Editor’s note, April 29: This list reflects my current picks for the best smart glasses, but more is expected from Google and others this year.
Meta’s smart glasses have proven to be a relatively big success, and for good reason. The normal-looking glasses have a familiar Ray-Ban and Oakley look, but include built-in audio that’s surprisingly good for phone calls and listening to music, as well as a camera that records wide-angle vertical photos and video clips up to 3 minutes long. A side trackpad and trigger control the glasses manually, but you can also use voice commands to operate everything. They are available in a wide range of styles and colors, as well as optional sunglasses lens finishes and prescription lens support.
Benefits
- Double the battery life of previous glasses
- Improved video quality
- No change in size, possibility of replacing the lens of an old model
Disadvantages
- Higher price
- Still no landscape photo or video mode
- AI Features Still Mixed
- Meta’s AI privacy policies appear to be a mess
The subcategory of “display glasses” currently includes a range of wearable glasses-like displays that must be plugged into a device to function. Viture Beast is my new favorite, offering the most impressive list of AV features and performance yet. Much like Xreal’s One series of glasses, Viture floats a micro OLED display wherever you look. The Beast’s 1,500 nit, 1,920 x 1,200-pixel displays are bigger, brighter and higher resolution than other glasses, incredibly vivid, and the Harman-powered speakers sound seriously loud.
Benefits
- Excellent, large, bright micro OLED displays
- Surprisingly loud sound
- In-depth controls to adjust image size and position
- Dimmable lenses
- Works with a variety of USB-C compatible devices
Disadvantages
- The glasses still seem a little bulky
- Lacks built-in eye prescription diopter that other models have
For slightly less than the Viture Beast, the $449 Xreal 1S glasses have the same resolution (1920 x 1200) and excellent, highly customizable displays with many additional feature settings. However, the microOLED displays aren’t as bright as the Viture Beast’s, and the angled lenses cast a bit more glare than the flatter lenses of the Xreal One Pro and Viture Beast. But otherwise, these are also really awesome.
Benefits
- Crisp microOLED displays
- Excellent set of display customization options
- Can pin screens in place
Disadvantages
- The screen is not as bright as other high-end display glasses
- Interior angled lenses reflect a little more glare
These older Meta smartglass models do pretty much everything the newer, second-generation models do, minus the improved battery life and better video camera. These glasses might be on sale during the holidays, however, and as long as you accept the more limited battery life, they might be worth it at a discount.
Benefits
- Excellent audio and microphone quality
- Really looks like regular glasses
- Good photos, videos have solid stabilization
- Meta AI has useful helper features that continue to evolve
Disadvantages
- Won’t last a day on one charge
- Needs a case to charge
- Only shoots vertical wide-angle videos
- Will not work with other AI platforms
I’ve been looking at virtual and augmented reality technologies for over a decade, dating back to Google Glass in 2013. Yet the smart glasses category still seems strange and new. Part of the reason is that smart glasses come in many different forms. These are all lightweight devices with technology that sits on your nose so you can see through them. Beyond these similarities, clear differences appear. And more are coming quickly: Meta now offers several models, including those with a screen and neural strip. Google Glasses are expected later this year, with news as early as Google’s developer conference in May.
In the future, smart glasses will likely become full-fledged augmented reality devices, much like Meta showed in 2024 with the Orion prototype I tested. But right now, and for the purposes of this list, the most popular products in this space are either AI-enabled audio and camera glasses or tethered display glasses. These are very different sets of products and experiences, but eventually their roles are likely to blend. Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses already do this, while adding wrist-wearable technology to the mix. Things are still likely to change quickly here, especially with Google’s upcoming entry into the space.
What are the best smart glasses?
Right now, Meta’s latest wave of camera and audio compatible glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, are the best you can buy for their price and features. They’re identical to the previous Ray-Ban Metas, but the new ones have much better battery life for $80 more. It’s worth it, especially if you want to wear them all day. The camera also has improved 3K video recording and stabilization, with slow-motion and fast-motion modes coming soon. The Ray-Ban Meta are normal-looking, completely wireless camera and audio glasses with surprisingly good sound and out-of-ear microphones for listening to music or taking calls, and can capture vertical photos and video clips that can be shared through your phone.
