The Best Smart Glasses to Try in 2025: AR, AI and Beyond

6 of the Best Smart Glasses to Check Out This Year

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The Best Smart Glasses to Try in 2025 AR, AI and Beyond XR Today News
Augmented RealityMixed RealityReviews

Published: December 6, 2024

Rebekah Carter

Rebekah Carter

If you’re looking for the best smart glasses in 2025, you’re in luck. Whether you’re searching for cutting-edge augmented reality tech, or you just want hands-free access to an AI assistant, there are dozens of options to choose from right now.

In fact, smart glasses have experienced a massive surge in popularity throughout the last year. Demand for lightweight, convenient, and versatile wearable tech has exploded to the point that virtual reality headsets almost seem to be taking a backseat.

The question is, which glasses have the most to offer right now? Based on our experience reviewing some of the industry’s most impressive AR and AI specs, here are our top picks for the glasses you should be considering in 2025.

How We Chose the Best Smart Glasses for 2025

Before we dive into this list, we should note that for now, we’re focusing our attention on the AR and AI glasses we know will be available in 2025. While we will mention a few “potential” competitors, we won’t recommend glasses that have yet to be given an official release date for customers, like the Meta Orion prototypes.

This is because there’s every chance these glasses might not be released at all. Even if they become available to the public, they may not have the same features as their prototype versions.

Still, if you’re keen to learn more about the latest cutting-edge specs, check out our reviews and news reports for additional insights. In the meantime, we chose the following smart specs based on the following factors:

  • Functionality: The term “smart glasses” can refer to a wide range of different “wearables” with various features. Not all smart glasses include augmented reality technology, but we did make sure all of the specs on this list have something unique or “immersive” to offer.
  • Design: It’s hard to find a truly stylish pair of smart glasses that look exactly like a pair of standard spectacles. However, we wanted to make sure each of the options on this list were designed to be lightweight, comfortable, and not overly bulky.
  • User experience: For any immersive tech to be worthwhile, it needs to be easy to use. We chose specs that offered an intuitive experience for all kinds of users, from enterprise employees to everyday consumers.

The Best Smart Glasses in 2025: Our Top Picks

Ready to take the leap into a new age of wearable technology? Here are the best smart glasses we recommend exploring this year, and a quick insight into what makes them so impressive.

1.      Viture Pro XR Glasses: Best Mixed Reality Specs

If you’re looking for cutting-edge immersion, the Viture Pro XR glasses are truly incredible. While there are companies out there experimenting with more cutting-edge technology in their AR specs, Viture definitely offers one of the best visual experiences for mixed-reality fans.

With a virtual display of up to 135 inches (at up to 3m away), the Viture Pro glasses are fantastic for remote work, development, creativity, and entertainment. They feature one of the best refresh rates we’ve seen on the market (up to 120HZ), as well as an unbeatable up to 4000 nits of brightness. This means you get not only exceptional clarity, but minimal visual fatigue too.

The Sony panels are uniquely designed for myopia adjustment, meaning you get fantastic focus, regardless of any visual issues you might have. Plus, you get next-gen electrochromic film built into the lenses, for automatic dimming and light adjustment.

There are still some downsides to these specs, such as they need to be plugged into an external device at all times. Plus, they’re definitely a lot bulkier than a standard set of spectacles, which makes sense, given all of the technology built into the frames.

Still, they offer a phenomenal experience all around for those who want an immersive experience, at a reasonable price point.

Pros:

  • Fantastic field of view
  • Bright and vibrant picture quality
  • No need for prescription lens inserts
  • Automatic dimming for privacy
  • Included spatial sound

Cons:

  • Limited wireless functionality
  • Bulky design

2.      Snap Spectacles 5: Best Smart Glasses for Developers

Snap has been working on creating the best smart glasses for consumers for a while now. Unfortunately, most of the company’s previous devices lacked fully-fledged AR features – though they did make it easy to capture and stream content over social media.

