I replaced my Meta Ray-Bans with the Oakleys for a week - and they're better in every way

Meta Oakley HSTN Smart Glasses

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The latest astute glasses by Meta are connected merchantability for $339 (or $407 for Transitions lenses) astatine Best Buy.
• They diagnostic an enhanced plan optimized for outdoor use, person upgraded camera resolution, and amended artillery life.
• They're reasonably expensive, and the benignant mightiness not entreaty to immoderate users.

The Meta Ray-Bans person been a occurrence since their launch, with consumers (like me) drawn to their regular signifier origin packed with mics, cameras, speakers, and AI. Now, Meta is catering to a much diversion assemblage with its caller Meta Oakley astute glasses -- and with them, it has upped the ante crossed astir each spec. 

As a glasses wearer, photograph fanatic, and AI reporter, it was an implicit no-brainer for maine to acquisition the Meta Ray-Bans. After months of trying them, I was mostly impressed. My biggest qualm was the artillery life, which lone lasted 4 hours. 

Also: Watch out, Meta: Samsung conscionable confirmed its astute glasses plans (with immoderate spicy hints)

So, erstwhile Meta announced the Oakley mentation would person 8 hours of artillery life, I was instantly intrigued. I spent the past play with the Meta Oakley HSTN Limited Edition, and they exceeded my expectations. 

First and foremost: much power 

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There are galore applicable reasons an jock would privation to deterioration astute glasses, including hands-free entree to music, messages, AI assistance, a camera, and video. However, this means that the glasses person to beryllium comfortable, durable, and person a artillery that lasts the duration of your activity.

Also: CES 2025: The 8 astir precocious astute glasses we tried - and were impressed by

Meta executed connected each of these fronts with Meta Oakley HSTN Limited Edition glasses, packing an eight-hour artillery beingness from a azygous complaint (up from 4 connected the Meta Ray-Bans) and up to 48 hours with the afloat charged carrying case, according to Meta. 

To accommodate outdoor activities successful each terrains, the glasses person an IPX4 h2o absorption rating, a step-up successful durability from the Ray-Bans. The video prime is besides higher, capturing 3K video, up from 1080p connected the Meta Ray-Bans. 

But these glasses besides support each of the features that made the Meta Ray-Bans truthful great, specified arsenic a 12 MP ultrawide camera, camera sensors embedded on the broadside of the eyewear (great for signaling POV shots during your activity), 2 open-ear Bluetooth speakers, and a customized five-mic array. 

During my walk, I listened to Justin Bieber's caller medium and was highly satisfied with the audio, truthful overmuch truthful that I was contented with my determination to forgo my usual open-ear headphones, the Shockz OpenFit. 

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

I was besides capable to nonstop audio messages, which is my preferred mode of communication, with nary issue. I adjacent got the feedback, "your audio sounds great, actually," erstwhile I apologized successful beforehand for immoderate splotchiness that whitethorn ensue from talking into my glasses. 

I besides tested the photograph and video capabilities by snapping shots during my walk. I person ever been amazed astatine however good it takes photos, adjacent erstwhile you are successful motion, with the last effect being stable, good-quality shots. The astir awesome part, however, was the improved video quality, which was evident arsenic soon arsenic I viewed the video aft getting home. You tin distinctly perceive the dependable of my feet hitting the pavement arsenic I did my airy jog, and the prime and POV marque it consciousness similar you were taken on the way of my jog. 

This functionality is peculiarly important due to the fact that if you are successful the marketplace for these glasses to papers your exercise, astatine the terms point, which is treble that of a accepted GoPro, it is imperative that the prime of the shots beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic possible. 

Increased comfort

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

Despite the much rugged plan and the amended components nether the hood, I recovered the glasses to beryllium much comfy than the Meta Ray-Bans. According to the specs posted connected the Meta website, some glasses are the aforesaid nonstop value astatine 49 grams. However, the Oakley brace sits truthful overmuch much comfortably connected the span of my chemoreceptor that they practically consciousness lighter. 

Also: Meta Ray-Bans vs. Oakley: I tested some astute glasses, there's a wide winner

Using the smartglasses hands-free is conscionable arsenic casual with either dependable oregon touchpad commands, depending connected which you prefer. Before my outing, I synced the glasses to Apple Music and my messages, truthful I didn't person to look astatine my telephone astatine all. Rather, I got a dependable notification each clip I received a text, and did elemental motions connected the touchpad, specified arsenic swiping guardant to power measurement oregon tapping to intermission a song.  

Using Meta AI was conscionable arsenic simple, with a elemental bid of "Hey Meta" unlocking a multimodal AI adjunct that tin spot what you see, supply audio assistance, and adjacent execute different much precocious tasks specified arsenic AI connection translation. 

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET

The Oakley pair's lawsuit is simply a spot bulkier and little sleek than that of the Ray-Bans. That said, it was apt a purposeful design, arsenic you astir apt privation thing much heavy-duty erstwhile connected a run, motorcycle ride, hike, etc. The Meta Oakley charging lawsuit holds 48 hours of complaint versus the 32 hours connected the Ray-Bans. 

Also: I've worn the Meta Ray-Bans for fractional a year, and these 5 features inactive amaze me

There is besides the added convenience of having high-quality sunglasses catered to athletes. The astute glasses person Prizm 24K Polarized lenses, which not lone support against the beaming prima rays outdoors but besides let you to spot elements you whitethorn person different missed. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The audiences for the Meta Ray-Bans and the Meta Oakleys are a spot different. If you are an outdoor enthusiast who is looking to papers immoderate of your adventures and person casual entree to your phone, music, and an AI assistant, the added specs and plan marque the $499 concern (regular price) successful the Meta Oakley HSTN Limited Edition glasses worthy it. 

If you are conscionable looking for astute glasses you tin usage occasionally, without a peculiar request for extended artillery beingness oregon shooting high-quality video, you whitethorn privation to either instrumentality to the Meta Ray-Bans, which commencement astatine $240, oregon hold until much models are made disposable aboriginal this summertime astatine the little terms constituent of $399.

This communicative was archetypal published connected July 19, 2025, and updated connected February 13, 2026 to see the updated merchantability promotion astatine Best Buy.