ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council has released its Consumer inSights Q2 2026 report, drawing on responses from more than 12,000 U.S. adults to map current attitudes and purchasing behavior across vision correction, managed vision care, eye exams, prescription eyewear, reading glasses and non-prescription sunglasses. This quarter’s findings point to a stabilizing market after several quarters of more cautious, budget-conscious spending, The Vision Council said in an announcement. For the second quarter, The Vision Council report shows that overall eyewear spending remains broadly distributed across price tiers, with consumers spread across value, mid-range and higher-spend purchases. The under-$100 tier edged down in Q2, while the $200+ tier increased and the $100-$199 segment held comparable to recent quarters, the report noted.
“What stands out this quarter is how deliberate consumers are being,” said 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. That’s a different dynamic than pure economic pullback, and it’s worth watching as the year continues.”
Additional highlights for Q2 2026, as reported by The Vision Council, include the following:
- Managed vision care coverage remains closely tied to income and education, and Gen Z reports the lowest participation of any generation; the gap in out-of-pocket spending between managed vision care users and non-users also widened this quarter.
- FSA and HSA usage is common among those with access to these accounts—three-quarters of respondents use them for eye exams and two-thirds use them for eyewear purchases.
- Sixteen percent of consumers with a recent eyewear purchase report buying smart eyewear.
- Among consumers who have not purchased new eyewear recently, 44 percent say they have not needed it, while 35 percent say they are trying to make their current eyewear last longer.
- Contact lens purchases continued shifting toward corporate and chain locations, which made up 62 percent of purchases, consistent with Q2 2025 numbers.
- Value-driven purchasing persisted in reading glasses, with the lowest price tier ($0–$10) ticking up from 37 percent to 39 percent quarter-over-quarter.
- Plano sunglasses purchasing channels held largely steady, with online purchasing flat compared with last year and in-person purchasing dipping only slightly.
The Consumer inSights Q2 2026 report is based on a survey of 12,137 U.S. adults aged 18 or older, fielded between April 10 and June 12, 2026. Respondents are representative of the U.S. adult population, according to The Vision Council.
More than three full years of trended data, along with the complete report, are available in The Vision Council’s Research Download Center here. This report is available complimentary to members of The Vision Council; non-members may purchase it directly for $3,000.
