Oakley Meta Vanguard Review: The Do-It-All Smart Glasses

There are so many times when you’re just running and pass something beautiful. It’s so easy to just say, “Hey Meta, start taking video” and just get a quick clip as you happen to be zipping past. You can also customize the Action button to pick different filming modes, like slow motion or hyperlapse.

The Garmin integration is also designed to address your social media needs. Yes, it syncs with Meta AI, allowing the glasses to tell you if you’re hitting your target pace or HR zones—something I don’t think you really need if you’re already wearing a beeping, buzzing Garmin on your wrist. What you’re really wearing the watch to do is to trigger the camera’s autocapture at key moments in your workout, so you can put together highlight reels and overlay your Garmin stats on top of it afterwards.

That this is a device for social media fitness is also reflected in the fact that you’re limited in your filming to 30-second, 1-minute, 3-minute, and 5-minute clips. Meta informs me that most people usually just keep it to 30-second video clips, all the better for TikToks and Reels. You can also set the clips to auto-import, so it’s just in your Photos library when you think back to check and post on Instagram.

I’m private on Strava; I don’t really need anyone to witness my leisurely 10-minute mile trail runs. But every running influencer who is filming “Mile 1!” all the way through “Mile 26.2!” of their latest marathon is going to love these.

Outside of the fitness stuff, I do think the Meta AI assistant is kind of fun. I have a few friends who can identify plants and animals as we’re hiking. Meta AI can do that on a basic level, even if it’s not up to pinpointing specific varietals. I do think it’s a bit of a superpower to be able to identify if you’re not sure if those flowers are zinnias or dahlias as you pass. Nota bene: I would not ask Meta AI or any other chatbot super personal questions. I would also go into Settings, Data & Privacy, and Remove All Public Vibes (ew!) because I find everything about Meta AI as a social media platform to be (double ew!) gross, but that’s just me.