Epson Moverio BT-200 review

Augmented reality is still far away, and these smart glasses prove it

Epson Moverio BT-200

TechRadar Verdict

With a clunky design an interface in dire need of an update, it's best to avoid the Moverio BT-200 smart glasses and wait for what Epson cooks up next.

Pros

  • +

    Decent augmented reality

  • +

    Good battery life

Cons

  • -

    Not enough apps

  • -

    Heavy

  • -

    Unattractive

  • -

    Needs updated interface

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Augmented reality is an older technology but, like virtual reality, is starting to regain attention again.

Mostly known for making printers and sensors, Epson branched out into the world of AR with the Moverio BT-100 a couple years ago. The design was clunkier and was solely for enterprise purposes.

The new Moverio BT-200 model remains a cumbersome device but after shedding 60% of its weight, is far sleeker than the BT-100 and offers up more features that take it beyond the office space.

Still, at $699 (£568, AU$849) a pop and fairly experimental, Epson has a ways to go to make the augmented reality device more accessible for everyone.

Design

A colleague of mine noticed me testing out the BT-200 and said, "I can't decide if that's the coolest thing ever or the most ridiculous." It's true, the glasses look a bit silly though when the shades are popped on, though they don't look as odd and instead take on a futuristic visage.

Epson Moverio BT-200 review

The BT-200 are also a far cry from Google Glass. Where Glass is just a tiny speck seen from one eye, this Moverio model fits on your face like normal spectacles - except they're larger and reminiscent of coke bottle glasses.

The 1.3 x 7.1 x 2.2-inch (not including the flexible plastic arms), 3.7-ounce frames have thick, clear rectangular lenses.

Epson Moverio BT-200 review

A bendable nose-guard sits on the inside, allowing you to better fit the glasses to your face. It also can lay flat on top of prescription glasses. Further adjustments can be made with the plastic arms and rubber stabilizer fins.

Epson Moverio BT-200 review

Wearing these outside of the house or office is frankly, something I can't see happening. In fact, I can't even imagine anyone wearing them in the office. They're not attractive and downright awkward.

Display

The new Moverio smart glasses project a transparent 960 x 540 resolution display (yes, it appears the resolution has been decreased since the BT-100) in front of wearers' eyes using two "Ultimicron" ultra-compact, high-resolution, full color LCD projectors that are capable of projecting 3D images.

Epson Moverio BT-200 review

The glasses are fully transparent but two removable covers provide varying degrees of contrast and have been useful for Netflix or gaming. There's also a lens insert for prescription glasses which you can ask your eye doctor to fulfill.

Comfort

I was pleased to see that I could use the BT-200 over my own glasses because I couldn't really use my own frames with Google Glass. However, it wasn't a comfortable experience and the combined weight forced me to hold the whole thing up on my face to stop it from sliding off. Now that I think about it, generally speaking the Moverio really pushed down on my face.

Epson Moverio BT-200 review

The discomfort may have been due to my heavy frames though. With lighter frames, the BT-200 actually sit and stay on pretty well even when walking around. One colleague of mine didn't experience the extra weight sliding around when he used them and his prescription glasses aren't as large as mine. Other colleagues who didn't wear glasses every day didn't like the feel and couldn't get the nose-guard to adjust properly, but didn't think it was excessively weighty.

After hearing impressions from several people with different face shapes and eyesight requirements, I think it's safe to say that the BT-200s aren't for everyone.

TOPICS
Latest in Tech
Ray-Ban smart glasses with the Cpperni logo, an LED array, and a MacBook Air with M4 next to ecah other.
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Twitter's massive outage to iRobot's impressive new Roombas
A triptych image featuring the Sennheiser HD 505, Apple iPad Air 11-inch (2025), and Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4).
5 unmissable tech reviews of the week: why the MacBook Air (M4) should be your next laptop and the best sounding OLED TV ever
Apple iPhone 16e
Which affordable phone wins the mid-range race: the iPhone 16e, Nothing 3a, or Samsung Galaxy A56? Our latest podcast tells all
The Apple MacBook Air next to the Dyson Supersonic R and new AMD GPU
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the best tech at MWC to Apple's new iPads and MacBooks
A triptych image featuring the Bose Solo Soundbar 2, Nothing Phone 3a Pro and the Panasonic Lumix S1R II.
5 trailblazing tech reviews of the week: Nothing's stylish, affordable flagship and why you should buy AMD's new graphics card over Nvidia's
The best tech of MWC 2025 examples, including the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the Nubia Flip 2, and the Lenovo Solar PC
Best of MWC 2025: the 10 top tech launches we tried on the show floor
Latest in Reviews
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro electric toothbrush
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brush
Atelier Yumia
I was already sold on Atelier Yumia as an RPG, but I wasn’t expecting it to have my favorite crafting system in all of gaming
Alienware 27 AW2725Q monitor on desk displaying a scene from Cyberpunk 2077
I played games with Alienware's new 27-inch 4K OLED monitor and now I don't want to see another LCD panel
PLAUD NOTE
I tested this AI voice recorder, and now I'll never take meeting notes manually again
MacBook Air 15-inch with M4 chip on a creative's desk with screen open
I've reviewed the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) - and it remains the best 15-inch laptop I'd recommend for most people