What is the Difference Between Prescription Safety Glasses and Prescription Safety Goggles?

In any job or activity where there is the risk of eye-related injury, safety eyewear is crucial to have on-hand. In fact, OSHA imposes hefty fines for companies that do not ensure their employees have access to the proper personal protection equipment.

However, depending on what you expect to be exposed to, you may need to make the choice between safety glasses and safety goggles. In this case, you may be asking yourself— what are the biggest differences?

Knowing how these styles of safety eyewear vary can help you choose the best protection for your needs.

Here are some differences between prescription safety glasses and prescription safety goggles.

Style

One of the biggest differences between safety googles and safety glasses is their style and appearance.

Safety goggles are fully sealed – meaning they feature rubber gaskets that wraps around the entirety of the face protector. Additionally, they secured with a head strap rather than “temples” which rest on/around your ears.

Safety glasses are not fully sealed and can often look like everyday eyeglasses made of plastic or metal; except they have been specially constructed for eye protection as well as prescription vision aids.

Fit

Safety glasses are often the most comfortable choice, resting on the face via the nose and the ears like everyday eyeglasses. They are lightweight and durable. For extra protection, they may also be fitted with side shields or brow guards attached to the lightweight frames.

Goggles, on the other hand, are designed to tightly fit on the face. The lenses are elevated off the face by all-around side guards, creating a sort of protective bubble around the eye and brow area. Sometimes they’ll feature small holes near the brow or sides to help vent air to reduce fogging.

To create this safety bubble, the goggles must fit tightly to the face, which may cause mild discomfort. The elastic band around the back of the head that holds these in place can often be adjusted to prevent discomfort while maintaining optimal protection.

Protection

Safety glasses are best to protect against smaller splashes or debris in a controlled area. They are the easiest to work with, and therefore are more likely to be used in an everyday setting.

They protect best from front-facing exposures, but with the added side or brow guards, they can become more effective against a wider range of potential threats to eye health.

 

Though it may not seem common but there are safety goggles specifically designed to be fit with prescription lenses. They’re placed in a lens carrier that clips behind the protective shield allowing the wearer to use them without trying to fit them over their standard pair of glasses. This is important to know because fitting a pair of non-prescription goggles over your prescription glasses will likely keep the goggles from creating a proper seal around your eyes!

Pick The Right Pair for Your Needs

When deciding what kind of eye protection is best for your application, choosing between prescription safety glasses and safety goggles is a crucial factor.

If you are involved in jobs, tasks or hobbies that involve fine dust or airborne chemicals then you’ll want to consider fully sealed goggles.

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