Meta Ray-Bans for 20% off is a great deal on one of my favorite products

Among the most popular tech products of the last year, the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses have been the surprise hit. Amazon is currently offering the version with the classic black frames for $239 (20% off the $299 retail price). 

This is an especially excellent deal when you consider that many styles of the Meta Ray-Bans were often out of stock for much of the first half of last year — and the smart glasses have rarely been discounted. A lot of the appeal is the fact that they look just like normal Ray-Bans, and you can even replace the lenses with your own glasses prescription. 

The caveat to keep in mind here is that Amazon sells eight different styles of the Meta Ray-Bans, and it’s the classic black frames with green-tinted lenses that are on sale for the lowest price. Other styles cost $30 to $80 more. For example, if you want to wear these smart glasses both inside and outside, then you can get a pair with transition lenses. Those normally retail for $379, but Amazon is offering them 20% off, for $303. 

I tried the Meta Ray-Bans earlier this year and was much more impressed than I expected. First, to be clear, they are augmented reality glasses, but they’re audio-only, so there’s no screen overlaid on the lenses. All the feedback comes through the speakers that down-fire into your ears and are hidden in the arms of the glasses. 

Also: Why Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses are my favorite tech purchase this year

I was also pleasantly surprised by the audio quality. For phone calls and conference calls and for listening to podcasts and audiobooks, the sound is nearly as bright and clear as a pair of AirPods or other quality earbuds. For listening to music, movies, or shows with lots of bass and surround sound effects, the Meta Ray-Bans are acceptable but not nearly as robust as a pair of high-end headphones from Apple, Sony, Bose, and others. 

And because of the open concept, naturally the Meta Ray-Bans can’t offer the kind of noise cancellation that you get from AirPods Pro or the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, for example. All in all, the sound of the Meta Ray-Bans is similar to what you get from the AirPods Pro in transparency mode.

But, the Meta Ray-Bans can also do things that no headphones can do. They have a built-in 12-megapixel ultrawide camera for taking photos and capturing videos. This camera is about the same quality as an iPhone 12 or a Samsung Galaxy S20. It only takes photos and videos in portrait mode, but it’s far faster to tap the button on top of the right arm of the glasses than it is to pull your camera out of your pocket. 

The Meta Ray-Bans also have a built-in AI assistant that you can trigger by saying “Hey Meta,” and use the large language models that Meta has been furiously building over the past several years. For basic information searches, it works well and is another nice option for leaving your phone in your pocket. 

The battery life is about a half-day with moderate use, but you can quickly charge to about 50% with 20 minutes in the included case. The case itself charges via standard USB-C, which is nice. You can nearly double the battery by turning off the “Hey Meta” listening feature — which I did. 

Meta also regularly rolls out software updates that bring new functionality to the Meta Ray-Bans. For example, in 2024, the Meta Ray-Bans added the capability of translating from Spanish to English in real time and the ability to do a visual search to identify landmarks or translate street signs. And Meta says it will continue to add new features such as helping you remember things you’ve seen, like your parking spot. 

Also: I tested the best AR and MR glasses: Here’s how the Meta Ray-Bans stack up

If you’re concerned about the way Meta handles privacy — as many of us are — the good thing about the Meta Ray-Bans is that they don’t require a Facebook account. While they do require a Meta account, you can at least ostensibly keep them separate from your Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp data. That makes it easier for me to recommend the product from a privacy perspective. 

Don’t get me wrong, the AirPods Pro 2 are available for a solid deal as well at $170 ($79 off) right now. But the Meta Ray-Bans can do nearly all that the AirPods Pro can do and more. And since smart glasses are getting more and more common and the promise of smarter AI-powered features are on the horizon, getting a pair of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses gives you a better chance of getting a taste of the future.