00:052026 is gearing up to be the year of smart glasses. But which ones are actually worth
00:10your time? CES was full of them. From the likes of Rokid, Even Realities, Latitude, Xreal,
00:16and so, so, so many more, I could make a whole video just listing company names.
00:21Then we've got Android XR's upcoming lineup from the likes of Samsung and Gentle Monster,
00:25Meta's continued partnership with Oakley and Ray-Ban, Snapchat with its AR specs, and a litany
00:31of phone brands following the XR trend. But my advice, as someone who tests smart glasses
00:36for a living, don't buy any of them. At least, not yet. I've tried some great glasses,
00:41I've tried some terrible ones, I've tried several that I can't even make work at all.
00:46And until you wear them, you can't guess which way those glasses will go. You'll only
00:50find out when reviewers have got their hands on these specs.
00:53So, as 2026 smart glasses launch on Kickstarter or go up for pre-order, pause yourself and
00:59wait until after launch to pick up a pair. It'll save you a lot of trouble. But who wants to
01:04wait?
01:04Instead of focusing on the hot new glasses coming in the next 12 months, I have 4-ish picks that
01:10you
01:10can enjoy right now. So let's get into it.
01:16Okay, you all knew they were coming. I'm of course going to start with Meta, but I'm going to bunch
01:19a
01:19couple of designs into one here. The second-gen Ray-Bans and the Oakley Houston glasses are close
01:25to identical, design and price aside. From either, you'll get a jack-of-all-trades pair of specs.
01:30The audio performance is really solid, on par with a mid-range pair of open earbuds. The video and image
01:35capture tools are great for recording memories, especially moments when you need something
01:39hands-free. Though I'd still rather use my phone for stills given it's better quality if I can. And the
01:45Meta AI assistant can be surprisingly handy a lot of the time. You can chat with the AI with your
01:50general queries, or have the AI access your camera to ask it questions about what you can see,
01:55like translating a sign, helping with cooking advice, or identifying a landmark, among other
02:00assistive tools. I use this feature all the time when I travel, and while the Meta specs aren't best
02:05in class in any one way, they're greater than some of their parts for sure, and much more reliable than
02:11many similar glasses I've tested. As for cost, the cheaper option is the Ray-Bans, which start
02:15at $379, while the Oakley's will set you back a little more at $399. Now, I'm going to be honest,
02:22don't get either of these pairs at their lowest price, because you'll be stuck with either always
02:27clear or always shaded specs, which limits when and where you can wear them. Instead, I'd recommend
02:32paying a bit more for transition glasses at either $459 for the Ray-Bans, or $479 for the Oakley's,
02:38as you can use them all the time. Even when they're out of charge, they're still handy shades.
02:42Plus, whichever model you buy, you'll get a charging case, something other brands will charge
02:46you more for. If you're an athlete, you might also want to consider the Oakley Vanguard glasses.
02:51I'm not quite sure they're general purpose enough for this specific list, but I have a whole other
02:55video you can watch on these specs specifically if you're interested. You'll find a link in the description.
03:03If you aren't keen on AI glasses, and would rather have something that's more like a home theater you
03:07can fit in your pocket, the best brand out there, if you're on a budget, is Rayneo.
03:12Now, I'm going to break my rules a little here, as the Rayneo Air 3S Pro specs that I love
03:17have
03:18just been replaced by the Rayneo Air 4 Pro as of January 25th. And while I haven't yet reviewed them,
03:24the brand has proven itself time and again, and impressed everyone who tried the new model at CES
03:282026, so I can't not include the brand's new specs. Why? Well, just like its predecessors,
03:34the Rayneo Air 4 Pros can be connected to a compatible USB-C device like your phone, laptop,
03:40or console to then virtually project the screen in front of you as if it were on a giant 200
03:45-inch
03:45monitor. They also have built-in speakers that have been tuned by audio experts Bang and Olufsen,
03:50and for the first time ever in consumer specs, their micro OLED displays offer HDR10 support.
