Club Benefits
I used to love testing the best action cameras — it gave me an excuse to get outside, whether that was skiing, biking, or some sort of activity out in nature. Once, I even mounted five action cameras to my head at once and went skiing to see which was the best.
However, after a weekend skiing and sledding with the Oakley Meta Vanguard, I might start using the smart glasses exclusively to record my outdoor activities. That being said, I still have some reservations about what they can and can't do.
Here's four reasons why I liked using the Oakley Vanguards — and why they're some of the best smart glasses — and two ways they still fall short against the likes of GoPro.
Four things I liked
It's one less piece of gear I need to bring
Remember when I said I once wore five action cams at once? Here's what it looked like. Now, I don't recommend anyone do this themselves, but even one camera adds some bulk.
By combining sunglasses and a camera, I no longer have to bring a pair of goggles as well as an action camera. While GoPros aren't exactly large, I like that it's one less thing I have to think about. And, because the camera isn't protruding at the top of my helmet, I don't have to worry about knocking it against low-hanging objects.
Still, if you like to go fast and it's very cold out, you may prefer the added insulation of goggles. When I took the Vanguards skiing on a 25º F day and sped down the mountain, my forehead started to get numb.
It's easier to stop and start recording
The best GoPros have voice commands to let you start and stop recording video, but I've rarely used the feature when skiing because when I'm wearing a helmet, I can't always hear when my GoPro has started. Instead, I usually just reach up with my bare hand (not ideal in Vermont in February) to start and stop recording.
I can also use voice commands to start and stop recording on the Vanguards, but because their speakers are right next to my ears — and a small light in the upper right gives me a visual cue — I know when they're recording.
One feature I particularly like is that the glasses will automatically cut out the end part of the video where I say "Hey Meta, stop recording."
It made an awesome highlight video
Here's a neat trick. When it's paired with one of the best Garmin watches, the Vanguards can create a highlight video of your activity, replete with an overlay of your stats from your Garmin watch.
At first, I wasn't sure if it would work for skiing — even though I connected everything properly, when I started my skiing activity on my Garmin Fenix, the Vanguards warned me that auto capture was only available for supported activities like running. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the glasses did put together a neat little highlight reel of my day.
You can use them for more than just taking videos
Back in the day, I had a pair of Oakley Recon One smart goggles, which were awesome: They had a small display which not only tracked your runs, but also showed you in real time your speed, as well as the time. And, you could also use them to control your music and read notifications.
The Vanguards to a lot of that, too. While they can't tell you your speed, it was super helpful to simply ask Meta the time, so I knew if I could squeeze one more run in before having to pick up my kid from ski school.
The glasses' open-ear speakers are also ideal for those who like to listen to music; I've never understood how some skiers and boarders could wear earbuds, and completely block out everything around them. It's a bit dangerous considering all of the other people on the mountain. However, the open-ear design of the Vanguards means that you can still hear what's going on around you,
Two things I didn't like about the Oakley Meta Vanguard
Clips are limited in length
You can record longer clips on the Vanguards than you can on Meta's other smart glasses — up to 5 minutes in length, which is a good amount of time. And, if you want to record using the Vanguards' 3K setting, you're limited to just three minutes.
By comparison, if you're using a dedicated action camera, your clip length can be measured in hours, rather than minutes. It's not so much an issue with East Coast ski resorts, but you're on a longer ski run out west or wherever mountains are much taller, you may find that the recording will cut off partway through.
You can't change the aspect ratio — and you have to watch what you wear
The Vanguard's portrait-oriented camera is great for the TikTok generation and sharing on social media, but it can't capture sweeping vistas the same way an action camera's landscape view can. As a result, the videos I took were far less immersive. Is that a problem if you're merely adding it to your Insta reel? Probably not, but it doesn't feel as epic.
One other issue I ran into: My ski helmet has a small visor in the front which blocked about an eighth of the Vanguard's view. As a result, all of my videos and photos while skiing had a grayish-black bar at the top, which marred all of the footage I took. You can see it in the clips above.
Bottom line
If you're into casually taking videos and photos while out and about, the Oakley Meta Vanguards are great. Not only do they record quality clips, but they're also handy for other things, too — even if it's as simple as knowing the time. It also let me keep my phone in my pocket, and spared my fingers from frostbite every time I wanted to snap a photo.
That said, a GoPro is going to offer you far more in terms of video quality and versatility, so if you're looking to capture some epic turns, then it's the way to go. But if your needs aren't as demanding (and you're willing to plunk drop $500) then the Vanguards are pretty fun.
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