What are the best smart glasses?

9

Options
Considered

34

User
Recs.

Sep 27, 2018

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

9 Options Considered

Best smart glasses	Price	Last Updated
-- Sony SmartEyeglass	-	Aug 6, 2018
-- Microsoft HoloLens	$3000	Sep 27, 2018
-- Vuzix M300	$1500	Jun 21, 2018
-- Google Glass	-	May 5, 2018
-- Carl Zeiss Smart Glass	-	May 19, 2018

Sony SmartEyeglass

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Top Pro

Uses a see-through screen to display information in general view

The device uses a see-through screen allowing information to be displayed in the wearers general view instead of on the side. Currently the display is capable of displaying information in a monochrome green color at 419x138 pixels, 15 frames per second and up to 1000cd/m2 brightness. See More

Top Con

Bulky frame

Makes the wearable obtrusive. See More

Top Pro

Ambient light sensor adjusts brightness

Top Con

External battery pack is a hassle

Top Pro

Built-in 3MP camera w/ video support

It's possible to take 3MP still photos and videos at 15fps without sound. See More

Top Pro

Wired external battery pack has a microphone, a touchpad and power, navigation and camera buttons

Top Pro

Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity

The device is capable of Bluetooth v3.0 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity. See More

Top Pro

Embedded 3 megapixel camera

Top Pro

Built-in accelerometer, gyroscope & electronic compass

Microsoft HoloLens

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Top Pro

Active development

This is a current product, and is in active development. Developer devices are shipping now (as of June 2016 they are shipping wave 4). This isn't a past project - it's here and now. See More

Top Con

Weighs more than many other headsets

Although comfortable on the head, the HoloLens weighs 1.5 lbs as compared to Google Glass, Vuzix, Epson Moverio, etc. which weigh in between 1.5 and 3 oz. Even if the HoloLens battery lasted longer than 2-3 hours, it would be difficult to imagine wearing the HoloLens for an entire day of work. See More

Top Pro

Stand-alone device

The HoloLens is a completely stand-alone device. You can use it without a PC or phone, and there are no external wires meaning you have completely unrestricted movement. See More

Top Con

Developers only right now

To order the HoloLens, you need to be a developer in USA or Canada, and also a Windows Insider. Regular people can't order this yet - even if they had the $3000 required. See More

Top Pro

Recognizes speech, gestures and eye movement

Top Con

Limited use-case scenarios

While not specifically marketed for industry, it looks like HoloLens will be most useful to businesses as opposed to consumers. This is a full fledged headset, not a small screen in the corner of your vision. See More

Top Pro

Comfortable to wear

Instead of putting all the weight around one ear, the HoloLens balances the weight out around your entire head with its full band. The tightness can be adjusted to make sure the best fit is attained, and the front visor tilts up and down so it can be used in even more ways. See More

Vuzix M300

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Top Pro

Hot swappable batteries

If the battery is running low, you can replace it with a fully charged battery without needing to turn off the glasses. Larger extended batteries are also available, which can increase the battery life to up to 12 hours of continuous use. These larger batteries can be mounted on a belt instead of in the frames to be more ergonomic. See More

Top Con

Poor battery life

The default compact battery will only provide a battery life around 2 hours of continuous use. See More

Top Pro

Built-in features

While apps are available, some built in features are very welcome. Out of the box it has the ability to record video and take pictures (and scan barcodes), manage your calendar, track events, and connect with your phone for notifications. There is also built in GPS as well as head tracking. GPS will allow for precise location information, and the head tracking in combination will pinpoint exactly where you are and where you're looking. This allows for augmented reality (AR), which can remind electricians which wires are live, or display other relevant information when looking at an object in the real world. See More

Top Con

Designed for enterprise

While not inherently bad, these smart glasses aren't designed for consumers. They won't have the same support for apps and other useful features for general consumers, and will likely be more specialized for enterprise. See More

Top Pro

Multi-platform compatibility

While the Vuzix itself runs Android, it is compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems. This broadens its consumer base, and will allow (businesses especially) more flexibility when using it. See More

Top Pro

Rugged

These glasses are not only water and dust resistant, but also able to withstand drops of up to 8ft (about 2.5m). See More

Top Pro

Touchpad controls

On the side of the M300 is a touchpad which is the primary input device, but is accompanied by physical buttons. See More

Top Pro

Configurable mounting options

The M300 can be mounted to the frames of regular glasses, as well as safety glasses, headbands, hard hats and headsets. This makes it very versatile. See More

Google Glass

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Top Pro

Built-in navigation support

Google Glass integrates with Google Maps to provide directions and real-time navigation information. See More

Top Con

Project put in limbo

While Google has said they haven't scrapped Project Glass, they aren't actively developing it at the moment. For all intents and purposes, Google Glass is in limbo. See More

