• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer, Yesterday

AI glasses aren’t exactly new -- the leading brand sold more than 7 million pairs last year -- but wooing the next wave of adoption may require a different strategy. Best Buy is building 50 Meta Lab @ Best Buy shops, 900-square-foot experiential spaces that let people try on Meta’s lineup of AI glasses and VR headsets. With interactive demos, smart mirrors, and personalized fittings, the shops are a response to Best Buy’s research, which finds that 50% of its customers want to see Meta’s AI glasses before committing to a purchase.

“Our stores are places where customers can discover, connect and get hands-on with technology in ways they simply can’t anywhere else,” a Best Buy spokesperson tells Retail Insider. “This is especially true for new technology like AI glasses, which we know our customers want to explore firsthand. Some customers are coming in wanting to see how AI glasses capture the important moments, others are finding the perfect pair to match their outfit, and some might be athletes looking for real-time insight into their performance.”

The shops allow people to try Meta Quest 3 VR sets, which start at $350, to play a game, view a show or see a workout. And with the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which come in multiple styles ranging from $250 to $460, consumers can experiment with using hand movements to control the glasses without ever touching their phones.

Retail eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley, says it tripled sales of Meta’s AI glasses, with 7 million pairs sold in 2025, accounting for an 82% share of the AI glasses market. That’s up from the 2 million it sold in 2023 and 2024 combined.

Apple is reportedly developing its own glasses, set for launch late next year. And Snap’s version, called Specs, is scheduled to debut this fall. Google, which pioneered the category with the famous Google Glass flop a decade ago, is set to launch its Intelligent Eyewear line later this year.

The first of Best Buy’s new formats will open this month in stores in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina, with additional locations coming to life throughout the summer.

With skyrocketing consumer acceptance, privacy concerns are also growing rapidly. The glasses contain a tiny camera that can be activated with a casual touch to the frames.

Earlier this month, the BBC reported on one documented misuse: Men will approach women when they are on the street or leaving the beach and try out a casual question or pick-up line.  The men have filmed their responses, then posted them online without women's knowledge or consent.

And European media accounts uncovered examples of data annotators in Kenya unwittingly filming bathroom visits, sexual encounters and banking transactions, with that data being sent to Meta servers at subcontractors. Kenya is currently probing Meta over this issue, and European regulators are issuing warnings about surveillance risks, according to an article on Politico.