Top 8 Wearable Tech Picks in Canada for 2026

• “I only got a small taste of Hololens 2 and I’m already chomping at the bit to see how it will fare in the real world. But at $3,500, the target audience is clearly limited for now.”

• “By pushing the boundaries of its design and technical specifications, HoloLens 2 offers a more immersive and comfortable mixed reality experience than ever before. The next sections will further delve into the technology powering this device and the user experience it offers.”

• “I can hardly wait for the future when I can place virtual manuals anywhere I need them when I’m working on my car and battle wizards with a future version of the Harry Potter Wizards Unite game.”

• “Microsoft's HoloLens 2 may look like it's designed for a very specific purpose, but the possibilities are endless with this mixed reality headset.”

• “I demoed Microsoft's software and also tried a few other apps. I sat down and tried opening web browsers, then played a game or two (yes, there are a couple). What really struck me was how windows could pop up and float on my desk, or in whatever formation I wanted.”

• “But the Bentley Holo — Lens 2 software doesn't just allow you to manipulate virtual objects, it allows you to manipulate time — sort of. By opening a new tool, this time while using the device in a solo capacity, I was presented with a sliding bar against calendar dates.”

• “With the Holo — Lens 2, Microsoft is looking to build on the handful of enterprise successes it has carved in the last five years, based on customer and user feedback. Specifically, the firm has looked to address ergonomics, immersion, and what it dubs time-to-value'.”

• “Well, the headset itself features two times the field of the view compared to the original HoloLens. There’s also fully articulated Hand Tracking, as well as Windows Hello and Eye Tracking. The headset can even map your hands and create a 3D model in the real world.”

• “The only real use of eye tracking I got to experience was a brief demo showing how my quick eye movements could pick a virtual object without even moving my head. I made little virtual crystals explode by staring at them and commanding them to burst.”

Loved13

• +

  Overall, if you’ve used the first-gen headset, you’ll be hard-pressed not to notice the difference here. If you haven’t, just know that this won’t feel as uncomfortably heavy on your head as other virtual reality headsets can.

  — TechRadar
• +

  That's one of the big improvements the Microsoft HoloLens 2 received, with the design being both smaller and lighter. We immediately noticed the weight difference when we put it on, and it's down to the company's new carbon fiber build.

  — TechRadar
• +

  Despite being lightweight, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 still feels premium. It's comfortable and easy to adjust, with a wheel at the back of the headset to either tighten or loosen the edges around your head.

  — TechRadar
• +

  There's padding all the way around, and we found it to sit securely on the head, too, so we weren't constantly worried it may fall off. This is a very expensive piece of kit to drop and break in your first five minutes of use.

  — TechRadar
• +

  Larger field of view

  — TechRadar
• +

  However, where the first HoloLens front-loaded all the hardware to be fitted just above the visor, the latest edition has distributed the internals more evenly across the band. The battery, for instance, is now fitted in the back.

  — IT Pro
• +

  The idea is that employees can now comfortably wear the device for multiple hours in a working day where previously there were recommended to wear the HoloLens for no more than an hour or two at a time.

  — IT Pro
• +

  With the Holo — Lens 2, employees can exploit a much wider field of view, as well as more intuitive gestures that fit around natural interactions used in day-to-day lives; think pinches, pulls and drags.

  — IT Pro
• +

  The Holo — Lens 2 features a raft of hardware improvements on the original headset. These include an array of improved sensors, namely four visible light cameras, two infrared cameras, a depth sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.

  — IT Pro
• +

  The inclusion of a USB-C port in particular, against the Micro USB featured in the original device, is much-welcomed. The HoloLens 2's battery life is also improved from the first iteration's 2-3 hours, although exact figures are not yet available.

  — IT Pro
• +

  Intuitive eye and hand tracking

  — Tom
• +

  Aside from the comfort, the other notable feature of the headset is the visor, which can be flipped up in case you need to fully engage with the real world. It’s lightweight and swings up and down, easily latching into place.

  — Tom
• +

  The visor flips up now, like a welding helmet. It makes a big difference.

  — CNET

Criticised5

• −

  HoloLens 2 isn’t going to be a device you’ll buy on a whim. As it’s an enterprise-led product, it’s not as hard to stomach its high price, but it’s definitely not cheap in anyone’s book, least of all a typical consumer.

  — TechRadar
• −

  HoloLens was a well-designed mixed reality headset, but since it was a first-gen product, it was clear some improvements needed to be made in the future.

  — TechRadar
• −

  Moreover, typing on the virtual keyboard can only be done with your index fingers, which slows web-browsing considerably (though Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support is included), and it also means you’ll be tracking your hands as you use other devices which, as I write this...

  — UploadVR
• −

  The second point that Microsoft looked to address was the immersion factor. Holographs were previously consigned only to a narrow field of view of only a few square inches that immediately removed users from the immersive experience.

