Safety Glasses, for Those With Glasses?

[Scott Hildenbrand]

Ok, you four eyes out there.. What do you all use for eye protection while you're working?

Typically I just where my glasses and go at it, but for some stuff there's enough dust or chips kicked up that my eyes are irritated or I end up with dust in them.

I'm considering picking up a pair of Dewalt DPG82-11C (http://www.amazon.com/Dewalt-DPG82-11C-Concealer-Anti-Fog-Safety/dp/B000RKQ1NI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1255312115&sr=1-1) and hoping they work over my glasses well enough.

So what do you do?

[Bob Foss]

Buy a pair of prescription safety glasses. Invest in protecting your vision. You only get one pair of eyes.

[mickey cassiba]

I've got a pair of prescription safety glasses with removable side shields. Great for most work. I also have a set of Silver Cross motorcycle goggles that will fit over them for the more hazardous/ dusty situations.
Agree with Bob! You can't get a new pair!
Mickey

[harry strasil]

I just use my normal Safety eye glasses with shatter proof lenses, The difference between normal glasses and Safety glasses is the frames. And I only have one good eye, lost the vision in the right one working for Uncle Sam. I do have a set of plastic slip on side shields somewhere tho. My frames are also Titanium, its some tough stuff.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Scott, I asked the same question a few months ago:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=106167

I didn't want to buy prescription safety glasses (for a variety of reasons), so the EyeArmor brand many posters suggested appealed to me. I bought a pair. They're pretty good - I do actually use them, but I don't like them. My complaints: The part that goes over your ear doesn't really nicely rest over your regular glasses (the piece is always either sitting above or below your regular pair), so it's kind of awkward. Also, while they are better than any other goggles I've ever used, the plastic does still add some minor distortion to my vision, which makes me feel less safe than if I weren't wearing them. That's probably just me being obsessive, though.

Let me know if you find anything better...

[Randal Stevenson]

Prescription, no two ways about it.

There have been threads here about online places to get them reasonably. Walmart and Sam's are supposed to be reasonable (I picked mine up from Sam's since I go there for work, weekly). My mother is the surgical nurse for my opthomologist, so I have both seen and heard the stories, and YET, I still couldn't get them to carry them.:mad:

If you change frames, when you change glasses, good luck. I have terrible luck (previously) getting regular ones that fit over my glasses (what fit one pair, wouldn't fit the next). I still use googles occasionally (messy automotive work) as well as a face shield, but nothing beats basic safety glasses that can have removable (replaceable) side shields.

I do have to disagree with Harry though. Frames are not the only difference, the lenses are as well. Prescription ones are required to have the safety rating on them, and they can't use the thinner, high density plastics (thicker lenses then regular). Besides the plastic choices (multiple) in regular glasses, you can have glass.

[glenn bradley]

I'm with most responders here; prescription safety glasses. As Harry points out, safety glasses frames are designed to keep the lenses from being pushed toward the eye. Regular frames keep lenses from falling out. Shatter proof lenses in regular frames become inward bound projectiles if struck with sufficient force and are not safety glass material. Randal is correct that safety glass lenses are physically marked on the lens surface.

We spend all kinds of money on all kinds of safety equipment. Prescription safety glasses are just one more smart item although not a requirement; goggles work too. Prescription safety glasses are a convenience for me but an 'idiot proofing' item as well. I go into the shop and I put them on; I take them off when I leave. I don't have to remember my goggles or whatever and I don't have to fight a bulky face apparatus when putting a respirator on and off (although I do sometimes catch the elastic on the side shields ;-)

[Kev Godwin]

I also agree with prescription safety glasses as the best solution. Before I had Lasik correction, I used prescription safety glasses I got from Walmart. They were really good glasses and offered great protection. They saved me from a bad result from part of a wire cleaning wheel breaking lose and taking out my left eye. Only ended up with 3 stitches in my eye-brow. I was very lucky.

Now that I have corrected vision, I use face fitted poly-carbonate non-corrected safety glasses. I don't ever work without them.
Kev

[Mike Hall1]

There is another option.

[Lee Schierer]

There are three basic options:
1. Prescription safety glasses with side shields
2. Over the glasses type safety glasses or goggles
3. Full face shield.

[Robert Parrish]

I just got new glasses last month after cataract surgery and when I tried to order safety glasses they told me that all glasses are made from poly carbonate which is the same material that my hurricane shutters are made of. I also have the Dewalt model that you are interested in and use it for everything except my lathe. For that I use a Trend Shield. The Dewalt is a little inconvenient to put on and take off but it works fine.

[Rod Sheridan]

I use safety glasses over my prescription glasses........Rod.

[Steve Sawyer]

I was recently fitted for a pair of bifocals specifically for the shop. The "distance" Rx is good out to about the far edge of my table saw - maybe a little less. The "near" Rx is good for right up close to my nose. I wanted to stick to something to augment the glasses rather than a pair of prescription safety glasses.

Just a few days ago, I bought a very reasonably-priced ($7) set of safety goggles from my local Ace hardware (http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1290516&kw=safety+goggles&origkw=safety+goggles&searchId=41854472463) (see link) that fit easily over my glasses, are very comfortable, and completely enclose they eyes which I find better than the over-eyeglass safety glasses I've used in the past - some operations (such as hand-held routing) can throw a lot of stuff at your face that can get behind safety glasses.

These are a great value, and are not too expensive to replace if/when the lenses get too scratched.

http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE-985087dt.jpg

[Shawn Stennett]

I have to wear safety glasses at work,so when they sent me to get my eyes checked and fitted I just got an extra pair for home. The brand is Wiley X, they work great at home but suck at work because it is so hot at the steel mill I work at they fit so close to my face they tend to fog. No problems at home though.

[Larry Wadman]

For about $100 you can get prescription safety glasses a cheap date IMO. How often do we spend a quick $100 for a tool or hardware.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I have an astigmatism and have switched over to contact lenses. Once you put them on it really doesn't feel like anything is there, although you have to train your twitch reflex to be able to put them in successfully. Now I can just use any old goggle or face shield. It also helps a lot being able to use a respirator and normal sunglasses. The newer generations of contacts are really nice.

[Jim Rimmer]

I just got new glasses last month after cataract surgery and when I tried to order safety glasses they told me that all glasses are made from poly carbonate which is the same material that my hurricane shutters are made of. I also have the Dewalt model that you are interested in and use it for everything except my lathe. For that I use a Trend Shield. The Dewalt is a little inconvenient to put on and take off but it works fine.
If the frames (and possibly the lenses) are not marked Z87, they aren't safety glasses.

[Chris Kennedy]

Another one for prescription safety glasses. I have the ones that are mainly designed for shooting, and they wrap around your face (no need for side shields). Additionally, they have a rubber seal around the eye pieces, which keeps almost all the dust out.

Cheers,

Chris

[Howard Brown]

I recently purchased these from Woodcraft

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2003706/612/Wrap-Around-Safety-Glasses---Adult.aspx

They are very comfortable and don't seem to fog up so far.

[Randal Stevenson]

I just got new glasses last month after cataract surgery and when I tried to order safety glasses they told me that all glasses are made from poly carbonate which is the same material that my hurricane shutters are made of.

Bottom of post 6. You can order glasses, with glass still (mostly done by farsighted, people, reading glasses), or different plastics. The high density, is polycarbonate, but thinner, with coatings, etc and not the same as the safety rated polycarbonate (kinda like saying your house window, is glass, the same as your cars windshield).