Camera Glasses for Vlogging

Nowadays, camera glasses have become one of the modern vlogging and reality streaming accessories. They do the things a simple vlogging camera can’t – give a live feed of the vloggers’ point of view while keeping their hands free. Having a pair of glasses or sunglasses with a camera and microphone up until recently was something only James bond would have. It is still not common to find camera glasses in the shops to compare, so we made this list. So, here it is – The Top 5 Best Camera Glasses!

Quick Overview: Top Pick

The best camera glasses for vlogging is the Forestfish Camera Sunglasses With Bluetooth Headset .

1. iVUE Rincon 1080P HD Camera Glasses

This is iVUE’s most advanced model yet. It features a unique adjustable camera, which will allow you to catch the most important of events. The IP55 resistant sunglasses are made from durable and flexible material and combined with the sporty design they flaunt, they make up for the perfect action spy glasses.

The adjustable camera shoots in 8MP in 1080 @ 30fps or 720 @ 60fps. It has an angle of 110°, so you can fit much more into the frame without constantly panning. The Ivue Rincon features built-in dual channel stereo microphones, who should ensure you have the crystal-clear audio every video needs. Oh yes, you can also take some pictures, even in burst mode.

The built-in Wi-Fi ensures seamless connection to your smartphone, and with the free app, you can adjust the video settings such as exposure and quality and save the hi-res videos to your phone.

Except for recording great videos, they also protect from the sun thanks to the durable, polarized lens.

In the packaging, you will find the sunglasses, yellow tinted lens, a dust rag and a soft pouch, a charging cable, a heavy-duty zipper case, and even an SD card reader.

Pros:

• They are well designed, very ergonomic and sleek.
• The battery is enough for 1.5h of consistent recording.
• IP55 weather resistance is enough to withstand dirt, sweat, and light rain.
• Highly functional- serve both as sunglasses and camera glasses.

Cons:

• A bit pricy.

2. Snap Inc Water Resistant Camera Glasses for Snapchat

Snapchat’s sunglasses, known as Spectacles, have been sitting on the throne of best-selling camera glasses ever since their original release in 2016. In 2018, the second version of the iconic sunglasses was released and continued the legacy of their predecessors. They are easy to use, and their design is arguably the best on the market, but they come with a few downsides.

The frame is sleek and the camera itself is encased into it. They are not at all bulky and from a distance, they look like an ordinary pair of stylish sunglasses. They come in five variants- Veronica, Nico, Onyx Moonlight, Ruby Daybreak and Sapphire Twilight. Veronica and Nico are new additions to the Spectacles family, sporting a completely different and more modern shape than the original Spectacles. The last three models are design wise similar to the original Spectacles, but they are far less bulky.

The sunglasses are water resistant, meaning that they can be used in snow, rain and even in shallow water, and concerning the sun protection, the lenses are polarized and offer 100% UVA & UVB protection. The polarized lenses can be changed for the clear ones, but you will have to hire a professional to do it for you.

The camera enables HD photo and video taking. The camera is of good quality and both the photos and videos are too. You can shoot by pressing the only button, and by pressing and holding you can take a picture. The downside is that it only enables 10 seconds long videos, so technically you need to keep re-pressing the button to shoot longer, which may be an issue for most people. 

While shooting, the ring around the camera lights up, so everyone around you knows that they are being recorded, so forget on spying others with this device.

These camera sunglasses are designed to work seamlessly with the Snapchat app, meaning that the photos and videos are going to be exported to your phone automatically via the wireless connection.

The battery enables 70 videos being taken and exported to your phone on a single charge. Bear in mind that one video lasts 10 seconds, so you’re getting about 11 minutes and 40 seconds of video in a single charge. 

The accessories that come with the sunglasses are the magnetic charger, a protective case, and a cleaning cloth.

Having all these things in mind, I would recommend Spectacles to people who don’t plan on using their camera glasses as a primary device for shooting videos. They will serve you fine if you plan on integrating 10-second-long snippets of your daily life into your videos shot by a camera.

