The Best Smart Glasses to Buy in 2026.
This year, smart glasses have come of age. In 2026, we’ve completely transitioned from the era of bulky gadgets for tech hipsters to wearables that are useful, stylish, and convenient. Large tech companies and small startups are vying for market share, and so many different types of glasses are appearing on store shelves and in Amazon shopping carts that it can be difficult to figure out which ones are truly worth the money.
I’ve been writing about smart glasses for Lifehacker for years, testing everything I can get my hands on. Below are my favorite smart glasses of 2026, broken down by how people use them.
Best Smartglasses Overall: Ray-Ban Meta Glasses (2nd Generation)
Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta glasses account for about 80% of the smartglasses market in the US, and not just because they were first to market. Meta glasses look good, are comfortable enough to wear all day, have an excellent 12-megapixel camera, decent sound, and robust AI integration. Most importantly, their core features, such as an always-on hands-free camera, instant translation, and instant AI, are useful but not intrusive. If you can live with Meta’s sometimes questionable reputation for privacy, these are excellent smartglasses. Read the full review here .
Best Smartglasses with the Best Display Design: XReal One Pro
The flagship XReal glasses are like a multi-monitor PC you can fit in your pocket. These glasses connect to your laptop, phone, or gaming console via USB-C, providing the equivalent of a 171-inch screen for gaming, streaming, or working. What sets these glasses apart from others is the built-in X1 spatial computing chip, which provides smooth head tracking, ultra-wide-angle video that envelops you, and the ability to dock virtual screens anywhere. You can even combine them with a separately sold camera and controller to bring you even closer to the future. These are, without a doubt, the best “portable cinema” glasses you can buy right now. Read the full review here .
Best Privacy Glasses: HTC Vive Eagle
If you’re looking for smart glasses with a camera and AI that can compete with the Ray-Ban Metas but are concerned about privacy, HTC’s debut smart glasses are the perfect fit. All collected data is processed locally when possible and anonymized when sent to the cloud. If the flashing recording LED is obscured or damaged, the camera will physically stop recording, and you can allow others to turn off the glasses by saying, “Stop filming me.” Furthermore, the Vive Eagles let you choose between Google Gemini or OpenAI instead of forcing their own AI assistant on you. Watch my Vive Eagle review video .
Best Smart Glasses with Heads-Up Display: Even Realities G2
The market for smart glasses with integrated displays is so new that it’s impossible to predict which style will prove the best. There are versatile glasses like the Meta Display and RayNeo X3 Pro , and glasses like the EverySight Maverick Sport, which have a completely different projection system. However, so far, the best glasses with a heads-up display I’ve used are the Even Realities G2 . With features like a built-in teleprompter, real-time translation into multiple languages, and AI-powered meeting summaries, they’re a secret weapon for business professionals and the embodiment of the “this is the future” concept for techies. The display may be monochrome, but it’s genuinely useful, and the batteries last over an hour. They even look good. Read the full review here .
Best Budget Smartglasses: XBX a01+
These display glasses cost $299 and provide users with a 147-inch monitor with image quality comparable to glasses costing twice as much. They don’t have augmented reality, a camera, artificial intelligence, or other bells and whistles, but if you need a wearable monitor with excellent image quality and decent sound, these glasses will do the job and even exceed expectations. They’re lightweight and comfortable for long flights, and they look less clunky than some other display glasses. Read the full review here.
New smart glasses worth keeping an eye on
If 2026 was a good year for smart glasses, 2027 promises to be even better. If you’re waiting for the next generation of smart glasses before jumping into this world, here are a few exciting models currently in development.
Project Aura by XReal
XReal promises that its Aura glasses will blur the line between virtual reality devices and smart glasses. I recently tested them myself , and to my surprise, they actually work as advertised: full-fledged virtual and augmented reality in sunglasses (with a connected computing module for basic tasks). It’s truly astounding. They’re scheduled to launch in the fall of 2026, priced under $1,500.
Apple Smart Glasses “N50”
Nothing has been officially announced, but rumors are circulating in the tech community about Apple’s plans to release a line of smart glasses instead of continuing to develop virtual reality devices like the Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s first smart glasses are expected to launch in 2027. These glasses are expected to focus heavily on contextual perception based on audio and cameras and appear to be an alternative to the Meta smart glasses, but within the Apple ecosystem.
Samsung Galaxy Glasses
Galaxy Glasses, the result of a collaboration between tech giants Google and Samsung, are expected to go on sale before Christmas. Google is responsible for the software, while Samsung is handling the hardware. The first Galaxy Glasses model is positioned as a direct competitor to the Ray-Ban Metas, offering a 12-megapixel camera, an open earpiece, and touch controls. All of this runs on Google’s Android XR operating system and is integrated with Gemini AI.
IXI Smart Glasses with Autofocus
Finnish startup IXI captured everyone’s attention at CES 2026 by showcasing a prototype of glasses that use infrared eye tracking to instantly adjust liquid crystal lenses based on gaze direction. In other words, they instantly change focus, correcting farsightedness without the need for progressive lenses. This potentially revolutionary device is expected to hit the market in 2027.