Construction safety is something you can never compromise with. Whether you’re constructing a skyscraper or a backyard pool, safety comes first. And equipping safety gear may put you well out of harm’s way. In this article, we’re going to give you some insights into one of the most important safety equipment, safety glasses.
You should wear safety glasses while doing any sort of construction work. Even more so if your work involves small particles, liquids, and shrapnel like material that are likely to spill or fly around. Safety glasses block these foreign materials from reaching your eyes, preventing minor to severe damage. So let’s take a look at our list of best safety glasses for construction so you can make your pick.
If you’re looking for tough, multipurpose anti-fog construction safety goggles then we highly recommend this one. This high-quality safety goggle features a sturdy exterior coating that stands well against scratches and foreign material penetration. It also minimizes the chance of fogging.
Two-layer injected rubber seal at the front prevents dust and debris from entering inside the goggles and makes it comfortable on your face. This lightweight and breathable goggle can be adjusted by an elastic cloth head strap. The clip design allows for easy lens replacement. Although higher temperatures may cause still cause it to fog up.
Safety glasses protect your eyes from serious damages. They keep harmful construction substances such as debris, sawdust, sparks, toxic gas, and other high/low energy particles away from your eyes. Most of them nowadays feature anti-UV technology.
But since the preferences vary from person to person, we took the liberty to create a shortlist featuring the top 9 construction safety glasses available at the moment. Take a look and you may find the variant that suits you most.
The Dewalt safety glasses have already made it as our top pick. Manufactured with the latest anti-fog technology, they feature a sturdy exterior that can withstand scratches better. If you’re looking for some comfortable safety glasses, they could be a perfect choice. They feature rubber paddings that add to comfort and concealment.
These also serve as heavy duty prescription glasses for work as well. Removable lens lets you wash and replace them easily. They also offer UV protection.
NoCry scratch resistant safety glasses have impressive longevity. The superior polycarbonate build lets them protect your eyes for a long time. The glasses are easily adjustable, suitable for wearing long durations. They have anti-fog, anti-scratch, UV resistant properties. The clear lenses provide excellent visibility without distortion.
Features
Polycarbonate lens and side shield
Adjustable side and nose pieces
380nm UV protection coated
Improved grip
Lightweight, Anti-fog features
Pros
Resistant to scratch, impact, fog, and UV
Better longevity
Protected peripheral vision
Clear, distortion-free vision
Comfortable, lightweight, and adjustable
Multipurpose
Cons
Lacks concealment, loose particles may penetrate
May come off in shaky situations
May fog up in extreme situations
Harder to clean
These comfortable scratch resistant safety glasses are also made of polycarbonate materials. Thus, they are lightweight and provide excellent visibility. They become less foggy compared to other similar glasses. Better side grips make sure they don’t fall off even with the hastiest of movements. Suitable for long time sun exposures.
Features
Rubber coated straight back temple tips
Adjustable and lightweight
Polycarbonate lens
99% UV A/B/C protection
Well vented
Face contour friendly design
Pros
Unique face contour design for better fitment
Lasts longer
Prevents scratch, UV, and fog
Comfortable adjustment
Easy to clean
Cons
Lack of concealment
Poor peripheral protection
Cheaply made rubber nose protection
Light distortion
Not suitable for narrow nose bridges
The z87 rated Oakley safety glasses are well known for their usability as sunglasses for construction workers. They mainly focus on ray protection and offer up to 100% UV resistance. O-matter thermoplastic frames let them withstand a high amount of stress. High definition optics technology will give you great visual clarity from every angle, even in peripheral vision. A great choice for welding jobs and the firearms industry.
Features
Superior UV protection
Patented HDO, excellent visual clarity
Strong, stress-resistant O-matter thermoplastic frames
Unobtanium nose pads
Z87 stamped
Ultra-lightweight
Pros
Stress resistant, strong, and lasts longer
Sturdy frame, compatible with other gears
Up to 100% UV protection
Peripheral protection
Can be used as sunglasses
Cons
May fog up in certain cases
Lack of quality control
Relatively expensive
Miller safety glasses are specially designed for welding purposes. They have polarized, X-ray detectable, photochromatic lenses that prevent harmful rays from damaging your eyes. The wraparound polycarbonate frames feature rubber earpads for improved grip. They serve as ideal sunglasses for construction workers.
Features
Reflective photochromatic coated lenses
Scratch & UV resistant
Lenses are polarized, X-ray detectable
ANSI z87.1 standard
Rubber earpad
Pros
Great protection against UV and other harmful rays
Sturdier frame and lens
Scratch-resistant
Rubber pads keep the glass from shifting
Cons
May not prevent flash burn
The tinting may not suit everyone
If you’re looking for a cool design alongside ultimate protection, then the Spoggles safety eyewear got you covered. It’s a hybrid of protective glasses and safety goggles that feature both detachable legs and head strap. So it’s safe and comfortable. Available in clear, smoke, and yellow lens variants. Offers a clear direct vision and sufficient field vision. Good concealment.
Features
Combination of protective glasses and safety goggles
Unconventional design, fashion-friendly
Meets ANSI en166 standards
Tinted polycarbonate UV resistant lens
Comes with foam padding, head strap
Detachable legs and strap
Pros
Multifunctional, safe and comfortable
Commendable impact resistance and concealment
UV resistant
Clear visibility
Goes with any style
Cons
Does not feature sufficient glare protection
May fog up easily
Prone to scratch accumulation
The Mpow goggles feature steel mesh of .8mm openings. They protect the eyes against leaves and branches but are not suitable for working with smaller low-energy particles. They do not accumulate fog, but they obstruct visibility to some point. Doesn’t rust easily. These are not the best safety glasses for grinding.
