Augmented reality (AR) glasses are wearable devices that integrate digital images and information into your view of the physical world. The same underlying technology now powers a range of ecommerce experiences, letting customers view a product in their own space, try on items like eyewear, or experience a virtual 3D model before they buy.
Steve Bauer, vice president of ecommerce at the furniture brand Arhaus, says that AR presents “gigantic” opportunities. With AR and virtual reality (VR) ecommerce integrations, he says, Arhaus can “visualize things that, quite frankly, you just couldn’t do before. You couldn’t place a chair in a room without literally placing the chair in the room. So having that technology is a huge gain for us.”
Learn what AR glasses are and how AR technology can deliver more immersive ecommerce experiences to your customers.
What are AR glasses?
AR glasses, or augmented reality glasses, resemble regular eyeglasses or sports sunglasses but are equipped with hardware and software that superimpose virtual objects in a viewer’s line of vision. AR smart glasses act as wearable, transparent screens and waveguide displays to blend the physical and virtual worlds. Onboard processors, cameras, and motion sensors track the wearer’s position and environment in real time so virtual objects can move and scale in the real-world environment.
You can weave AR technology into your online store, so customers with and without AR glasses can experience enhanced 3D versions of your product. No-code options from Shopify, including 3D-model building and product pages that natively preview 3D images and optimize them for Android and iOS devices, can bring AR experiences to your ecommerce storefront without deep development knowledge.
Beyond ecommerce uses, AR glasses can also serve as an accessibility tool. For example, some of the best AR glasses can connect blind or low-vision users with live assistance through integrations like Be My Eyes.
How AR glasses work
Most commercial AR glasses use one of two display methods:
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Waveguide displays. Tiny projectors in the frames project light into thin glass or plastic transparent lenses, which guide the light to your eyes while letting real-world light filter through. See-through AR devices like the Microsoft HoloLens 2, Magic Leap 2, Meta AI Ray-Ban Display, and Even Realities glasses use this method.
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Birdbath optics. A small display reflects off mirrors inside the glasses, creating the illusion of a virtual screen. This approach is less expensive than waveguides but produces bulkier hardware. Products like the Xreal One, Xreal Air, and the RayNeo Air series use birdbath optics.
Both methods can display a full-color picture, but the wider field of birdbath optics tends to be better for gaming or watching a movie, while the high transparency of waveguide displays better supports projecting objects into real-world environments.
How AR can improve online shopping experiences
Here are some of the ways that augmented reality can improve online shopping experiences for your customers.
Increases customer confidence in a purchase
Augmented reality helps you visualize a product in its intended environment, whether that’s a sectional in your living room or a pair of sunglasses on your face. These AR experiences can boost customer confidence.
After fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff added 3D modeling and AR to its product pages, shoppers who interacted with a product in 3D were 44% more likely to add it to their cart than those who didn’t. They were also 65% more likely to place an order after viewing a product in AR.
Makes try-ons more accessible
AR glasses bring the experience of in-person try-ons and sales floor fitting rooms to an ecommerce shopper’s home. Augmented reality options in online stores provide an accessible, customizable shopping experience for more people by allowing people to try on or try out items from their personal mobile device in their own space.
Reduces returns
By increasing confidence before purchase, AR can reduce return rates. Gunner, which sells dog kennels, added 3D models and AR so customers could place a virtual kennel next to their dog to confirm the size before ordering. The brand saw a 40% increase in order conversions and a 5% reduction in returns, a meaningful savings, given the shipping cost of a bulky, heavy product.
Challenges of implementing technology for AR glasses
Bringing AR into an ecommerce store comes with trade-offs worth weighing before you build. These factors may constrain widespread adoption and limit applications in volume-based retail settings.
Privacy concerns
Currently, most consumer-available AR glasses, such as the Ray-Ban Meta AI series, are also equipped with video and microphone technology, allowing wearers to record people or objects nearby, potentially without their knowledge or consent. Wired reported that Meta software could be used to tag and identify nearby users, raising additional privacy issues that are not currently regulated in the US or Canada.
