Latest Report from The Vision Council Shows Rising Awareness of Smart Eyewear in Recent Years
Alexandria, VA – September 12, 2025 – Today, The Vision Council announced the release of Focused inSights 2025: Smart Eyewear, a comprehensive report highlighting consumer awareness, attitudes, and purchasing considerations in the rapidly evolving smart eyewear category.
Drawing on responses from over 4,000 U.S. adults, the report benchmarks awareness and sentiment, explores buying drivers and deterrents, and tracks brand familiarity trends compared to consumer responses reported by The Vision Council in a 2023 report, Focused inSights 2023: Smart Eyewear.
The report uncovers a fast-moving but still emerging market, highlighting where consumer curiosity is translating into real demand and where barriers continue to hold adoption back.
Among the most notable findings:
- Awareness is accelerating – 58% of consumers say they either know exactly what smart eyewear is or have a general sense of it—up sharply from 2023.
- Perceptions are favorable – A majority (56%) report a favorable impression of smart eyewear when presented with a clear definition of potential features (e.g., wireless connectivity, AI, translation, audio).
- Adoption and intent – About one in seven consumers (14%) report having purchased smart eyewear; four in ten say they would consider a purchase in the next 12 months.
- Top motivators vs. barriers – Curiosity (41%), perceived usefulness (39%), and “fun to use” (37%) are leading drivers, while “no clear need/purpose” (50%) and cost (41%) are the principal deterrents.
- Brand familiarity is growing – Awareness gains are broad-based; among brands measured in both years, Amazon Echo Frames and Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses show the largest increases.
- Information sources – YouTube (49%) and other social platforms are the primary places consumers have seen or heard about smart eyewear in the past year.
“Smart eyewear is certainly having a moment right now, with more consumers than ever showing interest in these products. We anticipate that this momentum will continue as more options come into the market. As smart eyewear moves from an emerging to maturing market, tracking consumer sentiment is crucial,” said Alysse Henkel, Vice President, Research & inSights, The Vision Council. “Our findings point to tangible opportunities for manufacturers and eyecare providers to align design, education, and dispensing with what consumers say matters most.”
Smart Eyewear at Vision Expo West
At the upcoming Vision Expo West 2025, taking place September 17–20, 2025, at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, the latest technologies, innovations and design across the optical industry, including smart eyewear, will be on full display.
To discuss the findings and the implications for manufacturers, labs, and eyecare professionals in attendance at Vision Expo West, The Vision Council will host “Smart Eyewear: Consumer Trends, ECP Perspectives & Market Momentum,” a panel discussion taking place on Friday, September 19 on Vision Expo’s Main Stage. The session will feature Alysse Henkel in conversation with eyecare providers and will offer practical strategies to bridge consumer curiosity with clinical and retail readiness.
Focused inSights 2025: Smart Eyewear is available in The Vision Council’s Research Download Center. Members of The Vision Council may access the report at no cost, while non-members can purchase it directly for $3,000.
About the inSights Research Program
The Vision Council’s inSights Research Program is built on a foundation of rigorous methodology and cutting-edge technology. The inSights Research Program provides a comprehensive perspective on the state of the optical industry through quarterly consumer survey reports; in-depth special reports on eyewear and eyecare products and topics; and an end-of-year market estimate and industry forecast.