They also have a growing and surprisingly functional set of AI features that can use the camera to help you see and translate the world around you, although AI accuracy is still mixed. However, there are growing concerns about Meta’s privacy policies on its products, and Meta Glasses is very limited in its access to phone apps and other AI services. I would recommend waiting for what Google offers before diving into Meta Glasses now.
Another pair of glasses-like hardware you should consider is the Viture Beast. These are portable smart display glasses with an impressive array of micro OLED displays, which can serve as portable monitors and cinema screens for your phone, laptop, or gaming console. Just like my previous top picks, the Xreal One and One Pro. These are not glasses that last all day. They plug into almost any USB-C device, like a phone or laptop, and are like headphones for your eyes in glasses form. They’re also not AI or camera glasses, which might put you at ease if you’re worried about these types of devices as surveillance technology.
Best smart glasses of 2026
Benefits
- Double the battery life of previous glasses
- Improved video quality
- No change in size, possibility of replacing the lens of an old model
Disadvantages
- Higher price
- Still no landscape photo or video mode
- AI Features Still Mixed
- Meta’s AI privacy policies appear to be a mess
Meta’s smart glasses have proven to be a relatively big hit, and for good reason. The normal-looking glasses have a familiar Ray-Ban and Oakley look, but include built-in audio that’s surprisingly good for phone calls and listening to music, as well as a camera that records wide-angle vertical photos and video clips up to 3 minutes long. A side trackpad and trigger control the glasses manually, but you can also use voice commands to operate everything. They are available in a wide range of styles and colors, as well as optional sunglasses lens finishes and prescription lens support.
That being said, the tide has recently turned in favor of social acceptance of these wearable devices, in part due to Meta’s confusing and concerning privacy policies on the use of AI in general. Concerns about surveillance technology and big tech’s responsible handling of it are also leading to backlash. I still think there are benefits to smart glasses, and Meta still makes the best ones, but things are going to have to improve quickly with Google and perhaps Apple on the horizon.
Although Meta also offers high-end display glasses, I much prefer these more everyday-looking (and less expensive) Ray-Bans because they have many useful features, are easier to use, and have significantly improved battery life that lasts up to twelve hours in our daily tests. Unfortunately, Meta doesn’t technically support lens prescriptions greater than minus 6, although two new models from Ray-Ban released recently promise better comfort for long-term wear.
The most future-proof feature of these glasses is AI assistance, which not only works via voice chat, but can “see” what your glasses are recording and provide descriptions, translations, and other feedback on the fly. Meta’s AI is constantly developing new functions. There’s a live AI mode that consumes battery life and a version that can take photos with your glasses and analyze them seconds later. As functional glasses, they have a lot of potential. They can also translate live into a handful of European languages. However, these iOS and Android compatible glasses still need to connect through Meta’s own AI app and use Meta’s AI services to work.
Out-of-ear audio quality is very good and the microphones are excellent, but audio can be difficult to hear in noisy areas. The camera may also be great, and video quality has been improved with 3K recording, stabilization, and the upcoming slow and fast motion modes, but it can’t shoot landscape and wide shots. angle cannot zoom in close.
For their higher price of $379, the increased battery life is worth it. The Oakley Meta HSTN glasses offer the same features built into a different set of styles, in case you prefer those.
Benefits
- Excellent, large, bright micro OLED displays
- Surprisingly loud sound
- In-depth controls to adjust image size and position
- Dimmable lenses
- Works with a variety of USB-C compatible devices
Disadvantages
- The glasses still seem a little bulky
- Lacks built-in eye prescription diopter that other models have
The subcategory of “display glasses” currently includes a range of wearable glasses-like displays that must be plugged into a device to function. Viture Beast is my new favorite, offering the most impressive list of AV features and performance yet. Much like Xreal’s One series of glasses, Viture floats a micro OLED display wherever you look. The Beast’s 1,500 nit, 1,920 x 1,200-pixel displays are bigger, brighter and higher resolution than other glasses, incredibly vivid, and the Harman-powered speakers sound seriously loud.
