How the best safety glasses will save your eyes
I saw this picture of these safety glasses on Reddit and I was like, YES, this is why one should wear a good pair of eyewear when doing home repairs and maintenance.
When using electric tools, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and hot metal parts spinning around at 1000s of RPM can fly directly into your face.
Much like a chainsaw that kicks back, these projectiles can rip apart your face in seconds.
Have you ever had a drill bit snap off a tool and fly off? I have but thankfully not at my head.
So we can imagine that dude that had his eyesight saved by wearing his protective eyewear, there's many a happy craftsman who still has his eyes because he was smart and put on his safety goggles.
as If you want to keep your eyes safe in your head, then we suggest you think about buying some protective eyeglasses.
These are actually some of the cheapest safety equipment you can buy, so why take a risk and not use them?
Early bird recommendation: the NoCry glasses with Clear Anti Fog Scratch Resistant Wrap-Around Lenses
What to look for in a pair of safety glasses?
There are several things to think about when buying safety glasses in terms of how you will use them:
- Only ever wear 'personal protective equipment' glasses that have been manufactured to a recognized safety standard. If you buy cheap and nasty, you run the risk that they will not reduce the chance of harm occurring.
- This means you want to look out for glasses that are advertised as having "impact-resistant lenses" as they may not be suitable for your DIY purposes.
- Filter out UV light radiation - really handy attribute if you are working outside.
- Are easily washed in warm water and can be dried with a soft cloth
- Polycarbonate construction suggests the unit will be sturdy
- Fog resistant by way of a double coated lens
- non slip nose pads are useful
NoCry Safety Glasses
These babies are some of Amazon's most popular sellers - likely because they are cheap, are made to safety standards and they look pretty good when worn.
The NoCry Safety Glasses are manufactured with strong and durable polycarbonate wraparound construction. designed with one thing in mind, to keep your eyeballs safe from direct and peripheral threat so serve as a great example of personal protective equipment in action.
The lenses are double-coated and untinted which hopefully means little to no fogging up or optical distortion which is great for when doing hard physical labor.
These glasses protect your eyes from 90-100% of harmful UV radiation due to the 380nm UV protection lens coating - which is the highest industry standard for all UV protection in clear PPE eyewear lenses.
The side and nose pieces may be adjusted to give you a perfect fit without the slipping - no matter the face type or head size. You'll be able to wear them all day as their contoured design shape will hug your cheekbone area, reducing pressure on your face. they are also very light and the soft rubber nose piece will let them sit lightly on your face.
They won't feel bulky or awkward even after hours and hours at the workshop turning a nice piece of wood.
If there is one slight drawback it's that this unit will not fit over your spectacles/glasses - not to worry though as NoCry have developed a pair that just that:
Many big name brands have got into the PPE safety glasses gig because why not, there's money to be made in having your customers be safe - after all customers who use tools need to buy new tools and replacement parts and they won't be doing that if they find themselves with a drill bit in their eye.
And it turns out, Dewalt make a pretty handy pair of personal protective eyewear:
Dewalt's glasses feature :
- Rubber tipped temples to deliver a secure and comfortable fit
- Tough, polycarbonate lenses which provide impact resistance
- Telescoping temples can adjust for a comfortable fit
- Cushioned brow protection for extra coverage protection
- Ratcheting temples that adjust for a proper fit
Here is a glowing review from a user of these glasses who bought them on Amazon:
"Awesome pair of protective goggles. I fog up glasses all the time and never believed in "anti" fog lenses. I have yet to experience normal, every day "excessive" workday fogging.
Unless I'm sweating and not cleaning my lenses or I work in a cold place and move to a warm place, these glasses don't fog up. I worked in the coal industry operating a roof bolter which is a very hot job that requires safety glasses all day and these are THE BEST I've ever had. "
With a review like that, how can you go wrong? Check out the nice price on Amazon.
Can I get prescription safety glasses?
For those that need to wear ordinary glasses when working with tools and machinery, then prescription safety glasses can be a solution.
Many glasses are easily covered by eyewear, however, if you need to wear protective gear for a long time, the two units on the head can become bothersome so prescriptive safety glasses come into play.
Can I use safety glasses for sport?
While these kinds of glasses are generally designed to prevent injury from flying debris, you can use them for sporting pursuits to protect against flying balls - many racketball and squash players will use them just fine.
However, if playing more of a contact sport, you'll need specs that won't come off. Or use the good old disposable lenses!