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RealWear Navigator Z1

On sale · United States ·

The RealWear Navigator Z1 is a 383 g monocular headset certified for ATEX Zone 1, for work in explosive atmospheres. Its 720p display spans 24 degrees, and shipping began on January 9, 2024.

RealWear Navigator Z1 headset in red and black on a white background, with a dual lens thermal camera module and the boom arm.
RealWear, Inc. · shop.realwear.com

Specifications

Specifications
FieldValueHow we know
BrandOFFICIALRealWearHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
CategoryOFFICIALAugmented realityHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
Form factorOFFICIALHeadbandHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
StatusOFFICIALOn saleHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
Maker countryOFFICIALUnited StatesHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
ReleaseOFFICIALJan 08, 2024How we know: RealWear, Inc.
AnnouncementOFFICIALAug 28, 2023How we know: RealWear, Inc.
Display typeOFFICIALMonocular LCoS embutido no braço articulado (boom)How we know: RealWear, Inc.[1]
Display colorOFFICIALFull colorHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
ResolutionOFFICIAL1280x720 (HD)How we know: RealWear, Inc.
Field of viewOFFICIAL24°How we know: RealWear, Inc.
BrightnessWe have not checkedHow we know: OPEN QUESTION
Image in both eyesOFFICIALNoHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
CameraOFFICIAL48 MPHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
VideoOFFICIAL1080p@60fpsHow we know: RealWear, Inc.[2]
MicrophonesOFFICIAL4How we know: RealWear, Inc.
SpeakersOFFICIAL2How we know: RealWear, Inc.
Wi-FiOFFICIALWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) e Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz)How we know: RealWear, Inc.[3]
BluetoothOFFICIALBluetooth Low Energy 5.2How we know: RealWear, Inc.
ChipOFFICIALQualcomm QCS6490How we know: RealWear, Inc.
MemoryOFFICIAL8192 MBHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
StorageOFFICIAL128 GBHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
SystemOFFICIALAndroid 12 (AOSP) + interface hands-free WearHF®How we know: RealWear, Inc.
Developer accessOFFICIALPublic SDKHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
Prescription lensesOFFICIALNoHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
BatteryOFFICIAL2550 mAhHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
Claimed battery lifeOFFICIAL8 hHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
WeightOFFICIAL383 gHow we know: RealWear, Inc.
Water protectionOFFICIALIP66How we know: RealWear, Inc.[4]
PriceOFFICIAL$6,250.00How we know: RealWear, Inc.

Notes

  1. 1.Display type. Monocular LCoS built into the articulated boom, 0.35 inch diagonal, usable with the left or the right eye, readable outdoors; it folds out of the field of view when not in use
  2. 2.Video. 1080p at 60 fps, more than 6x digital zoom in HD, video stabilisation; VP8, VP9, H.264 and H.265 HEVC codecs. The official store page (shop.realwear.com) also advertises "50MP", "4K at 30 fps / 1080p at 120 fps" and an 82 degree camera field of view, numbers that do not match the official PDF spec sheet (48 MP, 1080p at 60 fps); recorded without ruling in favour of either official source, see notes.
  3. 3.Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz); optional 5G solution (IS variant)
  4. 4.Water protection. IP66; tested against a 2 metre drop; MIL-STD-810H; operating temperature -20 C to 55 C (-4 F to 131 F); certified intrinsically safe for explosive atmospheres: ATEX Zone 1, IECEx and CSA Class I Division 1 (C1/D1)

USD 6,250 on RealWear's own store, in stock when checked on 2026-09-06. No CNY or BRL price: Brazilian resellers publish none, and the China site sells only the earlier HMT-1Z1.

What we measured in the lab

We did not measure this device in the lab.

Our review

Score: 2.75

Open to developers
1.00
Independent evidence
0.75
All day on your face
0.50
What the display delivers
0.25
Price for what it does
0.25

How the score is built

For

  • ATEX Zone 1, IECEx and CSA C1/D1 certification, where Skillsive says a phone is banned.
  • Skillsive says it runs ordinary Android APKs and supports MDM and kiosk mode.
  • github.com/realwear is public with at least 18 example repositories, and ADB ships on.
  • The datasheet gives 1280x720 at 24 degrees on a QCS6490, against 854x480 on the Navigator 500.
  • Interesting Engineering credits hands-free voice up to 100 dB of ambient noise.

Against

  • US$6,250 list at shop.realwear.com, rechecked in stock on 2026-09-06.
  • Skillsive lists 383 g against 274 g on the Navigator 520 of the same family.
  • Skillsive says display, battery and software are identical to the cheaper 520.
  • Skillsive lists no hot-swap battery in safe mode, no 6DoF and no hand tracking.
  • RealWear's own pages disagree: 48 MP in the datasheet, 50 MP in the store.

