Now that Apple has unveiled its take on spatial computing with Vision Pro, there's a lot more attention on augmented and virtual reality headsets and glasses. Although it's uncertain whether Vision Pro will be the game-changing device it's billed to be when it releases, there are a lot of great augmented and virtual reality products that you can actually buy today. This sector of the technology industry hasn't advanced as quickly as others in the past, there are still quality options available that might be worth taking a look at.

That's because companies have toned down ambition with smart eyewear. They serve more modest goals, like playing music or broadcasting a screen in front of our eyes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The current crop of smart glasses may not be as ambitious as the groundbreaking Google Glass concept, but they cost far less, look less odd, and most can do the one thing it promises to do very well. Perhaps thinking of smart glasses the way we did about the best of folding phones when we first saw them, cool ideas with room for improvement, is a good way to consider smart glasses.

If smart glasses have sparked you're interest, but you're not exactly sure where to start, you're in the right place. We've tried the best smart glass available, and have rounded up the best option for each category below.

Our favorite smart glasses in 2023

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Xreal Air
Best overall smart glasses

Software sets this apart from the rest

Xreal just launched Windows support for its Air AR glasses, which create a 130" virtual display that floats in midair. You'll never want to use the 7-inch inbuilt screen again.

Pros
  • Excellent display
  • Software allows the glasses to output virtual desktops on MacOS and Windows
  • Looks more like normal eyewear
Cons
  • Speakers not as great as main competitor Rokid
  • Nose pad a bit thin

nReal recently rebranded to XReal, but its flagship product is still the same, and that's a good thing. XReal Air are smart glasses with two micro-OLED screens behind each lens which can project a virtual screen in front of the wearer's face. Using technology known as "bird-bath optics," the displays are pointed downwards and are then reflected back to the wearer's eyes, which significantly eases eyestrain and also gives off the illusion the display is further away instead of sitting right in front of the wearer's face.

The projected display is about the equivalent of viewing a 205-inch screen from about 10 feet away. The XReal Air does not have internal storage or any processing unit, so it can only display visuals from a source device, like a smartphone, Nintendo Switch, or computer. Connection is made via the trusty USB-C cable. So yes, the XReal Air is mostly just a portable, wearable screen without too many actual "smart" features. But it's okay because it is very good at what it does.

The visuals are 1080p resolution with vivid colors, and with speakers built into the glass arms, you can plug the Air into your phone and watch NetFlix or YouTube on a giant screen anywhere. But what sets XReal Air apart from other similar featured glasses is its Nebula desktop software. Initially available only for MacOS but now also available for Windows, Nebula can create a virtual desktop with three separate instances of your computer screen. This means you can set up a virtual triple monitor view off one pair of glasses and one laptop.

For digital nomads who do most of their work off laptops at coffee shops, the appeal of the XReal Air is obvious. I have personally worn the glasses on airplanes and coffee shops, and worked off the virtual triple-screen setup, with Chrome on one screen, Slack on the other, and a Twitter feed on the third.

Rokid-Max-Product-Tag
Rokid Max
Best for Media Consumption

The best speakers and the largest display output yet

The Rokid Max is a pair of AR glasses that pump out visuals equivalent to viewing a 215-inch screen from about 20 feet away. It stands out from other AR glasses on the market by having superior speakers and adjustable diopters for those with near-sightedness. 

Pros
  • The best speakers in any smart glass
  • Can output a 215-inch screen, the largest on the market
Cons
  • Software can't do quite as much as NReal's software.
  • Pricey.

The Rokid Max works just like the XReal Air above: it's a pair of glasses with a pair of MicroOLED displays that pump out a virtual floating screen in front of your face. The Max does a few things better than the XReal Air, but also falls short in one major area. Notably, Rokid's smart glasses can output a larger screen, about the equivalent of a 215-inch screen viewed from about 10 feet away. It is, in fact, the largest screen any smart glasses can pump out right now.

The speaker system in the Max is also the best we've tested at XDA, producing fuller audio with stronger bass and a higher maximum volume. These two strengths combine to make the Rokid Max the best pair of smart glasses for consuming media. Whether it's watching a movie, TikTok video, or even listening to music or a podcast, these glasses produce the most immersive visuals with the best audio.

However, Rokid's software is lacking. It can essentially only mirror the screen of whatever your device is showing. Rokid's software cannot produce a virtual desktop the way XReal's Nebula software can. This means if you want to do actual productivity work and could benefit from having more than one home screen, the XReal Air is still more capable. But for pure movie watching, these are so good. I use these at home more than my television or desk-bound monitor.

Ray-Ban-Stories-Product-Tag
Ray-Ban Stories Smart Glasses
Best for Content Capture

Snap photos or film videos directly from the glasses

Co-developed by Facebook, Ray-Ban Stories are glasses with cameras that can snap photos or videos. The cameras are so well-hidden that these look almost like a normal pair of Ray-Bans, which also unfortunately means these glasses could be misused. 

