The best AR and MR glasses in 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

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Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies are rapidly evolving, offering breathtaking possibilities for some caller and experienced users. While Virtual Reality (VR) headsets immerse you successful virtual environments, AR and MR glasses connection a much comfy alternate that lets you enactment connected to the satellite astir you.

These devices heighten your surroundings via integer overlays, blending the existent with the digital. Certain models tin thatch you astir the satellite by delivering real-time accusation and allowing you to cheque sports scores, among different things. Another large payment of AR glasses is their affordability.

For April 2026 updates, we besides urge the recently added Xreal 1S and RayNeo Air 3s Pro glasses.

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What is the champion brace of AR glasses close now?

Many companies, some large and small, are capitalizing connected this increasing inclination by launching their ain brace of astute glasses. ZDNET experts trial aggregate models, putting them done their paces to springiness you the champion proposal connected what to buy. Within this category, the champion is Meta Ray-Bans 2 for its large design, 3K video recording, and longer artillery life.

Also: The champion inexpensive smartwatches of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed

Best AR and MR glasses of 2026

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Why we like it: Leading the database arsenic the champion brace of AR glasses is the Meta Ray Bans 2. As the sanction suggests, this is the nonstop follow-up to the archetypal Meta Ray Bans from 2023, but not a implicit overhaul. The latest procreation keeps the aforesaid acquainted plan that blends good successful societal situations. Instead, Meta opted for precise refinements successful cardinal areas.

The 12MP camera has been upgraded to grounds 3K videos. Footage looks sharper, colors are much accurate, and adjacent the representation stabilization is noticeably amended portion walking. Battery beingness improved arsenic well, with Meta stating its wearables tin past up to 6 hours connected a azygous charge. The archetypal exemplary peaked astatine 4 hours.

Who it's for: These astute glasses are large for contented creators, travelers, oregon conscionable astir anyone who wants an casual mode to papers beingness from a first-person perspective. Notable features see dependable controls, unrecorded translation, and AI-assisted hunt queries.

Review: Meta Ray-Bans 2

Who should look elsewhere: If you already ain the archetypal procreation of Meta Ray Bans, you should astir apt conscionable instrumentality to those glasses. While the Meta Ray Bans 2 are an upgrade, the halfway acquisition remains precise overmuch the same. Additionally, if you instrumentality privateness precise seriously, you should besides look elsewhere. Meta has immoderate "questionable AI and information policies" that you whitethorn not beryllium comfy with.

Meta Ray-Bans 2 (Large fit) specs: Weight: 53g | Dimensions: 53 x 44 x 155 mm | Audio: Discreet unfastened receptor audio with Adaptive Volume | Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C | Microphone: Custom Five-mic setup | Camera: 12MP ultra-wide

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Jason Howell/ZDNET

Why we similar it: The Xreal 1S offers 1 of the astir immersive big-screen experiences you'll find successful a brace of astute glasses. It projects a monolithic 500-inch integer show with an expansive 52-degree tract of view. The wearables location agleam Sony micro-OLED panels that tally astatine 1200p solution and a precocious refresh complaint of 120Hz to present an awesome ocular experience. A truly neat diagnostic of these glasses is the built-in 2D-to-3D conversion. It lets you crook astir immoderate contented into a 3D exemplary successful specified seconds without other software.

Review: Xreal 1S

Who it's for: These wearables are cleanable for travelers, commuters, and mobile gamers who privation a large, backstage surface wherever they go. They're lightweight and comfy capable to deterioration for agelong sessions. Also, due to the fact that of its ample size, the integer surface tin replicate a multi-monitor setup without each the other hardware.

Who should look elsewhere: There are a mates of issues with the Xreal 1S glasses. Its interior speakers are solid, but successful noisy environments, the audio output tin beryllium underwhelming. If you program connected utilizing the devices connected a level oregon successful a nationalist setting, I urge utilizing earbuds. There are besides nary built-in diopter adjusters, truthful users with mediocre imaginativeness whitethorn request to bargain medicine lenses.

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Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Why we like it: Although the Viture Pro XR is connected this database arsenic the champion AR glasses for travel, you could besides reason that they're champion for regular productivity. They connection a ample 135-inch virtual show with a silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate. If that's not enough, this instrumentality provides a monolithic 120% boost successful brightness compared to the erstwhile procreation -- each portion keeping the aforesaid comfy design. According to ZDNET Contributing Writer Matthew Miller, " audio output from the Viture Pro glasses is solid, acknowledgment to [the company's] concern with [audio brand] Harman."

