Visonic Dome VS LenSoClean
It’s got a history that includes 15 years of production and a total run of 250,000 devices sold worldwide. It was a world’s first and remains the world’s only. So maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that Visonic Dome still pops up for sale on eBay and Amazon (as the “LenSoClean”) from time to time.
That said, we’re talking about a design that’s been out of production for 20 years. The fact that there’s any left in original packaging kind of boggles the mind.
The question is, should you wait for the Visonic Dome Kickstarter campaign? Or should you just buy its spiritual predecessor (LenSoClean) off eBay right now?
What’s the difference?
Just so we’re on the same page: Visonic Dome and LenSoClean are basically the same thing.
My dad invented both of them. LenSoClean is his original design.
Visonic Dome is the remake.
The only difference is the name on the box.
In fact, I wrote a post about the “deal behind the name” already.
You can read that by clicking here.
But besides the name and updated internal components, Visonic Dome isn’t any different than the original LenSoClean. That’s because the goal of the upcoming Kickstarter campaign is to share my father’s life story by recreating his original design as faithfully as possible.
So why wait for the Kickstarter campaign? Why not just buy one off eBay now? Read on below to hear me out.
That teal colored one is kinda tempting.
The case against buying your LenSoClean off eBay
So if Visonic Dome and LenSoClean have an identical design, why not just buy the one that already exists on eBay?
Well, there are a couple minor differences between your two options that might make Visonic Dome the better choice.
The first and most important difference between the LenSoClean you can find on eBay and the Visonic Dome that’s coming to Kickstarter is its age.
As mentioned above, my father stopped making his device almost 20 years ago. That means that any device you find for sale today is at least 2 decades old. It might even be as much as 30 years old.
My dad’s design has no moving parts. So, in theory, there’s very little that can fail. As an example, my sister still uses her LenSoClean on her contact lenses every day. And that device is just as old as anything you’ll find on eBay.
But we really can’t know for sure under what conditions these eBay devices are kept. If they’re stored in a hot storage locker or a damp basement, it might not be in perfect condition. That seems like an unnecessary eye-health risk to take – especially since we’re about to make a batch of brand new devices.
By contrast, Visonic Dome is all new. Every component and electrical connection is fresh. It’s guaranteed to work like new because it is brand new.
Same iconic design, all new manufacturing. Still Made In USA, too!
Another thing to consider is the cost.
The listings on eBay aren’t any cheaper than a brand new Visonic Dome, either. Generally you find LenSoClean for sale with a Buy-It-Now price of $49 or $59.
That’s the same amount as the Early Bird discount that we’re giving to our email subscribers. You can sign up for that below or by clicking here.
Lastly, I’d have some questions about the condition of the products offered on eBay.
Maybe this is just a continuation of the first point. But I’d have a couple concerns about the working condition of some of the products I’ve seen listed online.
There’s two reasons for that.
Firstly, they claim to be unopened. But from the pictures online, it looks to me like they’re missing their original shrink wrap. All LenSoCleans left the factory in shrink wrap. I know because I was there.
(One summer I even shrink wrapped some of them myself… But maybe that’s a story for another time.)
Secondly, this review on eBay made me raise an eyebrow or two:
As you can see, the product must’ve been opened. Otherwise, the instruction booklet and power adapter wouldn’t be missing.
Why would the seller remove them?
My best guess is that these are LenSoCleans that my dad sold to distributing partners overseas (again, over 20 years ago). The power adapters and instruction manuals would’ve been for foreign markets. So to sell these to Americans, they opened them up, removed what was specific to their region, and now they’re shipping them back to the States.
It’s just a guess, but I think it’s a good one.
Why you might want to buy a LenSoClean off eBay anyway
To be fair, almost all other LenSoClean reviews on eBay are positive. So it seems like even these old devices are still running strong and helping people get more comfortable contact lenses.
If you don’t like the idea of supporting a crowdfunding project, I get it. Sometimes campaigns don’t work out. So if you’re looking for an easier way to clean your contact lenses and keep your eyes healthy, then maybe buying an old LenSoClean off eBay is your best option. For what it’s worth, I still think it’s the best contact lens cleaner ever designed.
Honestly, the fact that you’re even here means that you’ve learned at least a little bit about my father’s design. And that is my main goal for the Kickstarter campaign, anyway.
