Everysight Raptor smart glasses review
Are the augmented Raptors the future of triathlon tech?
Everysight bill these as the ‘first true augmented reality smartglasses designed for sport’, and it’s true that these are the finest pair of smart glasses we’ve tested… but there are hurdles to overcome before these become a mainstream triathlon item.
Let’s start with the positives. While Everysight’s contemporaries display info from a projector in front of the lens, these include a mini projector beaming information from above the nosebridge to the right lens. Not only does this make you look less Silicon Valley, it adds clarity to the data and highlights the company’s heritage – Everysight is a spin-off from Elbit Systems, who make military heads-up displays for fighter jets, including the F-16.
Thanks to its GPS, you’re given speed, altitude, distance… in fact, all the metrics you’d expect from your multisport watch. Thanks to its Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity, you can also link up with your power meter, heart-rate chest belt and cadence sensor. There are numerous data fields, which you scroll through via the toolbar on the right arm via a series of swishes and taps.
Rather neatly, you can also voice activate the in-built camera and video or, for an extra £59, purchase a bar-mount button to switch between the features. This is useful as all that swiping can become dangerous in congested areas such as cycle paths (although this tool slightly defeats the point of the touted all-in-one practicality of smartglasses).
Via the easy-to-use app, you can also sync and play music, which can play via Bluetooth headphones or two small speakers on the glasses. They’re also surprisingly comfortable and lightweight.So far, so good. But these are still early days for AR glasses and it shows. Firstly, there’s the basic issue of safety. Proponents of heads-up displays argue these are safer than bike computers that require altering your vision from ahead to down. We say the constant projection of data is actually more distracting.
There’s also the toolbar. It’s largely efficient but several times it disabled and you had to wait 10secs before trying to activate whatever feature you wanted to in the first place. Talking all things optics, although it’s billed as 1080dp, when transferred to the app, the quality isn’t great, arguably because it’s hard to keep your head frozen still when riding. And the video only records in 60sec segments so there’ll always be a break for footage. That said, we feel the video and potential course reconnaissance is a major sell.
All in all, it’s impressive, but it still feels like a dress rehearsal for lighter, more compact displays that’ll truly grip the market.
Verdict: Impressive tech but upgrades are needed before they become essential 71%
Interested in bagging yourself a pair of tri-specific sunnies? Check out our best sunglasses for triathlon reviewed
Debbie Graham
Senior digital editor 