The new Snap Spectacles 5, on the other hand, introduce a range of capabilities that have helped Snap emerge as a real competitor in the world of augmented reality specs. These glasses feature gesture control capabilities, integrated artificial intelligence, and phenomenal crisp visuals, with two miniature projectors.

Powered by a state-of-the-art new operating system, these glasses are fantastic for developers and creators who want to experiment with building unique applications in the AR space. They’re certainly not the most attractive or lightweight glasses we’ve seen, but they’re brimming with built-in functionality that could help to transform the future of AR development.

Plus, you get built-in spatial audio via a set of integrated stereo speakers, a fantastic set of Snapdragon processors, and four integrated camera for capturing content. The biggest downside is that these specs aren’t available to purchase for the general public.

Pros:

  • Incredible visual experience
  • Immersive hand and eye tracking capabilities
  • Unique developer toolkit
  • Integrated AI capabilities
  • Fantastic processing power

Cons:

  • Only available for developers
  • Not as lightweight as some alternatives.

3.      Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: Most Stylish AI Specs

If we were writing this list with an exclusive focus on AR specs, and Meta had already announced a release date for their Orion glasses, those would have been our top pick. The Meta Ray-Ban glasses certainly don’t offer anything close to the cutting-edge power of the Orion prototypes. However, they’re still some of the most popular, comfortable, and user-friendly specs available today.

Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses benefit from a lightweight, highly customizable design. They’re a great choice for people who want to experiment with the latest technology without compromising on style. Although they don’t have any real augmented reality features, they do feature a built-in intelligent assistant, responsive controls, and cameras for capturing and streaming content.

You can also listen to music and make calls using these specs, making them great for on-the-go entertainment or collaboration. Plus, they feature IPX4 water resistance – making them more durable than some of the other specs we’ve tried. There’s even an impressively lengthy 36 hours of battery life, so you don’t have to worry about constantly charging your tech.

We’d mostly recommend these glasses to content creators and social media influencers who want to share “behind the scenes” content on Facebook and Instagram. The AI technology is very impressive too, making it easy to get answers to your questions on the move.

Pros:

  • Stylish, lightweight, and customizable design
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Fantastic built-in AI assistant
  • Intuitive and responsive controls
  • Reliable tools for capturing and streaming content

Cons:

  • No real AR features
  • Some limitations on framing shots
  • Lots of audio leakage

4.      Rokid Max AR Glasses: Best Smart Glasses for AR FOV

The Rokid Max AR glasses are a little older than some of the other top smart glasses on this list. They’ve been available for more than a year now, and they do feature a few limitations, such as a slightly unattractive design and limited spatial computing capabilities.

Still, compared to some of the other AR specs we’ve reviewed, the Rokid Max specs stand out for a few reasons. First, they have one of the biggest “FOV” (Fields of View) of any currently available specs at around 50 degrees. That means you get a more comprehensive picture.

Secondly, they’re fantastic for people who would otherwise need to rely on prescription lenses for a crisp visual experience. You can adjust the focus of each eye, just like you can with the Viture glasses, so even if you’re nearsighted, you shouldn’t have to worry about clarity.

On top of that, the Rokid Max AR glasses are extremely affordable – even if you choose to purchase them as part of a bundle kit with the Rokid Hub. They’re brilliant for just about any use case, including collaborative or creative work. Unfortunately, you do need to keep them connected to a device at all times, so there’s no true “wireless” experience.

Pros:

  • Ultra-wide field of view
  • Excellent adjustment dials
  • Comfortable and reasonably lightweight
  • Bright and consistent picture quality
  • Affordable pricing

Cons:

  • Limited AR functionality
  • Not the most stylish design

5.      XReal Air 2 Ultra: Best AR Glasses

The latest in a series of impressive smart specs by XReal, the Air 2 Ultra glasses take the functionality of the previous XReal Air 2 wearables to the next level. When XReal introduced these specs, they weren’t just trying to create some of the best smart glasses we’d seen so far. They wanted to offer a streamlined spatial computing experience that could compete with the Apple Vision Pro.

