Best smart glasses for work and play

The Ray-Ban Stories is one of the best smart glasses available today. Ray-Ban teamed up with Facebook to create the Stories series of smart glasses, which feature two 5MP cameras that let users record important moments as they happen. The sunglasses also have built-in speakers and microphones.

What’s great about Ray-Ban Stories is that it can store up to 500 photos or 30 videos on the glasses itself. Once a phone is connected, all of the media contents are transferred over to the device, and are wiped from the glasses, freeing up space for more images. The major downside is that the glasses can only record 30 seconds of video at a time, and it’s limited to important moments only. If you’re after a hands-free video recording experience, your phone, or a dedicated camera are still better options.

That being said, the camera isn’t all it’s got, and the Stories lets you listen to music, make calls, and talk to digital voice assistants on the go. The glasses come with a case, which lets you charge the device, so that’s at least convenient and doesn’t require you to fiddle with the charging port all the time. The major downside, though, is that it requires users to use Meta’s applications, Facebook or Instagram.

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The Bose Frames Soprano improves over its predecessor with an improved battery life, microphones, stylish look, and better audio quality. The sunglasses feature a cat-eye look, and have an elegant blend of classic and modern characteristics. It comes with polarized lenses with the ability to block 99% of UVA/B rays. The lens are also scratch resistant, and have reduced glare to improve visibility.

Features-wise, the glasses feature the open ear audio technology from Bose. It delivers crips and clear audio quality, although, standard wireless earbuds and headphones are still a better choice for those who want a more enjoyable experience. The glasses can last up to 5.5 hours of continuous listening and fully recharge in just one hour.

The Sporano smart glasses can connect to computers, smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth, and have a working rage of up to 30ft (about 10 meters). It lets you listen to your favorite music, make calls, and access Siri, Google Assistant, or even Alexa.

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The Soundcore Frames by Anker is a great choice if you want to get into the world of smart glasses. It’s affordable, has a great and sturdy build, lightweight design, and has lots of customizable frames to personalize your experience. There are several different frame options to choose from, varying from casual to stylish, modern, traditional, and retro. There’s a pair for every occasion.

The glasses can connect to your smartphone and other compatible devices via Bluetooth, letting you listen to music, and make calls on the go. There are preset commands and voice control options to get the most out of your wearable. It’s worth mentioning that despite the Soundcore branding, the sound quality isn’t as immersive as some other products on this list, but it’s still an enjoyable device.

The microphones also let you make calls when you’re on the move, and the device can last for about 5.5 hours of continuous playback, which is plenty enough for workouts, to run errands, or a hike.

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The Amazon Echo Frames brings Alexa functionalities straight to your face and ears. It lets you trigger the voice assistant by using the keyword, allowing you to set up alarms, reminders, control smart home devices, make calls, and more.

The smart glasses are available in one design only, which isn’t the best for those who want different and more modern looks. It’s compatible with different lenses, including polarized, blue-light filtering, and even prescription ones. The glasses themselves are also pretty lightweight, and have a touchpad on the right side for easy control.

Amazon says the Echo Frames are IPX4 rated, meaning the sweat and small splashes of water shouldn’t be a problem. The glasses can reportedly last up to 14 hours on a single charge, letting the user make a two-hour call, 20 Alexa interactions, and 85 minutes of audio playback. In general, the glasses can last for up to four hours at a time, listening to audio.

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The Bose Frame Tempo are sport sunglasses. It’s slightly different than the Bose Frames Soprano, and it’s better suited for those living a more active lifestyle, or those who do sports. Like many smart glasses, it features an IPX4 rating, and it can withstand sweat and splashes of water.

It has a much longer battery life, and Bose says it can last for up to eight hours. Depending on usage, it can easily survive heavy workouts, or even a full day. The tighter fit makes is better for activities, and it should always stick to your head, regardless of the sport you’re doing.

When it comes to sound quality, it has the same audio drivers as the rest of the wearables in the Bose Frames lineup. It should provide clear and crisp audio, and the microphones enable hands-free calls with reduced wind noise.

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The Razer Anzu Smart Glasses are the company’s first glasses, and they look fantastic. Although the temples are big on the thicker side, it has built-in side controls, and built-in speakers, It’s equipped with high-quality lens. It also features two sizes, round and rectangular shapes, for more personalization.

The glasses come with two sets of clip-on lenses that can easily pop into the frame. One set lets you filter blue light by up to 35%, while the other lets you replace them with polarized lenses to filter UV rays. Prescription lenses are also available. There are also built-in speakers, although the quality isn’t comparable to other wearables, and it lacks in that department. The battery can last for about five hours on a single charge, and the glasses can automatically turn off when they’re fully folded.

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Similar to the Bose Frames wearables, the HUAWEI Eyewear 2022 can play audio. What’s unique about these is that it supports gesture navigation, and feature slimmer temple arms that make it look like traditional glasses and sunglasses, depending on the lenses you have installed.

The HUAWEI Eyewear is a stylish wearable, aimed to help you listen to content on the go. It’s marketed as a fashionable device for “traveling, office or even exercise”. It can seamlessly connect to most Bluetooth-enabled devices, including smartphones, PCs, and smartphones, and it has a one-day battery life. The glasses are lightweight, with the full-frame black glasses weighing just 37.64g. A great thing about the glasses is that they’re IPX4 rated, meaning that sweat and splashes of water shouldn’t damage them.

The Eyewear 2022 costs around $240 (converted from Malaysian currency), and it’s currently only available in Japan and Malaysia. We’re not sure if these will make it to other markets, if ever.

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The Lenovo Glasses T1 was announced in September, 2022. It’s a “private display, for on-the-go content consumption” that lets you connect Android, iPhones, Windows and Mac computers via USB-C and wirelessly. It’s a lightweight device that allows users to enjoy content on the glasses, “beyond the limited screen size of mobile devices”.

Lenovo says the glasses aren’t just for entertainment, and professionals can use it to set up private workspaces that are only visible to the person wearing the glasses. It’s advertised as a tool for when you’re out in public spaces, where you might want some privacy.

The Lenovo Glasses T1 features a micro OLED display, with a 1920 x 1080 display on each lens. The screen has a 60Hz refresh rate, and the glasses have built-in speakers. The glasses are also equipped with swappable nose clips, adjustable temple arms, and the lenses are also swappable to prescribed ones.

The Lenovo Glasses T1 is reportedly already available in China, and Lenovo says it’ll be available in other select markets in 2023. The glasses are sold as “YOGA Smart Glasses T1” in China for CNY 1999, or about ~$300.

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