Ray-Ban Meta glasses in 2026: every model, price and feature explained

Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like ordinary Ray-Bans, but the frames hide a camera, open-ear speakers, microphones and Meta's AI assistant. The current flagship is Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), which Meta put on sale on Sept. 23, 2026 from $449. Gen 2 is still sold from $379, the camera-free Ray-Ban Meta Audio starts at $349, and Ray-Ban's US store is clearing out first-generation pairs from $224.

This guide is based on Meta's and Ray-Ban's announcements, help pages, product listings and US store prices checked on Oct. 25, 2026. We haven't tested the glasses.

The lineup at a glance

Prices are Ray-Ban.com's US prices for sun or clear lenses. Polarized and Transitions lenses cost more, and prescription lenses are extra. Battery figures come from Meta's product listings and disclosures; for the Optics frames, Meta's pages list 48 hours in one place and 50 in another.

What the glasses do

Every camera model takes 12-megapixel photos and records video from your point of view, controlled by voice ("Hey Meta"), a touchpad on the frame or a capture button. Speakers built into the arms play music, podcasts and calls without covering your ears, and Meta lists integrations with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Audible and Shazam.

Meta AI answers questions and, when you ask about something in front of you, briefly uses the camera to see it. You can make calls and send texts and voice messages through WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or your phone's own messaging app, and Meta says live translation now covers 20 languages. Conversation focus uses the speakers to make the person you're talking to easier to hear in noisy places. Meta notes that some AI features are limited to certain countries and languages.

Everything is set up and managed in the Meta AI app, which also imports your photos and videos.

What's new in Gen 3

Gen 3 keeps the 12MP camera and 3K video of Gen 2 and changes the parts you hear and touch. Meta moved to a six-microphone array (Gen 2 has five), which it says cuts more than 90% of background noise on calls and voice commands, an hour more battery (up to nine hours, plus 50 more from the case) and temple tips an optician can adjust. A new action button gives one-press access to a feature you pick in the app, such as Meta AI, texting a favorite contact or translation.

The styles changed too: the Wayfarer, in standard and large sizes, is joined by the Aviator and a cat-eye frame called Zena. A limited-edition Aviator in Milky Beige with brown Transitions lenses marks the Aviator's 90th anniversary and costs $579. Our Gen 3 vs Gen 2 comparison has the full spec table.

Ray-Ban Meta Audio and the Optics frames

Ray-Ban Meta Audio, shipping since Oct. 13, drops the camera entirely. It keeps the speakers, six microphones and the assistant, lasts up to 12 hours with up to 48 more from the case, and comes in Clubmaster and Burbank. Meta's listings put the standard Burbank at 43.1 grams and the Clubmaster at 47.1 grams.

The Optics frames came first, on March 31, 2026. Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics (Gen 2), in standard and large sizes, and Scriber Optics (Gen 2) were built for prescription wearers: Meta says they support "nearly all prescriptions." They have hinges that open 10 degrees wider than standard, interchangeable nose pads, adjustable temple tips and an action button, and they ship as frames with temporary lenses for you to replace with your own. Ray-Ban.com now also sells "made for prescription" Optics versions of the Gen 3 Wayfarer, Aviator and Zena ($449 for the frame) and of both Audio styles ($349).

Prices

On Ray-Ban.com, the Gen 3 Wayfarer and Aviator cost $449 with sun or clear lenses, $479 with polarized lenses and $529 with Transitions. Gen 2 starts at $379, Audio at $349 ($429 for a Clubmaster with Transitions), the Blayzer Optics at $499, and the remaining Gen 1 pairs at $224 to $284. Prescription lenses are priced separately, from $225 for clear single-vision lenses at Ray-Ban's list price. Our Ray-Ban Meta price guide breaks down every combination, plus prices outside the US.

Battery and charging

The glasses charge only inside their case, and the case charges over USB-C; Meta notes the cable isn't included. Ray-Ban says a 20-minute charge gives Gen 3 up to four more hours, and its FAQ puts a full charge at about 75 minutes. Heavy use shortens battery life: Ray-Ban says Gen 2 lasts up to five hours with continuous audio streaming and voice assistance. Our battery life guide covers every model, and if the case lights look odd, see what each case light means.

Camera

Meta's Gen 3 listing describes a 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 100-degree field of view that takes 3,024 x 4,032-pixel photos. Video goes up to 3K at 30 frames per second, 1080p at 60 or 720p at 120, with hyperlapse and slow-motion modes built in. Storage is 32GB, which Meta says holds more than 1,000 photos and more than 100 30-second videos. Gen 2's listed camera and video specs are the same, although Meta presented dynamic photos as new with Gen 3, and Gen 1 tops out at 1080p video. Meta says its AI glasses will be able to record video with Dolby Atmos spatial sound later this year.

