Top 5 Best AR Smart Glasses 2024

The word “smart glasses” can refer to a wide range of devices worn on the face, including augmented reality screens, live-streaming cameras, and headphones with voice assistants integrated into what (typically) appear to be standard spectacles. There’s no doubting that smart glasses are a developing field of technology that aims to lead us into the future, even though some of them are unexpectedly beneficial and some are just plain ridiculous.

In light of this, we’ve assembled the top smart eyewear that we’ve tried thus far. After reading our top recommendations, you may find a detailed explanation of the many kinds of smart glasses available.

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Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

Best AR Smart Glasses

1.Rokid Max

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Rokid Max and its comparable competitors allow you to at least enjoy a large, bright display projected in front of your eyes, but fully functional, self-contained augmented reality glasses that can scan your surroundings and provide live updates and contextual information based on what you’re looking at are still a ways off. These glasses may be used as a portable USB monitor by connecting to any compatible gadget and projecting a 1080p image for productivity or gaming.

For two reasons, the Rokid Max is our top choice for AR glasses. Firstly, they offer the largest picture available, with the greatest field of view we’ve seen, at 50 degrees. Secondly, you may obtain a clear image even in low light thanks to their focus adjustments for each eye.

If you have a compatible device (or the necessary HDMI, Lightning, or non-DP USB-C adaptor) and don’t mind the design, these glasses make a fantastic personal display for everyone.

Six meters ahead of you, a large 215-inch screen is projected by Rokid’s Max AR glasses. Their AR environment is limited to simple web apps, and they don’t have the same multitasking capabilities as the Xreal Nebula workplace. They more than make up for it, though, with the brightest and highest refresh rate big-screen mode in our test group.

The Rokid Max offers a wide range of customizing possibilities. Adjustable features include the arms’ angle and a real dial for correcting myopia on top. Because of this, sharing them with others is made simpler and they won’t require contacts or glasses. For other glasses, you will need to get prescription lenses made to fit your eyes. The Rokid headset is easy to use right out of the box; just fit the parts together until it fits perfectly, connect the Max to a USB-C device, and the screen will dock into the middle of your field of vision. It’s an easy experience that produces a crisp, theater-sized image right away. It enlarged my Mac screen, which is great for gaming, but this perspective isn’t as helpful as the Xreal remote desktop.Its AR workspace looks much like the original iPhone’s layout down to the app icons but it feels a bit laggy and lacks the multitasking of the Airs above.

It stands out from the competition in this regard since it can create a large-scale, immersive virtual display. The buttery smooth 120-hertz refresh rate is advantageous for the newest blockbuster titles, such as “Elden Ring.” Rolls and hops feel more natural than they do on the TCL or Xreal glasses (below). In first-person shooter games, aiming crosshairs feels snappier, and the brighter 600 nits significantly increase the pop of lush vegetation and sand color variations. My laptop and Steam Deck’s battery life did not noticeably decrease with the increased refresh rate, which pleased me (though they did start to become a little warmer after an hour or so). However, there was a discernible decrease in the visual ghosting of traces left by rapidly moving objects, such as while driving cars at

2.Viture One

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

A120-inch virtual screen with which to view movies or play games anywhere you go? That’s how the Viture One XR glasses are marketed. They function like any other USB-C display by just plugging into your laptop, Nintendo Switch, or smartphone. Additionally, a neckband computer running Android is available for use with cloud gaming, console remote play, and Netflix movie streaming.

When the Viture One XR glasses surpassed the first Oculus Rift to raise over $3 million on Kickstarter, they made headlines. The mixed-reality glasses are being shipped to funders a year later. I managed to obtain a Viture One Ultimate Pack for testing, which came with the mobile dock, neckband, and several other accessories. Even though they are the best XR glasses I’ve used thus far, the standard is poor, and

Perhaps you’re wondering what XR really stands for. It’s a catch-all word for mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). Although it hasn’t taken off widely, virtual reality has successfully filled a useful niche. It has been eclipsed lately by augmented or mixed reality. There’s new excitement about Apple’s Vision Pro, a product that has already had some success with projects like Microsoft Hololens and Google Glass.

