Brandwave

SmartBuyGlasses vs Vision Express:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Vision Express had more branded searches than SmartBuyGlasses among opticians in the United Kingdom. Vision Express had about 247,000 branded searches, while SmartBuyGlasses had 2,900. Vision Express made up 15.4% of all optician searches we track, and SmartBuyGlasses accounted for 0.18%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about opticians, Vision Express appeared in two of the four answers and SmartBuyGlasses in none.

Among opticians in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Vision Express, about 85 searches for every 1 for SmartBuyGlasses

Vision Express 247K searchesSmartBuyGlasses 2.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Vision Express, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, SmartBuyGlasses in 0

Vision Express in 2 of 4SmartBuyGlasses in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Vision Express, the only one of the two named

Vision Express first in 2SmartBuyGlasses never named

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Top opticians in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Vision Express was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. SmartBuyGlasses did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Specsavers1st
  2. Glasses Direct2nd
  3. SelectSpecs3rd
  4. Boots4th
  5. Cubitts4th
  6. Vision Express6th
  7. Ace & Tate7th
  8. Optical Express–
  9. Bloobloom–
  10. +1 more
  11. SmartBuyGlasses–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Specsavers4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Glasses Direct3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • SelectSpecs3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Vision Express2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Boots2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Cubitts2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Ace & Tate1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Optical Express0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Bloobloom0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • SmartBuyGlasses0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

+1 more

See every answer about opticians

4 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

Is SmartBuyGlasses or Vision Express more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for SmartBuyGlasses and Vision Express by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 optician brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.

SmartBuyGlasses and Vision Express among opticians in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for Vision Express, SmartBuyGlasses. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthSpecsaversVision ExpressBootsGlasses DirectSelectSpecsAce & TateCubittsOptical ExpressBloobloomSpex4LessSmartBuyGlasses
Oct 202551.8%15.5%15.5%8.5%3.1%1.5%1.4%1.4%0.62%0.34%0.23%
Nov 202552%15.6%15.5%8.5%3.1%1.3%1.4%1.4%0.62%0.34%0.23%
Dec 202551.8%15.5%15.5%8.5%3.1%1.5%1.4%1.4%0.76%0.28%0.22%
Jan 202652.4%15.8%15.8%8.6%2.6%1.3%1.2%1.2%0.63%0.35%0.19%
Feb 202649.5%18.2%14.8%9.9%2.4%1.2%1.3%1.3%0.73%0.32%0.22%
Mar 202653.9%16.3%13.3%8.9%2.7%1.4%1.2%1.2%0.65%0.36%0.24%
Apr 202649.2%18%14.7%9.9%2.4%1.5%1.6%1.3%0.72%0.32%0.26%
May 202649.5%18.1%14.8%9.9%2.4%1.2%1.3%1.3%0.73%0.32%0.26%
Jun 202651.4%15.4%15.4%10.3%2.5%1.3%1.4%1.1%0.62%0.28%0.23%
Jul 202650.4%15.1%15.1%10.1%4.5%1.3%1.4%1.1%0.61%0.33%0.22%
Aug 202648%17.6%17.6%9.6%2.4%1.2%1.3%1.1%0.71%0.32%0.21%
Sep 202651.3%15.4%15.3%10.3%3.1%1.3%1.1%1.1%0.62%0.22%0.18%

How has the SmartBuyGlasses and Vision Express comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom opticians in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Vision Express lost share of searches among opticians in the United Kingdom, from 17.6% to 15.4%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for SmartBuyGlasses in the United Kingdom fell 19.4% over 12 measured months, from 3.6K to 2.9K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using SmartBuyGlasses’ and Vision Express’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

SmartBuyGlasses

1 branded search term

  • smartbuyglasses

Vision Express

2 branded search terms

  • vision express
  • vision express opticians

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among opticians

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