TL;DR
- Meta has launched a $59 standalone Charging Stand alongside its expanded smart glasses lineup.
- The dock features a premium stainless steel body, silicone base, and comes in Natural Titanium or black finishes.
- Meta ships the $59 dock without a USB-C cable or wall adapter.
Meta is hoping to make its smart glasses a permanent feature of your face, but its latest accessory shows the company is also adopting some of Big Tech’s most annoying habits. Along with its now-expanded in-house smart glasses lineup, the company also just quietly rolled out an official standalone Charging Stand.
The company recently branched out from its exclusive Ray-Ban partnership, launching its own self-branded Meta Glasses lineup — including the new $299 Fury and Adventurer models — on top of its existing eyewear portfolio. Unlike traditional smart glasses that are charged by placing them in a case, this new dock treats them more like a smartwatch.
Build and Design
The stand itself doesn’t look like cheap plastic junk. It combines a premium stainless steel metal shell with a grippy silicone rubber footpad that won’t slide around on your nightstand (via The Verge). It’s a reassuringly hefty 108 grams on a compact 28.3mm by 49.8mm footprint. You can pick one up in Natural Titanium or black to match your desktop aesthetic.
Unlike the portable charging case, this accessory isn’t meant for travel. It has to be permanently plugged in via USB-C, making it more of a fixed fixture on your desk or nightstand.
Charging Speed and Indicators
Pop your glasses on the dock with the temple arms closed, and the built-in LED indicator tells you exactly what’s going on. It blinks white to let you know it’s powered on, glows orange when charging, and glows solid green when you’re fully charged. The stand promises to juice your frames up to 50% in just 20 minutes, with a full 100% charge taking just over an hour.
Compatibility
Compatibility is limited. The stand works with a number of Meta’s existing smart glasses, including the Ray-Ban Wayfarer, Skyler, and Headliner models, as well as some of the newer display-free glasses from Meta. It is not compatible with Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses or Oakley Meta Vanguard models.
Pricing
At $59, you’re only paying for the stand — a USB-C cable and wall adapter are not included in the box. If you don’t have a spare USB-PD-certified brick and cable available, Meta will sell you its official 1-meter USB-C cable for $25 and an 18W power adapter for $40, bringing the total cost of a fully equipped setup to $124 before tax.
