I ran, raved, and road-tripped with AI

A few months ago, I was seated beside a man muttering to himself on the subway. Not exactly unusual while taking public transportation, but then I realized he wasn’t actually talking to himself. He was talking to his sunglasses.

They were from Meta, which first launched its smart glasses two years ago and unveiled the upgraded second generation this September.

On Meta’s site, a sleek promo video plays beside the line: “AI glasses blend form and function, helping you stay connected and present — in style.” The eloquent yet somewhat ambiguous messaging left me wondering just how present a piece of wearable technology can really make you feel.

With the upgraded Meta Wayfarers, you can take calls through discreet open-ear speakers, send and receive texts, listen to music, ask for directions, check the weather, snap photos and even ask them to identify what you’re looking at. You can also take hands-free video footage, a major draw for runners.

In many ways, Meta AI acts like a personal assistant — or, as my boomer-mom puts says, “It’s like having Siri strapped to your face,” which, for someone who isn’t exactly tech-savvy, feels oddly accurate.

AI is already everywhere: in the robots packing our Amazon boxes, the algorithms writing our playlists, and the search bars we confess our deepest secrets to.

Smart glasses feel like a natural evolution in our technology and have certainly caught buzz on social media, but as a parent, I still can’t ignore the darker side.

It’s unsettling to think how easily someone could record people or places with these glasses, even with their tiny recording light (which, by the way, isn’t super obvious in bright light).

Because of this, the glasses have come under some scrutiny for related privacy concerns. Most recently, an influencer went in for a Brazilian wax, only to discover her waxer was wearing them.

In my quest to understand the benefits (as well as the safety concerns) of this new technology, I spent a month testing a pair and exploring the features.

Meta folded in customer feedback when designing the new-and-improved Gen 2 glasses. The update brings double the battery life (up to eight hours), significantly faster photo and video transfers and crisper camera resolution. Style-wise, they’re slightly lighter, with sturdier hinges and a noticeably brighter recording light, which functions as the cue for anyone nearby when you hit record. On the storage and audio front, the Meta Gen 2 glasses are essentially the same as the Gen 1. They feature 32 GB of storage (1,000-plus photos, 100-plus 30s videos) and a 5-microphone array for clear and discreet audio.

Frame model: Wayfarer style | Camera: 12 MP ultra-wide angle sensor | Video capability: Up to 3K resolution | Audio: Dual open-ear speakers and a 5-mic array | Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth | Storage: 32 GB flash memory | Battery life: Up to ~8 hours of use on a single charge

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Over the past two weeks, these glasses have gone everywhere with me. I’ve taken them on a two-and-a-half-hour road trip with a tireless toddler, asked them to build me a skincare routine, translated my German friend’s slang and even brought them to Diplo’s Run Club in New York City.

In between all that, I’ve spent time digging into their features, including camera quality, sound performance, Meta AI capabilities and even some surprisingly useful health tools. I’ve compared them to other wearables to figure out exactly who the Ray-Ban Metas are made for. And yes, for slightly vain reasons, I’ve also considered their style and lens options.

A shopping writer at heart, I’ve also looked at how these $459 smart glasses stack up price-wise against regular sunglasses.

Set-up and App

I’ve set up all sorts of gadgets over the years, and more often than not, I end up throwing my hands in the air and calling for backup. That wasn’t the case with these glasses.

The Ray-Ban Meta glasses only have two buttons: a power switch on the left arm and a capture button on the top of the right frame.

New users download the Meta AI mobile app, log in with their Meta account, grant access to their data, and hold the power button for five seconds. Once the LED light starts blinking, the app will detect the glasses. From there, you can follow the on-screen prompts to watch a quick tutorial on how to use the glasses.

The Meta AI app will be your home base. All images and videos captured from the glasses are stored in the app, so you’ll need to import them to your camera roll when you want to share or save them. You’ll also have the option to sync the glasses with other apps, like Apple Music, Apple Health and even Strava. The entire setup process took me less than five minutes.

Meta AI

Arguably, the Meta AI is the most fascinating feature that the glasses have.

When I first walked through a demo, I was floored by how well these glasses understood my voice and commands. They’re like Siri but smarter, and integrate into real life better.

Every command starts with “Hey Meta” — a phrase you should start getting comfortable with, because you probably will have to repeat yourself.