Adoption barriers
The global smart glasses market reached $2.47 billion in 2025, a sliver of the broader $146 billion eyewear market. And hurdles to wider adoption remain. Because of the hardware they contain, AR glasses can feel bulky and hot on a wearer’s face.
Some models, such as the Xreal One Pro and the RayNeo Air 3S, need to be connected to a smartphone, laptop, or tablet to work. Ranging from $200 to over $2,000 per pair, AR glasses are still pricey for many customers.
Time investment
Developing a catalog of 3D models that make your products AR-compatible takes time, even when using built-in options like Shopify’s no-code 3D scanner tool. That time investment may be a deciding factor for many small ecommerce brands as they choose whether and when to roll out AR features to the public.
How to start using AR in your ecommerce store
- Explore use cases and ROI
- Select which products to render in 3D
- Develop high-quality photos and 3D models
- Soft launch with dedicated customers
- Use AR data to understand customer actions
Here are some ways to integrate AR experiences into your own online store.
Explore use cases and ROI
Identify use cases and return on investment (ROI) targets early for your AR project. For example, if your goal is to use the technology so customers can better visualize furniture in their home, a benchmark may be a decrease in returns.
Select which products to render in 3D
Choose the products in your catalog that need 3D rendering. For example, items that look similar in 2D and 3D, such as linen napkins or flatware, may not benefit from augmented reality.
Choosing which products to make AR-compatible will vary from company to company, but aim to build a selection of visually appealing products with a high profit margin that customers want to try on.
Develop high-quality photos and 3D models
To use augmented reality apps and features, stores build 3D models of their products so that customers can view them using a mobile device. On Shopify, sellers can develop models using a 3D scanner tool (for both Android and iOS). You can also work with a Shopify partner to develop professional-grade 3D models.
For an AR experience to help a customer imagine a product in their own space, the blending of digital and physical worlds should seem believable and relatively seamless. Much of that believability hinges on the quality and accuracy of the 3D models that will bridge the gap between the virtual and the real.
Soft launch with dedicated customers
One way to spread the word and let your customers give the AR functionality a test run is to make your soft launch a dedicated event that can double as both a dress rehearsal and a celebration. Consider sharing news of your soft launch in trusted social spaces where your customers and other developers feel comfortable interacting and sharing input.
Use AR data to understand customer actions
When integrated into an ecommerce stack, augmented reality experiences can deliver valuable data to your team. For instance, what are the most popular products to try out or try on? How long did shoppers spend with certain AR try-ons? Did AR capabilities influence conversion rates? Track these relevant actions to understand how your AR technology is improving customer experience and sales.
AR glasses FAQ
What do AR glasses do?
AR glasses act as a transparent, wearable screen that blends the physical and digital worlds in the lived environment of its wearer.
What are the disadvantages of AR glasses?
The price tag on some AR glasses, such as $2,195 for Snap’s SPECS, can be prohibitive for many customers. Weight, heat, and variable battery life are also drawbacks that limit some use cases. Privacy is another concern, as some AR glasses on the market, including the Ray-Ban Meta series and Oakley Meta Vanguard, have video and audio recording capabilities that allow wearers to record their environment without necessarily gaining the consent of others beforehand.
What is the use of AR in ecommerce?
In ecommerce contexts, AR can deliver immersive, accessible shopping experiences to users with a mobile device or desktop environment. For instance, AR applications can allow a shopper to visualize a piece of furniture in their living space or virtually try a shade of lipstick using a phone.
What are the best smart glasses to buy?
Popular options include the Ray-Ban Meta series and Oakley Meta Vanguard, which have improved camera and recording capabilities. The Xreal One or Xreal 1S AR smart glasses allow for prescription lenses, so you don’t need to wear your regular glasses in addition to your smart glasses.
