices. It’s only a matter of time until the people that try Hubble Contacts discover the company’s marketing outdoes their product.
Truth be told, I’m all for innovative disruption when it comes to improving products and services. In fact, I’m a Harry’s subscriber and ordered my last mattress through Leesa. Therefore, if you’re looking for a subscription-based contact lens service, I highly recommend you check out other options (many available through your eye doctor).
The reality is, you often get what you pay for! Unfortunately, Hubble Contacts are not the bargain they’re cracked up to be. If you’re looking at evaluating your contact lens options, I highly recommend scheduling an appointment with your neighborhood eye doctor. They’ll take into account your visual demands and fit you with contacts that support you and your lifestyle!
What do you think of Hubble Contacts? Leave your review in the comments below!
Hubble Contacts Review
Overall
-
Cost
-
Comfort
-
Health & Safety
-
Vision
Summary
Hubble is a subscription contact lens service supported by a fancy marketing campaign. Designed with a 1990’s lens material, I recommend you consider alternative options before subscribing to this daily contact lens.
Pros
- Inexpensive (for a daily contact lens).
- Delivered to your door through an adjustable subscription service.
- Designed with recyclable packaging.
Cons
- Made from a significantly outdated lens material that can cause complications (i.e. dryness, infections, etc.).
- Not available in a toric or multifocal lens.
- Questionable company ethics and concern for consumer eye health.
| Hubble Contacts | |
|---|---|
| Year of US market release | 2016 |
| Base curve (i.e. curvature of the contact lens) | 8.6 |
| Diameter (i.e. width of the contact lens) | 14.2 |
| Powers | +6.00D to -6.00D (in 0.25D steps) -6.00D to -12.00D (in 0.50D steps) |
| Cylinder | n/a |
| Axis | n/a |
| Add powers | n/a |
| Handling tint | Light blue |
| Material | methafilcon A (hydrogel) |
| Water content | 55% |
| Dk/t (i.e. oxygen transmissibility) | Undisclosed |
| Modulus (i.e. stiffness) | Undisclosed |
| Center thickness | 0.10 mm @ -3.00 |
| Technology | n/a |
| Wear type | Daily wear |
| Replacement schedule | Daily (i.e. throw away at the end of the day) |
| Trials | 15 pairs when you first subscribe online |
| Available for purchase | 30 packs |
| Approved to be slept in? | No |
| Inside out markings? | No |
| Rebate available? | No |
| UV protection? | Yes (80% UVA, 95% UVB) |
References:
Professional viewpoint of Hubble---I'm not impressed.
I agree with Dr Corte. I work for an optometrist and I recently received a phone verification from some company identifying themselves as “Vision Path”. A live rep initiates the call and very rapidly explains that there will be a recording that will play to verify a contact prescription and quickly asks if I will accept the call. I said yes. Then the recording is so quick to relate the information that if you are unprepared for the rapid onslaught of info, you miss pertinent information and callback phone numbers. Only after some investigation did we find out that it was actually the company for Hubble contacts! A few wrong internet provided phone numbers later did I finally get them back on the phone because the person they were verifying a prescription for had not yet been fitted and finalized with a contact lens prescription! We were still in the process of ordering the trials to fit the patient with! Not to mention the fact that they don’t verify brand name contacts because they use their own lens material. So even if they call to verify a prescription, it will be incorrect because that material is not what the doctor prescribed for that patient. The patient will have been fitted with newer lens materials and not something outdated. I can honestly say I am NOT a fan of how they do business!
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Thank you for your feedback! What you experienced is unfortunate and, ultimately, impacts the patient. Hopefully consumers take note and stick with what their doctor prescribes!
Very informative and helpful details, thank you for writing this post!!
Great details with data to back it up, appreciate the time you took to put this post together!
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Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you found value in this review!
Another Competitor to Consider
Another competitor to consider is Optikal. They provide a full contact care kit along with brand name contacts and you can pay on a monthly basis. They even cover the eye exam and roll it into monthly payments.
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Thanks for pointing them out, Sue. I’ve heard of them but they haven’t made as much noise on social media as Hubble Contacts has. Maybe it’s soon to come?
What about for one-eyed pirates like me?
Great piece. My beef w the contact lens subscription services is that they have no options for folks who wear a single lens. I understand that there are few of us, but I don’t want to pay for a double supply – I’ll end up with way too many lenses. I can get a big box of Accuvue Oasys from my eye doctor – enough to last me almost a year – for $80. That’s good enough for me.
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Great point, Dan. As time goes on, I’m sure these companies will adjust their platforms accordingly. Thanks for sharing!
