Every time I have written on Meta’s AI-enabled glassesI invariably get asked these questions: Why do you want them? Why do you want smart glasses who can play music or misidentify native flora in a strangely happy voice? I’ve been a lifelong Ray-Ban Wayfarer wearer and am also a WIRED resident Meta wearer. I take a pair of Meta glasses every time I leave the house because I like being able to use one device instead of two or three on a walk. With Meta glasses I can wear sunglasses And training helmet in one!
Meta sold more than 7 million pairs in 2025. Take a look at any major sporting or outdoor event, and you’ll see more than a few people wearing them to record clips for Instagram or TikTok. The meta partnership with EssilorLuxottica has made smart glasses accessible, stylish and useful and is undoubtedly the reason why Google, and now Appleare trying to establish themselves on the market. After the notable failure this is the Apple Vision ProApple is recalibrating its face-wearing strategy, moving away from augmented reality (AR) toward simpler, screen-less and hopefully beautiful glasses.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful about how you use these glasses. Meta does not have the the biggest list when it comes to privacy, and the company has continued to put forward policies that are questionable, to say the least. Even if you are not concerned about the fact that facial recognition will allow Meta to target immigrants or allow stalkers to track down their victims, at the very least people really don’t like the idea that you can start recording them at any time.
Probably the biggest obstacle to wearing Meta glasses is that it seems like a blatant violation of the social contract. After all, they are Mark Zuckerberg’s ” “.perverted glasses.” When I put them on my head, friends (and my spouse) cringe and say, “I have apps to warn me about people like you.” » The best part, though, is that Oakley and Ray-Ban already make really good sunglasses. Even if the battery runs out or you don’t use Meta AI at all, these are great for protecting your eyes from the sun.
Either way, if you decide to try them, here’s what you should get. If you’re making chicken, check out our buying guides At Best smart glasses or the Best workout headphones to find out more.
Best overall
Photography: Boone Ashworth
Ray-Ban
Meta-glasses (Gen 2)
Last year, Meta update THE Original Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarers it became a resounding success. These are Meta’s entry-level glasses and come in a variety of lens styles. You can order them with clear lensesprescription lenses, transition lenses, or OG sunglasses lenses, as well as in a variety of fits, including standard, large, or high bridge frames. Improvements this generation include an upgrade to a 12 MP camera and up to eight hours of battery life; Writer Boone Ashworth’s tests lasted five to six hours.
Ashworth noted that while the glasses were comfortable and the video playback was good, he found Meta’s constant use of AI a bit unsettling. Meta AI could not identify the type of dead fish it saw on the beach. He also found that the triggering was not at all discreet; it’s very difficult to look directly at a stranger’s bag and say out loud, “Hey Meta, is this bag Gucci?” The other problem is that you have to funnel all images and videos through the Meta app, which will force-feed you AI-slop videos until you find a way to stop it. (I did this by going to Settings → Data & Privacy → Remove all public vibrations. Now my app just opens in Settings.)
Although Ashworth doesn’t normally wear glasses, Meta’s rep noted that he looked great in them, and I agree.
Best sunglasses
It took me a while to even figure out which bag I would put these glasses in, as they are my daily driving sunglasses. These are the Meta version of the iconic Oakley HSTN ($196) (you’re supposed to pronounce it like “hau-stuhn”, after Houston Street in New York), which are Oakley’s round lifestyle frames. I opted for the version with Oakley Prizm Ruby polarized lenses, designed for sunlight.
I like them for outdoor activities, because even Oakley’s lifestyle sunglasses are very good. Prizm lenses improve contrast when cycling, trail running or hiking, which is very important if you don’t want to accidentally fall into a hole at high speed. Because they’re Oakley, they also have the Unobtanium anti-slip nose pads. I’ve run with these in the deep heat of August, which I don’t recommend, but they stay on my face despite inconceivable levels of sweat. Otherwise, they have all the specs of the Gen 2 Wayfarers, including the same Bluetooth compatibility, a two-speaker, five-mic array with slide-out touch and voice controls, a 12 MP camera, and a charging case.
My favorite feature of the Oakley Meta HSTN is that it’s integrated with both Strava and Apple Music, allowing me to control what’s playing with voice commands while I run. The speakers also sound comparable, if not much better, than most open earphones that I’ve tried, and I’m not afraid of them falling out of my ears while I’m moving around. I also haven’t had the same issues with queries as Ashworth, although when I look at my chat history in the app, it seems like I’m only asking Meta AI for different marathon record holders and times.
My only complaint is that they are hard to hear when riding at higher speeds, which is why I also like the next pair of Meta sunglasses.
