Gift guide · Christmas & Father's Day
Tech gifts for dad: smart glasses, picked by his hobby.
Most tech gift lists for dads mix forty unrelated gadgets. This one covers a single category, camera glasses with open-ear audio, and matches each of our frames to what he actually does: driving, fishing, golf, the office, cycling or skiing. It is also plain about who should get a different gift.
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1. Pick the frame by his hobby
Prices below are what you pay at checkout for one pair, with the first-pair offer applied automatically (the M08, for example, is listed at $149 and is $99 at checkout). Prices checked 2026-10-05; checkout price may change. Every one of them qualifies for free US shipping, which starts at $99.
| If dad is into | Frame · checkout price | Water rating | Weight · battery | Why this one |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving, hiking, fishing on dry days | M08 · $99 | No published water rating | ~42 g · 7 h listen, 4 h calls | Full-tint sunglasses lens, lowest price, under $100 |
| Fishing from a boat, hiking in the rain | M02C · $109 | IP65 (jets and dust, not immersion) | ~41 g · magnetic charging | Sony 219 sensor with dual stabilisation, “Hey Cyan” visual AI |
| Golf, the office, business travel | M08C · $119 | No published water rating | ~42 g · 7 h listen, 4 h calls | Gold or Silver trim, Sony 219 sensor, meeting transcription in the app |
| Cycling, skiing, fast sport | M14 · $149 | IPX4 (splash, sweat, rain) | 52 g · 4 h listen, 7 h calls | Wrap shield that stays put, Sony IMX219, 139 translation languages |
What every frame shares: an 8 MP camera started with a touch on the temple, open-ear speakers for music and calls, Bluetooth 5.4 and live translation through the HeyCyan app on his phone. Translation audio is heard only by the person wearing the glasses; the other person reads the reply on the phone screen, and it needs the phone and a connection.
2. Driving and fishing: M08 ($99) or M02C ($109)
The M08 on the full-tint Sunglasseslens is the simplest gift for a dad who already keeps a pair of sunglasses in the car or the tackle box. It looks like a plain two-lens pair of dark glasses, weighs about 42 g, and adds a camera at the frame corner and open-ear speakers. At $99 at checkout it is also the answer to a Father’s Day budget under $100.
- Driving. A full-tint lens suits the car better than photochromic, because windscreens block much of the ultraviolet light a photochromic lens needs to darken. Calls and music play through the open-ear speakers so he still hears the road. The camera is for when he has stopped, not while he is moving.
- Fishing. A hands-free photo of the catch is the strongest case for camera sunglasses on the water. The M08 has no published water rating and none of our lenses are polarised; our fishing guide covers both points.
- Hiking. A touch on the temple catches the view without stopping for a phone. See smart glasses for hiking.
Spend $10 more on the M02C if he fishes from a boat or hikes in wet weather. It is rated IP65, which means dust-tight and protected against water jets. It is still not rated for being dropped in the water. It is also the only frame in the line with the “Hey Cyan” wake word and visual AI that can describe what he is looking at, and the lightest at about 41 g.
3. Golf and the office: M08C ($119)
The M08C is the M08 frame with Gold or Silver trim, so it reads as smarter eyewear on a course, at a client lunch or in an airport lounge. It comes with the same three lens choices: sunglasses for the course, photochromic for days that move between indoors and out, and clear for the desk. Its camera uses a Sony 219 sensor, and the app adds meeting transcription.
On the course he can play music between shots and capture the round; check the club’s rules on cameras first. Our smart glasses for golfguide goes into more detail. At work, a note worth passing on with the gift: recording people, including audio for transcription, may require their consent depending on the state and the workplace’s own policy, so it is worth telling the room before recording. The smart glasses for meetings guide covers how it works in practice.
4. Cycling and skiing: M14 ($149)
The M14 is a different product from the rest, not a bigger M08. It is a one-piece wrap-around shield, 52 g, that stays in place at speed. Its specifications barely overlap with the M08 family:
- Shield: fixed, chosen with the colourway: Nero (smoke), Azzurro (blue mirror), Ghiaccio (ice-blue mirror) or Tramonto (sunset-red mirror). It cannot be swapped.
- Water: IPX4, which covers splash, sweat and rain, not immersion.
- Camera: 8 MP Sony IMX219, stabilised 1080p at 30 fps, 4 GB onboard memory.
- Battery: rated 4 hours of listening and 7 hours of calls, the reverse of the M08 family, with a bone-conduction microphone for calls in the wind.
- Translation: 139 languages in the HeyCyan app, against 40+ on the M08 family.
For a skiing dad it is a bright-day sunglass, not a goggle, and cold shortens any battery’s runtime. More in smart glasses for cycling and smart glasses for skiing.