Although these glasses aren’t quite as powerful as a full mixed reality headset, they do feature an impressive snapdragon processor and proprietary computing unit. Plus, unlike many other AR glasses, these specs come with built-in hand and head tracking, for immersive interactivity.

The glasses work seamlessly with a wide range of external devices, and have a wonderfully lightweight and comfortable design. You can even switch between different dimming lenses with a tap on the side of the specs, for great comfort both indoors and outdoors.

With ultra-precise tracking capabilities, instant real-world mapping, and a proprietary optical engine, these specs are incredibly powerful. They even offer up to a 52-degree field of view, and premium speakers and microphones for fantastic on-the-go calls.

Pros:

  • Powerful computing capabilities
  • Excellent display with a wide field of view
  • Comfortable, lightweight design
  • Head and hand tracking capabilities
  • Instant connectivity with a range of devices

Cons:

  • Limited standalone functionality
  • More expensive than some alternatives

6.      Solos AirGo 3: Best ChatGPT Specs

As mentioned above, smart glasses don’t have to feature augmented reality technology to be useful – the Meta Ray-Ban specs are evidence of this. If you’re looking for a pair of specs with the most powerful AI capabilities available today, the Solos AirGo 3 glasses are a great choice.

The first thing that stands out about these specs is how comfortable and lightweight they are. At a glance, people might not even notice you’re wearing a set of smart specs. There are no integrated cameras on these glasses, like you get with the Meta Ray Bans, but you get a far more intuitive AI experience, thanks to the inclusion of ChatGPT.

When you wear the glasses, you can speak to your AI assistant at any time, asking questions or completing tasks (like making calls) on the move. You can even play music through your specs, with a pair of speakers that we think outperform many of the competitors available today.

Although these glasses are a little more limited than some other smart specs, they’re also reasonably affordable, making them an excellent choice for budget-conscious consumers. If you’re the kind of person who could benefit from having instant access to a powerful AI assistant at all times, you can’t go wrong with the Solos AirGo 3 specs.

Pros:

  • Extremely impressive audio quality
  • Stylish, comfortable, and lightweight design
  • Excellent AI assistant (powered by ChatGPT)
  • Easy to use and setup
  • Reliable functionality

Cons:

  • Extremely limited battery life
  • No built-in cameras or augmented reality

The Best Smart Glasses for 2025: Notable Mentions

Alongside our top picks above, we wanted to draw attention to a few other “notable mentions” on this list, specifically tuned to certain use cases. If none of the options above stand out to you, here are a few other alternatives to consider:

  • Nautica Smart Eyewear Powered by Lucyd: If you want something similar to the Solos AirGo 3 specs, which offer instant access to ChatGPT and a stylish, lightweight design, the Nautica Smart Eyewear collection is a great choice. They’re easy to use, reasonably affordable, and durable. However, they don’t have any AR features, and the speaker quality is somewhat limited.
  • INMO Air 2 glasses: INMO’s Air 2 glasses are tuned to the preferences of Gen Z customers, with high-quality micro OLED displays, integrated AI and a fantastic level of wireless functionality. The biggest downside with these specs is they’re extremely difficult to get hold of – as they’re currently not available on the INMO website.
  • RayNeo Air 2S XR Glasses: RayNeo’s Air 2S XR glasses aren’t the most feature-rich specs. They lack any spatial computing capabilities and offer a very limited wireless experience. However, they do offer a fantastic audio experience, and high-quality visuals for a reasonably low price. They also work well with a wide range of connected devices.

The Best Smart Glasses: Choosing Your Smart Specs

If you’re on the hunt for the best smart glasses in 2025, all of the options above have something unique to offer. Whether you’re looking for an integrated AI assistant, augmented reality experiences, or a combination of the two, there’s something out there for everyone.

Of course, we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible in the world of XR wearables. Throughout 2025, we’ll undoubtedly see new competitors emerging from both existing vendors and new creators. We’re particularly looking forward to hearing more about Meta’s Orion glasses, and hope they’ll be available to purchase sometime soon.

In the meantime, make sure you check out our latest reviews and reports for more insights into the latest offerings appearing in the smart glasses space.

 

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