Pros:

• Sleek and stylish design.
• Water resistance.
• Good camera.
• Automatic syncing with your Snapchat app.

 Cons:

• 10-second videos, you need to keep re-pressing the button to shoot.
• You’re getting less than 12 minutes of video from a single charge.
• The glowing ring around the camera makes it impossible to record subtly.

3. Forestfish Camera Sunglasses with Bluetooth Headset

These popular and affordable camera glasses made by Forestfish are, in my opinion, the best value for your money. They offer plenty of functions like answering phone calls, listening to music, and of course, taking Full HD photos and videos.

The Forestfish sunglasses are made of rigid plastic but are not impact or water resistant. However, the frame is well made and robust. They are fit from keeping harmful UV rays away from you, due to the polarized, tinted lenses that may be changed by the user with clear, orange or blue lenses.

Their camera shoots in Full HD and all your recording will be saved onto the built-in SD card. The provided card has a capacity of 16 GB, but the capacity can be expanded.

Apart from shooting videos and taking photos, you can listen to your favorite music and answer phone calls. The device is paired wirelessly via Bluetooth to your smartphone.

You can operate these sunglasses with a set of buttons located on the side. It may be a bit of a hassle at first, but the set offers more control than the usual one button found on most other sunglasses.

To export the shot content, you will have to connect your sunglasses to your TV/PC/phone with a cable. You may have to use an adapter to connect your sunglasses with your phone via a provided cable.  Unfortunately, you can’t transfer media wirelessly via Bluetooth.

When opening the package, you will find the sunglasses, their hard case, a soft pouch, a USB cable used for charging and transferring content, and a pair of earbuds.

Pros:

• Affordable price, suitable for beginners.
• Good value.
• Satisfactory build quality.
• Provided SD card.
• Three extra pairs of lenses.
• Extra functions- phone calls and listening to music.

Cons:

• Inability to transfer media wirelessly.
• Not water and impact resistant.

4. Gogloo 1080P Video Sunglasses with Camera

Googlo’s video sunglasses are great budget-friendly sunglasses. Despite that, they still offer satisfactory performance and 1080P video, as well as some other wanted features, such as great design and easy usage.

The sporty design and shock and water resistance will come in handy when recording, let’s say, while fishing or cycling, but they will also make you feel safer when using them because you won’t have to worry about getting caught in the rain or dropping them.

These sunglasses are polarized, which means you don’t have to squinch your eyes in the sun no more and that your eyes are going to be protected while wearing. However, because of that, they may not be suitable for discreet indoor use, but the lenses are removable so you can switch the polarized ones for the prescription or clear ones.
It is also stated that they are anti-allergenic and made from high-quality plastic.

The battery ensures about 1.5 hours of video, and in case that is not enough, the glasses can shoot while charging.

Now the most important component- the camera. It is stabilized and controlled with a simple button on the side. The camera has a 10MP sensor and shoots in 1080P, which means that no blurriness will be involved. The shooting angle is 110°. The 10 MP sensor shoots great footage both in daylight and in dark, but unfortunately, it’s a video only camera and it’s not adjustable, so you may tilt your head up and down to record the most important objects.  The video is saved on an SD card.

When opening your package, you will find your sunglasses laid in a sturdy case. There will also be a microfiber cloth and a soft, fastening pouch. The sunglasses come with an elastic band that will keep them secure on your head, and for charging, a USB cable is included.

Pros:

• Well designed, sturdy and durable.
• A big battery enough for about 1.5h of Full HD video.
• Easy usage.
• Great 10MP, 1080P camera.
• A lot of extra accessories.
• Affordable price.

Cons: 

• The SD card is not included.
• The camera is not adjustable.

