Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 Replacement Lenses from VR Wave

Quick summary: Getting prescription lenses for Ray-Ban Meta glasses through Meta can cost hundreds of dollars, even with insurance. Another option is VR Wave, which I use in all my Meta glasses. Here’s how I installed a set of their transition lenses in my Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3.

Heads-up: VR Wave has sponsored my channel multiple times, and I’m also a paying customer. Links on this page are affiliate links.

Key takeaways

• Lenses through Meta can run hundreds of dollars. VR Wave is a more affordable third-party option.
• VR Wave offers shades, transition lenses, prescription and non-prescription. I usually get a 2.0x reading strength.
• Each lens is marked L or R, so installing them takes a couple of minutes.
• Transition lenses are clear indoors and give me roughly 60 to 70 percent of a sunglass shade outside.

Why look beyond Meta for lenses?

Going through Meta directly can be very expensive. Without insurance it’s hundreds and hundreds of dollars, and even with insurance it can still be hundreds. VR Wave has been great for me: they ship quickly, the lenses fit well, they look good and they’re affordable. I usually go with a 2.0x reading lens and wear them all the time.

What’s in the box

The lenses come in a nice carrying case. It isn’t a hard shell, but it unzips and holds multiple sets of lenses, which is handy if you swap lenses for style or anything else.

Step 1: Pop out the old lenses

I wear gloves so the new lenses don’t get fingerprints, but you can just wipe them down afterward. Use your thumbs to push the lens out from the inside, starting near the nose area. It comes right out. Do the same on the other side.

Step 2: Check the L/R markings and peel the film

Each VR Wave lens says L or R, so you know where it goes. There’s a protective sticker on both sides of each lens. Peel both off before you install them.

Step 3: Snap in the new lenses

Line up the left lens and pop it in. It snaps in really nicely. Then do the same with the right lens. Give them a quick wipe if your fingers touched them, and you’re done.

How the transition lenses work outside

Indoors the lenses are clear. Outside, they transition into a light-to-medium sunglass tint. I recorded this late in the day in the fall, so the UV was weak, but they still started to shade. They change much faster when the sun is strong.

One thing to know: in the car, your windshield blocks UV, so they won’t really transition while you’re driving.

Why I skip regular sunglasses now

I just leave these on all the time. I don’t have to swap between sunglasses and regular glasses when I go in or out. Outdoors I get roughly 60 to 70 percent of the shade of sunglasses, and indoors they’re clear. That’s enough for me.

My take

If you want third-party lenses that ship fairly quickly, look good, last a long time and come in prescription or non-prescription, VR Wave has basically everything you could want. Using my link supports the channel.

• VR Wave lenses for Ray-Ban Meta glasses (code gtv10 for a discount)
• Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3