5 Best Safety Glasses (2023 Guide)

Safety glasses are protective gear that can guard your eyes from flying debris, chemical splashes, injury by impact, harmful lights, and more. Protective eyewear often features special coatings that mitigate UV rays, fog, glare, and scratches. These coatings can extend the life of the lenses, improve visibility on the job, provide additional eyesight protection, or some combination thereof.

Because there are thousands of options on the market, our team conducted research on some of today’s best safety glasses for a range of applications. Here are our top picks.

Top 5 Safety Glasses

• Best Overall: Magid Y50 Safety Glasses
• Best Value: TRUST OPTICS Safety Glasses
• Best Adjustability: NoCry Safety Glasses
• Best Side Protection: Gateway Safety Cover2 Glasses
• Best Bifocals: DEWALT Rx-Bifocal Safety Glasses

Best Overall

Pros and Cons

✔ Comes in multiple lens colors
✔ Has a low base curve to improve peripheral vision
✔ Has vented side shields for temperature control

✘ The lenses don’t provide UVB protection
✘ Requires a screwdriver to remove the side shields

Key Features

• One pair
• Polycarbonate lenses
• Anti-fog, anti-scratch coating
• ANSI Z87.1 specification
• Several color and quantity options

What Customers Are Saying

Reviewers said that these glasses fit a variety of head sizes. Even customers with larger heads found these glasses comfortable for long periods of wear. However, reviewers who weren’t satisfied with these safety goggles claimed that the lenses fogged up despite being advertised as anti-fog.

Best Value

Pros and Cons

✔ Passed fire range testing
✔ Has glass lenses instead of standard plastic ones
✔ Offers 100% UVA and UVB protection

✘ Wraparound design that may not fit all users
✘ Doesn’t have an anti-fog coating

Key Features

• 12 pairs
• Glass lenses
• Scratch-resistant coating
• ANSI Z87+ specification
• Several color options

What Customers Are Saying

Many customers skeptical of these glasses’ effectiveness did their home tests before using them during a real project. Their home tests proved that the glasses protected against everything from nail guns to Nerf darts. However, some customers tested the glasses under a blue light machine and found that they didn’t block out all light.

Best Adjustability

Pros and Cons

✔ Has double-coated lenses to avoid fogging
✔ Features non-slip rubber tips for a secure fit
✔ Construction is latex-free

✘ Doesn’t have a certification from ANSI
✘ Doesn’t fit over prescription glasses

Key Features

• One pair
• Polycarbonate lenses
• Anti-fog, scratch-resistant lenses
• Several color options

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who loved these safety glasses were particularly impressed with the glasses’ lenses. Reviewers agreed that the double coating on the lenses prevented fogging. Customers who were unsatisfied with these glasses claimed that they were uncomfortable to wear because of the thin plastic near the ear tips. Some customers also claimed that the lenses scratched easily.

Best Side Protection

Pros and Cons

✔ Blocks 99.9% of UVA, UVB and UVC light up to 380 nm
✔ Includes adjustable temple grips
✔ Crafted with tinted lenses that reduce fatigue

✘ Has a bulky frame
✘ Some customers said that the lenses, even on the clear ones, weren’t see-through, making them difficult to look through

Key Features

• One pair
• Polycarbonate lenses
• ANSI Z87.1+ specification
• Several color and quantity options

What Customers Are Saying

Amazon users raved about wearing these safety goggles through long work shifts without them fogging up or slipping off. However, customers who weren’t satisfied complained that the sides of the glasses were too loose, causing them to move around if they were worn over smaller prescription glasses.

Best Bifocals

Pros and Cons

✔ Includes a vented nose piece that improves comfort
✔ Has rubber temple grips for comfort and slip prevention
✔ Has 99% UVA and UVB protection

✘ Some customers said that the non-reading part of the lenses was blurry
✘ Doesn’t come in colored lens options

Key Features

• One pair
• Polycarbonate lenses
• Scratch-resistant coating
• ANSI Z87.1+ specification

What Customers Are Saying

Customers complimented the composition of these safety goggles, which they found sturdy and scratch-resistant. However, some customers said that these safety goggles were uncomfortable to wear for extended periods.

