Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses launch with Garmin integration
Meta used its Connect 2025 event to showcase the Oakley Meta Vanguard, a $499 pair of smart glasses built with athletes in mind. Launching October 21, the glasses connect with Garmin watches and cycling computers to deliver real-time stats by voice. The idea of training without glancing at a wrist has caught some attention, but early reactions suggest people want more, from longer video recording to a proper heads-up display.
Meta’s previous such effort came only a few months ago with the Oakley Meta HSTN, announced in June and shipped by late August. That release felt more like a lifestyle experiment with a sporty twist, rather than something designed for athletes chasing performance. The Vanguard is arriving quickly on its heels, this time pitched as a more serious training companion.
What the Oakley Meta Vanguard offers
These new glasses feature a large unified front lens instead of the twin corner cameras found on Meta’s other eyewear. Video capture goes up to 3K resolution through a 12-megapixel camera with a 122-degree wide-angle lens. The glasses also introduce a programmable button that can be assigned to AI prompts in the Meta app, useful for quick commands while wearing helmets.
Battery life stretches to nine hours, or six with music playback. A charging case provides an extra 36 hours of power. A 20-minute top-up gets the glasses back to 50 percent. Open-ear speakers are six decibels louder than the Oakley Meta HSTN, while a five-microphone array helps cut wind noise during activity. The wraparound design uses Oakley PRIZM lenses and carries an IP67 rating against dust and water.
Garmin and Meta team up
The big story here is the integration with Garmin devices. Athletes can now request performance metrics such as heart rate or pace by simply saying “Hey Meta.” The glasses then respond with audible feedback, freeing users from checking their watch mid-run or ride.
The integration also ties into video. Milestones such as split times can trigger automatic recording, creating a recap highlight reel in the Meta app. These videos can be overlaid with Garmin metrics and shared to platforms such as Strava, Instagram, and Facebook.
Garmin’s press release calls this a “hands-free training experience” and suggests the partnership could be expanded with post-activity insights and summaries. At launch, the feature is US-only, but wider availability is expected.
Early reaction from users
The response on social media has been mixed. Some runners and cyclists like the idea of asking for stats mid-run without looking at their watch, and the auto-generated highlight videos do appeal to people who like sharing their workouts. A few even see the Vanguard as moving in the right direction, especially compared to other glasses like the Engo 2.
But a lot of people are hung up on what’s missing. There’s no heads-up display, which is what most actually want. Things like pace, distance, heart rate – they’d rather see those at a glance than have to ask out loud. Without a visual overlay, the whole hands-free pitch starts to feel less useful.
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The camera hasn’t won many people over either. Recording time tops out at around three minutes, which isn’t much. Some are also hoping future versions will let you customise when stats are read out, maybe tied to your splits or Garmin alerts. That would make it feel more integrated instead of something you have to constantly trigger.
Price is another sticking point. At $499, a lot of users feel it’s just not there yet. If the glasses had more storage, a proper display, and looked a bit more like regular shades, the interest would probably jump. But for now, most seem happy to wait and see where Meta takes this next.
Where things stand
The Oakley Meta Vanguard gives a glimpse of where smart glasses and fitness tracking could go, but this first version feels pretty tame. It’s clearly built for workouts, with tough lenses, good battery life, and proper water and dust protection. Still, plenty of people are waiting for something better.
The Garmin link-up does hint at what this could become. Maybe one day you won’t need to check your watch at all. But for now, it’s early days. The idea’s solid, but it hasn’t fully landed yet.
Alongside the Vanguard, Meta also pulled the wraps off its latest Ray-Ban models. These include the Ray-Ban Meta Display with a built-in screen and a wrist-worn band for control, as well as the Ray-Ban Meta 2 that doubles battery life and pushes video capture up to 3K Ultra HD. While the Vanguard leans into sport and outdoor training, the Ray-Ban line keeps its focus on everyday wear, social sharing and new ways of interacting with apps.
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