The Best Smart Glasses Bring Cameras and A.I. Up to Eye Level

ProsExcellent camera qualityUseful open-ear audioComfortable, prescription-ready designConsMeta A.I. can be inconsistentThe Ray-Ban Meta Scriber Optics Gen 2’s are the closest I’ve gotten to feeling like I wasn’t wearing a pair of smart glasses. (In a good way.) They look and feel like conventional eyewear, but pack a 12-megapixel camera, open-ear speakers, a six-microphone array, and A.I. in the frames. At 49.2 grams, they’re a little heavier and thicker than my regular glasses, but the spring-loaded hinges kept them comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time.The camera, though controversial, is my favorite feature and primary reason to wear these. My photos came out sharp, saturated, and vibrant, and having the camera at eye level made me more likely to capture quick moments because I didn’t have to use my phone. Video tops out at 1080p at 30 frames per second, which isn’t going to replace your phone for serious shooting, but your shorts look good enough to post, if you want to share your first-person walking tour footage, or a panorama of a vacation vista.The open-ear speakers are decent, too. They’re good for music, podcasts, and quick calls without blocking out surroundings, although I wouldn’t rely on them for a long or important conversation. According to my friends and family, I sometimes came through a bit muffled through the glasses’ mic array. Additionally, Meta A.I. is useful for questions and live translation, but I found the responses inconsistent. Meta’s glasses are the “full package” because, at least for now, they’ve effectively defined the category. For now, I think they’re really helpful in a variety of ways, but content creation is where they shine.Full Ray-Ban Meta Scriber Gen 2 Smart Glasses ReviewKey SpecsCamera Resolution12 MPBattery LifeUp to 48 hours (with charging case)Audio2 open-ear speakers, 6-microphone arrayConnectivityWifi 6, Bluetooth 5.3Weight49.2 gProsGood feature set for the price12-MP camera with up to 3K videoEight-hour battery life (without backup from the charging case)ConsRelatively heavy compared to similar stylesEarlier this year, Meta released its own line of “Meta Glasses”-branded eyewear, detached from brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. They are functionally the same as the other glasses—including a design collaboration Ray-Ban parent company EssilorLuxottica—but cost substantially less. (These are $299, versus $499 for the Meta Ray-Bans.) So, if you don’t care about having smart glasses that look like other, conventional frames, this is a very easy way to save some dough.The core tech and features is the same as what you’ll find in the Gen 2 Ray-Bans and Oakleys. You get a built-in 12-megapixel camera, open-ear speakers, microphones, voice controls, and access to Meta A.I. It also supports live translation in more than 20 languages.The Adventurers also come with the added benefit of more colorways and sizes, as well as clear, sun, polarized, and Transitions lens options. That makes them far more customizable than any other smart glasses right now. The adventurers specifically weigh about 54 grams and are rated for up to eight hours of battery life, with backup power on-hand in the glasses’s charging case.It’s also worth noting that there are a couple of other Meta Glasses styles, including the thicker-framed Fury, and the cat-eyed Starfire glasses, which feature a small extra feature—the ability to give your A.I. assistant Kylie Jenner’s voice.Key SpecsCamera Resolution12 MPBattery LifeUp to 40 hours (with charging case)Audio2 open-ear speakers, 6-microphone arrayConnectivityWiFi 6 Triband 2.4/5/6 GHz, Bluetooth 5.4 and BLEWeight53.8 g (Standard), 54.8 g (Large)Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsHeads-up displayVery lightweightExcellent battery lifeConsAwkward touch controlsEven Realities’ Even G2 glasses take a different approach than Meta and its partners. Focused on amping up office performance, rather than streamlining content creation, it drops the cameras in the frames in exchange for a pair of tiny, green monochrome Micro-LED displays in corners of the lenses, which show you critical contextual information like notes, reminders, and transcripts. They can even act as an in-eye teleprompter, feeding you a script for an office presentation.Part of the “office” redesign is a more subtle design. At 32 grams, the G2s are thinner, lighter, and look more like conventional eyewear than most of the glasses we’ve seen to date. Even with the displays, the