New U.S. Study Finds Soft Contact Lens Patients Significantly More Profitable Than Glasses‑Only Wearers

Wednesday, August 5 2026 | 14 h 01 min | News

A new U.S. study commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has found that soft contact lens wearers generate substantially higher annual profitability for eye care practices compared to glasses‑only patients. According to the research, the profit advantage ranges from 29% to 86% per year, depending on lens type.

The study analyzed anonymized four‑year data from 20 eye care practices across the United States, including professional fees, chair time, staff compensation and secondary revenue streams. Researchers calculated average annual customer‑level profits of $436 for spherical contact lens wearers, $453 for toric wearers, and $485 for multifocal wearers. In comparison, profits averaged $244 for single‑vision glasses patients and $376 for progressive‑lens wearers.

A First‑of‑Its‑Kind Profitability Analysis in the U.S.

The study was conducted by Professor Philip Morgan (University of Manchester), Professor Lyndon Jones (CORE / University of Waterloo), and Professors Ash Morgan and John Whitehead (Appalachian State University). CLI commissioned the work as part of its multi‑year See Tomorrow initiative.

“It’s clear that contact lens customers can generate greater average annual profit, even with higher service and product costs,” said Professor Philip Morgan. “Recurring purchases, greater examination frequency, and opportunities for ancillary spending may make contact lens wearers particularly attractive from a customer lifetime value perspective.”

Challenging Long‑Standing Assumptions

The findings challenge persistent myths around contact lens profitability. CLI notes that more than half of eye care practices do not attempt to quantify the business impact of their contact lens patients — and those who do often underestimate profitability compared to glasses‑only wearers.

“The new data squarely challenges profitability myths that can creep into conversation despite a lack of evidence,” said Stan Rogaski, CLI’s executive director.

Implications for Practice Growth

CLI hopes the results encourage practices to revisit their prescribing strategies, including offering both contact lenses and glasses to support patient satisfaction and practice growth.

The full findings will be published later this year as part of a comprehensive See Tomorrow report.

Source: Contact Lens Institute

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