The 6 most advanced smart glasses we tried so far at CES - that truly impressed us
What's more futuristic and innovative than technology you wear on your face? These are our top picks at this year's show so far.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
As AI and wearable tech were amongst the two largest trends in the past year, it should come as no surprise that smart glasses have been a focal point of CES 2026. The glasses we are seeing push the boundary of past models with longer battery lives, more functionalities, increased comfort, and more.
Also: CES 2026 live: Biggest news | Best of CES 2026 Awards (CNET)
The glasses serve various purposes, with some using XR to create a portable desktop setup, and others competing with Meta's Ray-Bans, which pack cameras and voice assistants into a lightweight form factor. ZDNET's smart glasses experts have either covered the news or gone hands-on with many of them.
To help you determine which ones are worth the hype, we're collaborating on a roundup of the best smart glasses, with daily updates to come.
I tried on the new RayNeo Air 4 Pro ahead of CES week, and the world's first HDR10-enabled smart glasses left their mark. These glasses feature a dedicated image quality chip and 1,200-nit peak brightness, generating visuals with more brightness and pop than most pairs I've worn over the years.
Despite weighing just 76 grams, they don't compromise on performance, offering a 120Hz refresh rate and fairly immersive-sounding audio tuned by Bang & Olufsen. It's a major leap forward for tech enthusiasts seeking high-fidelity, cinematic visuals on the go -- hopefully at a price that many can accept. - Kerry Wan
Also: I wore the world's first HDR10 smart glasses, and they can easily replace my home TV
Show more
I love the Rokid AI Glasses Style for their lightweight design and the addition of nose pads. Their functionality is similar to the Meta Ray-Ban Glasses, where you get a camera, open-ear speakers, and mics in a pair of sunglasses. They are rated to last up to 12 hours, but there's no charging case, so you'll need to carry a dongle wire everywhere.
I'm not fond of their pogo-pin-enabled proprietary charging mechanism, but it's more forgiving at their retail price. They undercut the Meta glasses at $299, while also being more comfortable to wear for long durations. - Prakhar Khanna
Also: These smart glasses beat the Meta Ray-Bans for me with useful features and a cheaper price
Show more
The XGIMI Memomind AI glasses are eerily similar to the Even Realities G1. They have one display on each lens, which can be used to view the dashboard, navigate, chat with their AI, and more. I loved the comfortable-to-wear design -- they feel like normal glasses.
I was impressed by the responsive user interface and MicroLED brightness inside the lenses. At $599, they're $100 cheaper than their Even Realities rival and come in more styles. - Prakhar Khanna
Show more
The new Xreal 1S is an upgrade from its predecessor, featuring an increased field of view, improved resolution, and increased brightness. Despite the upgrades, it still comes in at $50 lower price than its predecessor. For those reasons alone, it's a strong competitor in the XR space.
Also: I've tested several pairs of smart glasses at CES 2026 - this one nails both price and performance
However, what really stood out to me was the addition of Real3D, which can convert any static content into 3D. While it may sound silly, it made the immersive, big-screen video-watching experience that much more enjoyable during my demo. - Sabrina Ortiz
Show more
Xreal was on quite a tear at CES, with my favorite of its releases being a collaboration with Asus' gaming arm, ROG. The Xreal R1 is a specialized gaming wearable that projects a 171-inch virtual display, refreshing at 240Hz. That's a world first, making gaming with the XR glasses very pleasing to the eye.
The two brands have also co-designed a Control Dock that lets users play in Anchor Mode. By leveraging the depth of field sensors on the glasses, you can pin your virtual screen and freely move around without worrying about misalignment or instability. The glasses are expected to launch in the first half of 2026. - Kerry Wan
Show more
While the Loomos AI Glasses were not unveiled at CES 2026, it was my first opportunity to go hands-on with them, and I was impressed by their design. In particular, the swappable battery. One of the biggest challenges with AI glasses is their limited battery life, with even the most popular models typically lasting only 4-6 hours per charge.
A swappable battery is a practical solution that other smartglasses manufacturers should consider in the future. The Loomos AI glasses also feature a neckband power bank, providing additional power when needed, and the company claims the battery supports up to 40 hours of standby time. Beyond this, the rest of the specs are pretty solid, boasting a Qualcomm processor and a 16MP camera. - Sabrina Ortiz
Show more
The Vuzix Ultralite Pro was recognized as a 2026 Honoree in XR & Spatial Computing by the CES Innovations Awards, and after trying them myself, it's easy to see why. Despite having two full-color binocular waveguides, they weigh under 80 grams and feel slightly lighter than competing XR glasses, such as Xreal's mentioned above.
They are powered by Qualcomm's AR1 processor, feature a camera in the center, and include AI assistance, such as real-time translation, mapping, and voice interaction. - Sabrina Ortiz
Show more