I really admire all the extras. Screens can be “pinned” in place using 3DoF (three degrees of freedom) tracking, and screens can be scaled up or down and adjusted to different virtual depths. Auto Transparency dims tint-adjustable lenses when you look at a pinned screen, then removes the tint when you turn away. There are also ultra-wide and smaller side screen modes.
Just like the Xreal Glasses and others like them, these require custom prescription lens inserts sold separately if you wear glasses, and the Beast Glasses are a bit thicker than the Xreal One Pros. But they are also a little cheaper and offer better image quality. If you are looking for a portable portable monitor in your glasses for gaming, watching movies or working, these are definitely the best.
Benefits
- Crisp microOLED displays
- Excellent set of display customization options
- Can pin screens in place
Disadvantages
- The screen is not as bright as other high-end display glasses
- Interior angled lenses reflect a little more glare
For slightly less than the Viture Beast, the $449 Xreal 1S glasses have the same resolution (1920 x 1200) and excellent, highly customizable displays with many additional feature settings. However, the microOLED displays aren’t as bright as the Viture Beast’s, and the angled lenses cast a bit more glare than the flatter lenses of the Xreal One Pro and Viture Beast. But otherwise, these are also really awesome.
Benefits
- Good image quality
- Lower price
- Some notable HDR effects
Disadvantages
- Lack of additional customization features
- Unable to pin screens in place
- Poor sound
The streamlined functionality of TCL’s latest RayNeo glasses wouldn’t be one I’d choose over glasses like the Viture Beast or Xreal One Pro, but for $299, they’re the most affordable, high-quality wearable displays around. The HDR-compatible micro OLED displays show a bit more nuance in higher-contrast movie scenes, but note that these glasses don’t have any customization of image size or position and the built-in audio isn’t great.
Benefits
- Excellent audio and microphone quality
- Really looks like regular glasses
- Good photos, videos have solid stabilization
- Meta AI has useful helper features that continue to evolve
Disadvantages
- Won’t last a day on one charge
- Needs a case to charge
- Only shoots vertical wide-angle videos
- Will not work with other AI platforms
These older Meta smartglass models do pretty much everything the newer, second-generation models do, minus the improved battery life and better video camera. These glasses might be on sale during the holidays, however, and as long as you accept the more limited battery life, they might be worth it at a discount.
These Ray-Bans only last a few hours on a charge, two to four hours, and require an included battery-powered glasses case to charge on the go. Everyday eyeglass wearers will likely want better battery life, but for a secondary pair of casual glasses or sunglasses, this is a budget-friendly solution.
Ray-Ban Meta Displays: Meta’s cutting-edge pair of display glasses has its own neural gesture control strip and definitely shows a glimpse of the future for early adopters. Its higher price, limited prescription support, and limited range of supported apps limit its appeal, but the ability to live caption the world could be very useful for some.
Xreal One Pro: Xreal’s best display glasses have similar features to the Viture Beast and are great overall, but at the moment the Viture Beast stands out in terms of features and price.
Even Realities G2: These lightweight, prescription-friendly smart glasses don’t have cameras or speakers, but show notifications and can transcribe conversations and perform live translations, while running other AI-enabled apps and displaying them on large monochrome screens built into the lens. Long battery life, but I wish these glasses worked better.
Rokid AI Glasses: Kind of like the camera-enabled Meta Glasses and Ray-Bans, but they use a wider range of AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT. However, they do not allow account connections to your existing AI services, instead using a Rokid AI app and AI service that runs these models.
Oakley Meta HSTN Glasses: Meta’s new pair of smart glasses offer better battery life and improved video recording, but a higher price and a more limited model set.
Xreal Air 2 Pro: Xreal’s older pair of display glasses lacks the extra settings that make the One more useful, but could be a good deal on sale.
Rayneo Air 2S: These display glasses didn’t impress us as much as offerings from Xreal and Viture.
Viture Pro XR: Viture’s latest generation glasses could still impress if sold at the right price.
Snap Spectacles: These augmented reality glasses aimed at developers should arrive in a new consumer form next year.
