The 5 most advanced smart glasses we tried so far at CES – that truly impressed us

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.

RayNeo Air 4 Pro

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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

Rokid AI Glasses Style

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

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

XGIMI Memomind glasses

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

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

Xreal 1S

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

The new Xreal 1S is an upgrade from its predecessor, featuring updates such as an increased field of view, improved resolution, and increased available brightness, all at a $50 lower price than its predecessor. For those reasons alone, it could be considered a win. 

Also: I’ve tested several pairs of smart glasses at CES 2026 – this one nails both price and performance

However, what really made it stand out to me was the addition of Real3D, which can convert any static content into 3D. While it may sound silly, it really did make the immersive big-screen video-watching experience that much more enjoyable during my demo. Sabrina Ortiz

Show more

Loomos AI Glasses

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

While the Loomos AI Glasses did not unveil at CES 2026, it was my first opportunity to go hands-on with them, and one thing that really stood out to me was the swappable battery. One of the biggest challenges with AI glasses is that they often struggle to last through a long day of use, with even the most popular models typically not lasting more than eight hours. 

A swappable battery seems like a practical approach to solving that issue, which other smartglasses manufacturers may also consider in the future. The Loomos AI glasses also offer an additional neck power bank, should you need more juice, 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. You can learn more about it on its Kickstarter page. -Sabrina Ortiz

Show more

CES