G2s are prescription-ready, too.The screens take some getting used to—you have to “glance” in the corner of your eye to see the screen. Shifting my vision back and forth took some getting used to, especially as my gaze darted from the glasses to a laptop or my phone.One thing I really liked about Even Realities was its Even Hub software ecosystem, which is relatively open and full of third-party features for everything from keeping track of notes and documents to creating your own shopping lists and other productivity tools. The battery life is also excellent, with up to 48 hours of use when you factor in the charging case, but even the onboard battery lasts for an impressive amount of time with intermittent use.The downside of these glasses is that some of the software and controls haven’t reached their full potential yet. The built-in A.I. struggled to keep up in noisy environments, and I found the touch controls on the stems awkward enough that sometimes I’d rather just reach for my phone.Full Even Realities Even G2 Smart Glasses ReviewKey SpecsCamera ResolutionN/ABattery LifeUp to 48 hours (with charging case)Audio4-microphone arrayConnectivityBluetoothWeight36 gProsIPX4 water resistance12-MP cameraLong battery lifeConsClunkier design than everyday smart glassesSimilar to the other Meta styles we recommend, the Oakley HSTNs take the same camera-and-A.I. foundation and put it into a more athletic frame designed for people who spend more time outdoors. The 12-megapixel camera captures first-person photos and video, while the built-in open-ear speakers let you listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and take calls without blocking your ears.Meta’s Oakley-branded glasses are generally made for outdoor adventures and/or sports. The HSTNs are the most everyday-friendly, with round frames that feel compatible with everyday life. They feature an IPX4 water-resistance rating, so they can withstand light sweat and rain better than some other smart glasses. Like the other Meta glasses, they get up to eight hours of battery life under moderate use, with a charging case providing up to another 48 hours. A five-microphone array handles calls and voice commands, and Wi-Fi GE and Bluetooth 5.3 keep the glasses connected to your smartphone.These aren’t as discreet as the Scriber Optics, but the HSTNs are designed to look and feel like sports eyewear, making it a natural fit for hiking, cycling, and other outdoor and recreational activities where you want to stay hands-free.Key SpecsCamera Resolution12 MPBattery LifeUp to 48 hours (with charging case)Audio2 open-ear speakers, 5-microphone arrayConnectivityWiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3Weight53 gAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsWider field of view than other smart glasses recommendationsUp to 3K video captureLightweightIf your priority is capturing first-person content without constantly reaching for your phone, Rokid’s A.I. Glasses have the hardware to make a strong case. The display-free frames combine a 12-megapixel Sony IMX681 camera with a 109-degree field of view, open-ear speakers, and a four-microphone array. The camera captures 3024-by-4032 photos and video up to 3K resolution, giving content creators considerably more flexibility.The wide-angle camera is useful for POV footage because it can capture more of what you’re actually looking at, while built-in stabilization, HDR, and noise reduction are designed to keep footage usable in varying conditions. The camera is operable through voice commands so you don’t have to pull out your phone every time you want to capture something, and these glasses support 9:16 vertical and 4:3 standard formats to make recorded content ready for social media posting.They’re also relatively lightweight at 38.5 grams and support prescription lenses, and the open-ear headphones provide access to A.I. assistant features such as translation, navigation, and voice assistance through the companion app.Key SpecsCamera Resolution12 MPBattery LifeUp to 12 hours (with proprietary charger)Audio2 open-ear speakers, 4-microphone directional arrayConnectivityBluetoothWeight38.5 gAmber is a Reviews Editor with bylines on Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Best Products sites. Specializing in kitchen gadgets, small appliances, lifestyle, and consumer tech, she brings hands-on testing and a detail-oriented approach to every review. In her free time you can likely find her trading trinkets at an EDM festival, searching for hidden gems at thrift stores, or cuddling with her two cats.