Right now, each pair of smart glasses often feels like a window into a different type of product. At the beginning of a technology category, there aren’t always consistent parts to compare across devices. But I use the AI glasses and display the glasses quite differently.
I evaluate products ambivalently, using them as much as possible in my daily life and noting when features are particularly appealing and when there are clumsiness or friction. My goal is also to use them enough to see if the features that seem interesting at first lose some of their luster after a week or two.
I pay attention to the daily battery life of wireless glasses, using them to listen to music, take photos and videos, and make AI queries. On different days, I alternate the models to note changes in battery life. I make phone calls, listen to music, and use them as I normally would. Can I use these instead of taking out my phone? If yes, for how long?
For display glasses, I compare the visual quality to VR headsets like the Meta Quest and the Apple Vision Pro, both for the field of vision and for the color quality, brightness and observed resolution quality. Display types vary greatly on glasses and headsets, and I prefer to note how good the displays look compared to TVs and screens everywhere else in my house. Would I prefer these screens rather than using something else?
Oakley HSTN glasses (left) next to Meta’s Ray-Ban Wayfarers (right). Similar size and camera placement, quite different styles.
Scott Stein/CNETA big question currently arises for anyone considering smart glasses technology: do you want to wear something with technology on your face? And for how long? And is that something you’re comfortable with, conceptually? The decision when it comes to smart glasses and wireless glasses with a display is quite different.
Display Glasses vs. Camera and Audio Glasses
The attached glasses are more like headphones that you place on your face, above your eyes. Although their lenses are somewhat clear, they are not designed for all-day wear. You’ll put them on to watch movies, play games, or work, then take them off. The level of commitment can be a few hours per day at most.
Meanwhile, wireless smart glasses aim to be true everyday glasses. They’ll likely replace your existing glasses, become an extra pair, or perhaps double as smart sunglasses. But if you do this, keep in mind that you’ll need to equip them with your prescription…or get used to the limited battery life of wireless glasses. Ray-Ban Metas last several hours on a charge, depending on how they are used. You will then have to recharge them in their case, so you will have to wear another pair of glasses or simply agree to wear a pair with a flat battery.
Meanwhile, there are other smart glasses that have longer battery life, like the Even Realities G2, but lack built-in cameras and speakers.
Live AI, Meta’s latest Ray-Bans feature, can maintain a constant camera feed of the world. I tested it.
Scott Stein/CNETAI and its limits…and privacy
You will also need to think about how you will use the glasses and what AI devices or services you use. Wireless audio and video glasses like Ray-Bans require a phone app to pair and use, but they can also serve as basic Bluetooth headphones with any audio source. However, the Ray-Bans are limited to Meta AI as a functional integrated AI service, with some connections to apps like Apple Music, Spotify, Calm, and Facebook’s core platforms. You live ez in the world of Meta, and that’s a big deal when it comes to trusting glasses to have a responsible data policy. You can choose not to use the AI features on the Meta glasses, which I do because many of the AI features aren’t very useful to me anyway.
Meta is opening its smart glasses to app developers, although it’s still unclear to what extent. Meta’s latest Ray-Ban Display glasses, meanwhile, add more apps, but mainly for functions connected to Facebook apps. Meta is also starting to support connected fitness devices, but only with Garmin and its upcoming Oakley Vanguard sports visor for now.
The next wave of glasses from Google expected later this year, is expected to be more flexible, leveraging Gemini AI and more Google apps and services. But we still don’t know all the limitations of these glasses either.
Apple is also expected to have its own AI-enabled glasses by next year. In other words: things are going to change quickly in this space.
AI-enabled glasses can often use AI and the on-board camera for various assistive purposes, such as live translation or detailed description of an environment. For people with vision loss or in need of assistance, AI glasses are starting to become an interesting and useful type of device, but they’re more limited than what you can currently do on phones and computers. Meta’s AI features on glasses aren’t as flexible: you can’t necessarily add documents and personal information to them in the same way you can with other services. At least, not yet.