5. When to choose a different gift
A gift that does not fit is worse than a smaller one, so be honest about these before you order:
- He wears prescription glasses all day. No OXIVUE frame takes prescription lenses, and the M14 shield cannot be changed at all. If he would need to swap these for his own glasses to see, they will stay in the drawer.
- He avoids phone apps. Setup and translation run through the HeyCyan app on his phone, and the smart features depend on it. Our do smart glasses need a phone guide explains the details.
- He wants a screen. None of these has a display. Translation is spoken in his ear and shown on his phone.
- He would use it mainly to translate for someone else. Only the wearer hears the translation; the other person reads the phone.
For an older dad, the smart glasses for seniors guide looks at controls and fit, and the broader smart glasses gift guide covers other people on your list. To see every model side by side, use the comparison page.
6. Ordering for Christmas and Father’s Day
Searches for tech gifts for dad peak in December and again in June, and the delivery window is what catches people out. US orders typically arrive in 5–9 business days and international orders in 9–14 business days. Business days skip weekends and public holidays.
- Christmas: order in early December, at least two to three weeks before the 25th.
- Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June in the US): order in early June.
- Buying two? Two or more pairs of eyewear in one order are 50% off all eyewear at checkout; two M08 frames come to $149 in total.
Shipping, refunds and warranty. Free US shipping from $99. US orders typically arrive in 5–9 business days; international orders take 9–14 business days. OXIVUE does not offer refunds except for an order damaged in transit, which is replaced or refunded, so a gift that does not suit him cannot be sent back for a refund. Faults after delivery are covered by the 2-year warranty through repair or replacement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best electronic gift for my father?
The one that fits something he already does every week. If he drives, hikes or fishes, smart sunglasses with a camera and open-ear speakers replace a pair he would wear anyway: the OXIVUE M08 is $99 at checkout. If he golfs or works in an office, the M08C with gold or silver trim is $119. If he rides a bike or skis, the M14 wrap shield is $149. If he wears prescription glasses all day, pick a different gift: none of these take prescription lenses.
What gifts do dads actually want?
Things that make a hobby easier without adding a new chore. Smart glasses work as a gift when they replace something he already wears, such as his driving or fishing sunglasses, and add music, calls and a hands-free camera. They are a poor gift for a dad who dislikes phone apps, because setup and translation run through the HeyCyan app on his phone.
What are some cool gadget gifts for dads?
Camera sunglasses are one of the few gadgets a dad wears instead of carrying. Every OXIVUE frame has an 8 MP camera triggered by a touch on the temple, open-ear speakers for music and calls, Bluetooth 5.4 and live translation through the HeyCyan app. There is no display: they are glasses that capture and play audio, not a screen in front of his eyes.
Are there good tech gifts for dad under $100?
Yes. The OXIVUE M08 is listed at $149 and comes to $99 at checkout for one pair, with free US shipping at that price. It has a full-tint sunglasses lens option, an 8 MP camera, open-ear audio and is rated 7 hours of listening. The next step up, the M02C, is $109 and adds an IP65 rating. Prices checked 2026-10-05; the checkout price may change.
What are the best smart glasses for men?
Choose by what he does in them. For driving, hiking and fishing, the M08 sunglasses ($99 at checkout) or the M02C with IP65 ($109). For golf and business, the M08C with metal trim ($119). For cycling and skiing, the 52 g M14 wrap shield with IPX4 ($149).
What if I buy one for dad and one for me?
Two or more pairs of eyewear in one order are 50% off all eyewear, applied at checkout. Two M08 frames, for example, come to $149 in total. Different models can be mixed in the same order.
Will it arrive in time for Christmas or Father's Day?
US orders typically arrive in 5 to 9 business days and international orders in 9 to 14 business days. Business days skip weekends and public holidays, so order at least two to three weeks before the date: early December for Christmas, early June for Father's Day.
Can he return them if he doesn't like them?
No. OXIVUE does not offer refunds, so check the hobby fit and the prescription question before you buy. The only exception is an order that arrives damaged in transit, which is replaced or refunded. A fault after delivery is covered by the 2-year warranty through repair or replacement.
What these frames won’t do
- No prescription lenses yet, on any model. If you need vision correction all day, these can't replace your glasses.
- No display. Nothing appears in your view; you hear answers and capture photos and video.
- Open-ear speakers leak some sound at high volume and won't block out a loud train or a windy road the way sealed earbuds do.
- Translation, music, calls and the assistant need your phone nearby and connected. Translation pauses after each sentence, and only you hear the translated audio; the other person reads the reply on your phone.
- M08: no published water rating, so keep it out of heavy rain and spray.
- M08C: no published water rating, so keep it out of heavy rain and spray.
- M14: one-piece shield, so the lens can't be swapped for clear or photochromic.
- M14: IPX4 covers splash, spray and rain only, and at 52 g it is heavier than the 41–42 g frames.
Check these before you order: see the warranty and refund policy.