Rethinking the Value of Contact Lenses
Our latest CLI data shows soft contact lens patients are significantly more profitable than glasses-only wearers.
A new study from a team of ophthalmic and economics researchers has shown that soft contact lens patients create a sizable practice profitability advantage compared to equivalent glasses-only patients. The upside ranges from 29% to 86% annually, with substantial potential gains over a lifetime of wear.
To calculate the differences, 20 United States-based eye care practices each submitted four years of anonymized data for 30 patients, as well as detailed operations data such as professional fees, chair time, staff compensation, and secondary revenue streams. The resulting average annual customer-level profits across contact lens types are $436 for spheres, $453 for torics, and $485 for multifocals, compared to $244 for single vision and $376 for progressive glasses patients.
Analysis was conducted by Professor Philip Morgan, University of Manchester, Professor Lyndon Jones, CORE / University of Waterloo, and Professors Ash Morgan and John Whitehead, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University. CLI commissioned the study as part of its multi-year See Tomorrow initiative.
The work is the first-ever analysis of contact lens profitability in the U.S. It comes 25 years after publication of the widely cited London Business School “Seeing Things Clearly” study, which looked at the topic in five European markets.
The complete findings will be published later this year as part of a comprehensive CLI See Tomorrow report.
Highlights of Spring 2026 Report: Vision for Growth
Contact Lens Patients Rely on Opticians’ Expertise
The January 2026 survey of U.S. and Canadian contact lens patients indicated that 89% believe opticians are important in helping to achieve the best vision possible, with 83% saying opticians were extremely or very valuable to their contact lens-specific experience.
Another 84% of contact lens users indicate their interactions with opticians made them more confident about wear and care. Patients are also likely to turn to opticians for help with a contact lens issue—85% say they definitely or probably would do so.
Living Up to Elevated Role Expectations
When asked about multiple contact lens roles relating to instruction and care, about nine in 10 patients were familiar with opticians’ undertaking these tasks. More than 80% also expect their opticians to answer questions, provide insertion and removal training, and recommend resources to improve the experience. Approximately two-thirds or more of opticians say they have these responsibilities.
An expectation-to-action outlier was optician-led home follow-up (e.g., via phone, email, or text) following a new contact lens prescription. While 70% of patients expect opticians to do this, only 34% of opticians report conducting such outreach.
Of particular note is patient trust in opticians’ performance of contact lens education and related tasks: results were above 80% across the board, on par with how consumers scored ophthalmologists and optometrists.
High Demand for More Contact Lens Education
In relation to their contact lens wear, respondents chose contact lens knowledge as a quality that matters most to them in opticians, followed closely by professionalism. And although 60% of wearers said that they are very satisfied with their opticians’ guidance, another 32% said they were only somewhat satisfied, exposing opportunities for enhanced care.
Greater professional education may prove valuable. About half of opticians (48%) say their knowledge of contact lenses is the same as spectacle frames and lenses, although 38% report they know moderately or significantly less. And when given the opportunity, 56% say they would like to be more involved in the contact lens patient wearing experience, yet 28% say they are uncertain.
Importantly, opticians want to learn more. Two-thirds (67%) report a high interest in taking advantage of additional contact lens training if such were accessible. Preference as to where education should take place is split, with 52% requesting online methods and 48% wanting in-person options.
Keeping an Eye on Insertion & Removal Training
Patients report that understanding how to insert and remove their contact lenses is critical to continued wear, especially when first prescribed. Opticians overwhelmingly believe the same.
This reinforces a prior CLI survey in which new and long-term wearers ranked handling as the second highest reason for contact lens dissatisfaction, and in which 74% of new wearers—if facing a handling challenge—said additional in-person insertion and removal training would influence continued use.
There may also be opportunities to increase training on how to take lenses out; recent CLI research has shown that patients search online twice as much for help with this task compared to insertion.
Vision Expo 2026 Panel
Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FCLSA
Bob Alexander, Director, Member Education, United Opticians Association
Sherrie Young, Supervisor CL Dept / ABO NCLE President, Des Moines Eye Surgeons / ABO NCLE
