IcareLabs Blog

As eye care professionals, you’re constantly evaluating new ways to better serve your patients while growing your practice with products that make sense—clinically and financially. One category that continues to fly under the radar for many ECPs is prescription dive and snorkel masks.

As 2025 comes to a close, I look in the rearview mirror to many blessings, some sadness, and several operational hurdles we have had to navigate. Even though it doesn't feel like another year has come and gone (where did the time go?), I'd like to reflect on all the year had to offer myself and the entire Icare family.

Employee turnover has become one of the biggest hidden costs in retail optical. By 2026, the challenge won't be just finding staff—it’s keeping good people once you’ve invested time training them. With rising patient expectations, more complex lens technology, and continued workforce shortages, optical practices can no longer treat turnover as “just part of retail.”

The optical industry has been waiting — and the wait is finally over. Transitions Optical and Younger Optics have officially unveiled a breakthrough innovation designed specifically for bifocal and trifocal wearers: Transitions® SFT™ lenses in polycarbonate composite. Launched on December 2, 2025, this new technology delivers the ultra-responsive performance that single-vision wearers have enjoyed for years, now optimized for multifocal users.

Being an optician is far more than adjusting temples and taking PDs—it’s a craft that blends technical expertise, product knowledge, communication, and genuine care for people. Great opticians don’t just deliver eyewear; they deliver confidence, comfort, and clarity. Here’s a look at the true art behind the profession, along with practical tips on frame selection, measurements, and needs-based sales strategies.

Anti-reflective (AR) coated lenses offer superior clarity, reduced glare, and a clean, modern aesthetic. However, these premium coatings also require specific care during cleaning, handling, and frame adjustments to preserve their performance and longevity. Whether you’re a dispenser, lab technician, or optical retailer, following the correct procedures ensures every patient enjoys the full benefits of their lenses.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition in which close objects appear clear while distant ones look blurry. It typically develops during childhood and may progress rapidly, leading to high myopia — which may increase the risk of serious eye complications later in life.¹ Early intervention is therefore critical in helping manage this progression.²

Varilux® has been the undisputed king of progressive lenses for decades and with several new recent advancements in their progressive lens designs they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. As we head into 2026, we wanted to help eyecare professionals understand how to position these new offerings into their offices for maximized success. 

Myopia—commonly known as nearsightedness—goes far beyond the simple need for corrective lenses. It’s a complex condition that has reached epidemic proportions around the world, especially among children and teenagers. What may start as a minor inconvenience can quickly progress, carrying serious long-term risks to eye health.

Here at IcareLabs, we have a large assortment of frames available to order directly from our myIcareLabs customer portal. Utilizing supply frame options can provide you with faster turnaround time, simplicity while ordering, and a large variety of frames to choose from with minimal backstock for your optical dispensary. This blog will show you how to order stock frames for your showroom floor, how to order supply frame jobs, and why this benefits you & your patients.