  — IT Pro
• −

  Hand tracking with the Hololens 2 does take some getting used to, as there were times the tracking was a little more exacting than I was expecting, causing me to reposition my fingers to grab on to the edges.

  — Tom

• “It has no displays, but with a significantly smaller form factor than GoPro’s flagship action camera, the HERO 11 Black Mini competently fills a niche for anyone looking to save space and weight.”

• “After using the Go — Pro HERO11 Black Mini for quite some time, I’ve come to deeply appreciate its core features and how they translate into tangible benefits for capturing my experiences. It’s more than just a camera; it’s an enabler for creativity and robust documentation.”

Loved5

• +

  Relying on the Quik app to adjust settings proved straightforward, though it’s wise to get to know the on-device controls to swap between, say, the micro SD card-filling 5.3K at 60fps and 4K at 120fps.

  — Digital Camera World
• +

  The HERO 11 Black Mini is physically different from the HERO 11 Black. Most important is its significantly reduced footprint. It’s 13% smaller than the HERO 11 Black, but it’s also narrower and will fit better into tight spaces and anywhere where bulk is going to be an issue.

  — Digital Camera World
• +

  Its second physical advantage over the HERO 11 Black is that it offers two sets of folding fingers for mounting, which adds extra versatility and allows it to work with most GoPro accessories. There’s one set on the bottom of the camera and one on the back.

  — Digital Camera World
• +

  Highly durable and waterproof design

  — redditrecs.com
• +

  Versatile 8:7 aspect ratio for reframing

  — redditrecs.com

Criticised7

• −

  Although the lack of a removable battery is a pain – given it lasts only about three hours – it is possible to power the HERO 11 Black Mini via a USB-C cable hooked up to a portable battery.

  — Digital Camera World
• −

  Another difference is that has neither a rear nor front-facing screen, which makes it harder to compose shots. That will be a deal-breaker for some, but it does make things a lot simpler.

  — Digital Camera World
• −

  Inside the HERO 11 Black Mini you’ll find largely the same specs, though it lacks flagship GoPro features HindSight, scheduled capture, and duration capture. It’s also got no dedicated photo mode.

  — Digital Camera World
• −

  Footage corruption and deletion

  — redditrecs.com
• −

  Prone to overheating issues

  — redditrecs.com
• −

  Unreliable software and freezing

  — redditrecs.com
• −

  Poor low-light camera performance

  — redditrecs.com

Buyer voices14

• “Drop-resistance – we’re pretty tough on our gear and so far no issues. Hope that helps 🙂”

  — NOMADasaurus Staging

• “Do you still get the benefit of the new sensor even when not in 8:7 mode? You mention hyper view using 8:7 but that setting can’t be used, only wide can be selected in 8:7. So if I film in hyper 16:9 is it still picking up more vertical that can be used later in editing?”

  Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed the article— NOMADasaurus Staging

• “Small, user friendly, good video quality and stable”

  YusSss— bestbuy.com

• “Haven’t used too many times yet but so far good quality did have an istance where it got a little hot and didn’t want to charge we let it cool and then it charged fine”

  Jbbb— bestbuy.com

• “Good quality decent battery life only problem is it gets HOT”

  JackS— bestbuy.com

• “Absolutely love the GoPro. Only issue i have is the battery life isn’t the best. It is really easy to use and convenient with the app.”

  MylesB— bestbuy.com

• “My son and I took it to Zion national Park and hike the narrows It was as simple as easy thing we ever used it's waterproof they took phenomenal videos on beyond please with this product I would recommend it to anyone it's simple it's easy to use you don't have to have a...”

  Anonymous— bestbuy.com

• “Great camera with good quality video battery life a little bit low but overall still good camera”

  user835106— bestbuy.com

• “Love it. I like that it doesn't have a screen actually. I think it will be more durable. Have it on an RC car that the dog chases. She's bit it a few times and I have crashed with it on there and no damage.”

  briand— bestbuy.com

• “It is way heavier than I expected, and it's not comfortable to use on my bicycle helmet. On the other hand, it has great stabilization, so I mounted it on the handlebar and can still capture excellent videos.”

  MioCid— bestbuy.com

• “I been wanting to get a GoPro for years and once I saw the 11 mini on sale, I know it was time. I’m a OTR truck driver and always wanted to share what I see everyday and mini is perfect for the job.”

  Mari— bestbuy.com

• “The video quality was superb! Never had any issues with it even when i jumped into the ocean with it! Be mindful it does like to get warm pretty quick so short clips are more ideal for this gopro”

  DavidJ— bestbuy.com

• “It’s a solid compact camera and it’s works great.. the brand it’s self has nice features that come with that app, -con, the battery life goes fast”

  Gentoomuch— bestbuy.com

• “perfect right out of the box, 5k quality and very easy to use”

  CarlW— bestbuy.com