Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses review: The new gold standard

Ever since rumors started swirling of Meta partnering with more EssilorLuxottica brands, we’ve been salivating over the idea of having Oakley-branded smart glasses on our faces. That day is finally here, and it’s the representation of Meta doubling down on its vision that AI glasses are the future, and anyone without a pair is going to start feeling left out in life.

It’s similar to the way people started talking about smartphones after the original iPhone was announced, and it feels like a paradigm shift in computing has already begun. Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses aren’t a revolution over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, but they do represent an important evolution over those specs.

In addition to the unique Oakley HSTN style, these frames offer the choice of Prizm polarized lenses, better video capture stabilization, longer battery life, and a case that’ll keep your glasses charged longer than before. They’re a solid improvement, albeit maybe a tad on the expensive side, especially for the limited edition pair.

I’ve been using Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses since July 16, 2025, for this review.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Price and availablility

Limited-edition Warm White Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses launched in late July 2025 for $499. This limited edition pair features Prizm 24K polarized lenses and is currently the only way to buy Oakley Meta HSTNs. Additional styles and lens selections will be available in Fall 2025 and will retail for $399 and above.

At that point, lens styles will include Prizm, Prizm Polarized, Clear, and Transition lenses. Prescription options are available with a range of -6.00 to +4.00, which is the same range Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses offer.

Each pair of Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses ships with a charging storage case, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a set of warranty manuals and instructions. You can see an unboxing here.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Specs

Oakley Meta HSTN: Are the Prizm lenses worth it?

Later this Fall, Meta will offer more Oakley styles and lens choices, but as of this writing, the only choice is to buy them with 24K Prizm polarized lenses. That choice makes these $100 more expensive than the base $399 price, but are Prizm lenses worth the extra cost? If you’re using them as sunglasses, I say yes.

My Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have transition lenses on them, a choice that’ll be available on Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses soon. But while the transition lenses are convenient and allow me to wear the Ray-Bans indoors and out, the level of tinting even in bright sunlight leaves a lot to be desired.

To illustrate this, I set my camera to manual shutter speed and ISO so it wouldn’t adjust the brightness level to compensate for dark conditions. I then snapped a picture of this brightly-lit area to showcase just how good Prizm polarized lens tinting is.

Seriously, the luminance difference with these is astounding, and I find Prizm lenses to be unquestionably comfortable in sunlight. Since Oakley Meta HSTN lenses are “built for athletes” and anyone spending a lot of time outdoors, it seems like a smart idea that Meta only offered this choice initially.

But Prizm lenses don’t just offer good tinting. They also “enhance vibrance and visual experience,” according to Oakley. I’ve never used a pair of Prizm lenses before these glasses, and now I realize what I’ve been missing. Again, I took a camera to the lenses to showcase what you’ll see with Prizm lenses, this time with normal brightness compensation enabled.

The first time I put the glasses on, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Suddenly, green grass looked impossibly green, as if it came from a Studio Ghibli movie. Everything was warmer, brighter, and just generally pleasant to look at.

I wouldn’t say these lenses enhance clarity, but they certainly do something awesome to the world’s colors and are a great bonus on top of the already excellent tinting level.

Oakley Meta HSTN: What you’ll like

Anyone planning to use Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses to record their marathon runs, sports outings, or other high-energy events is going to be thrilled with what Meta did here. While the 3K resolution camera doesn’t do much for image quality, Meta uses the extra resolution to better stabilize video capture, and it feels like magic.

Through my testing, I tried using them for everything from daily runs to a Spartan Race, and was impressed with how stable video capture remained even through the bumpiest events. It’s a substantial improvement over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, and it achieves exactly what Meta was going for.

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In general, I preferred using these to take pictures and video over any of the glasses’ other functions. Video capture, in particular, is such an excellent use of these since it provides a unique perspective that frees up both of your hands and your full body to do normal things without having to worry about holding (or dropping) a phone.

They’re also faster than a phone to take a picture or record a video since they’re ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just press the button or ask Meta to start a video or snap a picture.

