The 5 Best Smart Glasses from CES 2026, Including the First with HDR10

CES 2026 showcases next-generation technology, with the best smart glasses CES 2026 standing out as a highlight. Here are the top smart glasses from this year’s event.  

The category offers a wide selection of AR glasses. Building on the success of the Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta collaboration and growing interest in Android XR, the field includes both new entrants and established brands.  

These 5 CES 2026 wearables stand out for features such as eSIM integration, HDR support, and refined designs. They are the main attraction: smart glasses from the Las Vegas show.  

RayNeo Air 4 Pro. 

For immersive virtual screen entertainment, the RayNeo Air 4 Pro glasses are a strong contender, particularly given their competitive $299 price point. (UK and Australian pricing to be confirmed).  

While limited to 1080p resolution, these glasses are the first in their class to offer HDN 10 support on micro-OLED panels, with 1,200 nits of brightness. Audio quality is also improved through collaboration with Bang & Olufsen.  

TCL’s display expertise is apparent in these glasses, although they lack some advanced features found in competitors. Their cost-effectiveness positions them well with entertainment-focused users. Full performance will be confirmed after further testing.  

Asus ROG Xreal R1 AR 

A top choice for gaming fans.  

After Meta ended its partnership with third-party HorizonOS collaborators Asus and Xreal, it introduced these gamer-focused HDR smart glasses as part of a new collaboration.  

Lenovo, another former HorizonOS partner, announced its own smart glasses. However, as these are currently only prototypes and lack notable features, they are not included in this list.  

Anyway, back to Asus. The R1 glasses are basically the Splendid Xreal One Pro glasses with two benefits:  

1. A 240Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth gaming  

2. An included ROG Control Dock.  

The dock includes:  

• DisplayPortTM 1.4  

• Two HDMI 2.0 ports  

So you can switch between using the glasses with your PC or your console with just a single click.  

Pricing for the ASUS R1 glasses has not been announced yet, as the one Pro model costs $649/£549. These are also expected to be positioned at the higher end of the market.  

Rayneo X3 Pro Project eSIM. 

The most significant smart glasses innovation at CES 2026.  

TCL’s AR Glasses brand returns to this list with a new approach: the RayNeo X3 Pro. Previously showcased at CES are standard AI smart glasses equipped with cameras, speakers, and built-in microphones for AI interactions.  

This year’s model features an eSIM with 4G connectivity, eliminating the need for an external SIM card.  

The questions persist concerning cost, battery life, and which apps and features the eSIM will support. However, in the anticipated post-smartphone era, this is a key development.  

Regardless of the project eSIM model’s success, other companies are likely to follow TCL’s lead.  

Rokid AI Glasses Style 

The Best CES 2026 Smart Glasses for Price-Sensitive Buyers.  

I tested the Rokid glasses at IFA in late 2025. The new CES model is similar but lacks a display, which is a reasonable trade-off given the affordable price.  

The Rokid AI Glasses style closely resembles the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses in both appearance and features. They offer AI voice commands, a 12MP camera capable of 4K recording, and 12 hours of battery life — all at a lower price than Meta’s model.   

While Rokid’s glasses do not include a charging case by default, this contributes to their attractive $299 price, which is $80 less than Meta’s option.  

Although not groundbreaking, cost-effective alternatives like these are key to expanding the network. Affordable devices make new technology accessible to more users and merit recognition.  

MonoMind AI Glasses  

Noteworthy AI smart glasses from CES 2026.  

The XGMI MonoMind AI Glasses complete this list. A newcomer, the brand has impressed testers with practical AI features, a comfortable design, a lightweight display, and reliable battery life, making it a key competitor in the smart glasses market.  

Early impressions are one thing, but tech is hard to judge properly at a tech show. While things certainly look positive, I would advise waiting for reviews. I remember being impressed by smart glasses at events like CES, then hating them when I had to spend more than 10 minutes with them.  

At $599, the MonoMind glasses are relatively affordable for display glasses, though they remain a considerable investment.  

None of this is meant to be overly critical of these new specs. Of course, I have included them in this list because of the good impression the glasses have made early on. Just keep an eye on them for the next few months to see if they can maintain that positive impression before hitting “buy now.”  

HDR10 Explained 

HDR10 is the most widely used open-standard high dynamic range format for TVs. It supports 10-bit color, which means over a billion colors. Its peak brightness reaches 1000 nits. However, it uses static metadata, so a single brightness and color setting applies to the entire movie. This makes it less adaptable than Dolby Vision or HDR10+ as the baseline for HDR. It offers better color and contrast than standard dynamic range (SDR) and is widely supported by streaming services and devices.  

Key Features of HDR10 

Open standard: HDR10 is royalty-free, making it easy for manufacturers to adopt and widely supported by most HDR TVs.  

The 10-bit color: it supports over a billion colors, resulting in richer, brighter shades than previous standards.  

Peak Brightness: HDR10 supports up to 1000 nits. This enhances details in both bright and dark scenes.  

Static metadata: It applies the same brightness and color (tone mapping) settings throughout a film or show. This can lead to a less accurate representation of scenes with varied lighting.  

How It Compares 

Vs SDR: Offers significantly better color and contrast.  

HDR10 uses static metadata, whereas Dolby Vision and HDR10+ use dynamic metadata. This allows scene-by-scene or frame-by-frame adjustments for more accurate picture quality and best use cases.  

To sum up, HDR10 is the base HDR format offering broad support and visual improvements. Advanced formats allow for scene-specific adjustments.