Top Pro

A wide variety of glass designs available

Glass has multiple colors, frames, shades and earbuds available to help achieve a desired look. See More

Top Pro

Can record 720p video

Google Glass allows recording a 720p video by either holding down the button that's located on top of the heads up display or saying "Ok Glass, record a video". By default the device will record a 10 second video, but that restriction can be removed by clicking the button again while recording. See More

Top Pro

Natural language voice commands can be used to interact with the device

To interact with the device say "Ok, Glass" and give it instructions on what to do. Currently, it supports things like taking a picture, getting directions or calling someone, but more functionality will be available as developers start creating apps for the device. See More

Top Pro

WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity

Carl Zeiss Smart Glass

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Top Pro

Reflective display

Instead of shining light directly into your eyes, the light simply reflects off the glass, meaning its less obtrusive. See More

Top Con

Hardware only (for now)

Carl Zeiss is a company that makes optics, and doesn't work on software. This is only a hardware solution, with no software implementation yet. Currently Carl Zeiss is seeking a software partner, however this will take time for them to develop a complete product once they do find a suitable partner. See More

Top Pro

Adaptable technology

The technology used in the Carl Zeiss Smart Glasses project can be transferred to normal glasses, or wherever curved glass is present. This solves the fundamental issue with Google Glass, which required an out-of-place flat piece of glass to function. See More

Top Con

Not yet available

These glasses are currently in prototype stage. It's not clear when and even if they will go into production. See More

Top Pro

Low-profile

The glasses look very much like regular, non-smart glasses. See More

Epson Moverio BT-200

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Top Pro

Augmented Reality possibilities

Because these glasses have their displays right in the middle of your vision, they can project digital images ontop of reality (augmented reality - AR for short). This means you can get contextual data about an item right in your field of view. This tech can be used by interior designers to see how a room would look like with different furnishings in different places, as well as more everyday uses like drawing a navigation line ontop of the road when navigating. See More

Top Con

Unadjustable

These glasses don't have any ability to be adjusted - this isn't tech you'll be easily be able to share with others while remaining comfortable. It also means that if you normally wear glasses, you will need to wear those under these smart glasses. See More

Top Pro

You can run any Android apps on the device

While there is no access to the PlayStore, you can sideload apps onto it. The primary interface for Android apps will be the wired controller. See More

Top Con

Clunky controls

Most of the controlling will be done through the wired touchpad. This is a clunky implementation, and requires a wired attachment. It isn't ideal for out-and-about usage, which is what smart glasses excel at. See More

Top Con

Not meant for consumers

While they could be used for consumers, they haven't been designed for average consumers. These are meant for businesses - possibly museums, engineering firms, or designers. There may not be much non-enterprise software available for the average user. See More

CastAR

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Top Pro

Projection reality

In addition to augmented reality (overlaying digital elements over the real world) and virtual reality (fully digital experience), CastAR is introducing projection reality in a new way. Projection reality projects light onto reflective surfaces and back to a sensor. The projection actually appears to be in the real-world as that is where the light is coming from. It appears like a hologram, except its only visible to you. See More

Top Con

Not available yet

This is currently expected to launch sometime in 2017. See More

Top Pro

Reduced nausea in VR mode

The quick response time (8.3ms) and 120Hz refresh rate combined with accurate tracking (to 0.07mm) make for a much less nauseating experience than some other VR solutions. Nausea is at least in part caused by a delay between physical movement and interpreted movement (your body has calibrated itself to a very specific delay from when you move your head to when your view is different. VR has some delay, which extends this delay and confuses the brain). See More

Seebright Wave

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Top Pro

Affordable

While no final cost figures are available yet, the most expensive components (CPU, GPU, display, camera) are absent - these will be provided through a smartphone which will be mounted in the Wave. This allows the Wave to attain an affordable pricepoint when compared to other smartglasses. The Kickstarter campaign was priced around $150, however typically retail prices are higher than Kickstarter prices. See More

Top Con

Smartphone powered

A smartphone needs to be inserted into the Wave for it to function. The CPU, GPU, display and camera of the phone will be used to provide most of the functions of the Wave. This provides certain limitations however - the display of a smartphone isn't designed for AR or VR, and current implementations can't take advantage of the display's full resolution (edges will be cut off and warped to provide the field of view required by the eyepieces). Processing power and battery life will be limited by the phone as well - even the highest end current smartphones have trouble sometimes keeping up with the current VR solutions. This could be solved in part by new mobile CPUs and GPUs that will be available by 2017, such as the Snapdragon 821. See More

Top Con

Not launching until 2017

The Innovator Edition is expected to launch in 2017, however this will be intended for developers. There is no date for expected consumer versions yet. See More

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