5. OhO Sunshine Waterproof Video Sunglasses

OhO’s Sunshine Video Sunglasses are the world’s first waterproof camera sunglasses. They are IP66 rated. Their sporty, durable design and their Full HD camera make them appeal both to sports enthusiasts and to people who love recording their daily adventures.

Their design is ergonomic, and the frame is made from quality and durable plastic. The sunglasses are IP66 rated, which means that you can enjoy all water sports while wearing them on. Of course, rain or sweat won’t affect these glasses in any way. Except that, the frame and polarized lenses are impact resistant and protect your eyes both from physical impacts and the harmful UV rays.

The camera matches the color of the frame and it is situated in the middle, meaning that it is visible from shorter distances. However, if you’re not trying to spy on someone while talking to them, you’re good to go.

It shoots in Full HD and the information is stored on the built-in 32GB SD card. The SD card can store up to 5 hours of footage. Unfortunately, the SD card is not removable, and the storage isn’t expandable. The video and photos shot on these glasses should be crisp, as well as the audio the microphones record.

Even though 5 hours of video can be saved, you can shoot only 1 hour of footage in a single charge, but it is possible to shoot while charging. That means you can plug in a power bank and keep on recording if you need to shoot more, which may be a bit of a hassle due to the constantly-hanging charging cable.

The device is easily operated. It has one button which is conveniently hidden in the bottom of the frame. Glasses give vibrational feedback and LED light turns on as well when starting to record. 

The packaging holds the glasses, the band that will hold them in place, a case, a microfiber cloth, a soft pouch, as well as a charger. 

Pros:

• Good camera.
• A lot of extra accessories.
• Decent battery life.
• Reasonable price.
• Very high durability and resistance.
• Included storage.

Cons:

• Non-removable and non-expandable storage.
• Lacking wireless connection.

Top Pick

In my honest opinion, the pair that stuck out as offering excellent value for money is the Forestfish Camera Sunglasses With Bluetooth Headset. 

Want to know why I think so? Here’s my take:

• It’s quite affordable and suitable for beginners.
• The rigid plastic frame is robust and well made, and the polaroid lenses do their job in protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. You can even change them up to clear, blue, and orange lenses.
• The full HD shots recorded automatically get saved in its built-in SD card with an expandable capacity of 16GB.
• You can even listen to music and answer phone calls with this fancy device. Just connect it wirelessly to your phone through its Bluetooth-pairing capability.
• The buttons on the side of these glasses offer much more control than all the other glasses I’ve tested.

Although, it isn’t capable of transmitting media wirelessly, the extra functions and satisfactory build and recording quality more than makes up for that. It comes with several accessories to boot, so that makes it an excellent investment in my book.

Are camera glasses good for vlogging?

There is no definite answer to this question. It all depends on the vlogger’s wishes and requirements. When vlogging exclusively using your camera glasses, your face will never be shown. Some vloggers may find that unacceptable, while others might enjoy not showing their face. Also, using them requires some getting used to. For instance, you will have to constantly tilt your head in order to get everything in the frame, there is no display you can look onto to find what your camera’s recording, etc.

Camera glasses are unique because they lay flat on your body and don’t stick out. Compared to a regular head-mounted camera, they offer far greater portability, but there are some downsides you may come across too.

You must always bear in mind that camera glasses are still developing. They are quite new to the market as opposed to the DSLRs and other traditional camera gadgets. Therefore, the video quality will be of somewhat lower than the one you’d get from shooting on a normal camera.

Mostly it’s because there is not enough space within the glasses’ frame to fit in a battery suitable for top-notch sensors. Higher quality requires more power, more power requires more space. Also, the sensors you can find in your DSLR are physically large and they would not fit in your glasses. This is a problem many smartphone companies have solved by putting more smaller sensors instead of a big one. That’s why you can find smartphones with two or more rear cameras.

Because of the limited space and the positioning of the glasses on your head, sound quality may suffer too. You may solve this problem by using extra microphones.

