The Best Smart Glasses for 2026

Huge field of view: The Viture Beast offers one of the widest fields of view on prism smart glasses, at 58 degrees. That means the biggest picture in front of your eyes.

Built-in head-tracking: Motion sensors in the Viture Beast let the glasses determine your direction and adjust the picture accordingly. This lets the glasses place a virtual screen in front of you and keep it in place even as you move your head, enhancing immersion.

Ultrawide mode: A 32:9 aspect ratio mode can provide a virtual workspace equivalent to a 3,840-by-1,200 ultrawide monitor when connected to a computer, giving you plenty of room to get work done.

Power users: I swear by ultrawide mode when I have to work on the go. It lets me research, edit, write, and produce stories while sitting at a coffee shop, giving me a lot more real estate than my laptop's screen.

Theater fans seeking immersion: Because the glasses can anchor the virtual display in place and keep it there even as you move your head, it can give the impression of sitting in a theater and actually watching a physical screen. The view cuts off at the edges, so it isn't quite the complete, eye-filling experience you get from a VR headset, but it's by far the most immersive way to watch a movie on smart glasses.

Budget shoppers: At over $500, the Viture Beast is one of the more expensive pairs of smart glasses on this list.

Very bright: The Viture Pro 2's 1,600-nit peak brightness is the highest we've seen on prism display smart glasses, keeping the picture visible even when you're staring out a window into daylight.

Lightweight: At just 2.22 ounces, the Viture Pro 2 is also one of the lightest prism display glasses available. This means you can comfortably wear it on your face for long periods.

Affordable: The Viture Pro 2 is just $299 before any discounts, putting it among the more affordable smart glasses in its category.

Focus dials: If you're nearsighted, the Viture Pro 2's focus dials let you correct up to -5.0 without buying lens inserts.

Nearsighted individuals: Thanks to the Viture Pro 2's focus dials that can correct up to -5.0D in each eye, those needing vision correction can enjoy a sharp picture without spending additional money on a prescription lens insert.

Everyday work and play: The Viture Pro 2's 50-degree field of view comfortably provides the equivalent of a 147-inch screen viewed from 13 feet away, giving you a private movie theater screen, TV, or monitor experience wherever you sit.

Power users: Because it lacks the ultrawide mode of Viture's top-of-the-line smart glasses, the Viture Pro 2 only offers a single 16:9 screen when connected to a computer. That isn't a lot of desktop real estate if you're used to an ultrawide monitor or multiple monitors.

Lightweight: At 2.19 ounces, the XReal a01+ is the lightest pair of prism display smart glasses we've tested, if only by 0.03 ounces.

Bright: The XReal a01+ is among the brightest of its category, with a peak light output of 1,600 nits.

Affordable: At less than $300, the XReal a01+ is among the most affordable prism display smart glasses.

Value shoppers: For less money than most of the other models on this list, the XReal a01+ offers an ultra-bright picture and a satisfying 50-degree viewing angle.

Digital nomads: Whether you're working at a coffee shop or watching a movie on a flight, the XReal a01+ provides a comfortably large screen for any compatible device you connect.

Nearsighted users: Unlike its closest competitor from Viture, the XReal a01+ doesn't have focus dials, so if you wear corrective lenses, you'll need to buy prescription lens inserts to use it comfortably. That takes away the big benefit of its budget price.

Power users: The XReal a01+ is another model without head-tracking or advanced picture modes, which limits the workspace available to you when you're on the go.

Good audio: There's a limit to how good any smart glasses can sound because of the gap between their speakers and your ears, but the HSTN is one of the better-sounding pairs, edging out its Ray-Ban-made cousin.

Long battery life: AI smart glasses tend to struggle to last the full day, but the HSTN has one of the better batteries in the bunch.

Video and photo quality: With a 12MP camera for stills and support for 3K video recording, these glasses are an undeniably fun and easy way to shoot POV footage.

Music fans: While no open-ear speakers offer much low-end bass resonance, these Oakleys make mid- and high-frequency music sound pristine, with clear separation. They produce a decent amount of volume and minimize sound leakage.

People with small children or pets: All of the Meta smart glasses make it easy to capture impromptu moments, but these have the best battery life of the bunch, so you're that much more likely to be wearing them when a special moment strikes.

Social shutterbugs: These glasses make it easy to capture photos and videos from your own perspective hands-free, and the snaps are perfect for sharing on social media.

Privacy-minded buyers: The built-in camera on the HSTN is great for taking snapshots and quick clips, but you're headed for conflict if you wear the glasses into the office or on a date. There's a reason camera-equipped smart glasses have acquired the stigmatized nickname of "pervert glasses." It's probably the same reason Meta just announced camera-free AI smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta Audio.

