Contact Lens Institute Releases New Report on Generational Eye Care Trends

Monday, December 1 2025 | 11 h 40 min | News

The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has published a new research report, Shifting Focus: Generational Perspectives of Contact Lenses & Eye Care, offering fresh insights into how Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X evaluate eye care providers, practice experiences, and vision correction products. The report is available as a free downloadable PDF from the CLI’s See Tomorrow resource hub.

The publication presents data, infographics, and analyses on generational differences in contact lens and glasses use, purchasing motivations, perceptions of value, service expectations, and loyalty drivers. Each section is paired with practical guidance from CLI Visionaries—optometrists and opticians who outline ways to translate findings into meaningful actions for practices and teams.

“What we discovered is at times surprising, yet essential as eye care business owners and managers prepare for the decades ahead,” said Stan Rogaski, executive director of CLI. “By better connecting with people in the exam lane or optical floor, individuals and teams are more likely to strengthen patient relationships and long-term success.”

Key Findings Include:

• Contact lens wearers are significantly more loyal to their eye care providers compared to glasses wearers, particularly among Gen X (77% vs. 54%).
• Millennials report the highest rate of contact lens use (43%), followed by Gen Z (35%), highlighting opportunities to further engage younger patients.
• Across all generations, at least 70% of patients want their eye care team to clearly explain the value and lifestyle benefits of vision correction recommendations.
• Younger consumers—Gen Z and Millennials—place strong emphasis on authenticity, personalization, and social/environmental responsibility in their eye care experiences.
• Expectations for non-traditional hours differ sharply: roughly half of patients ages 15–44 believe practices should be available for evening care or inquiries.
• Despite broad access to online health information, patients still view their eye care team as their most trusted experts, far surpassing digital or AI sources.

Shifting Focus is part of the CLI’s See Tomorrow initiative, which aims to deliver data-driven insights that support soft contact lens prescribing, healthy wear and care, and practice growth. The findings are based on a Summer 2025 survey of 1,308 vision-corrected consumers in the U.S. and Canada.

CLI’s membership includes Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision. More information is available at contactlensinstitute.org.

Click HERE for the full press release.

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