Monovision refers to a single prescription lens. Unlike bifocal lenses, which will be explained in this text, monovision means wearing one contact lens that has one particular prescription and another contact that has a different prescription. There is a disadvantage to this method, as you must move your head more often than in other types of contacts and you may lose some depth perception. Depth perception is compiled from both eyes as they adjust automatically and with monovision you must do this consciously. The eye has to learn to adjust to this experience-using one eye for near vision and the other eye for distant vision. The distance vision lens is usually worn in your dominant eye.

Just like all contact lenses, monovision takes some time to fully accommodate comfortably, but is has been found to be extremely successful and people do learn to ‘see' one way through one eye while ‘seeing' something different from the other. Eventually, you find that it's almost impossible to tell the difference, as the brain is very clever is putting the pieces together seamlessly. This has other advantages, as well. Since the contacts don't need to be specialized to serve more than one function, you can't mix and match whatever special features you want and finding possibilities isn't a problem. Also, some eye-care professionals have free-trial programs in place where you are allowed to try monovision contact lenses for a specified period of time to see whether you are compatible to this method of eye correction.