Profitability Perspectives: Rethinking the Value of Contact Lenses
Contact lens patients are more profitable to practices than comparable eyeglasses-only patients, and the advantage can grow substantially over a lifetime of wear.
For the first U.S. study of its kind, an independent team of optometry and economics researchers analyzed four years of revenue and cost data from 600 patients at 20 optometry practices across the United States. The findings reveal annual profitability advantages ranging from 29% to 86% for contact lens patients, while also demonstrating how recurring purchases, professional care, dual wear, and long-term patient relationships contribute to their value.
Profitability Perspectives: Rethinking the Value of Contact Lenses takes the analysis further, combining the new research with findings from previous CLI See Tomorrow studies to explore why contact lens patients are valuable and how practices can turn the insights into action.
The report includes profitability and lifetime-value models, worksheets, CLI Visionary guidance, and a 90-day implementation plan.
Highlights of Fall 2026 Profitability Perspectives: Rethinking the Value of Contact Lenses
Clear Practice Management Upsides of Contact Lens Prescribing
Across every vision correction category studied, contact lens patients generated greater average annual customer-level profit than comparable eyeglasses-only patients:
Sphere contact lenses: 79% more profitable
$436 average annual profit vs. $244 for single-vision eyeglasses
Toric contact lenses: 86% more profitable
$453 vs. $244 for single-vision/toric eyeglasses
Multifocal contact lenses: 29% more profitable
$485 vs. $376 for progressive eyeglasses
While multifocals showed the smallest percentage difference, multifocal contact lens patients generated the highest absolute average annual customer-level profit at $485.
About the Research
From November 2025 through May 2026, participating practices provided anonymized, four-year data for selected groups of eyeglasses and contact lens wearers, including patients using spherical, toric, multifocal, and progressive vision correction.
Researchers also examined practice-level information such as professional fees, appointment and fitting time, visit frequency, product revenue, secondary purchases and services, dual contact lens and eyeglasses wear, and optometrist and staff compensation.
Together, these data provided a comprehensive view of the economic value associated with eyeglasses and contact lens patients across participating U.S. practices.
Small Changes Can Add Up Over a Lifetime
The annual profitability advantage becomes even more meaningful when considered over years or decades of successful contact lens wear.
Using the study’s representative patient mix, a contact lens patient generated approximately $394 more annual revenue and $181 more annual profit than an eyeglasses patient. Extending those observed annual economics over time illustrates the potential long-term value of even modest increases in contact lens prescribing.
For example, for a practice with 1,000 eligible patients, converting just 5%—or 50 people—to contact lens wear could represent approximately:
$295,200 in incremental revenue over 15 years
$492,000 over 25 years
$787,200 over 40 years
The corresponding modeled incremental profits are approximately $135,375, $225,625, and $361,000, respectively. These scenario-based projections extend the study’s observed annual economics over time and do not incorporate inflation, price increases, referrals, or other potential sources of additional lifetime value.
The Dual Wear Opportunity
The research points to dual wear—using contact lenses and eyeglasses—as an opportunity to give patients greater flexibility while strengthening loyalty and creating additional practice value. Rather than viewing contact lenses as an alternative to eyeglasses, practices can position them as a complementary vision correction option.
Consider this sobering statistic uncovered by prior CLI research: 75% of eyeglasses wearers reported that contact lenses were not discussed at their most recent appointment, and 45% of contact lens wearers reported that eyeglasses were not discussed at their most recent exam.
Dual wear aligns patient and practice interests, offering more ways to meet patients’ lifestyle and vision needs while expanding the long-term relationship.