Smart Wearables · Part of The Humanoid Group
Smart Glasses
Smart glasses range from everyday frames with cameras and audio to industrial headsets that place instructions in front of a technician. The right pair depends on where you'll wear it and what it needs to show.
Reviewed . Prices and availability are read live.
Buying advice
Display frames are not safety eyewear by default
On a site with flying particles or chemical splash, a display frame does not replace protective eyewear unless the maker can show it qualifies. In the United States, 29 CFR 1910.133 requires employers to provide eye protection that meets the consensus standards the rule lists, with side protection wherever objects can fly. Ask the maker of any model you plan to use at work, such as the RealWear Navigator 520 or the Iristick Z1, whether the frame itself carries a protective rating or is designed to be worn with rated safety eyewear. Get that answer in writing before a site trial begins.
Pay for world-anchored optics only when needed
Research published in Nature by Gopakumar and colleagues at Stanford, pairing metasurface waveguides with AI-driven holography, shows how much work is still going into fitting full-colour 3D augmented reality into a compact frame. Looking at the listings in October 2026, price tags ran from the Dymesty AI Glasses at about $199 to the Microsoft HoloLens 2 at about $3,500, and two more needed a quote. Before paying for overlays tied to the world around you, confirm that your task needs them. Spoken prompts or a floating screen may cover a checklist or a remote call at a fraction of the cost.
Plan for support life and recording etiquette
The Microsoft HoloLens 2 carries a discontinued status on this page, which matters more than price for any long deployment. Ask every maker how long it commits to security updates and spare parts, and whether your apps run on its own platform or on one you could move elsewhere. ISO/IEC 18039:2019 describes a reference model for mixed and augmented reality systems and gives you shared terms for questioning vendors about portability. For any frame with a camera, agree a policy on recording in shared spaces and ask how the wearer shows others that capture is under way.
What to look for
- Display type: full AR overlay, a private virtual screen, or audio and camera only
- Prescription support, weight and comfort across a full shift or a full day
- The phone, PC or enterprise software it relies on, and whether it runs hands-free
Common questions
What is the difference between AR glasses and display glasses?
AR glasses anchor digital content to the world around you. Display glasses behave more like a private screen, mirroring a phone, laptop or console in front of your eyes.
Are there smart glasses built for industrial work?
Yes. Some models are designed for field service and frontline teams, with voice control, hands-free operation and frames suited to work sites. Check each maker's ratings against your site rules.
Sources and further reading
- 29 CFR 1910.133 Eye and face protection — Occupational Safety and Health Administration (eCFR).
OSHA rule on workplace eye and face protection, including side protection and options for prescription wearers. - Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides — Nature.
Stanford research on compact full-colour 3D holographic AR displays, showing where AR glasses optics are heading. - ISO/IEC 18039:2019 Mixed and augmented reality (MAR) reference model — ISO / IEC.
A reference model and shared terms for mixed and augmented reality systems, applications and services.
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