<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-09-06</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001050122</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>1 800 CONTACTS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CTAC</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001315394</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Johnson Frank L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1270 SIXTH AVENUE, SUITE 2200</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001302583</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LAGRANGE CAPITAL PARTNERS OFFSHORE FUND LTD</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>73 FRONT ST</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>HAMILTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>A1</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>000000</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001324023</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LaGrange Capital Partners LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, SUITE 2200</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001353724</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>LaGrange Capital Administration, L.L.C.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS SUITE 2200</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-09-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>206186</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1484149</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnotes #2 and #3</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-09-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1484149</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.25</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See footnotes #2 and #3</value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Disposed of in connection with the merger (the &quot;merger&quot;) of Alta Acquisition Corp. (&quot;Acquisition&quot;) with and into the issuer, with the issuer as the surviving corporation, effective September 6, 2007, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 3, 2007, among Alta Parent Corp. (&quot;Parent&quot;), Acquisition and the issuer.  These shares of common stock were exchanged for equity interests in the ultimate parent of Parent having an aggregate value of the $24.25 per share merger consideration multiplied by the number of shares exchanged.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">LaGrange Capital Partners, L.P. (&quot;LaGrange Capital&quot;) exchanged 161,186 shares of common stock for equity interests in the ultimate parent of Parent, and LaGrange Capital Partners Offshore Fund, Ltd. (&quot;LaGrange Offshore&quot;) exchanged 45,000 shares of common stock for equity interests in the ultimage parent of Parent.  Total includes 1,183,104 shares of common stock directly beneficially owned by LaGrange Capital and 281,884 shares of common stock directly beneficially owned by LaGrange Offshore after the exchange.  LaGrange Capital Administration (&quot;LaGrange Administration&quot;) is the Investment Manager of LaGrange Offshore.  Frank LaGrange Johnson directly beneficially owned 17,161 shares of common stock in an individual retirement account and a personal trading account and also may be deemed to have indirectly beneficially owned 2,000 shares of common stock held by his wife, Susan Ely Johnson.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Mr. Johnson is the sole member of LaGrange Capital Management, L.L.C., the General Partner of LaGrange Capital.  Mr. Johnson is also the sole member of LaGrange Administration, which is the Investment Manager of LaGrange Offshore.  Mr. Johnson, by virtue of his relationship to LaGrange Capital, LaGrange Offshore, and LaGrange Administration, may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own (as that term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act) the shares of common stock which LaGrange Capital, LaGrange Offshore, and LaGrange Administration own.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Disposed of in connection with the merger in exchange for the right to receive the $24.25 per share merger consideration.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ FRANK LAGRANGE JOHNSON</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-09-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ FRANK LAGRANGE JOHNSON, Mbr. of Inv. Mgr.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-09-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ FRANK LAGRANGE JOHNSON, Mbr. of Gen'l Ptner</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-09-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ FRANK LAGRANGE JOHNSON, Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-09-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
