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Best Safety Glasses for Woodworking Projects




No matter if you routinely work in a shop or you’re in the business of construction and renovation, having a pair or two of the best safety glasses on-hand is critical. They help to protect your eyes while you build your raised planter boxes, complete your porch renovation, or work around your home and tackle all of those DIY projects you’ve been putting off. You want something that is comfortable, that you won’t scratch, and the best safety glasses won’t obscure your vision by fogging up. They should provide adequate protection from the front and sides of your face to prevent metal shards or wood chips from scratching your eyes, and narrowing down your choices to find the best safety glasses can be time-consuming.

If you’re ready to upgrade your current pair or if you want to buy the best safety glasses before you tackle your projects, this is for you. Not only will I give you 10 pairs of the best safety glasses on the market, but I’ll provide short reviews that will allow you to compare them side-by-side. The short buyer’s guide will ensure that you have everything you need to make an informed decision, and you can get a comfortable and chic pair of safety glasses that will last you for years.


The best safety glasses allow you to easily wear them for a huge range of projects. They’re lightweight, flexible, comfortable, and they fit snugly to your face to protect your eyes from flying debris while keeping your field of vision clear. Safety Glasses by MohammadBaju / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0


LianSan Anti-Fog Safety Glasses – Top Pick


These durable and sleek glasses by LianSan are my top pick for the best safety glasses due to their durability and the anti-fog coating that ensures you’re able to see in warm, humid, or colder environments without a problem. They work as safety glasses, UV protection glasses, and anti-blue light glasses to help protect your eyes from strain. These glasses are nice if you’re building an outdoor toy storage for your kid’s toys, or you can use them indoors without a problem. Your eyes will have a barrier to protect them from peripheral and direct threats, and they come with a strong polycarbonate wraparound construction.

These best safety glasses come with a unisex design that is suitable for men and women. The lens comes with a double coating on them without any tinting, and this will ensure that you get zero optical distortion when you wear them to keep your field of vision clear and concise. You’ll get one anti-fog cloth, one box for your glasses, and a glasses bag that makes it easy to store and transport them from job site to job site when you order. They’re lightweight and comfortable, and this is important if you plan to wear them for hours at a time.

PROS:

  • Wraparound design

  • Anti-fog coating

  • Double as UV and blue light protection

  • Sleek profile

  • Unisex design

  • Zero optical distortion

  • Carrying case and bag included

CONS:

  • Anti-fog coating isn’t the best

Tavool Store Safety Glasses – Step-Up Pick


My step-up pick for the best safety glasses comes from Tavool, and they give you high-level impact resistance to help shield your eyes from any injuries. They use military-grade PC explosion-proof materials that won’t crack or scratch with hard use, and this provides a durable barrier for your eyes. Since they use military safety specifications, they can protect your eyes from flying shrapnel. You can wear them both at home when you tackle your DIY projects and at work. They protect against UV radiation, airborne dust, flying objects, particles, and debris when you have them on. You get three pairs of glasses in every order, and they have a unisex design.

These best safety glasses come with an anti-fog coating on the lens to keep them clear in different working environments. This means that they won’t fog easily when you expose them to water vapor. There are breathable vents on the side to stop them from steaming up with extended wear, and they have a slightly wider body design for maximum protection. They’re very lightweight, and this can help to keep you comfortable with extended wear. There is a large nose pad that allows it to fit over your standard glasses without a problem, and it has a transparent coloring for a higher clarity level.


PROS:

  • High-level impact resistance

  • Military-grade PC materials

  • Explosion-proof

  • Anti-fog coating

  • Wider nose pad

  • Lightweight

  • High clarity levels

CONS:

  • Don’t sit flush to your face

Dewalt Protective Safety Glasses – Mid-End Budget Pick


Dewalt’s best safety glasses are slightly more affordable without sacrificing quality, and these are a very comfortable pair of glasses that work very well for extended wear. You get an adjustable ratcheting and telescoping temple when you wear them, and this allows them to sit flush to your face to provide a tailored protection against dust or flying debris as you build your new porch. This also makes them more comfortable to wear for extended times than other picks, and the lenses are distortion-free to help keep your field of vision clear and clean while you have them on.


