Can Your Practice Really Profit from Smart Eyewear?

Not long ago, smart eyewear was considered a niche technology. With an inception marked by high-profile but short-lived products such as the Google Glass (2013-2015), this tech-y eyewear category has struggled to gain steam—and mainstream acceptance over the last decade.

However, recently published research from The Vision Council (TVC) and in-practice insights from optometrists reveal that smart eyewear is entering a phase of accelerated consumer recognition, buying interest, and adoption—a new era that is creating a significant opportunity for eye care practices.

Insight Media Video Interview: The Vision Council’s Alysse Henkel on New Smart Eyewear Research.

“Smart eyewear is certainly having a moment right now,” says Alysse Henkel, VP of Research at The Vision Council. “More than 50% of consumers know what smart eyewear is, which is a really big market potential in the United States.”

Smart Eyewear by the Numbers

TVC’s Focused inSights: Smart Eyewear 2025 Report compared results of an August survey of 4,196 adults to a similar smart eyewear survey conducted in 2023. Some of the key findings include:

• A full 55% of U.S. consumers know exactly or have a general sense of what smart eyewear is, which is up significantly from 29% in 2023.
• Consumers also demonstrated favorable impressions about smart eyewear, with 56% of survey respondents expressing positive views when informed about features like wireless connectivity, AI integration, translation, and audio.
• In addition, 14% of respondents said they have already purchased smart eyewear, and 40% are considering buying smart eyewear within the next year.
• Some of the top purchasing motivators indicated in the report include curiosity (41%), perceived usefulness (39%), and fun to use (37%).
• TVC’s Smart Eyewear 2025 Report shows that brand recognition, particularly with Ray-Ban Meta AI and Amazon Echo frames, saw a double-digit increase in awareness among consumers.

Get Smart: Category Positioning Strategies

Nadia Afkhami, OD, MS, has witnessed the rise in consumer interest in smart eyewear firsthand. Not only has she received exponentially more inquiries from patients in the last few years, but it’s also been a struggle just to keep up with the demand for smart eyewear in her practice.

“Two years ago, it was about one in 20 people who asked about smart eyewear. Now it’s about one in every five patients,” says Dr. Afkhami, an optometrist at Image Eye Care in Henderson, Nev. “Sometimes I’ll have days where everyone’s coming in to ask about it.”

Today, the lion’s share of smart eyewear is sold through online and electronics retailers. But with a wealth of new smart eyewear products on the market and more in the pipeline plus a practice’s distinct advantage in delivering prescription lenses, a sea change is coming. Today, many large eyewear chain retailers are embracing smart eyewear and featuring it in-store and online. And, more and more independent practices are doing the same.

Is your practice interested in getting on board with smart eyewear? Below, four key considerations for proper positioning of the category in the optical.

1. Lean Into Social: TVC’s Smart Eyewear 2025 Report revealed that social media, particularly YouTube, is the primary source of consumer information and education surrounding smart eyewear. Because eyecare professionals (ECPs) typically only see their patients once a year, Ms. Henkel says an effective strategy could be to complement this momentum. “It might be on social media or in a patient newsletter or other kind of ways that practices communicate with patients to let them know they have smart eyewear available in the store,” she says.
2. Take a Test Drive: While brand-driven marketing and social media have effectively attracted consumers, Dr. Afkhami says that ECPs can leverage this momentum. One way is for practitioners and staff to personally experience smart eyewear by trialing a model and testing its features. Dr. Afkhami says this has allowed her to better educate her patients and share insights to set realistic expectations. “If you haven’t tried it, how are you going to tell them about the pros and cons?” she says.
3. Display Prominently: Another in-practice-based marketing strategy is to place the products in the front of the optical, which Dr. Afkhami says generates patient curiosity. “Once they see it, they want to try it,” she says. “And they say, ‘Oh, this is really cool,’ then you can start the conversation.”

Capitalizing on the Moment

This smart eyewear momentum represents an opportunity for ECPs to engage patients in their practices and opticals through education, personalized fittings, and experiential marketing. By leveraging their clinical expertise and prescription lens prowess, practices can capture a significant share of this rising market now and build off this as the technology continues to improve and the usefulness and appeal grows.

“Smart eyewear has struggled to find its footing but is coming more of age,” says Dr. Afkhami. “ECPs can capitalize on this moment rather than give it up to electronics stores, where no one knows how to fit a frame.”