I found that some requests were easy for my glasses; like making calls, sending texts, asking for the weather or skipping something on my playlist.

Occasionally, there would be a little lag time in the response, but the only times it struggled were in really noisy environments (like concerts or crowded streets), where background noise made it harder to hear.

What really blew me away was how the AI assistant can handle more creative and complex requests, from estimating how many calories were in my lox bagel to determining what type of skincare routine I should be using. When I needed to cancel plans, I asked Meta to write a polite text, and it came up with a response that was not only courteous but impressively non-robotic.

Using the live translation feature, which is accessible through the Meta app, the glasses were even able to translate most of my German friend’s slang. For someone who travels frequently, two-way translation is a very compelling feature. And it’s available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese.

Here’s where things started to get a little weird: Meta AI can actually identify objects.

During the demo, I tested its visual smarts by saying, “Hey Meta, what kind of flowers are these, and how much water do these flowers need?” — and yes, it answered both correctly. However, there were some limitations.

Meta got a little confused when I asked it to identify my dog’s breed (though, to be fair, even his doggy DNA test wasn’t 100% certain.) And while walking through the city, the camera struggled to lock onto objects when I moved too quickly.

In my opinion, recognition is one feature that edges into slightly unsettling territory. Identifying flowers is neat, but when it comes to recognizing dogs, or potentially people, it starts to feel invasive. There was some speculation that Meta’s newest glasses could include a “super-sensing” feature with facial recognition, allowing them to recall people by name. However, these glasses don’t currently have that type of technology to do this on their own.

Camera Quality

Maybe the most appealing feature for visual people and adventurers is the smooth, 3K ultra-HD video quality and hands-free capture. All you have to do is say, “Hey Meta, take a video,” and they obey.

The glasses alert you with a subtle chime when they’re recording, and the outside world can see a small LED light in the corner of the frame that glows whenever a photo or video is being taken. Full disclosure: the light can be hard to spot in bright sunlight, which, from a privacy standpoint, is a bit concerning.

Still, the hands-free concept is one of the most appealing features for anyone who loves action. I decided to test it at one of NYC’s most talked-about wellness events: Diplo’s Run Club, a scenic 5K through Flushing Meadows that ends with an electrifying DJ set. Basically, the crème de la crème of content for Meta glasses.

Music and sporting events are times when you want to use your phone because of their “Instagrammability,” but don’t want to kill the vibe. I found that the Meta glasses allowed me to stay in the moment while also getting those desired shots for social.

Despite the joyful chaos of people running and dancing all around me (where my iPhone footage would’ve been a blurry mess), the videos from the bouncy 5K and high-energy DJ set came out crisp. The ultrawide 12MP camera delivers a near–GoPro-level perspective, and the running shots were impressively stable. The dancing and head shaking proved a little less stable, but the footage was still in focus.

The Wayfarer style isn’t exactly designed for sports, but they stayed firmly in place while we chased Diplo, danced for two hours, and sweated and stumbled across the festival grounds. Even between passing them back and forth with my friends (which we did plenty of), there was no issue with fit. (Honestly, they were more secure than I expected and comfortable enough that I almost forgot I was wearing them.)

Better yet, we had the glasses on us at all times, so we could capture the spontaneous moment Diplo himself showed up at a hydration drink pop-up, and snag some fast footage while running past the iconic Flushing Meadows’ Rocket Thrower sculpture. When we were ready, the Meta glasses were too — scrambling for our phones.

The drawback hit somewhere between a surprise appearance by A$AP Ferg and a remix of “Your Love,” when my glasses’ battery suddenly dropped to 8%. Capturing a lot of content drains the battery fast. Fortunately, the included charging case (which looks just like a regular Ray-Ban case) functions just like a portable charger, and you can get back to about 50% in about 20 minutes. That is, if you remember to bring said charger.

The upside? I stayed fully present throughout this exhilarating rave-to-run event. It was far easier to appreciate the music, move freely through Flushing Meadows and soak up the crowd’s energy without breaking the moment to pull out my phone. That’s when I started to believe Meta’s messaging: these glasses are built to blend into real life — not interrupt it.

Sound Quality

I love music, and I hate AirPods. I still haven’t found a pair that actually stays in my ears comfortably (and yes, I’ve tried all the tips). Over-the-ear headphones aren’t always practical, and apparently, the old dangly headphones are fashionably deceased. The Meta glasses are my saving grace in that regard.

