New Findings: What Are Consumers’ Latest Eyecare & Eyewear Needs?

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Jan. 4, 2023

The Vision Council has released the Consumer inSights Q3 2022 Report. The latest report to be released from The Vision Council’s new inSights Research Program, it includes a summary of an ongoing consumer survey about vision correction, eye exams, eyeglasses, contact lenses, readers and plano sunglasses. The survey was fielded to 15,122 respondents in Q3 and the data is representative of the general U.S. adult population.

The report is available to members of The Vision Council as a complimentary download and to non-members as a paid report, which can be accessed through The Vision Council’s Research Download Center. The report is available in PDF format and as a PowerPoint slide presentation.

“According to the Q3 data, the demand for eyewear and eyecare appears to have held fairly steady throughout 2022 so far,” said Alysse Henkel, The Vision Council’s Senior Director, Market Research & Analytics. “During the summer months of Q3, we saw an increased usage of plano sunglasses, with more respondents buying sunglasses and more respondents saying that they had a pair of sunglasses they wore regularly.”

A few key takeaways from the Consumer inSights Q3 2022 Report include:

• Vision Correction:
  • 82 percent of respondents use a form of vision correction – including glasses, prescription sunglasses, reading glasses and contact lenses
  • 69 percent use prescription eyewear – including glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses
  • 68 percent use some form of non-prescription eyewear – including plano sunglasses, blue light glasses, reading glasses and non-prescription contact lenses
• Managed Vision Care:
  • Two of every three respondents report some type of managed vision care coverage
  • Use of managed vision care benefits for vision correction purchases was relatively strong; of those with coverage, 82 percent used their benefit to help pay for their prescription glasses, lenses or frames, and 76 percent used their benefit when purchasing contacts lenses
  • Consumers purchasing prescription glasses or contacts online were much less likely to use their managed vision care benefits than those who bought in-person
• Eye Exams:
  • 61 percent of respondents in Q3 report having an eye exam within the past 12 months
  • 72 percent of those with managed vision care used it to help pay for their exam
  • Of those who had an eye exam in the last three months, 66 percent reported getting their exam at what they considered an independent practice and 32 percent reported getting their exam at a corporate or chain location
• Eyeglasses, Lenses and Frames:
  • More than half (58 percent) of respondents who wear prescription glasses made a purchase in the past 12 months
  • One in every three adults (34 percent) reported paying $99 or less out-of-pocket for their glasses, lenses, or frames
  • More than half (58 percent) of respondents who wear prescription glasses made a purchase in the past 12 months
• Contact Lenses:
  • 77 percent of contact lens users made a purchase within the last year and those with a recent purchase bought a relatively short supply, with 33 percent buying enough to last 2-3 months
  • 34 percent of contact lens users wear daily lenses
  • Of those with an eye exam in last three months who use contact lenses, 46 percent purchased contacts from their exam provider
  • Contact lens purchases were more likely to be online compared to the other vision correction products, with an online purchase rate of 32 percent
• Readers:
  • Nearly one in every three respondents (32 percent) reported using readers
  • 73 percent purchased readers within the past year, with demand holding steady
  • Those with a recent purchase were likely to buy more than one pair: 56 percent reported purchasing multiple pairs in their last purchase
  • 82 percent of those with a recent purchase said they bought in-person while 18 percent said they bought their readers online
• Plano Sunglasses:
  • More than half (55 percent) of respondents wear plano sunglasses
  • 76 percent of those with a recent purchase said they bought in-person while 24 percent said they bought their sunglasses online
  • More than half (58 percent) of those with a recent purchase said they spent $50 or less on a new pair of plano sunglasses