Meta Ray-Bans have often been very difficult to find in stock at both retailers and online stores for the past two years — and they rarely go on sale. But one of the best ways to not only get a 20% discount but also find some of the styles that have been discontinued or are rarely ever in stock is to use the little-known Meta Refurbished AI Glasses online store.
I recently ordered a pair of Meta Ray-Bans in the Skylar style with the Shiny Caramel finish with Polar Brown lenses. If you’ve followed Meta Ray-Bans, then you’ve probably seen these before because they are in a lot of the Meta promotional materials. The frames themselves are semi-transparent, so you can see a lot of the technology inside. And the lenses have that amber tint that’s popular in lots of sunglasses because it gives the world a bit of warm orange glow.
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I was able to buy these for $263, even though they normally retail for $329. Other configurations, like the black with blue transition lenses, were as much as $76 off. As of the writing of this article, Meta’s refurbished store was selling the Wayfarer, Headliner, and Skyler styles. The Wayfarer is the most common style, while the Headliner and Skyler can be more difficult to find.
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When my transparent brown Meta Ray-Bans arrived, they were in the original box and it was unopened, with the perforated pull tag still in perfect condition — no different than the box of the original pair of black Meta Ray-Bans I bought when the product first launched two years ago.
When I opened the box, everything was in perfect order, just like a new pair. All the accessories, booklets, polishing cloth, and even the paper protectors over the arms of the glasses were all just as they are in the packaging of a brand new pair of Meta Ray-Bans that you’d buy at retail or online.
I pulled the little protective tab inside the case to activate charging and plugged the case into a USB. After about 30 minutes, I opened the Meta AI app, tapped the glasses button on the far right, hit the plus sign in the upper right corner, and tapped on the Ray-Ban | Meta button.
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The software immediately recognized that a pair of glasses was in a case nearby. I accepted the prompt and tapped through the menus.
I pulled the glasses out of the case and examined them, and they were in perfect condition. I put them on and immediately started using them like the other pairs of Meta Ray-Bans I’ve been testing and using for the past couple years.
What does refurbished actually mean for a tech product?
So if these are just like new and sold at a discount, then what does it mean when you buy a refurbished tech product? These are typically products that have been lightly used and a customer returned or traded in for another product, or that originally had small defects. They go back to the manufacturer for inspection, cleaning, repair (if needed), and another round of quality assurance.
Also: Google’s upcoming AI smart glasses may finally convince me to switch to a pair full-time
They are then repacked, often in the same original packaging as new products. However, both the US and the European Union have regulations that require refurbished products to be marked and sold as refurbished, and can’t be passed off as new products. That’s why they are typically discounted, even though in many cases they are as good as new.
In the case of refurbished Meta Ray-Bans, when you buy through the Meta Refurbished AI Glasses online store, then Meta offers a 30-day return policy and a 1-year warranty. Based on my experience, I have no problem recommending that you buy a refurbished pair of these smart glasses, if one of the styles you like is available.
ZDNET’s buying advice
Keep in mind that Meta is likely to unveil its next-generation Meta Ray-Bans Smart Glasses on September 17 at its Meta Connect event. These could have new features like longer battery life and better cameras — two of the items on my wish list. It’s unclear if they will be more expensive, but it appears possible if they are integrating better technology and there’s also the uncertain US tariff situation that could impact the cost of parts.
The recently released Oakley Meta Smart Glasses have some nice tech upgrades and retail for $400-$500. That could be an indication of where the prices of the new Meta Ray-Bans are going to land. If that’s the case, the deal on these refurbished Meta Ray-Bans could look even better.