Pros
  • They look almost just like normal Ray-Ban sunglasses
  • Can use voice commands for entirely hands-free control
Cons
  • Video quality is about on par with a $80 budget phone camera
  • It's so discreet it could be misused by creepers

A joint product developed by Facebook and Ray-Ban, the oddly named Stories are essentially Ray-Ban sunglasses with a pair of forward-facing cameras embedded in the frame that can snap photos and videos. The quality of media captured are relatively mediocre: they're low resolution at 2592 x 1984-pixel images and 1184 x 1184 video at 30 fps, and dynamic range and stabilization are worse than any phone above $150. But considering these glasses are only marginally bulkier or heavier than normal Ray-Ban sunglasses — to the point that I don't think most people would be able to tell they're not normal sunglasses — it is impressive that you essentially have a wearable camera.

You can use the cameras by pressing a dedicated button on the right glass arm or using voice commands ("Hey Facebook, take a picture"). That's about it as far as voice commands, though. You can't say, ask for the time or weather information. There are also speakers on the glass arm which pump out flat but usable audio. Media is saved by the glasses' internal storage (4GB) and can be transferred over to smartphones via its companion app (designed by Facebook and requires a Facebook account to log in).

Facebook and Ray-Ban say these glasses are created for people who want to document their daily life without pulling out a phone all the time, but one major concern many reviewers had is whether these glasses can be misused to film people without their consent. Technically, there is a small indicator light on the glasses that show when they're recording video, but it's so small that most people would not notice it unless they're within inches from the glasses.

Still, any tech can be misused by bad actors, so perhaps the concern is overblown. Ultimately, it's up to you to practice good manners and common sense with wearable cameras.

Razer-Anzu-Smart-Glasses-Audio
Razer Anzu Smart Glasses
Best for audio

Plays low-latency audio through Bluetooth

The Razer Anzu Smart Glasses give you low latency audio, long battery life, compatibility with multiple voice assistants, and different options for the size and shape of the lenses. The usually retail for $200, but you can grab them for the low price of $45 with this Black Friday deal.

Pros
  • Features 60ms Bluetooth connectivity
  • Five-hour battery life
  • Compatible with voice assistance and touch controls
Cons
  • Speakers aren't loud enough for noisy environments
  • Sound quality isn't great for music and media

Smart glasses centered around audio are going through a bit of a rough patch right now. The only pair of audio sunglasses currently sold by Bose are the Bose Tempo, which are designed for health and fitness applications. The Amazon Echo Frames, which formerly held a spot on this list, are unavailable with no replacement lined up yet. That leaves the Razer Anzu as our pick for the best smart glasses for audio, albeit they work better for some use cases than others.

With a 60ms Bluetooth latency and a five-hour battery life, the Razer Anzu will be a lightweight option for phone or video call applications. There's an omnidirectional microphone housed within the glasses, and this supports great voice quality during calls. Similarly, since the Razer Anzu works with voice assistants, you can manage your smartphone or ask questions with ease. Plus, there are capacitive sensors in the glasses' stems that allow for controlling the device with touch. A big criticism of the Razer Anzu has been that the speakers aren't that loud in noisy environments and have mediocre sound quality. While that may be true, they are great for certain situations as a completely discreet music player.

Lenovo-Think-Reality-Product-Tag
Lenovo ThinkReality A3
Best for Windows productivity

Expensive, but capable

Lenovo's ThinkReality A3 smart glasses are designed for heavy productivy work with Windows PCs. 

Pros
  • Can output virtual desktop with multiple screens with Windows machines
  • Customizable nose piece and ear-horn extensions
Cons
  • By far the most expensive glasses on this list
  • Can only work with Windows machines

If you do serious work on Windows laptops on the go often, Lenovo's ThinkReality A3 smart glasses may be worth considering. When connected to a Windows machine, these glasses can output a virtual desktop with up to three virtual screens at once. This is like what the XReal Air can do, but the virtual desktops run a bit more stable here thanks to Lenovo's dedicated "Virtual Display Manager" that was specifically designed for Windows 10 and 11.

The ThinkReality A3 is also the most advanced pair of glasses on this list in terms of controls, as it can have sensors to detect the wearer's eyesight for a "gaze-based navigation system." While this takes a bit of time to get used to, it feels more advanced than navigating via a connected smartphone.

However, with such advanced tech comes a high price: the ThinkReality A3 are priced well into the four digits, making it by far the most expensive pair of glasses on this list.

Best Smart Glasses in 2023: The final say

While the Lenovo ThinkReality A3 is the most capable pair of smart eyewear here, it's priced a bit too high for the average consumer. The XReal Air is about one-third the price, can do almost the same things, and has a more minimal and cleaner design to boot. xReal also has the most robust "AR software" UI right now, one that allows the wearer to map multiple windows onto a virtual space.

The hardware for smart glasses is starting to mature, which allows these devices to look more like normal glasses and hopefully continue to bring the price down. Something else the improvements in hardware will bring is offering more features with better overall results, like image quality, fuller sound, and more intuitive ways of navigating the UI. While brands are working to create must-have use cases for smart glasses to entice adoption of them, the devices on this list are very good and will continue to improve over time.

Xreal-Air-Product-Tag
Xreal Air

Xreal just launched Windows support for its Air AR glasses, which create a 130" virtual display that floats in midair. You'll never want to use the 7-inch inbuilt screen again.