Terrible business practice and customer service
I wish I saw your review sooner. This is my experience:
Terrible business practice and customer service. It seems to me that Hubble uses predatory tactics to make their money. I place a order for their $1 trial on February 14 and they noted that in 16 days they will begin charging their monthly rate. But the 16 days they give you counts the weekend, it’s not just business days. However, I did not receive my order until February 26, which gave me technically only 2 days to test out the contacts and cancel the subscription. To cancel, I had to call in M-F 9am-5pm EST, but they charged me over the weekend! I say “technically” because I am coming home from work to the package, so I am not putting on a pair of contacts for a couple of hours before I head to bed. I had ONE BUSINESS DAY to make my decision after I waited 12 DAYS to receive the product.
At no point did they contact me regarding my experience before charging me the monthly rate. At no point did they remind me that the monthly rate will begin. At no point did they notify me that I had full access to my online account. At no point did they say I can cancel before it arrives or skip the month in advance. At no point did they CLEARLY expressed that THE 16 DAYS COUNTS THE WEEKEND, nor that they start counting the day you place the trial order (not the day you receive the order).
Side note: The customer service representative I spoke to is in the Philippines, but their customer service hours noted EST (Eastern Standard Time).
Clearly, in my experience with this process and in speaking to a customer service representative, they do not care about our experience with their product or brand. As long as they get $39 from you each month. In my exchange with the customer service rep regarding this experience, I was repeatedly reminded what their policy and procedure is and why it took so long for me to get the contacts. However, when it came to understanding my point of view, THEY DID NOT GIVE ME ADEQUATE TIME/ opportunity to test out the product OR NOTICE before they charged me the monthly fee, they stood by their 16 day policy. They refuse to refund my money. I am refusing to support a company that is not considerate of the people they serve.
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Thank you for sharing your experience, Nga. I know others interested in trying Hubble appreciate your feedback. I recommend following up with an eye doctor to evaluate which contacts are best for you!
Dishonest Billing Practice
Hubble contacts requires you to call and cancel your subscription yet, when you do, they don’t cancel and keep charging. I have called and cancel in February 2020, was charged in March, called again in March, was billed in April. Called again and canceled. Each time, Was told oh, we have no record and we don’t issue refunds! I CANCELED! I want my money back!
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Thank you for sharing, Christopher. We’re sorry to hear this, as it appears to be a common complaint. Hopefully you get your money back and others will take note.
Personal Experiance
Thanks for the review, I’ve gone ahead and tried all three brands, from Hubble to Waldo, to Aveo Vision.
I have to say, the material from Hubble, just like you’ve said, it’s from outdated technology, eyes dried out after a few hours of wearing.
Waldo, better material, more comfortable, but come with a slight higher price, suggested for more than 4 hours of wear.
Aveo Vision, using one of the most current materials for contact lens manufacturing, highest price point. But consider being the most comfortable and batter choice among those three.
My final point is, depends on your budget and needs, for example, playing sports that need contact lenses for an hour or two, no more than 4 hours, Hubble will do the job just fine. For casual daily wear that is more than 4 to 6 hours plus, consider Waldo or Aveo Vision.
My experience that wearing contacts for more than 25 years. I will do with either Waldo or Aveo Vision simply the lens material is more up-to-date!
Hope this helps.
PS, Oh, by the way, all three companies, will let you cancel the subscription right from their website, under your account page, you just need to know where to look! As of April 24th, 2020
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Thank you for sharing your feedback, Scotty!
I have been wearing 2 week contacts, mostly Acuvue Oasys, which I find very comfortable to wear (I have dry eyes). I personally find Hubble to be ok, I don’t think people can ask too much when they order $1 for 30 contact lens for trials. However, I think their subscription is too high. $39/month for 60 lenses.
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Thank you for sharing your feedback, Kai!
NO NO NO
I used these contacts for about a year. You definitely get what you pay for. They dried out my eyes constantly and I could only wear them comfortably for about 4 hours. Then when it came time to cancel my subscription, it took me a few months to do this and I kept getting charged. They do not offer refunds and it took me calling them multiple times to finally cancel (without any money back). Terrible company. You’re better off paying the extra money.
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Hubble Contacts is an unethical company
Hubble Contacts is an unethical company – do not give them your card details.
I was charged $39 for a subscription I had not authorized.
I initially signed up for a sample through an Instagram ad, which did not contain any information that my card information would be stored and used to automatically enter me into a subscription service without my consent. I also did not activate an account with Hubble.
Furthermore, Hubble should be reported to the AOA (American Optometric Association) because they do not follow standard procedures to verify contact prescriptions. They did not call my optometrist or ask me for my prescription. Search AOA + Hubble Contacts on Google to find more.
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Thank you for sharing your feedback, Olivia! I’m sorry to hear about your experience and agree that you typically get what you pay for.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Erouf! I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Deceptive practices and not verifying prescriptions are two common complaints we hear about Hubble.
A complete scam. Stay far far away.
A complete scam. Stay far far away.
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BUYER BEWARE. STEER CLEAR OF HUBBLE.
I have been getting Hubble lenses delivered every other month for the past 2 years, from when they started marketing to the UK.