03:56I thought the image already looked great on the 3S Pro glasses, and it'll only get better when the 4
04:01Pro
04:01glasses roll out. Plus, they only cost $299, which is frankly unbeatable price-wise.
04:08The only note I'd make though, which is true for all entertainment XR glasses like this,
04:13while you're using them for travelling, get headphones. The audio on these glasses is a lot
04:17better than we've heard from similar specs in the past, but it can still be quite leaky,
04:21which might annoy your fellow travellers. Plus, it can be hard to hear over the buzz of noise on an
04:25airplane. Headphones will let you make your private theatre feel even more private,
04:29and a pair of active noise cancellation headphones will up your immersion massively.
04:35If you aren't on as tight of a budget, you might instead be interested in the Xreal 1 Pro glasses.
04:41They're generally quite similar to the Rayneo glasses, though there are some audio and image
04:45improvements, especially thanks to their improved optics. This style of smart glasses work by reflecting
04:51light from a display into your eyes using a prism, and most use a quite chunky shape which can
04:56unfortunately be disrupted by under eye reflections that somewhat spoil the final image, unless you
05:01can find a way to dim everything around you. The 1 Pro model instead has an all new prism shape,
05:06which essentially eliminates these reflections, and also helps them to achieve a wider field of view
05:11for a bigger picture thanks to its flatter design. I also love the Xreal 1 Pro's electric
05:16chromic dimming tech, as it lets you block out everything for the highest quality image,
05:21and then swap back to something completely clear if you need to talk to someone, like a flight steward,
05:25or quickly navigate a train transfer. It has also just received a Real 3D update that promises to
05:30turn your 2D content into more immersive 3D videos without any additional software requirements.
05:35It's all handled on the glasses. It's had some mixed responses, but still generally favourable reviews,
05:41including our own Lance Ulanoff, who experienced Real 3D on the Xreal 1 S glasses,
05:46and described it as a work in progress that he suspects will only improve with time.
05:50If you want to pick up the glasses, they'll set you back $649, though they've had a few
05:55discounts in recent months, and I expect that will continue throughout 2026.
05:59And a final quick note for the gamers amongst you, Xreal and Asus are teaming up to drop the
06:03very similarly specced Asus ROG Xreal R1 gaming glasses later this year,
06:08which could be worth waiting for thanks to their 240Hz refresh rate and control dock.
06:15Meta has, somewhat deservedly so, ruled the roost with its AI glasses,
06:20and I was in half a mind to include its Ray-Ban display glasses on this list too.
06:24They're very impressive thanks to their included screen and neural band controller,
06:28in addition to all the great stuff the regular model can do.
06:31And if you have the chance to try a pair out, and the budget to afford one at $799,
06:36then you should definitely consider them.
06:38However, I wanted to highlight a pair of non-meta AI specs that I really like in the Rokid glasses.
06:44You'll still get a display of sorts, and the Rokid glasses are lighter,
06:47offer better live translation tools, and rely on ChatGPT rather than Meta AI,
06:52which is a lot more capable.
06:53However, you do unfortunately miss out on transition lenses,
06:56lose out on sound quality, have to deal with green text display,
07:00and won't get the Ray-Ban style.
07:02But the glasses themselves are only $599,
07:05and you can pick up a sunglasses clip add-on for just $40 if you need them,
07:09making them a much more affordable option.
07:11AI glasses can be quite hit or miss, and finicky at times,
07:14which is why Meta's glasses stand out so much as they do just work very well.
07:18But, if you don't want to be part of Meta's ecosystem,
07:21then Rokid is a brand to watch,
07:23as will the Android XR glasses we'll be treated to later in 2026.
07:27So those are my top 4, well, 6 smart glasses to buy in 2026.
07:32Let me know if you think I missed any in the comments below,
07:34and remember to subscribe to stay up to date with TechRadar's tech advice.
07:44so
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