There is a dual-injected rubber brow cushion that adds to your comfort level with these best safety glasses, and the anti-fog coating on the lens meets ANSI Z87+2003 safety standards. This means that they’ll stay clear when you introduce water vapors to your work environment. You can choose from several styles, including anti-fog, mirror, clear, smoke, and indoor and outdoor. This allows you to tailor your choice to your work environment, and the rubber-tipped ends give them more grip to keep them securely on your face as you move around. This is nice if you sweat and get hot when you work.

PROS:

  • Adjustable telescoping and ratcheting temple

  • Sits flush to your face

  • Lightweight

  • Anti-fog coating

  • Dual-injected rubber brow cushion

  • Several styles available

  • Rubber-tipped ends

CONS:

  • Difficult to adjust the fit

Crews Clear Lens Safety Glasses – Bargain Budget Pick


The best safety glasses that are also the best bargain budget pick come from MCR Safety. It has a very well thought out construction to it that allows it to give you a high level of protection and comfort without breaking your bank. It has a single piece wraparound lens design to it that leaves your vision unobstructed when you wear them, and it also provides fewer areas for dust or debris to slip by and get into your eyes as you work. It has a tighter fit too that sits flush to your face for maximum safety. There are flexible temples on these glasses with non-slip temple sleeves to keep the glasses in place for extended wear.

The temple sleeves on these best safety glasses also come notched, and this allows you to clip on a breakaway cord to keep track of them. There are integral side shields on these glasses to give you even more protection, and the lenses are a polycarbonate material that will effortlessly block up to 99.9% of UV rays when you wear them outside. They meet military MIL-PRF-31013 clause 3.5.1.1. For high velocity impact protection to block flying debris, and you get a secure gel nose piece that will conform to your unique facial features to keep you comfortable.

PROS:

  • Wraparound design

  • Provides an unobstructed view

  • Sits tight to your face

  • Flexible temples

  • Non-slip sleeves

  • Integral side shields

  • Polycarbonate design

CONS:

  • Not good for outdoor use

MAGID Safety Glasses – Best for Long Wear


Magid’s best safety glasses have a classic and stylish design that helps to promote worker compliance on job sites, and they also work well for projects around the house like building your extension on your home. You get a lower base curve on the frame with clear side shields that lend you excellent peripheral protection and vision capabilities, and you get one pair of glasses per wiper case to make it easy to keep them free of smudges and clean when you work. They’re excellent for long wear because they sit flush to your face without being too tight, and they’re lightweight while still being very durable.

The lenses on these best safety glasses come with a hard coat of polycarbonate that is resistant to scratches in different work environments, and they come in grey and clear coloring that gives you long-lasting protection. There are soft grey temple pads with a durable but soft nylon frame to increase your protection and comfort levels when you wear them. There is an anti-fog coating on the lenses, and you can bend the temples to form to your facial shape. They will fit over any prescription glasses without a problem, and there are vented side shields to help prevent fogging.


PROS:

  • Stylish and sleek

  • Lower base curve on the frame

  • Clear and vented side shields

  • Case included

  • Hard coat of poly carbonate

  • Temple pads

  • Fits over prescription glasses

CONS:

  • Anti-fog coating can wear off quickly

BISON LIFE Safety Glasses – Best for Metalworking Projects


You get an impressive 12 pairs of the best safety glasses for metalworking projects when you order, and this is more than enough to have on-hand in smaller or medium-sized shops. These glasses are incredibly light, and they offer all-around ballistic impact protection with a comfortable, snug, and secure fit that won’t slip off your face in different conditions. You can easily wear these glasses for longer time periods without them being uncomfortable, and they’ll protect you against dry or wet airborne contaminants and flying debris while you work around your shop or on a job site.


There are larger side shields on these best safety glasses for superior protection, and the entire lenses and side shields have an anti-scratch coating on them. This coating reduces the amount of maintenance you have to do, and you get deep, universal-fit temples with full side and brow protection. They give you a high level of peripheral and direct eye protection, and they double as PPE equipment that will slip right over your prescription glasses for a snug fit. They exceed ANSI Z87.1 standards for safety. They have a universal design with one-size-fits-all, and this makes them a good choice for adults and younger kids.

