A contact lens has an elliptical inside surface with a numerical eccentricity of 0.2 to 0.5 and a zenith radius of curvature of 8.0 to 8.4 mm. The inside surface preferably has a peripheral, circularly cross sectioned bevelled zone. As a soft contact lens, it has these dimensions when fully hydrated and preferably consists of a copolymer comprising of 50% to 90% hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA) by weight, 2% to 20% one or more unsaturated carboxylic acids, 2% to 20% one or more base monomers, 5% to 25% aliphatic acrylate or methacrylate, and 0.1% to 1% of a dialkylene-glycol-dimethacrylate cross-linker.