review of Meta sports smart glasses

Talking about smart glasses today is no longer talking about experimentation. This is a new format of portable devices which, little by little, finds its place. And if there is one company that has pushed this path in the West, it is Meta.

First, it did it with Ray-Ban, with almost conventional-looking smart glasses that gained in functionality, maturity and, above all, users. Then he expanded the bet with more models lifestylelike the Oakley Meta HSTN. And now go further with the Oakley Meta Vanguarda clearly different product, designed not for everyday life, but for high intensity sport.

Because yes: in China there are manufacturers who have been developing smart glasses for years, but in Europe and the United States the real market, the one that is sold and used, Meta builds it. And with these Vanguard, the company makes it clear that it believes that smart glasses are not just a complement, but a possible future of portable devices: always active, hands-free, discreet… and increasingly efficient.

A niche product (and that’s not a bad thing)

The first thing to clarify is that the Oakley Meta Vanguard These aren’t smart glasses for everyone. You just have to see them to understand it. They are large, enveloping, with a clearly sporty aesthetic. They do not seek to go unnoticed or to be an urban fashion accessory.

This is a product designed for those who run regularlytrail, cycling, mountain biking, skiing or endurance sports. If you’re going to run occasionally, go to the gym or You’re looking for “everything” glasses, they probably don’t make much sense. But if you train seriously, do long sessions or demanding outdoor activities, then they are suitable for you.

In other words: It is a high performance productvery well executed, but with a very clear objective. If you are not this user, Meta offers much more logical alternatives in its catalog.

Design: large, sporty… and surprisingly light

Despite their size and the amount of glass that covers a good part of the face, the Oakley Meta Vanguard surprises for one thing: They weigh only 66 grams. About 13 grams more than the Oakley Meta HSTN, and quite a bit for everything they contain.

The frame is enveloping, made of O Matterand is designed to protect your eyes from wind, dust or insects when running or cycling at good speed. And here Oakley demonstrates its experience: the weight is very well distributed between the ears and nose, without annoying pressure points.

An important detail is the rubber nose padremovable and replaceable. In the box there are several options (high and low bridge), which is very appreciated, because it allows you to adjust the glasses as if they were sports headphones. Plus, since it’s removable, it can be easily cleaned after a sweaty workout.

In actual use, in my sessions of around 40 minutes, they wear as if you weren’t wearing them. They don’t move, they don’t dance and it doesn’t give the feeling of wearing a gadget fragile in the face. These are sports glasses and they behave like one.

Well-thought-out physical controls

The Vanguard combine physical and touch controls:

The touchscreen is responsive Alrightperhaps even too well: he can sometimes be excessively sensitive. This isn’t a big deal, but it’s something to keep in mind if you rub your sideburns a lot.

The programmable button is one of the great successes. In my case, I configured it to send voice messages via WhatsApp: something as simple as letting me know that I’m coming back from an errand or asking me if I should buy something before going home. This is a perfect example of how these glasses can be real practicesnot just technological.

Camera: Record without thinking (and without taking out your phone)

The camera is one of the key elements of these glasses. It is located on the facade, which makes perfect sense in a sports product: what you record is exactly what you see.

We are talking about a sensor 12 megapixelsultra wide angle lens 122nd and video recording in 1080p at 30 and 60 fps and in 3K at 30 fps.

Includes standard, slow motion and hyperlapse. The quality is good, more than enough to capture workouts, routes, landscapes or specific moments without having to take out your phone or carry a action camera on.

Additionally, when the camera is active, a visible LED lights up, an important detail in terms of privacy.

Audio and microphones: one of its strong points

Meta claims the speakers are on par with a 60% more powerful than in previous models. And the feeling is very good. The sound is clear, with sufficient volume even when running or cycling, and without isolating you from the environment.

If someone comes very close, you might hear a slight whisper, but it’s not something annoying or obvious. It’s a similar experience to bone conduction or open-back headphones.

THE five microphones They work well for calls and voice commands. In my use, I haven’t noticed any latency or issues, although I haven’t tested them at very high speeds. In any case, they are clearly designed to work on the move and in wind.

Meta AI, applications and ecosystem: practical, although mobile dependent

Configuration is simple from the application beginning. The experience is in Spanish and allows you to link services such as WhatsApp, Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, Strava, Garmin, Apple Health and others.

Here Meta plays with an advantage: its ecosystem apps it’s huge and it shows. The integration with Garmin – I tested them with a 43mm Garmin FENIX 8 model – works particularly well and makes the glasses a good complement for training.

Yes indeed, you have to assume two things: you need your mobile phone to configure them and for part of the use and the deeper integration is designed for Garmin, with other watches or platforms it is more limited.

AI is not revolutionary, but it is functional and practical. It accompanies you, informs you and allows you to do things without touching the phone. And in a sports product, that adds up.

The case and the battery: where the sacrifices begin

Here are the concessions. He the charging case is large and bulky. If you want to carry it “just in case”, you need a backpack or bag. It’s not something you easily put in your pocket and a more compact solution is missing. Like the new Ray-Ban Meta screens, which have a foldable cover.

In addition, No charger or USB-C cable included. It’s a small detail, but difficult to justify in a product of this price.

The battery offers up to 9 hours of useexpandable to 36 with case. It’s not the best on the market, but it’s enough for normal training. If you do very long sessions or use the camera a lot, you will need to monitor it.

The opinion of a professional athlete: the problem that matters

To complete the analysis, I asked professional athlete Sergio Serrano to test them. His conclusion is clear: they seem to be a good option for bike and mountainbut detected a major problem.

In your case, the glasses sometimes foggy. Not constantly, but enough to generate insecurity during visits trackwhere not seeing the terrain clearly can be a serious problem.

It wasn’t bad on the way up, but it was on the way down. When they weren’t fogging up, visibility was good and connecting to the watch seemed easy.

This is an important nuance: in high-intensity sports, visibility is non-negotiable.

Conclusion

The Oakley Meta Vanguard are a very well designed, very well constructed product with a very clear objective: support those who practice sport intensely and regularly. They’re not trying to be smart glasses for everything, nor are they trying to hide what they are. They are large, sporty and technical, and they function all the better as the use entrusted to them is more demanding.

In everyday life they can be excessive, but when you go out for a run you do it trackyou ride a bike or train outdoors, its proposition makes sense: hands-free camera, powerful audio without isolating you, well-thought-out physical controls and integration with sports services that adds value, especially if you use Garmin. The experience is solid, comfortable, and in many ways surprisingly mature for a format that’s still finding its feet.

Of course, its limitations should not be ignored. He the price is high (549 euros)the case is bulky, they depend on the cell phone and are not repairable if something happens to them, which could be common if we use them for extreme sports. Additionally, in very specific uses, such as track On the descent, problems such as fogging may appear, which must be taken into account if you practice this type of sport.

In short, the Oakley Meta Vanguard is like a high-performance vehicle: They are not designed for everyone or everythingbut if you fit their profile and know why you want them, they offer a differential experience that few smart glasses today can match.