A $1000 set of smart glasses has been recalled because they can burn users, particularly on the left-hand side of the face. INMO’s AIR3 Smart Glasses were pulled from stores in the United States and Canada after nearly 2000 pairs overheated. The company issued a recall notice on September 24, telling owners to “immediately stop” using the glasses.
The problem affects the black variant of the glasses, which have “AIR3” and “INMO” printed on a label on the inside right arm. Those glasses were sold on Amazon and were available to Kickstarter backers since 2025. Prices range from $930 to $1300, depending on the version.
What the Recall Notices Say
Health Canada says there have been no reports of incidents in Canada. In the United States, there have been 10 reports of overheating. The Canadian notice warns that “the left side of the smart glasses may overheat during extended use, posing a burn hazard.” The US notice goes further, adding that “serious injury or death due to burn hazard” are concerns.
The overheating appears to be concentrated on the left side of the device. Reviewers who tested the glasses described the heat as intense enough to cause pain.
The YouTube Warning From February
YouTuber Non-Tech Tech Guy flagged the burning concerns back in February. His description of the issue was blunt: “I’m not talking slightly warm. I’m talking hot. It gets to the point where it can actually hurt your ear. They even provide a sleeve in the box to cover the arm. That’s pretty crazy.”
The sleeve he mentioned was found in the box by reviewers.
How Many Glasses Were Recalled
Nearly 2000 pairs of INMO’s AIR3 Smart Glasses have been recalled in the United States and Canada. The recall applies to the black variant with the specific label on the inside right arm.
The Pattern of Wearable Tech Warnings
Smart glasses have become increasingly common over the last year or so. Plenty of companies have entered the market with their own versions, and some designs have gone down better than others. But this is not the first time concerns have been raised about these devices.
Previous warnings have focused on privacy rather than health. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses have been flagged for videos of wearers sleeping and going to the toilet being reviewed by humans. Apps have been created to alert people when the glasses are being used in their vicinity.
Other brands have faced scrutiny for helping students cheat on school exams. None of those concerns involved physical harm to the wearer.
The Difference Between Privacy and Injury
The INMO recall stands apart from previous warnings because it involves actual bodily harm. A burn hazard is a medical concern, not a privacy one. The risk is not that someone might see what you are looking at; the risk is that the device itself can damage your skin.
The company’s response was immediate. A recall notice telling customers to stop using the glasses was issued on September 24.
What Users Should Do Now
If you own INMO’s AIR3 Smart Glasses and you have the black variant with the label on the inside right arm, you should stop using the glasses immediately. Check whether the overheating sleeve is in your box. If it is, put it on the arm of the glasses.
Then wait for further instructions from INMO. The company has not yet announced what it plans to do about the recalled units, but a recall notice this serious suggests a repair program or a replacement offer is likely to follow.
A Timeline of the Recall
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2025 | AIR3 Smart Glasses launched on Kickstarter |
| February | Non-Tech Tech Guy reports burning concerns on YouTube |
| September 24 | Recall notice issued in Canada and the US |
The recall is a reminder that wearable technology is still new enough that problems can emerge after products have reached consumers. Overheating is a common failure mode for electronic devices, but it is rarely this severe. A $1000 gadget that can burn the skin is a serious problem, and the fact that a YouTuber caught it back in February means the company had months to address it before the recall.
The fact that the company acted quickly is a silver lining. A recall is never good news for a brand, but a fast recall is better than a slow one. The company did not wait for injuries to mount; it acted as soon as it learned of the problem.
The overheating sleeve provided with the glasses was a warning sign that the company itself recognized the risk. It supplied a solution alongside the product. That suggests the company knew the glasses could overheat and wanted to protect customers, even if the fix did not work as intended.
The recall is a wake-up call for the industry. Wearable tech is moving fast, and safety has to keep pace. A $1000 gadget that can burn the skin should never reach the market, and the fact that it did is a failure that needs to be acknowledged.
INMO has taken the first step by recalling the glasses. The next step is to understand why the overheating happened and to ensure it never happens again. For now, anyone with the recalled model should follow the company’s instructions and stop using the glasses until the problem is resolved.
The recall notice tells owners to stop using the glasses immediately. The company has not yet said what it will do about the recalled units, but a notice this serious suggests a repair program or a replacement offer is likely to follow.
Source material: “$1000 smart glasses recalled as they’re found to overheat and burn users,” Dexerto.
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