I biked with the Meta Oakley Vanguard, and they're easily the best smart glasses for athletes

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The Meta Oakley Vanguards start at $499 and come in four shades. They're based on the classic Sphaera design. The glasses pair with Garmin for real-time workout info. I'm not a professional snowboarder, nor will I ever bike down a mountain like I have nine lives, but putting on the new Meta Oakley Vanugard glasses this week sure gave me false hope. The Vanguards were introduced at Meta Connect this week alongside two other pairs of Ray-Ban-branded glasses. And while I expected these to interest me the least -- because the extent of my workouts is chasing the subway to the office -- I left my hands-on session with curiosity and exhilaration. Also: Meta Connect 2025 live updates: Ray-Ban Display, Oakley Vanguard glasses, more These are only the second pair of smart glasses designed under the Oakley brand, but the polish and finesse are evident, from the improved speakers embedded within the thin yet durable frame to the IP67 rating to the health and fitness ecosystem in which Meta has surrounded the Vanguard with. Here's what's new with the wearable, and why they may be an even bigger hit than expected. The Oakley Vanguard come in four Prizm-based lenses. Jason Hiner/ZDNET For starters, the Vanguards are very much inspired by the classic Oakley Sphaera visors, with a design that snowboarders, runners, bikers, and more can vouch for. Besides the camera and various components on the frames, these could pass as just another pair of sportswear. But the technology is impressive. Meta has carried over the best features of the Oakley HSTN model to the Vanguard, including the 12MP camera sensor that can capture at 3K resolution (capped at 30fps) and a six-hour-plus battery life. Also: I tried smart glasses with a built-in display, and they beat my Meta Ray-Bans in key ways Only this time, the camera is positioned in the middle of the frame, just above the nose pads, for a more optimal recording experience. Meta says the camera positioning, along with the various buttons along the frames, is purposely placed on the bottom side of the glasses so that athletes can wear helmets and other headwear more comfortably. Speaking of which, the Vanguards come with a new action button that users can program to prompt a specific Meta AI query or even start a specific video-recording mode, like slow-motion capture (which is capped at 720p or 1080p). I'm all for remappable buttons, and the tactility of this one makes sense since the target customer is always on the go. Kerry Wan/ZDNET Meta is particularly proud of the audio system on these smart glasses, as they're not only louder than what's on the Ray-Bans and HSTN but should be audible even when the user is moving at 30 mph. I'll have to test that out myself, so long as my wife is willing to tell me when I'm moving at 30 mph so I can prove a point, but it's a bold claim nonetheless. The Vanguard has one big advantage over competing smart glasses, including Meta's existing lineup: health-tracking integrations. Meta is primarily working with Garmin on this for now, but you can essentially ask Meta AI for your fitness statistics in real time, so long as you're wearing a Garmin smartwatch. Also: Meta Ray-Bans vs. Oakley: I tested both smart glasses, there's a clear winner I demoed the integration by hopping on a stationary bike. As I pedaled, I asked Meta AI questions like "How fast am I cycling?" and "How far have I biked?" The responses were surprisingly fast and at a volume that felt clear enough to process even as I struggled to go up a virtual hill. This was demonstrated in a controlled environment; you may not have as quick a response when you're pedalling through a forest or mountain range. Meta says users can pair the glasses to platforms like Apple Health and Google Fit, too, but those will only provide fitness information after exercises and not during. Hopefully, that will change in the near future. The Meta Oakley Vanguard smart glasses are available for preorder now and officially go on sale on October 29 at a starting price of $499, $100 more than the HSTN models and $150 more than the new second-generation Ray-Bans. But for serious athletes and folks who just want to look cool, these feel like a worthwhile investment that may only get better with time.