6 Top-Tested Smart Glasses in 2024, According to Tech Experts

If you want a pair of smart glasses to stream your favorite songs as well as snap a few videos while you’re out, look no further than Ray-Ban Stories. These frames sport a classic, trendy Ray-Ban style and come in various designs and color combinations, and our test engineer Alec Scherma was impressed with the built-in audio and picture quality. Though we found having to log in to Facebook and download the View app a bit of a nuisance, once the glasses were set up, pairing to our mobile device was seamless and all image captures were easily downloaded in the app. Our pros also like that these are available as both sunglasses and eyeglasses with the option of adding a prescription lens or blue light filter.

“The audio quality was much better than I expected, both on a voice call with a friend and when listening to music – similar if not better than my earbuds without that uncomfortable earphone feeling or the fear that they’ll fall off,” says Textiles Analyst Grace Wu. Though she found that the camera quality could be slightly improved and the material of the outer shell of the frames felt cheaper than other Ray-Ban models, she appreciated being able to hear the outside world, which isn’t an option with most earbuds.

Just open up these smart glasses and they’ll automatically connect to your paired device. Offered in two frame shapes and sizes, each pair also comes equipped with blue light filtering lenses for nights when you need to stay up late working, as well as polarized sunglass replacement lenses for when you need to take a call outside. We found the arms to be a bit bulky and the built-in speakers could have better audio quality, but the affordable price and all the bells and whistles make up for it. Our pros especially like how you’re able to access your smartphone’s voice assistant via touch controls. "These glasses offered a lot of the same functionality as the higher priced models and felt lightweight compared to some of the more expensive ones I've tried," says lab assistant Nikolas Greenwald.

If you're looking for top audio quality, these smart glasses from Bose are your best choice and outperformed other models on this list. Like other Bose speakers and audio devices, these smart glasses feature clear, quality sound that will make you want to throw on your sunglasses and go running outside. Plus, they’re polarized! While the sides are bulkier than most, our experts, like Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman, were impressed by the quality of the sound and performance. “When walking side by side, no one could hear my conversation or music!” she says.

Rothman does point out, however, that she would prefer a standard charger with these smart glasses (as opposed to a magnetic charging cable only intended for the glasses), while other testers found them to be less comfortable and stylish. Most, however, found the Bose Frames intuitive and easy to use. “They turned on easily and were super responsive. They also paired to Bluetooth quickly,” says Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou, who recommends them for busy parents who always have their hands full or even walking on a beach and exercising hands-free.

If you’re loyal to Alexa and are in the market for smart glasses, our pros recommend this 2nd gen pair from Amazon. While we wish these were offered in other design styles, you do get the choice between sunglasses (polarized and non-polarized), blue light filtering lenses or prescription glasses, so they’ll work for just about anyone. Best of all, you can ask Alexa (or even Google Assistant or Siri) to make a phone call, change the song or read out important notifications. Our testers found these lightweight and comfortable and super easy to set up. We like that the arms are thinner than other smart glasses and that there are physical buttons to turn the glasses on and off and adjust the volume.

“If you already use Alexa, these are extremely easy to add to your system," says one tester. "They connect to phones quickly and disconnect from audio just as quickly when removed and placed upside down. I found myself surprised that others couldn’t hear the programs or phone calls I was listening to through the glasses. I nearly forgot I was wearing them!” But while the buttons and swipe pad were mostly intuitive, our tester felt the commands could be more straightforward.

Our experts love that the Spectacles can take photos and video memories — as long as you have the Snapchat app. Our testers found it easy to import content from the glasses, download it into the app and then share it with friends. While the glasses' innovative design certainty isn’t for everyone — some testers found the smart glasses to be uncomfortable — we like that they come with a sturdy charging case that conveniently collapses when you're not charging the glasses.

Many of our testers found setting up the glasses to be intuitive and had fun making videos with the Spectacles, which come with a 3D viewer that brings content to life in VR. “I took some videos on a sunny day at the park, and when viewed through the 3D viewer, the videos look so vibrant and immersive. I think the glasses and 3D viewer are great for reliving a moment,” says Chiara Butler, Beauty & Health Reviews Analyst. She does point out, however, that you have to “stop fairly often to upload the memories to your phone to clear the glasses’ memory,” which can be a hassle, and the glasses can feel a bit gimmicky. “The fact that these glasses create 360 videos is pretty futuristic and unlike videos I’ve ever created, but it’s a very niche product that requires Snapchat,” says Eva Bleyer, an analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

We love that you can get the Anker Soundcore Frames in multiple styles and the front frames are interchangeable! It makes them one of the more attractive and customizable smart glasses on this list. Our pros found the frames to be fairly slim, making the glasses comfortable and lightweight. Most testers found setting up and connecting to Bluetooth to be a breeze. “The glasses are intuitive. They connect automatically when you put them on and stop playing music when you take them off,” says one tester.

While some testers pointed out that the sound can get lost on noisy streets and the speakers and bass could be stronger, they were pleased with the stylish profile and simple functionality. “These glasses offer a unique Bluetooth experience that put you in your own world. It’s an awesome, futuristic product that is fairly simple to grasp,” says one tester.