IXI’s lightweight smart glasses promise ‘greater comfort’

IXI, the company behind the world’s first autofocus glasses, unveiled a prototype pair of lightweight smart glasses at Slush in Helsinki this week.

The new smart glasses, shown at the Finnish conference attended by Tech Digest, promise to overcome the biggest barrier to smart eyewear adoption: user comfort.

The key innovation is an ultra-light frame that weighs just 22 grammes, including all embedded electronics (but excluding lenses). This, the manufacturer claims, sets a new industry benchmark, making the glasses significantly lighter than the current market average (typically around 50 grammes).

This achievement is – says IXI – the result of a rigorous frame and fit research program that utilized ergonomic testing across London and Finland over the past year.

The findings confirmed a major flaw in traditional and smart eyewear as wearers are consistently forced to compromise on optical ergonomics, leading to eye strain as well as neck and posture problems .

IXI’s answer is a true-fit frame architecture that allows for precise customization. This includes adjustments at the temples, nose piece, and the crucial pantoscopic tilt – an angle that ensures the lens technology aligns naturally with the wearer’s eye line.

Timo Yliluoma, IXI’s Chief Design Officer, explains the challenge:

“The goal was never just to make something lighter — it was to make wearing glasses feel so effortless that you forget you’re even wearing them,” he said. “We set out to build a frame fit architecture that would offer uncompromised fit for various face shapes.”

Niko Eiden, CEO and co-founder of IXI, believes this breakthrough fundamentally alters the consumer buying experience. “This isn’t just a design breakthrough, it changes how people buy eyewear,” Eiden stated.

“Traditionally, fit has dictated style: you start by finding what works for your face and only then choose from what’s available. IXI’s approach turns that model on its head. For the first time, people can choose the frame they want, knowing the right fit will follow.”

IXI confirmed that the 22-gram prototype frames are already being produced using mass-production tooling, demonstrating that high-volume manufacturing is fully achievable ahead of the product’s anticipated market launch.

Founded in 2021 in Espoo, Finland, IXI has so far raised over $40 million in funding. Further details will be available closer to launch.