I found that I didn’t wear them much because they weren’t that comfortable, but I thought that was because I have dry eyes to begin with, and because I ended up developing blepharitis as a result of wearing them.
I noticed that my eyesight has worsened over those 2 years and so my contact lens prescription has changed. But I wonder if wearing them actually contributed to the worsening of my eyesight? Which came first?
I’m due for another eye test soon but thanks to Covid, that’s proving hard. So the contacts they send me don’t actually give me clearer vision, and I wanted to quit.
The boxes were piling up unopened, unused – I have about 5 boxes that I will now never use – that’s nearly £30 per box, and I can’t sell them on because it wouldn’t be safe. I can give them away, but hmmm – that’s £150 worth of lenses down the drain.
My credit card was expiring in October and I decided not to give Hubble my new details. I emailed them asking to cancel my subscription. I checked my bank account and there is no direct debit or standing order set up with them, so I assumed it would be straightforward, as with other subscriptions I pay for – if they don’t have updated financial details for you, the subscription automatically ends. I didn’t have a Paypal standing order with them, either, so I don’t know how they kept taking money from my account even after my card expired. When I signed into my account with them, there were my new credit card details that I never gave them authorisation to have. They continued to took money out of my account and sent me another box in December somehow.
I tried to cancel the subscription from there since emailing them and withholding my new credit card numbers failed, and I was hoping to contact their customer services from within my account to complain, as well as to explicitly instruct them to close the account. But they don’t allow you to cancel through their website either. I found that they only accept cancellation of service via telephone.
I rang them in the beginning of December and spoke to a very surly customer service representative. I didn’t get his name. I just wanted to ensure my account was cancelled and that I could send the most recent boxes back and get a refund. He said he would email me a returns label but that I could only return the latest box, and only if it hadn’t been opened. Fine.
Time passed. It was almost Christmas. I still hadn’t received an email with the returns label.
I emailed them directly via the website since emailing them initially from my own email account had failed.
The person I got this time said they had no record of my calling to cancel.
I logged back into my account again.
The subscription was showing as being cancelled.
This person couldn’t seem to put 2+2 together:
If the only way to cancel a subscription is to ring them, and the subscription was cancelled, then obviously I called. The fact that they didn’t have a record of that call is on them.
And I had to ask her for a returns label so the promise of a refund from the man I spoke to on the phone (the one who cancelled the subscription) was honoured.
But she kept repeating that she didn’t have a record of that conversation.
She was so dense. Dealing with her was like pulling teeth. Not only that, but it took days for her to respond, and time was ticking away (yet I was not made aware that there was a time limit of 16 days at this point…)
Well, I was asking NOW, to please action the sending the returns label, or if you can’t manage that request, pass me onto a manager who could. What is more, send me a copy of the original agreement. AND send me your complaints procedure so I can complain – in fact – consider this email an official complaint and pass it on to the relevant department.
Another couple of banal useless emails from her and many days in between, and I insisted that since she seemed to be ignoring all requests that it was time she passed this matter to her line manager or supervisor because I refused to deal with her now.
It was only when she finally escalated it – after 6 back and forth emails from me – that someone more senior than her told me about that 16 day returns rule.
He sent me the returns label, but now so much time had elapsed just from dealing with their shoddy customer service people, that it meant the 16 days had passed. (and so much time and energy expended in trying to get through to someone with a modicum of intelligence and actual customer service capability)
And now that I had the label, it was Christmas Eve night by the time I could print it – a Thursday. Friday was Christmas – post office closed. Boxing Day was Saturday. Ditto. Sunday, ditto. Monday – a Bank Holiday, post office closed. I won’t be able to go to the post office until Tuesday next week. I need to get proof of postage from the post office so there can be no dispute as to whether or when I sent it back, but it’s definitely past the 16 days.
And no exceptions, even when it’s they screw up?? They failed to log the phone call that cancelled the subscription, that failed to send me the returns label in a timely manner.
They failed in the first instance 2 years ago to send me a copy of the terms and conditions that said the only way you can cancel is to call a certain number. The terms and conditions they sent me were for this year.
They also failed to send me information on how to complain. There has to be some regulatory body I can bring this to the attention of, surely?
The fact that they never even checked to see if my prescription has changed and insist on seeing an updated eye test certificate says everything you need to know about this company. Completely unlawful and unethical, as well as incompetent and deceitful.
I’ve given them 1 star but that is only because I couldn’t get away with leaving them none.
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Thank you for sharing, Arty. There have been a number of articles written about Hubble Contact’s questionable business practices.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Hopefully you’re able to get into an eye doctor to be properly fit with a lens that best meets your eye health and vision needs.
Information update/correction
I just got a set of hubble contacts and they now DO have an inside out marking. They say “hub” like Acuvue contacts say 123. But readable on the OTHER side of the lens, IIRC.
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