Stylish: With three different frames and multiple colors for each one, you're likely to find a pair that suits your style.

Simple video and photo capture: With a tap, the glasses let you capture photos or record videos from your point of view, making it easy to document moments from your life.

Fashion fanatics: These Ray-Bans have a timeless style with unobtrusive tech cleverly baked into the design. If you want to add smarts to your frames while accessorizing your look, these are the smart glasses for you.

Social media gurus: If you're looking for a fun new way to share your social media activities, especially on Meta's platforms like Facebook or Instagram, these are the smart glasses to consider. They make it easy to shoot POV videos without holding your phone, and the integrated Meta AI assistant can provide real-time information about your surroundings.

All-day users: The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 lasted a little over 3 hours with heavy use, putting it on the lower end of battery life for AI glasses.

The stigma-averse: Smart glasses with cameras have been labeled "pervert glasses," thanks to how some creeps have been using them.

Dimmable lenses: Electrochromatic lenses are Chamelo's big claim to fame, and it's both eye-catching and eye-saving to switch them from a light tint to mirrored shades with a swipe.

Good audio quality: Smart glasses have some big audio limitations compared with actual earphones, but the Music Shield is one of the better-sounding pairs.

Budget-minded outdoor fitness enthusiasts: The Music Shield glasses are ostensibly for active users. Their IPX4 rating means they are sweat-resistant, so you can wear them on a summer jog. They're a good choice if you want to listen to music or make calls on the go while still taking in the sounds of your environment.

Endurance athletes: Even if they can handle sweat, they aren't rated for running in a downpour, and if you get them gunked up, you shouldn't try to rinse them off in the sink.

Fully weatherproof: They're fully dustproof and waterproof with an IP67 rating, making them the most weather-resistant smart glasses on this list, and the only pair you can wash with a good dunk.

Outdoor athletes: If you're big into outdoor sports and want a pair of sunglasses that let you listen to music, take calls, and use an AI assistant, the Meta Vanguard is it. It's very expensive, though, so you should consider cheaper alternatives if the IP rating isn't a big deal for you.

Social shutterbugs: Like other Meta models, the Vanguard includes a camera for photos and videos, as well as microphones for calls and voice commands. It's also generally much more socially acceptable to use camera glasses during sporty activities than elsewhere.

Budget shoppers: At $499, the Oakley Meta Vanguard is on the pricier side of smart glasses without displays.

Voice-to-text features: It won't get every word right, but the MemoMind One's live captioning, transcription, and translation functions are still very useful.

Great navigation: The MemoMind One can pop up turn-by-turn directions and mini-maps right in front of your eyes, offering some of the best navigation guidance we've seen on smart glasses.

Long battery life: With typical mixed use, the MemoMind One glasses can easily last a full day.

Hard-of-hearing users: The live captioning feature can take whatever anyone says to you, or whatever's on TV, and turn it into readable text. That's a huge boon for anyone with hearing difficulties.

Habitual note takers: Instant voice recording and transcription can turn your spoken words into text in an instant.

Anyone who easily gets lost: If you want to know where you're going without staring down at your phone, the MemoMind One's navigation mode can really help. It'll show you when to turn and even preview the full route before your eyes.

Social shutterbugs: The MemoMind One glasses don't have any cameras. It keeps the frames light and avoids any "pervert glasses" accusations, but it means you can't take quick snaps or video clips of whatever you're looking at.

Patient technophiles: The MemoMind One is quite useful on its own, but the entire waveguide smart glasses category will likely change significantly over the next few years. Like black-and-white TVs, monochrome green waveguide displays will probably seem like ancient relics sooner rather than later.

Full-color display: Most waveguide displays on smart glasses are monochrome green and can only show text and simple art. The Meta Ray-Ban Display is full-color and can even show limited video.

Wrist controls: The wristband included with the Meta Ray-Ban Display offers more ways to control the glasses than any other pair of waveguide smart glasses we've tested. The controls aren't the most precise or reliable, though.

Early adopters: If you want a taste of what the future of go-anywhere smart glasses might be like, this is how you can get it. The Meta Ray-Ban Display has one of the best waveguide displays we've seen. Moreover, its Neural Band gestures, while not perfect, are far better than most other waveguide smart glasses, which rely almost entirely on physical touch strips and voice commands.

Meta users: The Meta Ray-Ban Display is designed to connect to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. If you chat through those services, you'll be satisfied.

Almost everyone: The Meta Ray-Ban Display is one of the most advanced examples of waveguide smart glasses yet. It's also very much a first-generation device, with a steep learning curve and awkward controls. It doesn't even display notifications from your phone outside of basic calls, text messages, and apps in Meta's ecosystem. It's more of an eye-catching novelty than a useful device.