When you hear the term "smart glasses," it's entirely likely that you're definition is very different from someone else's. That's because "smart glasses" is an umbrella term that contains many different types of products, each of which conveniently rests on your nose.
So, which type is the right type for you? That entirely depends on what you want from the glasses on your face. Are you looking to capture moments with family and friends in a hands-free way? Maybe you need your own personal display for your PS5 or Xbox instead of hogging the TV?
Smart glasses like Ray-Ban Stories and Xreal Air (formerly Nreal) can do that and more, and there are plenty of other lesser-known options, as well. Looking for the best smart glasses? Look no further.
Best overall
They may look similar to the competition, Xreal has proven that it makes the best smart glasses in the business with regular updates and support, a quality build with excellent display and audio quality, and new accessories like Xreal Beam that further extend its capabilities.
Best everyday glasses
Looking for a hands-free way of capturing photos and videos? Ray-Ban Stories has two front-mounted cameras and high-quality speakers in its temples, so you can also stream music and watch videos on your phone without bothering people around you.
Best audio glasses
Razer's first smart glasses deliver a quality Bluetooth connection to your phone so you can stream tunes for hours without having to wear headphones. Plus, the blue light-blocking and polarized lenses included in the box help protect your eyes for the long haul.
Best AR-light glasses
Whether you're working from a couch or a plane, or you just need to free up the TV for someone else to use, TCL NXTWEAR S acts like a 200-inch display for just about anything you can hook up to its USB-C connection. Plus, light AR features make it even more comfortable than the competition.
Best for Snapchat junkies
If you spend most of your day on Snapchat, you might want to consider donning a pair of Spectacles 3. They'll capture any moment of your day hands-free via the dual front-facing cameras, which can create 3D photos and 60FPS videos for the ultimate Snap experience.
Best for tech heads
If you don't mind looking like you're obviously wearing a facial computer, INMO Air2 is an impressive pair of AR glasses that combines everything on this list into one impressive product that's powered by a quad-core processor and has micro OLED displays right in the lenses.
These are the best smart glasses
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Since the term "smart glasses" covers such a wide gamut, it's difficult to pick one product that does everything well. But, after using every product on this page, I can confidently recommend Xreal Air as the best overall pair of smart glasses you can buy right now for several reasons.
First, the concept of "AR glasses," as we see in movies, is still pretty far out. Companies like INMO are getting closer to this vision, but products like the INMO Air2 are still bulky. Air2 does more than any other pair on this list, but there's little doubt that some people will feel uncomfortable wearing them daily.
Xreal Air is a bit more of a focused product. It's designed to replace a TV or monitor by projecting a virtual image onto the lenses of the glasses. Many products do this — including the TCL NXTWEAR S — but Xreal has proven itself to be the best around by offering regular updates, long-term support, and compatibility with products like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.
I've used Xreal Air many times on work trips to type on a plane. If you've ever tried to work on a plane using a laptop, you'll know the experience sucks. Craning your neck for hours is bad enough, but then you also have to worry about your laptop display getting smashed if the person in front of you reclines their seat.
Xreal Air lets me use my laptop in a comfortable way on a plane by projecting the display right in front of me at eye level. Plus, I can mostly close the laptop to leave just enough room for typing and not have to worry about the display getting crushed.
Not only that, but no one else can see the display since it's projected inside the lenses of the glasses I'm wearing. That's great for a multitude of reasons.
But what about glasses that can be worn anywhere? Ray-Ban Stories look nearly identical to a regular pair of Ray-Bans yet offer a lot more functionality than a normal pair of specs. The downside is that you have to have a Facebook account to use them.
Ray-Ban Stories connects with an app called Facebook View that syncs any pictures and video taken from your specs, letting you easily share the clips or pics on social media. Plus, you can stream music to your glasses, take phone calls without having to hold the phone to your ear, and even use some simple voice commands to perform everyday tasks completely hands-free.
These are my personal go-to for going out as they make everyday life easier. I'm already wearing sunglasses when I'm out and about, so why not have them do more than just block sunrays? Plus, the case charges the glasses like a pair of earbuds, showing how much thought went into the product.
And there are so many other categories to consider here, too. Maybe you want to ditch that pair of earbuds and have your glasses play sound instead? A pair of Razer Anzu glasses will do just that, emitting sweet, sweet tunes from the temples and offering both polarized and blue light-blocking lenses for regular use.
Or maybe you're a Snapchat fiend and want to capture every moment of your day? Spectacles 3 gives you a 3D view of the world around you, letting you make the very best Snaps. Your friends will wonder how your Snaps got such an upgrade, and you'll be wondering how to keep making them better.
And if you just want the best of the best tech, INMO Air2 packs in an absurd amount of electronics into a glasses-style frame, including Micro OLED panels integrated into each of the lenses (see image above). You can even snap prescription lenses right into the frames, making these the coolest pair of AR glasses you can buy to this day. The software is still in its infancy, but it's going to be amazing, given the hardware behind it.
