GoKawiilOther Smart Glasses We’ve Tested
I've tested several more pairs of smart glasses—some good and some bad.
Photograph: Simon Hill
RayNeo Air 3s Pro for $299: TCL-owned RayNeo offers many models, and I've tested several. The latest Air 3s Pro glasses boast a 201-inch virtual screen (1080p, 120 Hz, 1200 nits), but the 46-degree field of view lets it down a little. Both color vibrancy and brightness offer major upgrades over previous releases, like the Air 2s and the older TCL RayNeo Air 2 XR Glasses, and you can just about see the whole screen clearly (even after adjusting, I had to slide them down my nose a little to avoid blurring at the bottom). You will also need the lens shade to use them in brighter environments. While they are cheaper than our other virtual-screen picks, I found them inferior in design, fit, and comfort. Rayneo has added some more on-device options, including spatial sound, but it didn't work well for me, though the standard sound is fine. RayNeo’s software, required for 3 DoF, is still buggy and unpolished. This is a good virtual screen for the money, and perfectly suitable for watching movies and light gaming, but if you want more from your smart glasses, I'd pick a different pair.—Simon Hill
Viture Luma Pro for $499: Every time a company comes out with a new pair of smart glasses, the old one instantly looks dated. The same is true here, and paying a little more for the Viture Beast is worth it. The display is better, and it has the onboard chip so you don't have to deal with the hassle of the SpaceWalker app. If you're using the glasses for gaming, you're probably going to spend whatever you save by opting for last year's Luma Pro on accessories anyway. That said, if you exhausted your budget buying games instead, the Luma Pro is indeed a cheaper way to get a small, portable screen for traveling.
Photograph: Adrienne So
Engo3 for $400: These sports sunglasses are for high-performance aerobic athletes—like runners and cyclists—working so hard and at such high speeds that looking down at your wrist might place you in peril. They glasses are a miracle of engineering, weighing only 38.5 grams (half that of the Oakley Meta Vanguard). I tested the version with the photochromic lenses, which have an ambient light sensor to dial the transmittance up or down. You can connect the glasses with a compatible Garmin or Apple Watch and customize the HUD (heads-up display) to show real-time data on a color display as you're working out. It's accurate and the text is crisp. Unfortunately, the HUD is located right near the bridge of my nose, which means I'm cross-eyed when I check it. Also it's debatable which is more distracting on a long run: having to look down at my sports watch, or having a giant HUD mirrored display in the middle of my face, falling down my nose when I sweat.
Chamelo Music Shield for $260: These are the simplest smart glasses on this list. If you're too cool for auto-transition photochromic lenses, you can just slide your finger along the right arm of these electrochromatic sunglasses to dim them anywhere from 17 to 64 percent light transmittance. They also play music. These are comfortable and work well, but they sound tinny and are nowhere near as clear or loud as other options. They're also not polarized and are pricey considering their limited functionality.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Lucyd Reebok Octane for $199: Designed in partnership with Reebok for cyclists and runners, these lightweight Bluetooth sunglasses feature silver polarized lenses, good quality speakers, and eight-hour battery life. I enjoyed listening to music and podcasts on them while hiking. I also like that you can hear the world around you, but the sound leakage isn’t too bad, so you won’t bother the people you pass. They also have physical controls that are much easier to use than touch controls, even when your hands are wet or sweaty (the glasses are water-resistant, too). You can take calls, get directions, and ask your preferred AI assistant questions. Lucyd has been making Bluetooth sunglasses for several years now and offers a wide range of different styles. We also tried the Lucyd 2.0 Bluetooth Sunglasses a couple of years ago, rating them a 7 out of 10.—Simon Hill
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