Oakley Meta smart glasses running and working out tests: SMOOTH operator! – YouTube

Watch On

Outside of this, the experience isn’t functionally any different from Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses. They act like a pair of open-ear headphones, but the sound quality isn’t noticeably improved over Ray-Ban Metas. Still, I loved using these as a way to talk on the phone hands-free while driving. They’re even better than my Ray-Bans because of the tinting provided by the Oakley Prizm lenses.

Meta AI works exactly the same as it does on Ray-Ban Metas, including the choice of using the “Hey, Meta” keyword or just tapping the right temple touchpad to invoke the assistant. Because it can use the cameras and microphones from the glasses, Meta AI is an incredibly powerful tool that can be helpful in tons of situations.

For example, I was walking around my backyard and noticed a newly planted rhododendron was looking pretty fried on one side. I asked Meta AI what could be happening, and it suggested that the plant might be getting too much sun.

Upon further inspection, I realized the fried side was facing the westward sun. Given that it’s high summer at this point, that made a lot of sense, and I ended up relocating the plant to a shadier spot. Meta AI effectively saved my plant, and it’s just one of the many reasons it’s incredibly useful to have on a pair of glasses.

Oakley Meta HSTN: What needs improvement

If there’s anything these glasses need, it’s some padding for the temple arms. The glasses are nice and tight on my head, and don’t wobble at all for most tasks. In the video above, I took it out for several runs and went through several different types of exercises that all involved lots of body movement.

The only time they failed to stay on my head was when I was doing burpees, which involve dropping to the floor to essentially do a push-up, then standing up and jumping at the top. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses held on far better, and it’s because the temple arms are curved at the end.

Because the Oakley temple arms come to a smaller, straight point, I found them to be less comfortable than the Ray-Ban design when wearing them for hours. Again, a set of rubber temple pads should help this a lot.

Beyond comfort, Oakley Meta HSTN battery life still leaves a bit to be desired. If you’re using it for mixed purposes — that is, asking Meta AI a few questions, listening to some music, and taking a few photos or videos — these glasses still can’t last a whole day on a single charge.

Now, that’s not to say there isn’t a notable improvement. As my Oakley Meta HSTN battery review showed, you’ll get roughly 60% better battery life from these glasses. That’s not double the battery life as Meta’s estimates show, but it’s an improvement that’s far better than the annual upgrade most modern smart products offer.

I was also disappointed that the new 3K camera didn’t improve image quality to any meaningful degree. You’ll find fewer compression artifacts and some slightly crisper imagery when choosing 3K resolution in the Meta AI app’s glasses settings, but it’s not worth the tradeoff in battery life or image stabilization. Stick with 1080p, the default out-of-the-box setting.

Oakley Meta HSTN: Should you buy them?

You should buy them if….

• You want a hands-free way to take pictures or video, make phone calls, listen to music, or chat with Meta AI.
• You love Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses but need longer battery life.
• You want a pair of Oakley’s with lots of extra functionality.

You shouldn’t buy them if….

• You are planning to record over an hour of video or listen to music for more than 3 hours per charge.
• You want a pair of smart glasses with a display.
• You don’t want to give Meta any more of your data than it already has.

Oakley Meta HSTN are the best smart glasses Meta has made to date, featuring better video capture, longer battery life, and incredible Oakley Prizm lenses. The battery upgrade alone is a reason to choose them over Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, so long as you have the budget for it.

And that’s the biggest problem with Oakley Meta HSTN: the price. Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses retail for $299 and can sometimes be found on sale for $250 or less. Oakley Meta HSTN start at $399 and really only offer two main advantages: better image stabilization during video capture, and roughly 60% better battery life. There’s no doubt both of these are great selling points, but it’s hard to justify $100 extra for them.

But if you want the best of the best, these perfectly fit the bill. They’re by far the best AI smart glasses on the market and they provide the best camera capture quality you’ll find on any glasses to date. Regular updates for Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses tell us that these will see new features for years to come, and it helps make the $399+ price tag a little more palatable in the end. So long as you’re OK with Meta gathering more of your data, of course.