I've been reviewing laptops for 15 years running, and if there's one must-have accessory I would recommend everyone consider, it wouldn't be a laptop stand or dock — I'd beg you to consider a pair of the best smart glasses you can afford. Here's why.
There are a lot of things to love about modern laptops, but ergonomics isn't one of them. Even the largest and most versatile notebooks require most of us to tilt our heads down for long periods while using them, and that can cause serious pain and discomfort over time—not to mention contributing to the dreaded "tech neck" phenomenon.
Worse, working like this for sustained periods of time can lead to long-term health issues that may seriously lower your quality of life.
I know because I just turned 40 after working remotely as a journalist for over a decade, so I've spent a significant portion of my life working from a laptop—and I have the kinked neck and back pain to prove it.
Glimpsing a world without "tech neck"
You could easily be spending upwards of $300 on a bundle of laptop accessories, instead of spending the same amount (or less) on a reliable pair of AR glasses."
It's my fault, of course. I chose a writer's life and never put much time or effort into figuring out a less painful way of working remotely, despite suffering from back, neck and shoulder pain for years.
Foolish, I know, but I always figured the discomfort of long hours hunched over a laptop was the price I paid for the freedom to work from any media lounge, coffee shop or hotel room I found myself in.
However, I recently had the opportunity to try out a pair of Xreal Air 2 Ultra AR glasses while testing Sightful's new Spacetop AR productivity software, and the glasses have been a game-changer for my pain and productivity. The Spacetop software isn't even required—it's nice to have (not least because it gives you the virtual equivalent of a 100-foot private screen to work on), but just jacking a pair of AR glasses into a laptop can be a huge relief for stiff-necked laptop jockeys.
The reason is that by default, you see a duplicate of your laptop's display in the glasses, so you can stop staring down at your screen and look wherever is most comfortable for you.
When I first started regularly using a pair of AR glasses with the laptops I review, it took some getting used to, because my eyes had to adjust to focusing on the "screen" floating right in front of them instead of whatever's happening in the world around me. It caused me a few literal headaches, but after a week of adjusting, I've found AR glasses have become my #1 laptop accessory when I'm working on the go.
Of course, Xreal AR glasses are fairly pricey as laptop accessories go, so I don't recommend them lightly. However, I think if you use them regularly and safeguard them, they're well worth the expense in terms of how much comfort they can provide.
You also don't have to go with Xreal AR glasses to realize the benefits I'm touting—a cheaper pair like the excellent AyaNeo Air 3s works just as well when it comes to helping combat "tech neck" and painful days spent hunched over a laptop.
If you need to put some money away for a rainy day before splurging on a pair of AR glasses, don't stress—there are cheaper ways of working ergonomically on a laptop.
You could always invest in a cheap laptop stand like this one to boost your laptop's display up to eye level, for example, if you want a cheaper way of working more comfortably on the go.
But if you're serious about boosting your comfort and productivity with laptop accessories, you're going to want a good keyboard and mouse to go with that laptop stand so you can set up an ergonomic workspace—and at that point you could easily be spending upwards of $300 on a bundle of laptop accessories, instead of spending the same amount (or less) on a reliable pair of AR glasses and a sturdy case to carry them in.
With that in mind, I seriously recommend anyone who regularly works on a laptop keep an eye on smart glasses deals this holiday season to see if you can snag a great pair for cheap. The smart glasses revolution is coming, and I predict tech neck will be one of its first conquests.
More from Tom's Guide
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- I tried Snapchat's Spectacles AR Glasses and it changed the way I look at smart glasses — here's why
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