Instead of sitting in your ears, the directional open-ear speakers rest just in front of them, so you can still faintly hear the world around you. Five built-in microphones deliver crisp, clear audio, and the speakers, which are built into the arms of the glasses, are designed so that only you can hear what’s playing.

When I showed my friends this feature, they were genuinely mind-blown. Our headphone tester compared the quality to her $300 Beats, explaining, “You’re still getting a bit of noise-cancellation, but you’re also aware of your surroundings. And, nobody else can hear you.”

The only part that frustrated me was the volume control. You can either ask Meta to turn the volume up or down, which works decently, or swipe your finger along the side of the frame. That takes a bit of practice to get right, and it wasn’t always as responsive as I’d like, especially when I was moving.

Health Features

Besides Diplo’s 5K, I was able to get a few runs in with the Ray-Ban Metas. They pair with Strava, which sounds like a great feature in theory, but turned out to be a bit more limited than I expected.

Essentially, the integration allows you to overlay your workout stats onto captured videos and photos, creating a little “highlight reel” to share on social media or Stava. In that sense, it’s more about showing off than serious health tracking.

There is a slightly more useful element. You can also sync the glasses with Garmin, Apple Health, or Android’s Health Connect to access post-workout summaries. Meta AI can answer questions like “How long was my last workout?” or “What was my altitude on my previous run?” This type of information is still pretty surface-level compared to what a dedicated fitness tracker offers.

So, they might not track your reps, but these glasses do offer some thoughtful features for nutrition, meal planning, and following dietary guidelines. As Adam Schubak, our senior manager of growth, discovered, they’re especially useful while grocery shopping.

“As a diabetic, I have strict orders from my doctor about what I should and shouldn’t eat. Wearing the glasses to the grocery store saved me a ton of time and effort,” he told me. “I could look at different fruits and vegetables and ask Meta which were the best sources of fiber.”

Inspired by my coworker’s use case, I decided to put the glasses to the test and asked them for some recipes based on the scraps I had in my fridge. If you can tell from the photo, it’s a bit of a maze in there. AI did most of the work for me, calculating appropriate measurements and what substitutions I could use.

The glasses gave me step-by-step instructions, helping me throw together a simple chicken-and-rice dish for my daughter and a smoothie recipe for myself. Honestly, it was one of the most practical experiences I had while testing the Ray-Ban Metas over the past month. And, the food didn’t taste bad, either.

Design

Let’s talk design. The Wayfarers are timeless, versatile and stylish without being flashy, which is ideal, since you don’t exactly want to draw attention to yourself while talking to your glasses. Fortunately, I think it’s mostly in my head. Almost everyone I showed them to thought they were normal glasses.

The frames come with a range of lens options, like Shiny Cosmic Blue, Matte Black, Shiny Black and Gradient Graphite. Frame size and fit are customizable, ensuring the glasses sit comfortably on your face. Transitional, polarized and clear versions are available. And, with a few extra steps, you can order prescription lenses as well.

I found the sizing spot-on and was pleasantly surprised by how lightweight the Meta glasses were. At around 50 grams, they feel just like a regular pair of sunglasses. Really, the only cue that they’re embedded with tech is the camera.

How They Compare to Other Models

Ray-Ban Metas are a wonderful pair of shades for everyday living, but they aren’t especially sporty. They’re Wayfarers, after all. For activities like snowboarding or running, you might want a pair of Meta glasses that are actually built for performance — something like Meta’s Oakley AI glasses.

The Oakley Vanguards feature robust IP67 water and dust resistance, along with a sport-focused design that stays in place with built-in nose pads. A slightly longer battery life, wind-optimized audio and slow-motion capabilities also make them an attractive choice for athletes.

In fact, one of our editors’ husbands ran the NYC Marathon wearing Oakley Meta Glasses. He was initially skeptical, thinking they might be complicated to set up. Now, he considers them a “must for races,” and plans to use them while training with friends.

“The most useful function is the hands-free, voice-activated video and photo function,” he shared, adding, “The video, audio, and photo quality is exceptional. The glasses in no way slowed me down. They didn’t speed me up either. Although I did confuse runners close to me when I spoke to Meta.”