The Z1 is what RealWear built where a phone is banned: the line's head strap and boom arm, a 1280x720 LCoS at 24 degrees, a QCS6490 with 8 GB and 128 GB, Android 12 AOSP with WearHF, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, optional 5G, a 48 MP camera, IP66, and ATEX Zone 1, IECEx and CSA Class I Division 1.

Skillsive, in August 2026, is the only source that pushes back, and it is direct: you buy the certificate, not the optics. It lists 383 g against 274 g on the family's 520, calls display, battery and software identical to that cheaper model, and notes a monocular 24 degree field, no 6DoF, no hand tracking, no hot-swap battery in safe mode. Interesting Engineering and Wearable Technologies cover the launch and list none.

For a developer the answer is yes: Skillsive confirms ordinary Android APKs, MDM and kiosk mode, ADB comes enabled from the factory, and github.com/realwear is public with at least 18 example repositories, one an Apache 2.0 production app updated in June 2026. RealWear announced Ari OS in August 2026 and says it is on the Z1; docs moved to developer.ari-os.com, and the runtime, WearML and WearHF, stays closed.

RealWear's datasheet says 48 MP and 1080p60 while its store says 50 MP and 4K30, and neither was discarded. The price is US$6,250 at shop.realwear.com on 2026-09-06, with no list in yuan or reais. Outside a certified zone, the certificate is all the extra money buys.

Verdict

The Z1 is the Navigator chassis certified for an explosion hazard zone: ATEX Zone 1, IECEx and CSA C1/D1, at US$6,250, with 1280x720 where the Navigator 500 in this catalogue has 854x480. Skillsive says the certificate is what you pay for, and to buy it only if you work in that zone.

Images

  • RealWear Navigator Z1 headset in red and black, opposite side view showing the battery module with certification labels.

    RealWear, Inc. · shop.realwear.com

  • RealWear Navigator Z1 headset in red and black, fitted on a plain white head form with the boom arm hanging over the face.

    RealWear, Inc. · shop.realwear.com

  • RealWear Navigator Z1 headset in red and black, worn over glasses by a worker in a yellow jacket and white hard hat outdoors.

    RealWear, Inc. · framerusercontent.com

Where it is used

Build an appImport in volume

Sources

  1. RealWear Navigator Z1 Datasheet · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  2. RealWear Navigator Z1 · RealWear, Inc. (shop.realwear.com) · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  3. RealWear Navigator® Z1 Intrinsically Safe · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  4. RealWear Navigator Z1 FAQs · RealWear, Inc. (support.realwear.com) · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  5. RealWear Ships Most Advanced Rugged Enterprise Intrinsically Safe Smart Glasses · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  6. Ari OS Developer Documentation (developer.realwear.com has redirected to .ca since 2026-08-25) · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  7. RealWear GitHub Organization (repositorios de exemplo publicos) · RealWear, Inc. (GitHub) · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  8. RealWear Navigator Z1 - specification · Skillsive · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  9. Glasses can be smart too with the RealWear Navigator Z1 · Interesting Engineering · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  10. RealWear Navigator Z1 for Frontline Operations · Wearable Technologies · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  11. RealWear Ships Most Advanced Rugged Enterprise Intrinsically Safe Smart Glasses · Business Wire / RealWear · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  12. RealWear Navigator Z1 - Nobre Tech (revenda Brasil) · Nobre Tech · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  13. Campanha Realwear Navigator - MGITECH · MGITECH · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  14. RealWear (Ruioweier / moziware) - pagina de produtos China · RealWear China (Ruioweier Zhineng Keji) · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  15. Introducing Ari OS: The Voice-First OS for the Real World · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  16. Know Your Device - RealWear Navigator hardware overview (Head Strap, Boom Arm, Display Pod) · RealWear · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  17. REALWEAR NAVIGATOR Z1 (model T21S) - ATEX/IECEx/UKEx Safety Instructions · RealWear / i.safe MOBILE GmbH · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  18. RealWear Navigator 520 - official store spec page (Workband/head attachment shared across Navigator line) · RealWear · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026
  19. RealWear Introduces Next-Gen Intrinsically Safe Wearable for Frontline Workers · RealWear, Inc. · retrieved on Sep 05, 2026

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Pricing

$99.00 per month

R$ 549,00 per month · The currency follows the account language.

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