Attached display glasses also have limitations
Display-enabled smart glasses use USB-C to connect to gadgets capable of outputting video via USB-C, like phones, laptops, tablets, and even portable gaming consoles. But they don’t all work the same way. Phones can sometimes have app incompatibilities, preventing copyrighted videos from playing in rare cases (like Disney+ on iPhones). Steam Decks and Windows gaming handhelds work with attached display bezels, but the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 do not, and require proprietary, bulky battery “mini docks” sold separately to send a signal. Some glasses makers like Xreal are creating more custom chipsets in glasses to pin screens in space or customize display size, while others rely on additional software available only on laptops or certain devices to perform additional tricks. But the space here is also changing. Project Aura, coming out this year, will pair Xreal display glasses with an Android minicomputer to run numerous 3D and hand-tracking apps, like a small mixed reality headset. More devices like this could emerge, adding true 3D augmented reality and much more.
Lots of things on the horizon
If this all sounds a bit like the Wild West landscape, that’s because it is. The glasses currently remind me of the wearable watch scene before the Apple Watch and Android watches came along: it was experimental, inconsistent, sometimes brilliant, and sometimes frustrating. Expect eyewear to evolve rapidly over the next year, meaning your choice to buy now is not guaranteed to be a perfect solution in the future.
While Meta is currently leading the way in wearable glasses, it’s likely that future glasses will be even more advanced. Once Google and Apple enter the picture, expect greater compatibility of apps and services on smart glasses as well.
And keep an eye on your wrist. Meta’s neural strip for its display glasses is a sign of the direction others will follow, and Google and Apple will likely bend the watch’s interactions with its glasses to make gestures and shortcut commands easier.
More companies are entering this space, including long-time eyewear maker (and social app company) Snap. Snap’s everyday AR glasses are also coming later this year, but we don’t know much about them yet, although I’ve tried out their bulky developer prototypes several times.
Can I wear them if I have prescription glasses?
Some display glasses like the Viture Luma Pro have a built-in adjustment for certain eye prescriptions (up to -4). For other display glasses, lens inserts sold separately can support a wide range of prescriptions.
All-day smart glasses like Meta Ray-Bans can be ordered with prescription lenses, and retailers like Lenscrafters can service them as well. But there are limits to what Meta officially supports. Online orders do not allow prescriptions beyond -6, but there are ways to order and add higher index lenses from other suppliers, although Meta does not personally handle these lens inserts. The short answer is that smart glasses will need to get even better in terms of prescription support in the years to come.
Show more
Can I use all my apps with these glasses?
Not exactly. Display glasses work as monitors that mirror your device’s display and sometimes function as a second screen, depending on the device. Some apps block video playback; most are fine.
AI-enabled smart glasses like the Meta Ray-Bans are limited to working with the pairing app to connect them. Meta’s smart glasses have connections for music playback, phone calls, and syncing photos and videos with the camera app, but won’t work with on-phone AIs like Siri or Gemini, can’t control all of your phone’s functions, and can’t respond to Apple’s iMessages, although Meta is opening up app support for more smart glasses connections through phones. Google’s Android XR Glasses are expected to be more app compatible this year, but we don’t know to what extent.
Show more
What is the difference between smart glasses and VR headsets?
You may be familiar with another type of head-mounted wearable device for your eyes, the virtual reality headset. Examples include Meta Quest, PlayStation VR 2 and Apple Vision Pro. Smart glasses like the ones on this list are very different. They’re smaller and more similar to the standard glasses people wear every day, and unlike VR headsets, they’re designed to be worn outdoors and in public. Most smart glasses can’t display immersive 3D graphics or work with hand tracking or controllers.
Things will start to change, however, as smart glasses technology evolves. Xreal, Viture and most display glass manufacturers plan to turn their hardware into augmented reality-enabled 3D glasses with room tracking in the future. Meta’s Ray-Bans and other camera and audio glasses don’t have a screen at all, but are expected to add one in the future. Meta’s Orion glasses prototype shows how AR could come to this type of glasses years from now, but not now. For another idea of where AR glasses might be headed, Snap’s Spectacles are another pair of 3D graphics-enabled wearables coming this year, but their battery life and price are unknown.
Show more