Features
Stainless steel mesh lens
Eva foam sealed black frame
ANSI z87.1 rated standard
Fog-free, anti-scratch well vented
Pros
Protection against larger (>1mm) particles
Fog resistant
Comfortable to wear, safe to some extent
Allows air circulation
Cons
Considerably lower protection than others
Only usable on specific occasions
Poor concealment, prone to foreign particle invasion
No UV protection
NocRy over glasses allow you to wear your prescription glasses underneath the protection gear. These polycarbonate glasses are UV resistant and anti-scratch. The concealment is good and feels comfortable. Curved enough to fit the average face contour. They do not have anti-fog property as the manufacturers decided to keep it within an affordable price range.
Features
Heavy duty prescription glasses friendly
Latex-free polycarbonate materials
400nm UV protection
Lightweight design with good field vision
OSHA, ANSI z87.1, and CSA z94.3 certified
Pros
Can be used with prescription glasses
Scratch and UV resistant
Good concealment fits comfortably
Freely usable
Cons
Fogs up easily
May scratch prescription glasses
Fitting problems may occur with other glasses
Bouton safety glasses are like conventional construction safety glasses protecting your eyes from the particles and elements. However, these glasses support modifications so you can replace the lens with your prescription ones at any time. The clear lenses can withstand high-velocity impact. Permanent side shields allow excellent peripheral vision and protection. They also feature anti-fog technology to ensure clear visibility at all times.
Features
Sturdy polycarbonate lens
Changeable with prescription lens
Permanent side-shields
Anti-fog, scratch-free exterior coating
Wraparound frames, bendable temples
Padded brow guard
High impact standard
Safety glasses, as the name suggests should be capable of protecting your eyes even under extreme conditions. They should also be comfortable to wear, have good ventilation, adjustable design, etc. So depending on the type of your work environment and exposure, here are a few things that you should consider before buying construction safety glasses.
Glasses or goggles?
The classic struggle. Construction safety glasses are like traditionally designed glasses. Except they are sturdier and thicker. The lens is made of plastic or polycarbonate. They often feature side shields. Like common glasses, they sit on the nose and ears.
Goggles, on the other hand, have frames of rubber or polymers around the edges. They are adjustable as they feature an elastic strap that goes to the back of your head. Goggles have better concealment than glasses. But for long term works, they may start to feel uncomfortable.
Impact resistance
The first and most important feature of safety glass is the protection of your eyes. One of the many dangers you may encounter on a construction site is stray materials charging at your face. There’s no guarantee that you could always react in time. So your glass should have good impact resistance.
Nowadays, plastic and polycarbonate glasses are popular as they don’t shatter easily. If they did, that would create a bigger problem. Silica glasses are brittle and may break into tiny shards, damaging your eyes. So try to buy a polycarbonate lens as they are sturdy and more likely to save you from severe damage and even blindness.
Vision
The glass should preferably have clear direct and peripheral vision. Trading visibility and performance for only protection doesn’t make sense. The glass should be clear and scratchproof. It should allow normal vision without deformation and distortion.
Some glasses tend to fog up quickly and create haziness. Some accumulate scratches way faster than others. These are not ideal for long term usage. Allowing sufficient peripheral or field vision is also important. You’d undoubtedly want your eye coverage to be at a maximum in a construction site.
So choose a glass that’s scratch and fog-resistant, have good peripheral vision, and No distortion, providing you with the best possible vision every time you work.
Concealment
Concealment of glass or goggle is as important as any. Especially if you work in an environment where dusty materials may generate and float around. Or where toxic fumes are present. In those cases, just frontal protection is not enough as the dust or gas may still get to your eyes through the openings of your glass. Or dust particles may manage to cloud the insides of your glass, clouding your vision.
Construction goggles hold the upper hand in these cases. They often come with rubber paddings at the borders to seal the openings between your face and the glass. They also feature adjustable straps so you can pretty much control the openings. Also, glasses may fog up if there are openings. So the best choice would be a fully concealed goggle with anti-fog properties.
UV protection
If your work involves long term exposure to the sun, then you must consider a glass or goggle with good UV protection ratings. Longer sun exposure may damage your eyes. There are construction safety sunglasses available for these situations. Some advanced construction goggles offer UVB and UVC protection as well.
The reason your eyes need to be protected is in this video:
Construction Safety Glasses – FAQs
Why do I need construction glasses?
If you work under extreme conditions, several elements (dust, low-energy particles, rays, etc) may irritate or damage your eyes. Sometimes this may lead to permanent loss of eyesight. So consider the glasses to be your primary form of protection.
What are the different types of safety glasses?
The major two variants are glasses and goggles. For basic works that do not involve lots of materials flying around, glasses are ok. They are comfortable and easy to remove. Some can be adjusted to prescriptions. But for extreme exposure to dust like materials and weather elements, goggles provide better overall protection. They also leave minimum to zero openings to achieve better concealment.
Will any glass fit me?
Glasses are usually made of polycarbonate/thermoplastic frames that ensure enough flexibility to stretch and hold on to the sides of your head. And goggles come with straps, making them much more adjustable than glasses.
How important is lens material?
The material should be able to withstand moderate to high impacts. It should provide sufficient and distortion-free visibility. The lens should not fog up easily. Glasses made of brittle materials are not recommended as they easily shatter and broken shards may damage your eyes.
What are yellow safety glass variants for?
They are good for specific people such as cyclists, hunters, golfers, etc. These glasses provide better visibility in hazy conditions and ensure minimum glare. Somewhat reduces eye strain.
Verdict
Construction safety glasses vary widely based on build, model, and functions. Depending on your job, you may want glasses with specific features and we believe our guide has already got everything covered. But no matter what you choose, remember, Safety First.
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