What Features To Look For When Buying Safety Glasses Online

When shopping online for something as important as prescription safety glasses, it can feel difficult to know whether you are getting the best quality frames and lenses.

Without the ability to hold the product or try it on, you may wonder how you can decide what works best for your needs.

To help you find your perfect pair on the web, here are four features to look for and consider when buying safety glasses online.

What Are Your Needs?

Before you can start your search for the best pair of safety glasses, you first need to consider your needs.

Do you need eye protection for construction jobs? Creative projects? Medical or lab work?

Each activity could lead to different hazards, which require different styles of eye protection. Make sure you are familiar with what you may be exposed to and let that guide your decision.

There are different safety eyewear standards for sports (ASTM F803) and industrial (ANSI Z87.1) applications in the United States. As the leading manufacturer of prescription safety eyewear for businesses in North America, we ensure all our safety frames meet ANSI Z87.1 standards. These stipulate parameters for front and lateral coverage to ensure eyes are properly enclosed. All SafeVision & Pentax safety frames meet these requirements. Additionally, we ensure all our safety frames meet high mass & high velocity impact resistance standards.

Frames, Frames and More Frames

Safety glasses come in all shapes and sizes depending on your needs and style preferences. If you’re worried about falling debris and impact, consider a wrap style frame, especially those with foam or rubber seals to help keep out particles.

If your looking standard impact resistance frames to help protect against flying objects then consider more stylish metal frames. These are a great option for those who are looking for a quality pair of spectacles to wear every day because they often come with removable side shields. If you’re sensitive to certain metals look for styles that are made from Stainless Steal which are hypoallergenic.

We have a wide variety of Stainless Steel frames including or PENTAX DP600, DP610, DP620, Classic 1, Classic 4, Steel 300, Steel 400, Attitude 3/4/5/6, Hog, Rebel and TRX.

Be sure to take a look at a variety of frame options before selecting one. Most frames online will have their measurements and dimensions listed in the product details so you can estimate the size and fit without having to physically try them on.

If you already wear prescription glasses regularly then you can check the measurements of your current frames to help you narrow down your search online.

The front portion of your frames that hold your lenses should be marked with two measurements (ex: 53-18). These are measurements in mm which indicate the lens width and the bridge width. Additionally, the inside of one or both arms, also known as temples, will feature a third number (ex: 135 or 135mm). This indicates the length of the arm/temple.

Lens Technology and Coatings

Having the right lenses for your needs is just as important as having the right frames. While the lenses in the best safety glasses are tested and proven protective against impact by strict standards, there are other lens features to consider when picking the correct pair.

If you frequently work outside or drive a lot, you may want to consider investing in polarized lenses for your safety glasses. Polarized lenses block out horizontal light rays which come from reflective surfaces such as snow, ice and water.

Additionally, prescription safety lenses can be treated with scratch resistant, smudge (oleophobic) resistant, water (hydrophobic) resistant, and anti-reflective coatings.

Oleophobic and hydrophobic lens coatings are especially useful for those who frequently need to clean their safety glasses due to the work they do.

The oil from skin can be transferred to the lenses too. This creates a stickier surface for dust to collect further blurring your lenses. Similarly, water droplets often contain minerals and contaminants which can leave behind marks as they dry. Hydrophobic coatings cause water droplets to bead up and roll off your lenses, similar to waxing your car.

If you are working in high humidity or in an environment with drastic temperature changes, make sure that your lenses have an anti-fog coating. Safety glasses can be manufactured with an anti-fog coating, or you can find sprays and wipes. But, be sure to read the product descriptions for anti-fog sprays and wipes when shopping online as they may not have been made for prescription spectacles.

This is even more important when buying lens cleaning sprays. Avoid using any cleaners that include ammonia which is the active ingredient in most window cleanings sprays. Ammonia is known to deteriorate polycarbonate which is the most commonly used material for prescription lenses.

The right lenses, coatings and solutions complement the perfect frames, providing you with optimal protection.

ANSI Approval

Regardless of your choice of frames and lenses, always make sure you check the product details for ANSI ratigns. ANSI, or the American National Standards Institute, stipulates guidelines for safety eyewear manufacturing, durability and protection against impact, splashes, dust/particle dispersion and more.

Ready to invest in high-quality prescription safety glasses? Shop SafeVision’s prescription safety eyewear today.