Beyond the Oakleys, Meta also offers a more advanced everyday option: the Ray-Ban Display with the Meta Neural Band, available exclusively in stores. This model features a discreet in-lens display controlled through subtle hand gestures. In other words, everything you need appears right in the corner of your eye — and no, no one else can see it.

The Ray-Ban Display feels very futuristic. That said, mastering the gesture controls takes a bit of practice, and with a price tag of $799, the new design is not for everyone. For those who aren’t especially tech-savvy, the standard Ray-Ban Gen 2s might be the more approachable choice.

Who are the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses best for?

The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are designed for all kinds of users: people juggling chaotic schedules, world travelers navigating new languages, those focused on optimizing their health and, in some cases, anyone trying to be a little more present while still capturing the moment. They are functional, yet simple enough for most people to use with ease.

It’s worth noting, these glasses are not meant for kids, as much as your toddler will want to listen to Baby Shark with them. According to the Meta site, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are designed for users over the age of 13 and require a Meta account and a smartphone to set up.

The age restriction also relates to health concerns, including potential eye strain and prolonged sound exposure. Of course, there are also safety considerations, as the glasses provide access to the digital world in ways that children might not be ready to navigate responsibly.

That said, I’d argue there are some real benefits for parents.

Over the course of two weeks, I frequently asked the glasses for ideas to entertain my tireless two-year-old (they suggested melted crayon art and homemade obstacle courses). On a two-hour road trip, I was also able to get directions without pulling out my phone, and I could still hear my child the entire time. For any parent juggling endless tasks with only two hands, the hands-free functionality is incredibly helpful.

Final Thoughts

At the end of my journey, the question remained: are these just another flashy tech trend, or are they actually worth the hype and the $459 price tag?

As a wellness writer, I’m naturally cautious about leaning too heavily on any kind of smart tech — even the most basic forms (as my AI researcher friend likes to remind me, this type of AI is still novice). Still, there’s a subtle unease in putting in minimal effort, while the algorithm can churn out an encyclopedia of knowledge to respond to your every need. I like to think there’s value in working for the answers, too.

Yet, here I am in the concrete jungle: phone in my back pocket, laptop in my work bag, earbuds tucked into my sleeve. And now, AI glasses are on my face. These glasses do offer some clear benefits for everyday life. You can attend concerts without fumbling for your phone, prep nutritious meals more seamlessly, or go for a run without constantly glancing at a watch.

Considering Meta glasses only cost about $200 more than regular Ray-Bans, I think they’re a solid investment for anyone interested in wearable tech. But, I also hope we never reach a point where you can point them at someone and pull up their social media profiles. That, for me, crosses the line.

How We Tested

While testing the second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I evaluated the ease of setup, audio and video performance, AI assistant capabilities, fitness and health features, as well as overall fit and design.

• Set-up and Meta AI app: I evaluated how easy it was to set up the Ray-Ban Meta glasses using the Meta AI app, as well as syncing them with other apps like Apple Health, Apple Music and Strava. I also uploaded images and videos from the glasses directly to the camera roll via the app and navigated additional offerings and recommendations from the Meta AI app.
• Audio and Video Features: I put the hands-free audio and video features to the test, using the open-air speaker system to evaluate the spatial audio and noise-cancellation performance. For video, I brought the Ray-Bans to various events — including concerts and races — to see how stable, clear and vivid the dual cameras really were in real-world scenarios.
• AI Assistant: One of the most fascinating features of these glasses is how they handle both everyday tasks and more complex requests. I tested everything from sending texts, making calls, and playing music, to live translations, directions, identifying objects and asking for information or suggestions to make everyday life simpler (from cooking advice to building a skincare routine).
• Fitness and health: While the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are somewhat limited in precise fitness tracking, I made use of the Strava overlay feature and captured content during runs to evaluate their accuracy. For health features, I tested how well the glasses could provide recipe suggestions and answer dietary questions while grocery shopping.
• Fit and Design: While testing the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, I evaluated their overall fit and comfort, taking note of the variety of lens options — including prescription and transition lenses — as well as the different colors and customizable sizing available. I also made note of how secure the glasses were during physical activities, including running and dancing.

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This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Longevity Mix to home gym elliptical machines to Jennifer Aniston’s favorite workout platform – often with her adorable one-year old daughter by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.

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This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Longevity Mix to home gym elliptical machines to Jennifer Aniston’s favorite workout platform – often with her adorable one-year old daughter by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.

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