The Vision Council has released Focused inSights 2025: Smart Eyewear, a new report that tracks consumer awareness, sentiment, and purchasing considerations in the smart eyewear market. Based on survey responses from more than 4,000 US adults, the findings reveal increases in both recognition and favorability toward the technology compared with data from 2023, according to a press release.
Specifically, more than half (58%) of consumers reported they either know exactly what smart eyewear is or have a general sense of it. This is a “sharp” increase from 2023 benchmarks, the press release notes. Further, 56% had a favorable impression when presented with clear definitions of potential features, such as wireless connectivity, artificial intelligence, translation, and audio.
A total of 14% of respondents said they have already purchased smart eyewear and 40% indicated interest in purchasing it within the next 12 months. The leading drivers of potential adoption included: curiosity (41%), perceived usefulness (39%), and the idea that the eyewear will be “fun to use” (37%). Consumers’ top deterrents to purchase were that they couldn’t see a clear need or purpose for the eyewear (50%) and the cost (41%).
The survey also shows broad increased familiarity with brands, with Amazon Echo Frames and Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses having the strongest gains. Social media plays a critical role in brand visibility and familiarity: YouTube (49%) and other platforms served as the primary channels where consumers encountered smart eyewear in the past year.
The Vision Council will present these findings at Vision Expo West 2025 in Las Vegas in the panel discussion, Smart Eyewear: Consumer Trends, ECP Perspectives & Market Momentum, on September 19 on Vision Expo’s Main Stage. The session, which will feature Alysse Henkel, vice president of Research & inSights at The Vision Council, will explore strategies for manufacturers, labs, and eyecare providers to address consumer interest while preparing for broader adoption.
The full report, Focused inSights 2025: Smart Eyewear, is available through The Vision Council’s Research Download Center. Members can access the report at no cost, while nonmembers may purchase it.OM