As I said, putting cameras in glasses and sunglasses is a new idea, still a vastly undeveloped one, but it is constantly developing and growing. We can only expect further perfecting and spreading of the invention, as camera glasses are truly unique and irreplaceable in some aspects compared to the usual cameras.

Because of that, some may not at all want to use camera glasses for vlogging, some may exclusively use them for that purpose, and some may continue using regular cameras but edit short snippets of footage shot with their camera glasses into their videos.

What to consider when buying camera glasses?

When buying, think about why you need your camera glasses for. Depending on that, you will find some qualities more wanted than others. If you plan on exercising, playing sports, fishing or swimming with them, look for water and impact resistant ones. Even if you don’t plan on doing those activities, additional resistance is always a good idea.

The general build quality is an important factor too. You don’t want your glasses to feel flimsy or loose, nor you want low-quality accessories.

If style is important to you, try to find camera glasses that you like. Options are limited on this one because spy glasses are produced to look as generic as possible, so people don’t pay much attention to them because attention maximizes the possibility of the camera being found.

And of course, search for the highest quality camera you can find. The video and audio quality are the most important elements of camera glasses, and you want the things you shoot looking as crisp as possible. Some glasses offer special cameras, like adjustable or wide-angle ones. These models may be more expensive, but it is possible that you won’t need those extra features at all.

Camera Glasses FAQs

Are there camera-mounted glasses?

Of course, there are some glasses that have cameras built in. Also, it is possible to mount a small action camera onto your glasses, but it may be uncomfortable to wear due to the increased weight on one side of the frame. Glasses with integrated cameras usually sport smaller and lighter sensors, so there should be no discomfort while wearing. There are also small cameras optimized especially for the purpose of wearing with glasses, and they lay flat on the frames.

Is there a clip-on camera for glasses?

Yes. There are new products designed especially for use with glasses, whether the regular ones or sunglasses. They are optimized for being mounted on the frames, and they are lighter than usual action cameras. One of those products is Pogocam by Pogotec. It is a mini camera which is meant to be clipped onto one of your glasses’ arms, and it enables you to take photos and POV videos in 720p quality. However, the device’s memory allows only 100 photos or 6 thirty-second videos to be stored before transferring. It attaches magnetically on any glasses.

Devices like Pogocam are a great option for people who want to try shooting POV photos and videos without changing their eyeglasses because of their prescription, or maybe, if they own multiple pairs of glasses, they want to remain flexible and be able to pick whichever pair they feel like wearing.

Are there safety glasses with a camera?

I am not so sure about that. There are impact resistant sunglasses that can keep your eyes safe, but I would not recommend using them instead of safety goggles. You can put on a camera on safety goggles, though. The camera will not be protected from the eventual impact, but your eyes will.

What is the best spy camera?

It depends on what you plan on using it for. If you wish to spy on someone, a concealed camera will be ideal. There are many types of hidden cameras – you can hide a small clip on camera on yourself somewhere, or you can buy objects with cameras (from pens to garden rocks to spy glasses with hidden HD cameras). 

If you’re planning on spying someone you’re talking to, make sure that the camera is well hidden. The closer your object is, the chances of you being discovered are higher. If you opt for buying products with encased cameras into them, make sure that you buy the products that fit in the space well (a pen is not suspicious in office, but a stone on your office desk is).

What are the best smart glasses with a camera?

There are not many smart glasses with cameras. Google was the first company to start producing smart glasses launching their product called Google Glass. However, the product is now produced only for professional use, and its name is Google Glass Enterprise. Another popular smart gadget is Vuzix Blade – a pair of smart glasses with an integrated camera and suitable for augmented reality. It’s a new and successful project, but its price makes it inaccessible for most people.

Best camera glasses from previous years

 There were not many camera glasses released in the past years, so no lists for the best camera glasses were made. The idea of using a pair of glasses with camera and microphone is a new one, but it is developing faster and faster, so we can expect more camera glasses used for POV videos in the future. Check out this video for fun, and you can see how far it has come-on.

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