Table 1.

General pros and cons of current CL material classes.

CL Material	Pros	Cons
PMMA	Inexpensive, well-understood polymer	No oxygen permeability, inflexible on the eye
RGP	High oxygen permeability, durable	Expensive regents, requires hydrophilic comonomer, can be abrasive
HEMA hydrogel	Inexpensive, biocompatible, abundant copolymer possibilities	Low oxygen permeability, protein deposition issues
Silicone hydrogel	High oxygen permeability, durable, comfortable	Expensive regents, requires hydrophilic comonomer, can be abrasive
PVA	Inexpensive, straight-forward manufacturing, biocompatible	Low oxygen permeability, fixed water content