What is AR try-on?
AR try-on is a technology that overlays a virtual product on a shopper body in real time using their device camera, so the shopper sees how a piece looks on themselves before buying.
The longer answer
AR (augmented reality) try-on combines a live camera feed with a 3D model of a product, anchored to the shopper body using computer-vision tracking. The result is a real-time visualization the shopper can rotate, move, and screenshot. AR try-on is widely used in jewelry, eyewear, beauty, watches, and apparel. Web-based AR try-on runs entirely in the browser, requires no app install, and uses the shopper own phone camera.
Why it matters
The biggest blocker on a jewelry product page is doubt about scale and fit. A studio photo on a model does not tell a shopper how a piece sits on their own wrist, neck, or finger. AR try-on closes that gap and consistently raises conversion while reducing returns. Industry studies repeatedly show double-digit conversion lift and meaningful drops in return rate when AR try-on is added to a product page.
How it works
A small JavaScript widget on the product page opens the camera, runs an on-device computer-vision model (MediaPipe is common) to find landmarks on the wrist, finger, or face, then renders a 3D model of the jewelry into the scene using a WebGL renderer like Three.js. Realistic results require physically based rendering (PBR), an environment map for reflections, and motion smoothing on the landmarks. The video itself never leaves the device.
Where this fits in WearRoom
WearRoom is a web AR try-on widget for DTC jewelry brands. It installs with one script tag, runs entirely in the browser, uses PBR rendering and a camera-derived environment map so metal reads as metal, and ships a passive sizing estimate without any calibration step from the shopper.
Questions
Do shoppers need to install an app?
No. Web-based AR try-on runs in the browser. The shopper taps a button on the product page, grants camera permission, and the try-on opens immediately.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. Modern iOS Safari and Android Chrome support the underlying APIs (getUserMedia for camera, WebGL for rendering, WebAssembly for the tracking model).
Is the camera video uploaded?
Not for a well-designed AR try-on. Tracking and rendering happen on the shopper device. Only anonymized funnel events should leave the browser.