Although they don’t allow VR games, the Viture One XR glasses resemble virtual reality headsets in several ways. With the Viture One XR, you can still see your surroundings, and at only 78 grams, they are comparatively small and sleek.They work by projecting a translucent screen on top of the real world.

They join a new generation of technically comparable gadgets that include the Lenovo Glasses T1, the Nreal Air (which has subsequently changed to Xreal), and the Spacetop AR laptop that we just evaluated. The Viture One XR glasses are focused about entertainment, primarily gaming, rather than providing augmented reality overlays or productivity improvements.

With XR glasses, four years after the clunky Vuzix Blade, the advancement is evident. The Viture One is almost identical to a typical pair of sunglasses at first glance, and it is somewhat lighter and narrower than the Xreal Air. However, as soon as you put them on, the illusion that these are ordinary glasses disappears for both you and everyone else.

The comfort of the Viture One XR glasses was an issue in early reviews. It’s intimidating to find the sweet spot when little screens are shining right in front of your eyes, and it can be challenging to focus. Most people end up sliding the glasses a little further away from their eyes since the micro-OLED panels behind the lenses require some room. Everyone looks a little odd wearing these because they go much farther down your nose than standard spectacles.

It’s necessary for the distance to enable your eyes to focus. It never totally tricks your eyes into thinking that it is a 120-inch screen, even though it might simulate one from several feet away.

In addition to the top dials, there is a button on the left stalk’s underside that activates the electrochromic film, which darkens the lenses to give the screen a less obtrusive background. The only other button is a volume rocker designed in collaboration with Harman to operate the integrated speakers. Although they lack power and headphones are always a better option, it’s kind of cool that you can hear stuff clearly enough without disturbing people around you.

3.Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses – a collaboration between the tech giant and luxury eyewear brand EssilorLuxxotica – arrived last year, and was one that took us a bit by surprise. 

We’ve tested things like Snap Spectacles, which offer the same kind of first-person video capturing, and been left slightly cold. These, though, were a joy to wear during testing.

They pack dual 5-megapixel cameras to capture and share first-person videos, while also including speakers and microphones to listen to music and handle phone calls.

A single tap can record video for up to 30 seconds, and a tap and hold can take a picture. Additionally, if you don’t want to reach up to your specs, you can utilize the onboard microphones to say, “Hey, Facebook, take a video,” with the use of hand-free controls.

A tiny LED next to the camera lights when you record or take a photo, signaling to anyone nearby that you are in recording or snapshot mode. In terms of listening, the glasses have two open-ear speakers that you may use to answer calls and listen to music on your phone.

All of that technology is housed in some well-known Ray-Ban eyewear, including the famous Wayfarer pictured above, and only adds 5g in comparison to a non-smart pair.

And the finest thing about them is most likely this. At this point, they’re a luxury item, and the privacy concerns with the technology mean they’re not appropriate for every situation, but you can’t really argue with a pair of customised Ray-Bans.

To be clear, there is no augmented reality technology here, but Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has stated that the collaboration would eventually provide augmented reality specifications. thrilling.

Sharing your opinions on social media is a must, and the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses enable you to do just that. With the 12MP camera in these glasses, you can shoot video, snap pictures, and even live stream. Anything you view can be immediately posted to Instagram or saved to your phone for uploading to another social media platform. Similar to the camera-free Echo Frames, which are mostly audio devices, you may use them to make calls and play music.

As long as you understand their restrictions, these are a delightful pair of smart glasses for anyone who is fascinated with posting about their adventures on social media. Although the 12MP camera on these glasses is a significant improvement over the 5MP sensors on previous models, the picture quality is still inferior to even a midrange smartphone camera, and the maximum length of their video clips is 60 seconds. They have the same problems with sound quality that come with any audio glasses, and its built-in voice assistant, Meta, is far less functional than Alexa on Amazon.