Buying Guide to Safety Glasses

Before purchasing a pair of safety glasses from lens material to impact resistance, there are a few factors to consider. Keep reading to learn more about these factors and help you determine which safety glasses are best for your needs.

Impact Resistance

The main purpose of safety glasses is to protect your eyes from debris and other objects. If you want the most protection possible, look for glasses that are ANSI-certified—this certification means that the glasses have undergone a few tests to prove their protection.

For example, glasses with standard protection, or ANSI Z87.1, were undamaged after having a 1-inch steel ball dropped on them from 50 inches off the ground. Glasses with high impact protection, or ANSI Z87.1+, withstood a 0.25-inch steel ball fired at them at 150 feet per second.

Lens Material

The lenses on your safety glasses will be made of polycarbonate, Trivex, or glass.

• Polycarbonate: Polycarbonate is lightweight, tough, and easy to mold. It also provides protection from UV rays. However, this material scratches easily and requires a protective coating.
• Trivex: Trivex is fairly new, but it has similar characteristics to polycarbonate in that it’s lightweight, tough, and UV-resistant. Lenses made of Trivex are a little easier to see through than lenses made of polycarbonate, but they’re prone to scratches.
• Glass: Glass is heavy and not as impact-resistant as polycarbonate or Trivex. However, it’s more scratch-resistant and can be made into prescription lenses at a cheaper price.

Lens Color

Different-colored lenses can assist in different lighting conditions. Here are a few of the most common lens colors:

• Amber: Amber produces better contrast, making it best for use in poorly lit areas.
• Gold mirror: This color reduces glare and direct sunlight exposure.
• Gray: Gray reduces glare and brightness.
• Plain mirror: This lets in all sunlight, but it reduces glare.

Lens Coating

In addition to lens color, you can find lenses with different coatings. For example, an anti-static coating will prevent dirt and other debris from sticking to the lenses, and an anti-fog or anti-mist coating will keep the lenses clear in humid conditions.

Adjustability

Some safety glasses allow you to adjust the angle of the nose pieces and the length of the side pieces. This is especially useful for communal glasses that several people will wear because it allows users to adjust them to their liking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ANSI safety standards for safety glasses?

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a nonprofit organization that creates product safety standards. ANSI publishes criteria on how safety glasses can minimize eye and face injury every five years. The most recent addition is ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2020. Safety glasses that meet these ANSI standards are trusted because they have undergone rigorous testing to prove their protection.

When should I use safety goggles instead of safety glasses?

Safety goggles suction directly to your face, so they’re better for environments where you’ll be exposed to harmful liquids or gases.

Can prescription glasses protect my eyes?

Prescription glasses don’t provide the same amount of protection as safety glasses. If you have prescription glasses, consider purchasing safety glasses that fit your regular glasses or finding a pair of safety glasses with a prescription. You can also look for bifocal, progressive, or photochromic lenses if you’re going the prescription route.

How We Selected the Best Safety Glasses

To provide our readers with the best recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.

Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of glasses with a significant number of verified buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers. 

Expert Insights: Through our years of experience, we’ve learned that listening to what others have to say is key to building accurate, well-rounded articles. To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews and videos from trusted publications and independent testers, spoke with subject matter experts, and drew insights from reader contributions.

Final Product Selection: We then began fine-tuning our list by replacing older models with the latest versions and eliminating any discontinued models. From there, we pared the list down further by comparing each model’s feature set and selecting the best-in-class options for various buyers, budgets, and scenarios.

Why You Can Trust Us

This Old House has empowered homeowners and DIYers for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content. 

Our team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published numerous tool reviews, from cordless drills and impact drivers to tape measures and laser levels.

Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.

Questions or Comments?

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