Sound comes from the speakers connected the broadside frame, pointing straight into your ears. People adjacent volition hardly beryllium capable to perceive the contented playing. Other notable features see on-screen measurement and brightness controls, integrated myopia dials, and vastly improved airy blocking.

Review: Viture Pro XR

Who it's for: People who question frequently, enactment remotely, oregon conscionable privation an immersive cinematic acquisition volition get a batch retired of the Viture Pro XR. Business radical volition admit the enactment for aggregate displays. Gamers tin hook their Nintendo Switch to the astute glasses and bask smooth, action-packed gameplay.

Who should look elsewhere: At $459, the Viture Pro XR is simply a premium concern that mightiness not entreaty to casual users oregon those looking for basal smartglasses. The instrumentality is already competent connected its own, but definite features and usage cases necessitate other hardware. For example, you volition request the Viture Pro Mobile Dock, which costs $129, to link the glasses to a Nintendo Switch.

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RayNeo Air 3s Pro connected ungraded mound

Jason Howell/ZDNET

Why we similar it: RayNeo's Air 3s Pro glasses present a profoundly immersive amusement acquisition that fewer different AR devices can. Its micro-OLED screens nutrient a monolithic virtual show measuring 201 inches. It's similar having a movie theatre surface each to yourself. This wearable supports up to 20 antithetic brightness levels. Plus, the exterior sports an anti-glare coating, ensuring wide visibility nether assorted lighting conditions. Because it's portion of the RayNeo ecosystem, users tin heighten their acquisition with accessories similar the JoyDock and PocketTV. Other notable features see enactment for HDR 10 and 3D Spatial Sound.

Review: RayNeo Air 3s Pro

Who it's for: These wearables are cleanable for anyone who wants a portable amusement strategy each to themselves. The Air 3s Pro is large for watching movies connected flights, gaming with the Nintendo Switch, and streaming contented from a smartphone.

Who should look elsewhere: Because these glasses are truthful focused connected entertainment, they don't connection overmuch enactment for productivity bundle oregon tasks. The brace doesn't person immoderate dedicated enactment features beyond basal surface mirroring and Windows and macOS extensions. If you privation a much premium experience, you should cheque retired the different options.

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Prakhar Khanna wearing Even Realities G1 astute glasses

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Why we similar it: The Even Realties G1 astute glasses present subtle, utile augmented world without drafting attention. In his review, ZDNET Contributing Writer Prakhar Khanna praised the device's signifier factor, noting that his friends couldn't adjacent archer helium was wearing an physics gadget. It's an lawsuit wherever "tech takes a backseat, and manner sits successful the front."

These glasses deficiency a camera and speakers, sporting lone a acceptable of microphones and a glance-up display. The surface provides clear, greenish integer substance with a 640 x 200-pixel solution that doesn't strain a user's eyes. The Even Realities G1 has six cardinal features, which see close unrecorded translation and turn-by-turn navigation, each "without needing to cheque your phone". This is conscionable the commencement for these glasses arsenic they person accordant updates.

Review: Even Realities G1

Who it's for: This introduction is simply a bully prime for travelers and adjacent cyclists who worth discreet astute glasses that supply glance-based information. The navigation diagnostic isn't distracting, truthful you tin support your eyes connected the road. The teleprompter relation is adjuvant for presentations, arsenic it displays your publication connected the screen. And no, the assemblage won't notice. Information connected the Even Realities G1 "can beryllium seen lone astatine an angle."

Who should look elsewhere? The Even Realities G1 is the astir costly enactment connected this list, starting astatine $599. And that doesn't origin successful add-ons similar medicine lenses ($150) oregon clip-on shades ($100). Also, they don't supply the astir fulfilling mixed world experience. Many of the features request further polishing.

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Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

Why we like it: Rounding retired the database is the Oakley Meta Vanguard. This is simply a brace of diversion astute glasses that harvester fittingness tracking, contented capture, and AI assistance into a azygous device. It tin integrate with Garmin devices and the Starva cardio app to way fittingness metrics. Through Starva, users tin besides adhd a adjuvant overlay to recordings that displays show metrics, including distance, mean pace, and elevation. With Garmin integration, you tin adjacent inquire Meta AI for real-time stats connected your workout.

In the mediate of the glasses, you volition find a 12MP camera that tin grounds workouts successful 3K resolution. You tin adjacent papers your exercises successful some slow-motion and hyperlapse.

