Wraparound vs. Traditional Safety Frames: What Is The Best Choice For You?

When a hazard to your eyes exists during a job, it is critical that you wear the appropriate safety protection, which for most situations will be safety glasses.

While at work your employer must offer the appropriate eye protective equipment per Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) when there is the reasonable risk of injury to the eye and face.

There are a wide variety of different options when it comes to safety frame design, which allows you to select the style and fit that is right for you.

Traditional safety frames with side shields

Prescription safety glasses are much better than regular glasses at keeping debris out of your eyes. If you prefer the look and feel of everyday glasses, traditional safety glasses might be for you.

Traditional safety glasses fit like regular glasses but have side shields to help reduce the chance of eye damage by preventing foreign objects getting around the frame.

Wraparound frames offer stylish alternative

If you are looking for a more sporty-style, wraparound prescription safety frames are a great option.

Wraparound safety glasses curve around the side of your eyes, offering the same protection with a sleeker design that doesn’t require the addition of side shields.

These are a preferred choice for those who opt for polarized or tinted lenses for UV protection. The curved, tighter fitting design reduces peripheral glare making them an ideal option for sunglasses too.

SafeVision meets & exceeds ANSI Z87.1 requirements

It’s important to note that over the counter readers or sunglasses and even your expensive prescription glasses cannot be turned into safety eyewear simply by adding a pair of side shields.

Prescription safety eyewear is designed with both the frame and side shields to be tested together with the lenses as a complete device per ANSI Z87.1 standards.

That means, the frame and side shields must be bought together, and the lenses need to meet certain thickness standards too. Often there are only two lens materials considered to be safety rated in the industry, polycarbonate and Trivex.

At SafeVision we ONLY offer polycarbonate and Trivex lenses for our prescription safety eyewear.

The frame, side shields (if applicable for non-wrap designs) and lenses all are marked per ANSI Z87.1 standards to easily identify them as safety eyewear.

Complying with OSHA and ANSI standards are critically important to us, as we take your safety seriously. If you aren’t sure which best fit your need? We’re here to help!

Simply contact SafeVision and we’ll get you started on the path to finding the best pair of safety glasses you’ll ever own.