Five patients were each fitted with polymethylacrylate (PMMA), BP Flex®, and Polycon® corneal contact lenses of the same dimensions. Corneal edema was monitored with a slit-lamp biomicroscope and pachometer. Lenses were worn in a double-masked and random sequence for periods of 6 hr. Patients developed less corneal edema with Polycon® lenses than with PMMA lenses. There was no significant difference in corneal edema with PMMA and BP Flex® lenses. Those patients who developed little corneal edema with optimum-fitting PMMA lenses also developed little edema with the BP Flex® and Polycon® lenses. Steeper-fitting PMMA and BP Flex® lenses produced more corneal edema than optimum-fitting lenses made of the same materials, while steeper-fitting Polycon® lenses produced only slightly more edema than the optimum-fitting Polycon® lenses.