Who it's for: I urge these glasses to runners, cyclists, and different fittingness enthusiasts who privation to seizure enactment footage without perpetually checking their smartphone oregon watch. You tin enactment focused connected the task astatine hand. I should notation that the Oakley Vanguard has an IP67 rating, meaning it is wholly dust-tight and tin withstand little underwater immersion. If you program to tally astatine the formation oregon successful the rain, the Vanguard is cleanable for you.

Review: Oakley Meta Vanguard

Who should look elsewhere: Because of its visor-like design, the lens is 1 azygous unit. You can't region the screens. As a result, these astute glasses bash not enactment medicine lenses. Fast artillery drain is simply a spot of a problem. The wearable is not arsenic vigor businesslike arsenic Meta claims.

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The champion AR glasses are the Meta Ray-Bans 2 for their comfy design, 12MP camera, and improved artillery life. It isn't the lone enactment to consider. If you're considering thing else, the array beneath compares the champion devices based connected price, weight, and connectivity options.

AR glasses	Price	Weight	Connectivity
Meta Ray-Ban 2	$409	53g	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C
Xreal 1S	$449	88g	USB-C
Viture Pro XR	$284	77g	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C
RayNeo Air 3s Pro	$300	76g	USB-C and Bluetooth
Even Realities G1	$499	38g	Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C
Oakley Meta Vanguard	$499	66g	Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C

AR and MR glasses are large crossed aggregate areas, but immoderate are amended than others successful definite scenarios. Some excel successful gaming, portion others tin assistance you larn astir the satellite astir you. For these reasons, you request to cognize what you're looking for successful a brace of either AR oregon MR glasses. You don't privation to bargain a instrumentality that won't conscionable your needs. Here's however to fig retired which exemplary is the champion for you:

Choose these AR glasses...	If you want...
Meta Ray-Ban 2	The champion wide option. Lightweight and comfy to wear, Meta's Ray-Ban 2 comes with an improved camera and battery.
Xreal 1S	The champion big-screen option. The Xreal 1S projects a immense 500-inch integer show with a 52-degree FOV.
Viture Pro XR	The champion question option. This brace sports a lightweight plan and integrated myopia dials to assistance trim oculus fatigue implicit agelong periods.
RayNeo Air 3s Pro	The champion multimedia option. RayNeo's instrumentality tin task a 201-inch virtual surface and houses a quad-speaker system.
Even Realities G1	The champion AR glasses for navigation. These glasses supply wide turn-by-turn navigation that isn't distracting
Oakley Meta Vanguard	The champion diversion AR glasses. It integrates with Garmin smartwatches and the Strava app to grounds workouts successful existent time.

Augmented and mixed world tin heighten your surroundings successful antithetic ways. AR tech helps radical successful their lives by acting arsenic a idiosyncratic adjunct of sorts. They tin supply penetration into the taxable and grounds videos from your unsocial perspective. MX devices bash thing similar, though they tin besides immerse you successful a backstage integer space. Whichever 1 you prefer, some stock respective factors to see earlier purchase.

Design: Design is arguably the astir captious origin erstwhile choosing 1 of these devices. It doesn't substance however galore neat features a brace has. If the AR glasses aren't uncomfortable, they're not worthy purchasing. For this, we focused connected lightweight models that acceptable comfortably. The RayNeo Air 3S is champion successful this class acknowledgment to its flexible, ergonomic design.
Use case: How you program to usage AR oregon MR glasses is important due to the fact that it straight affects what you buy. Are they for amusement oregon gaming? Then you're champion disconnected with the MR glasses, since, arsenic we established earlier, they present an immersive experience. Do you privation thing that assists you successful your day-to-day life? Then, the Amazon Echo Frames are recommended arsenic they connection speedy entree to Alexa and your astute location gadgets.
Software compatibility: How good a brace of AR/MR glasses integrates with a tech ecosystem determines their usability and the apps they tin access. The RayNeo Air 3S is compatible with a wide scope of devices, including, but not constricted to, iPhones, gaming consoles, MacBooks, and iPads. Those Ray-Ban astute glasses bash peculiarly good with Meta's societal media platforms. You tin upload straight to them done the headset.
Interactivity: AR and MR glasses interact with the satellite successful antithetic ways. The erstwhile operates by receiving dependable oregon motion commands. You straight pass Alexa oregon Meta's adjunct precisely what to do. Some instrumentality a antithetic approach, relying connected outer hardware. Accessories similar the XREAL Beam Pro look similar a smartphone, but they're media hubs that link to MR glasses and present a VR-like experience.

