- Caption and translation glasses compared
- Ten pairs of glasses that translate or caption
- Caption glasses, feature glasses or software?
- What to check before buying translation glasses
- Smart glasses that do other jobs
- Five questions for any smart glasses maker
- My advice on translation glasses
- Frequently asked questions
The best translation glasses depend on whether you need captions, translation or both. A few smart glasses are built around showing captions of what people say, while for most of the rest translation is one feature among navigation, notes and AI help, and one entry is software you add to glasses. Ten options follow, in no particular order.
Glasses that show you what someone's saying, in your own language, right in front of your eyes: that's the idea behind this list. Several makers now list translation or captions on their product pages, but they mean quite different things by it.
This list is alphabetical and in no particular order. Everything here comes from each maker's own page, read as of Nov 2026, and it sticks to what each page says the glasses do, so check languages, battery life and prescription options with the maker before you buy.
Caption and translation glasses compared
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| AirCaps | Caption and translation smart glasses | Captions in your field of view |
| Brilliant Labs Halo | Open-source AI glasses | Developers who want open hardware |
| Even Realities | Everyday glasses with a display | Captions and translation in everyday frames |
| INMO | AI and AR glasses | Translating text and speech on the move |
| Lawaken LAWK | AI glasses for translation and notes | Real-time translation plus meeting notes |
| Lucyd | Audio smart eyewear | Translation in audio glasses, prescription included |
| MentraOS | Open-source software for smart glasses | Adding apps to glasses you already own |
| Rokid | AI and AR glasses with a display option | Live subtitles in your field of view |
| Solos | Smart glasses with a translation feature | A named translation feature in smart glasses |
| XanderGlasses | Caption glasses | Captions of what other people say |
Ten pairs of glasses that translate or caption
AirCaps
Best for: Deaf and hard of hearing wearers and travellers, with real-time captions, translation and AI meeting notes shown in your field of view.
Brilliant Labs Halo
Best for: Developers and curious tinkerers, since the page calls Halo open source and lists translation among the things its AI assistant helps with.
Even Realities
Best for: Wearing everyday-looking glasses with a display, where translation sits beside navigation, teleprompting, notes and live captions of spoken word.
INMO
Best for: Travellers who want to capture text and translate it, with hands-free AI, navigation and a voice-following teleprompter on the same glasses.
Lawaken LAWK
Best for: Meetings and work trips, since the page calls them AI glasses for translation and note-taking, with an AI voice assistant built in.
Lucyd
Best for: Prescription wearers who'd like audio glasses, with real-time translations listed beside calls, music, directions and AI help.
MentraOS
Best for: Owners of supported smart glasses who want an open app platform, with captions, AI notes and translation among the apps.
Rokid
Best for: Reading live subtitles of a conversation in your field of view, from glasses sold in display and non-display versions.
Solos
Best for: Anyone who wants translation as a named feature, since the maker lists SolosTranslate beside its SolosChat feature and AirGo app.
XanderGlasses
Best for: People with hearing loss who want captions of what others are saying in their field of view, from glasses the maker says don't need a phone.
Caption glasses, feature glasses or software?
Put the product pages next to each other and the first group is built around captions. AirCaps' page is titled 'Real-Time Captions, Translation & AI', and XanderGlasses 'translate speech into text and display captions of what others are saying in real-time'.
For the next group, translation is one feature among many. Even Realities lists 'Live captions of spoken word' and 'Translate' among the G1's features, Rokid lists 'Real-Time Translation', Lawaken calls its LAWK glasses 'Your AI Glasses For Translation And Note', INMO says 'Capture text and translate instantly', Lucyd lists real-time translations next to calls and music, and Solos has a feature named 'SolosTranslate'. Brilliant Labs' Halo page mentions 'translation across a wide range of languages' on an 'Open source' platform for developers.
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Then there's MentraOS, which isn't a pair of glasses at all. It's an open platform for smart glasses, and its page lists 'captions, AI notes, translation' among the apps you can run.
That's the split a buyer wouldn't guess: only two of these are built around captions, the rest treat translation as one feature among several, and one is software for glasses you may already own.
What to check before buying translation glasses
- Display or audio. Some glasses show words on a display in front of your eyes, and some are audio glasses that play sound to you. Decide which you want before comparing anything else.
- Prescription lenses. If you already wear glasses, check whether the maker offers your prescription and in what range.
- The phone and app. Many smart glasses rely on a companion app, so check it supports your phone before you order.
- Who they're designed for. The caption-first glasses here are aimed at people who are Deaf or hard of hearing as well as travellers, while the feature glasses lean towards travel and work.
- Languages. Makers list their own languages for captions and translation, and those lists can change. Check yours on the maker's page.
Smart glasses that do other jobs
Smart glasses cover a lot of ground, and not all of them translate. If you're weighing up camera and AI glasses more generally, my guide on how to use Meta AI glasses walks through one well-known pair. Trying on frames online is a different job altogether, and my list of AI glasses try-on apps covers that.
If you make videos and want captions and translations on screen rather than in front of your eyes, my piece on AI auto captions and translations is the one to read.
Five questions for any smart glasses maker
- Does it show captions on a display, or play translations as audio?
- Does translation need my phone, and which phones does the app support?
- Can I get the lenses in my prescription?
- Does translation need an internet connection?
- Which languages does it list for captions and for translation?
Do you make translation or caption glasses? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice on translation glasses
Start with the reason you want them. If it's following conversations because you're Deaf or hard of hearing, look first at the glasses built around captions. If it's travel and work, glasses where translation is one feature among several give you navigation, notes and AI help as well. If you already own supported glasses, software may add what you need. Whichever you choose, try them on if you can, check the prescription options, and read the maker's own language list before you buy.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Do translation glasses really exist?
Yes. Several makers sell smart glasses that list translation or real-time captions on their own product pages. Some are built around captions, and others include translation as one feature among several.
What's the difference between caption glasses and translation glasses?
Caption glasses show the words someone is saying as text in your view, mainly so you can follow a conversation. Translation glasses turn speech in another language into yours. Some pairs on this list do both.
Can translation glasses help people who are hard of hearing?
Some are designed with Deaf and hard of hearing people in mind and show live captions of what others say. Check the maker's own page and, if you can, try a pair before you buy.
Do translation glasses need a phone?
Many smart glasses work with a companion app on your phone. One caption-first maker on this list says its glasses don't need a phone to work. Check each maker's page for the model you want.
Can I get translation glasses with prescription lenses?
Several makers mention prescription options, and one page gives the range of prescriptions its display supports. Check the maker's page for your prescription before you order.
Are smart glasses with translation the same as AR glasses?
Not always. Some have a display that puts text in front of your eyes, which is closer to AR, while others are audio glasses that list translation beside calls and music. The product page usually makes it clear which kind you're looking at.
