The Vision Council has released its Consumer inSights Q2 2026 report, which show signs of stabilization in the vision care market. According to The Vision Council, this follows several quarters of more cautious, budget-conscious consumer spending.
Based on responses from 12,137 U.S. adults, the quarterly report examines consumer attitudes and purchasing behavior across vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses and non-prescription sunglasses.
Overall, eyewear spending remained distributed across value, mid-range and higher-spend purchases during the second quarter. The share of purchases under $100 declined slightly, while the $200-and-over tier increased, and the $100-$199 segment remained comparable with recent quarters.
“What stands out this quarter is how deliberate consumers are being,” says Kris Stevens, vice president of research at The Vision Council. “Many aren’t skipping new eyewear because they can’t afford it—they’re stretching what they already have, or don’t need a replacement yet.”
Key Findings
Highlights of the Q2 report included several trends across eyewear and vision care purchasing:
- Replacement needs influence purchasing decisions. Among consumers who had not recently purchased new eyewear, 44% said they did not need it, while 35% said they were trying to make their existing eyewear last longer.
- Managed vision care participation varies by demographic. Coverage remained closely associated with income and education, while Gen Z reported the lowest participation among generations. The gap in out-of-pocket spending between consumers with and without managed vision care also widened.
- Consumers are using FSA and HSA funds for vision care. Among respondents with access to these accounts, 75% used them for eye exams and two-thirds used them for eyewear purchases.
- Smart eyewear represents a share of recent purchases. Among consumers who recently purchased eyewear, 16% reported buying smart eyewear.
- Contact lens purchases continue shifting toward chains. Corporate and chain locations accounted for 62% of contact lens purchases, consistent with the second quarter of 2025.
- Value remains important for reading glasses. The $0-$10 price tier increased from 37% to 39% quarter-over-quarter.
- Sunglass purchasing channels remained relatively stable. Online purchasing of plano sunglasses was flat compared with last year, while in-person purchasing declined slightly.
About the Survey
The Vision Council fielded the survey from April 10 through June 12 among adults 18 and older, with respondents representative of the U.S. adult population.
The complete Consumer inSights Q2 2026 report, along with more than three years of trended data, is available through The Vision Council’s Research Download Center. The report is complimentary for members and available for purchase by non-members.