Latest info connected AR and MR glasses successful 2026

It seems determination volition beryllium caller astute glasses aboriginal this year. There are a batch of rumors floating around. Apple is seemingly moving connected a brace of astute glasses. The rumors assertion the wearable could beryllium called either Apple Glasses oregon Apple Vision. A December 2025 study from 9 To 5 Mac claims it whitethorn get aboriginal successful 2026. Bloomberg says it won't travel retired until 2027, but the uncover volition beryllium this year.

Samsung is besides reportedly slated to motorboat its ain astute glasses aboriginal this year. It's a instrumentality that has been delayed respective times astatine this point. Whether we'll really spot a 2026 merchandise remains to beryllium seen. Still, determination is plentifulness of leaked accusation retired there.

Also: Watch out, Meta: Samsung conscionable confirmed its astute glasses plans (with immoderate spicy hints)

According to SamMobile, the instrumentality volition reportedly beryllium known arsenic the Galaxy Glasses. It'll location a 245mAh battery, speakers, microphones, and a "touch-sensitive power area". It'll beryllium disposable successful a assortment of colors and person a sunglasses variant. Looking astatine the rumored info, the Galaxy Glasses volition person galore similarities to Meta Ray-Bans. Other rumors assertion Samsung's wearable volition travel with modulation lenses arsenic good arsenic enactment for some Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Smartglasses person predominant updates, improving wide show and addressing immoderate lingering bugs. Most updates are thing of note, but sometimes the devices get a caller feature. In precocious April 2025, the Meta Ray-Ban smartglasses gained unrecorded translation. This allows the brace to construe circumstantial languages successful existent clip done the glasses. At the clip of this writing, the diagnostic lone "supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish."

It tin beryllium hard to archer the 2 presumption isolated due to the fact that they're often utilized interchangeably, but determination are chiseled differences betwixt them. Smart glasses person simpler functionality. They purpose to heighten the satellite by providing accusation that overlaps with the surrounding environment, specified arsenic giving details astir a landmark. It's similar having a assistance surface with you astatine each times. AR tech actively changes the satellite by displaying overlays oregon giving entree to an AI assistant.

The Meta Ray-Bans beryllium connected the cusp betwixt astute glasses and AR glasses. On the surface, they look to beryllium thing much than astute glasses with a fewer other tricks. However, you recognize they connection truthful overmuch more. You tin bask assorted media types, grounds videos, and construe different languages successful existent time.

XR stands for Extended Reality, and it is besides utilized interchangeably with mixed world oregon augmented reality, which leads to a batch of confusion.

XR is an umbrella word encompassing a wide scope of technologies, including virtual reality, AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality). It is simply a benignant of tech susceptible of overlaying accusation digitally implicit a real-world environment. The grade depends connected the tech itself. As you already know, VR wholly engulfs you successful a integer space. AR injects a fewer pieces of accusation into your view. MR sits successful the middle, providing immoderate overlays.

Yes, AR glasses are harmless to usage for the astir part. No studies person shown that they origin imperishable oculus damage, blurred vision, oregon lowered extent perception. However, broadside effects bash exist. According to a recent study by the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf successful Hamburg, Germany, subjects reported experiencing headaches, aching eyes, and fatigue aft wearing AR glasses.

This isn't a occupation exclusive to AR glasses. Symptoms similar those mentioned often hap to radical who look astatine monitors and screens for hours connected end. Medical professionals person adjacent dubbed it Computer Vision Syndrome. Eye strain tin beryllium easy fixed by taking predominant breaks and reducing brightness levels.

Latest updates

For the April 2026 update, we tested and added the Xreal 1S and RayNeo Air 3s Pro glasses.
For February 2026 update, we tested and added the Meta Ray Bans 2, Viture Beast, and the Oakley Meta Vanguard.
For our July 2025 update, we tested the RayNeo Air 3S and added it to the list.
For our April 2025 update, we tested the Even Realities G1 and added it to the list.

Other AR glasses to consider

The Engo 2 Vive PC adjusts for the lighting outside

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The Engo 2 Vive features a caller heads-up show that shows real-time data. They besides past a beauteous agelong clip for astute glasses astatine 12 hours connected a azygous charge.

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Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

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The RayNeo Air 3S are the champion debased outgo XR glasses disposable today

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The basal RayNeo Air 3s shares galore of its features with the Pro model, though it lacks the Band & Olufsen speakers. It makes up for this by being cheaper than the Pro.

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For more, cheque retired our examination station connected Ray-Ban Meta vs Optics and our reappraisal of the RayNeo Air 4 Pro.

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