Ideal for runners, bikers and influencers
Last year, Meta launched the Oakley Meta Vanguarddesigned for external influencers. They are geniuses. These are premium sports sunglasses And training helmet And A little action camera for your face, and they do all of those things pretty well. This makes it a good deal for the price. (The Vanguard is modeled after the Oakley Spherewhich, although lighter, costs almost $300 even without all the extras.)
The Vanguard weighs around 66 grams, compared to 33 grams for the Sphaera, which is normal given the added technology. I don’t find it particularly uncomfortable to wear while cycling or running, and especially not compared to a GoPro attached to my helmet or chest harness. The biggest difference between the Vanguard and other Meta frames is that the camera is on the bridge of your nose rather than on the side. This eliminates the weird fisheye effect that can sometimes occur with the side camera.
The Meta AI app also integrates with select Garmin watches for automatic capture, which is very neat. The watch triggers automatic capture at selected intervals (you can also select 30-second, 1-minute, 2-minute, or 5-minute clips) so you can create time-lapse videos. Then you click auto import, and everything is back in your photo library by the time you get back to the car.
The other reason I really like these sunglasses is that the speakers are 6 decibels louder than the Wayfarers or HSTNs, and you really notice it. Meta notes that you can hear them when driving up to 30 mph. Most of my electric bikes peak at 28 mph, and these are the only non-bone conduction open-ear headphones that I can hear while riding at high speeds. Training headphones, an action camera, voice controls and plenty of eye coverage in a moderately priced package are a pretty good deal.
I haven’t had the chance to try them, but former editor Verity Burns I tried them when they launched last year. A very subtle name change– these are the only Meta glasses that lead with Meta in branding, rather than eyewear brand – is a possible indicator that Meta has taken the design lead with these. These are the technology-driven Meta brand display glasses.
The glasses come with a single display in the right eye and a strap that lets you use hand gestures alongside voice control. Burns noted that the demo was extremely impressive, but that aesthetically the glasses are very bigwhich is a rare misstep. They are also expensive: $200 more than the lighter Even G2 realitieswhich has a dual display and an optional ring for manual control. Plus, you can only get them through an in-store, in-person try-on, which could also explain the slow rollout.
What features do Meta AI glasses offer?
I like Meta AI glasses because they are one of the simplest and most useful products on the market. However, that doesn’t mean that protecting your eyes, listening to music, and learning how much slower you are than the marathon world record holder are the only reasons you might want AI-enabled glasses.
Here are some of the features offered by Meta’s AI glasses.
Hands-free texting and calling. It’s obvious. Just say “Hey Meta” to call any of your contacts via your phone, WhatsApp or Messenger. You can specify which platform, as long as it is connected to the Meta AI application.
Chat with Meta AI. Ask questions like, “Where are the closest burritos?” » or “What is the world record time for the marathon?”
Translate written texts or in-person conversations. If you’re traveling, you can now translate written texts and live conversations. Simply look at the text while wearing the glasses and say, “Hey Meta, translate to English.” For live translation, open the Meta AI app and click Glasses → Translate.
You can download language packs in French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish to use them offline. This is my least favorite feature. That’s enough for quick translations of my son’s Spanish books, but it’s very difficult for a translation app to match the speed, accuracy, and convenience of Google Translate on a pair of Google headphones.
Hands-free photos and videos. This is the real reason why Many people buy a pair of Meta glasses. It’s so easy to carry handy clips for later use, especially when cycling or other outdoor sports.
Application integration. To record activities with your Garmin or on Strava, or to listen to music, go to Settings → Application Connections. The Meta Glasses also connect to Apple Health, Audible, Google Calendar, and a few other music, fitness, and scheduling apps.
How does Meta manage my data?
This is the biggest obstacle to using Meta glasses. The company behind the Cambridge Analytica scandal must be very clear and frank about his privacy policies. He’s not entirely sure he succeeded.
The good news is that Meta, like Google, doesn’t sell your data and requires its partners and third parties to disclose how they use your data. The bad news is that, like many LLMs, Meta uses third-party contractors to review large amounts of data, some of which can be very personal.
The best advice I can give you is to avoid wearing your Meta glasses while reading legal documents, do not use Meta AI as a home paralegal. I use Meta Glasses primarily as sunglasses, but I don’t wear them around the house or ask Meta AI (or any AI) personal or health-related questions.
When it comes to photos and videos, you can also turn off Cloud Media so that any media you capture with the glasses goes directly to your camera roll and isn’t accessible by Meta at all. To do this, tap Glasses → Device Settings → Disable Cloud media (And Share additional datatoo, while you’re at it).
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