Prescription lenses

Most Ray-Ban Meta styles accept prescriptions from -12.00 to +6.00 total power, according to Meta's listings, but the Gen 3 Aviator is limited to -6.00 to +4.00. Single-vision, progressive and Transitions prescription lenses are available, ordered with the frames from Ray-Ban.com, Ray-Ban stores or certified optical retailers. Meta warns that the manufacturer's warranty only stays intact if the prescription lenses come from one of those sellers. Details are in our prescription guide.

Styles, sizes and fit

Current shapes run from the square Wayfarer to the round Headliner and Scriber, the cat-eye Skyler and Zena, the rectangular Blayzer and Burbank, the browline Clubmaster and the pilot-shaped Aviator. Some come in standard and large sizes, and some in low-bridge or high-bridge fits. Weights in Meta's listings range from 43.1 grams for the standard Burbank to 54.5 grams for the Gen 3 Aviator. See our styles and sizes guide for every measurement.

Water resistance

Meta rates Ray-Ban Meta glasses IPX4, which it describes as safe if you're caught in light rain. They can't handle being submerged or long exposure to water, and the charging case isn't water resistant at all. More in our IP rating explainer.

Privacy and the capture LED

Every camera model has a bright white capture LED on the front. According to Meta's privacy page, it blinks briefly when you take a photo and keeps blinking while you record video. If the glasses detect that the light has been covered, tampered with or destroyed, they disable the camera; if it's blocked, you're told to clear it before shooting.

Meta also says photos and videos stay on the glasses until you import them (or turn on auto-import), that faces and license plates are blurred in images used to answer Meta AI questions, and that those images aren't saved to your gallery. A power switch turns the glasses into regular eyewear, and Meta advises switching them off in places like doctors' offices, changing rooms and schools. For the bigger picture, see how smart glasses recording lights work and when it's legal to record.

Where to buy

Meta sells the glasses on Meta.com and in its Meta Lab stores. Ray-Ban sells them on Ray-Ban.com, in Ray-Ban stores and through certified dealers; its store locator can filter for locations that carry the collection, and some stores take appointments. EssilorLuxottica also names LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut among its retailers, Target Optical sells them, and Best Buy has Meta Lab sections in some stores.

Return windows differ by seller: 30 days from delivery at the Meta Store, 45 days at Ray-Ban.com and 30 days at Target Optical. Ray-Ban lists 15 countries where it sells the glasses: the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Australia.

How they compare with Oakley Meta and Meta Ray-Ban Display

Oakley Meta is Meta's sport line. Meta pitches the HSTN at everyday athletes, while the Vanguard's wraparound frame, IP67 dust and water rating and Garmin and Strava integrations target runners, cyclists and skiers; see our Oakley Meta vs Ray-Ban Meta guide. Meta Ray-Ban Display adds a full-color screen in the lens and a wristband that reads finger movements, for $799. It's a Meta-made product, so Meta, not Ray-Ban, handles its warranty, and Ray-Ban.com gives it a shorter 14-day return window.

Warranty, returns and repairs

Ray-Ban Meta glasses are made by EssilorLuxottica, so warranty claims go to Ray-Ban even if you bought them from Meta. In the US the limited warranty lasts one year (two years in the EU), and it covers manufacturing defects, not drops, water damage or scratched lenses. Ray-Ban sells a $64.99 protection plan that covers cracked lenses and frames, and Meta offers Meta Warranty Plus in the US. Our warranty, returns and repairs guide walks through claims step by step.

What's coming

Meta says Muse, its personal AI agent, is coming to its AI glasses "in the coming months," and EssilorLuxottica says it will be US-only. Hearing enhancement, FDA-cleared software for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, arrives in the US later this year on "supported" glasses for $149.99 or with a Meta One subscription; Meta hasn't listed which models. Every wearer is getting audio balance and mono audio settings, and EssilorLuxottica says Meta will bring "private processing" to the glasses later this year.

Which Ray-Ban Meta to buy

On specs alone, Gen 3 is the default choice: the longest battery life of the camera models, the six-microphone array and the action button, for $70 more than Gen 2. Gen 2 still makes sense if you want the Skyler or Headliner shapes or the lower price. Strong prescriptions and all-day wear point to the Optics frames. If you don't want a camera on your face at all, Audio is lighter and lasts longer. The discounted Gen 1 pairs are the cheapest way in, but four hours of battery and 1080p video are a big step down. And if you need a screen, or glasses built for sweat and spray, look at Meta Ray-Ban Display or the Oakley Meta Vanguard instead.