The first bucket is the simple and stylish glasses. The more stylish and comfortable smart glasses are, the fewer features they tend to have. But for this group, that’s often a good thing.

Wearable screens, heads-up displays, color-changing lenses, and automatic caption glasses stood out at the Consumer Electronics Show.

With new developments in XR, AI, and wearable tech, CES 2025 has solidified its place as a barometer for the next wave of innovation.

CES 2025 was the year of the smart glasses. AR / VR headsets were everywhere. Just when we thought we covered them all – check out our coverage so far on the XREAL One Pro and Chamelo – we'd come across yet another new pair of smart glasses.

EssilorLuxxoitca, the holding company behind eyewear brands like Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Foster Grant, is entering the over-the-counter hearing aid industry with Nuance Audio.

Also at CES was Chamelo's Chief Brand Officer, former New York Knicks player and two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury. Unlike some other celebrity endorsements or collaborations,

Heading into 2025, the next step for smart glasses was clear as day: while AI glasses like Meta's, the Solos AirGo3, and AirGo Vision would act as the tip of the spear, the addition of display tech would be the feature that truly pierces the hide of the mainstream.

Fortunately, some of the best smart glasses we saw at the show will, making the product category one of the most exciting ones going into the rest of 2025. Over the past week, ZDNET has been scouring the show floor to select the best of the best.