As much as we don’t want to admit it, we’re all superficial to a certain extent. Fashion is perfect proof of that. Do you have any logical reason to judge someone for the things they wear on their body? Not really, but also, that’s not accurate all the time. For example, when people look at me, they probably think “pretentious millennial hipster from Brooklyn.” First of all, rude! Second of all, that’s actually pretty accurate.
But my style choices, if highly clockable, aren’t even the most bombastic. There are some that may say even more—and even louder—than others. And then there are those rare fashion choices, like Meta’s new Oakley Vanguard smart glasses, that are loud (deafening, really) both literally and figuratively.
See Meta Oakley Vanguard at Best Buy
In case you missed it, Meta released its Meta Oakley Vanguard smart glasses, a new pair of action sports-oriented eyewear, at Meta Connect 2025 this week. I was there in the flesh (yes, I tried Meta’s first-ever smart glasses with a display and magic wristband) and figured… why the hell not? I did what any enterprising tech journalist would do, and I slapped some wraparound shades on my face and uttered to myself a quiet, but impassioned, yee-haw.
© James Pero / GizmodoNow, the first thing you’ll notice is the look: these smart glasses are totally in their element on a ski slope, or a jetski, or inside the dash of an F-150 pickup truck. And the look does not deceive the intention. There are a few things that make the Vanguard more ideal for sports use cases, and for me, the most immediately noticeable is the audio. Meta says the Vanguard are 6 decibels louder than its previous Oakley glasses, the HSTN. I put these things on and cranked some Bad Bunny, and I’m inclined to believe them.
The Meta Oakley Vanguard are noticeably louder than the HSTN smart glasses I’ve been testing for a couple of weeks, which isn’t just a feather in the cap, it’s actually useful if you are using them like Meta intends. I’m no Shaun White, but I used to snowboard, and I can tell you that, once you’re really ripping down a mountain, you’re going to want smart glasses that can overpower the sound of that wind. Obviously, I didn’t get to test the Vanguard in that setting, but I’m willing to wager they’re up to the task.
Another thing I got at least an inkling for is the feel, and I can say that—at least in my brief demo—they felt fairly good. Aiding that feel are flexible tips on the end of the temples (the arms). These smart glasses are a good deal heavier than the HSTN, though (66g compared to 53g), so over time, I’m not sure how that will weigh on your head. Oakley is known for its comfy and waterproof nose pads, so additional weight could be offset by that in longer periods of use.
© James Pero / GizmodoAnother thing I got to test briefly is some of the new fitness integrations, including one with Garmin. In a demo, I was able to strap a Garmin smartwatch to my wrist (a Forerunner model, though I’m not sure which generation) and see how some of that new integration works for myself. I didn’t get to test a whole lot, but I was at least able to use some of the Meta AI voice assistant features for health metrics. In this case, I asked, “Hey Meta, what’s my heart rate?” The Vanguard seemed to accurately read the heart rate on the watch face, which is… fine? I guess. I could have just as easily glanced down at my smartwatch, but I suppose if I was paragliding and really didn’t want to take my eyes off the road—er, skies—then that could be useful.
© James Pero / GizmodoI’ll be honest, I’m a little less optimistic when it comes to Meta AI features, because, in my many hours of using its first-gen Ray-Bans, I’ve found that any feature requiring heavy lifting from Meta AI (and sometimes even more mundane voice assistant commands) can be very temperamental. So, while my brief demo would suggest those integrations work fine, I think Meta has a lot more to prove before I can say that definitively.
I won’t have a definitive take on whether the Meta Oakley Vanguard justifies their fairly hefty $499 price tag until I use them more thoroughly, but one thing is for sure: these smart glasses are loud in looks and in practice, and if that’s your thing, you might want to practice your quiet-but-impassioned yeehaw too.
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