4.XReal Air 2

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.

Xreal manufactures some of our favorite smart glasses; you can read more about the AR features it produced in our reviews of the Xreal Air and Xreal Air 2 Pro. At CES 2024, the company unveiled a new product that looks to be even better than what we’ve seen from it in the past.

Unlike its predecessors, the Xreal Air 2 does more than just project an augmented reality screen into your physical environment. Being a true spatial computer with a camera, it can recognize and track objects in the real environment that virtual elements can interact with. It can also track your hands.

Despite sounding a lot like the Apple Vision Pro, there is one drawback to the glasses: they require an external device to charge them. In particular, the only devices listed by Xreal as suitable for the task are the Samsung Galaxy S22, S23, and an unreleased “custom computing unit.” You may use them as a wearable full-HD display for any device with a USB-C display connector if you’re not interested in spatial computing.

We don’t yet know how well this Air 2 experience compares to its rivals, but if it can deliver a solid experience Xreal could be on to a winner.

If you don’t wear corrective lenses, the XReal Air 2 is a good pair of AR video glasses. In addition, they are the most stylish and cunning. The black version is fairly understated, with a flat matte finish, whereas the red variant is striking and distinctive for this category. In any case, they don’t resemble smart glasses at all. Optional sticker sets that alter the outward-facing surfaces to one of six alternate colors are another way to jazz them up.

For those looking for AR glasses that will either blend in or stick out with a vibrant splash of color, this is a great option. The Air 2 Pro adds a lens-darkening capability akin to the Viture One, and you can upgrade for $449. However, unlike the Viture One or Rokid Max, the Air 2 range of glasses lacks focus controls, and although the Frame of Choice prescription lens inserts are well-made and functional, they are not suitable for nearsighted people.

5.Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen)

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With tiny drivers aimed at your ears to emit music, audio glasses function as a frame for headphones without actually fitting anything into or over them. When used with beamforming microphones, they provide complete voice assistant control and phone calls through your spectacles. Amazon’s version of the same product is called Echo Frames, and as the name suggests, it allows you to use Alexa. The microphones are also incredibly clear. It’s unfortunate that the audio quality isn’t better.

Simple acoustic reality (or technical challenge, if you’re feeling more upbeat) dictates that a small driver with a large air gap between it and the ear cannot produce bass; instead, it will produce bright, hollow sound. The Echo Frames don’t buck this trend, but they do a good job with voice-activated tasks that don’t require bass, like speaking with Alexa or making calls. For those who value style more than functionality, Amazon now sells limited-edition Carrera Smart Glasses, which have the same features and technology as the Echo Frames but come with lenses that can block blue light or serve as sunglasses. Just remember that for around half the price of the Echo Frames, you can have hands-free Alexa, active noise cancellation, and far superior sound quality with the Echo Buds With ANC.

It can’t be too much longer until we’re all wearing computers on our faces, right? However, it goes without saying that nobody wants to gaze at something that genuinely resembles a computer. Amazon took that same worry into consideration with the new Echo Frames (3rd Gen).

In order to make the Alexa-enabled glasses more approachable, the Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) take design to the next level with a new selection of colors and frame styles featuring slimmed-down temples. Additionally, several models now have a designer flair thanks to a recent collaboration with Carrera.

These frames are also loaded up with upgrades to connectivity, audio performance and battery life over the latest Echo Frames aren’t the most affordable way to access Amazon’s voice assistant, but they do let you use Alexa just about anywhere you go. 

The third generation Amazon Echo Frames resemble, well, glasses. Additionally, they are available for the first time in a number of forms, including as cat-eye, round, square, and rectangle. A few additional color options, including Brown and Blue Tortoise, are available, along with two styles from the high-end Carrera sunglasses collection.

The Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) are first and foremost about providing immediate access to Alexa. The assistant can be used to answer calls, manage music playback, and more. Without pulling out your phone, Alexa can now filter notifications so that you only get alerts for critical communications. I’ve put my parents and sister to mine, just in case. This is called your VIP list. My glasses only woke me up with the most important warnings as a result.

If not, Alexa functions as a virtual butler, ready to respond to inquiries just like it would on the greatest smart displays with Alexa or smart speakers. I asked for the weather, the Lakers game score from last night, and a list of the things I had put to my to-do list. The drawback? Only when your smartphone is connected to the internet and has internet access are these useful questions accessible.

Buying Guide: The Best Smart Glasses for 2024

What Are Smart Glasses?

Any eyewear that has electronic components and is capable of functions other than vision correction and eye protection is considered a smart glass. That encompasses, as you may imagine, a vast range of gadgets with disparate functions.

We are able to focus on a small number of distinct varieties of smart glasses, with some feature overlap. Due to the speakers integrated into the frame, audio smart glasses can also be used as headphones. With the use of tiny projectors and lenses, augmented reality smart glasses can display images as though they were on a screen in front of your eyes. Smart glasses with a social media focus come with built-in cameras so you can take pictures, record videos, and broadcast live.

A few more uncommon varieties of smart glasses exist, such as Ampere’s Dusk glasses. With a swipe or an app, they can transition from translucent to sunglasses thanks to the adjustable tint provided by liquid crystal lenses. Similar technology is used by several AR glasses, such as the Viture One and the XReal Air 2 Pro, although it is less exact, and the devices are heavier and not meant for casual strolling around due to their screens.

Even while blue-light-blocking glasses are highly connected to computers and video games, they aren’t really regarded as smart glasses. They merely use lens coatings to lessen your exposure to blue light in order to lessen eye strain; they don’t include any electronics. Although they have a calming effect, they lack the intelligence we are discussing here.

The Best Smart Glasses for Music and Calls

Given that it’s present in the majority of devices, audio technology is undoubtedly the foundation of all smart glasses. Smart glasses with audio capabilities are essentially headphones in the form of eyewear, typically using tiny drivers that resemble earphones positioned at an angle to project sound into your ears. They allow you to use voice assistants, make phone calls, and listen to music when paired with beam-forming microphones.

Because of the limitations of their sound quality and the way sound travels, we haven’t found any really interesting smart glasses that are solely focused on audio. Bass is almost nonexistent with these glasses due to the large air space between the drivers and the ears. While the mids and highs may sound clear enough, the low frequencies are lacking, as demonstrated by the now-discontinued Bose Frames Tempo and the Razer Anzu. Additionally, there’s not much privacy because noises can seep in.

The Best Camera-Equipped Smart Glasses

Sharing is the essence of social media, and for most photo enthusiasts, that means always having the camera app open on your phone. You can photograph, record, and stream anything you see and hear with camera smart glasses without pulling out your phone. The ridiculous-looking Snapchat Spectacles, which have seen three incarnations and now seem to be dormant, were the first to popularize the concept. With the Facebook and Instagram-friendly Facebook Ray-Ban Stories and now the Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses on our list, Meta has taken up the slack.

The Best AR Glasses

With the use of augmented reality technology, you can see computer-generated information in the real world like your own personal holograms by projecting visuals over your surroundings. It’s a really interesting, futuristic idea that’s still in the development stage and needs a number of different parts to function, including computers, motion sensors, cameras, and micro-displays. A few examples of AR’s limited functionality on phone screens include Google Lens and Pokemon Go. Moreover, ambitious head-mounted displays like the Microsoft HoloLens have shown promise for delivering the entire AR experience in its early stages.

The terms “augmented reality” and “XR” (extended reality, mixed reality, or anything in the hazy area between AR and VR) are a little misleading. They show a picture in front of you using tiny projectors and lenses, and they can even utilize built-in motion sensors to set a screen at a physical spot relative to you that stays there even if you move your head, with the aid of certain extremely shaky mobile apps or supplementary equipment.