PROS:

  • Get 12 pairs of glasses per order

  • Light

  • Offers all-around ballistic protection

  • Larger side shields

  • Anti-scratch coating

  • Universal fit temples

  • Exceeds ANSI Z87.1 safety standards

CONS:

  • Mild optical distortion after extended wear

G & F Products Safety Goggles – Best for Virus Protection


These are the best safety glasses if you’re looking for something that offers 99% against C, B, or UV-A rays and 100% protection against glares. These glasses also resist impact, scratches, and ballistics without a problem. You can wear them for protection when you work on your wood burning projects, and they’re also a solid choice for hunting, metalworking, and construction projects. They have a sleek and comfortable lightweight frame, and you can choose from a pack of 6 or 12 when you order. They come in multiple bright colors to help improve the visibility levels when you set them down.

These best safety glasses are made in the United States and imported, and this means that they follow strict safety standards. They have a comfortable design that allows them to sit close to your face without being too tight or uncomfortable, and you can easily wear them for hours at a time. They have vented side shields to cut down on fogging, and the arms have a light rubber coating to help prevent slipping while making them more comfortable to wear for extended periods. They’re easy to store between uses, and they can survive things like accidental drops without a problem.

PROS:

  • Comes in a 6 or 12 pack

  • Blocks 99% of C, B, and UV rays

  • Vented side shields

  • 100% glare protection

  • Bright coloring

  • Made in the United States

  • Comfortable and lightweight

CONS:

  • May not sit flush

Bollé Safety Goggles – Best for Large Woodworking Shops


When you pick out these best safety glasses by Bollé, you’re getting a pair that comes with innovative Flex 160-degree technology built into them. This allows the glasses to seamlessly fit to your face, and they come with very flexible bi-material temples that give you excellent support without creating uncomfortable pressure points. In turn, you can wear them for hours at a time and stay comfortable. You’ll get panoramic vision with ultimate wraparound protection when you slip them on, and this makes them suitable to wear in larger woodworking shops where there can be a lot of dust, airborne particles, and flying debris.

These best safety glasses come with a newly refined design with colored temples that make them easier to wear and easier to spot when you put them down. THey work well for production lines, mining, automotive shops, construction sites, and DIY projects. There is an anti-scratch and anti-fog coating on them to make them more durable, and the co-injected temples give you a greater comfort level. There are small vents along the sides that allow water vapors to escape to prevent lens fog.

PROS:

  • Flex 160-degree technology

  • Bi-material temples

  • Panoramic vision

  • Wraparound protection

  • Colored temples

  • Anti-scratch coating

  • Vented sides

CONS:

  • Anti-fog coating can wear off

Meigix Safety Glasses – Best for Humid Workstations



The adjustable temples on these best safety glasses by Meigix allow them to fit different head sizes and face shapes without a problem, and it also makes them suitable for women, men, teenagers, children, and more. There is an ergonomic design that makes them stress-free and comfortable, and you can easily wear them as you set up your vegetable garden layout or work around your shop. They have a high-definition anti-fog field of vision on them, and you get a dual layer coating that increases the lens hardness while giving them excellent abrasion resistance. These are high-definition lenses with excellent transparency, and they will protect your eyes from UV rays.

There are anti-allergic, anti-dust, and anti-pollen coatings on these best safety glasses to ensure you stay comfortable with long wear. They block glare to prevent stain to your eyes, and they have an anti-splash function to protect your eyes from impacts. They are suitable for working, metal grinding, driving, or wearing around a laboratory. They’re very lightweight, and they won’t cause pressure points on the bridge of your nose when you have them on. They meet ANSI Z89 safety standards for durability, and they come with three different frame colors that allows you to tailor them to your needs and wants.

PROS:

  • Resists abrasions

  • Adjustable temples

  • No pressure points

  • Dual-layer lens coating

  • Protects against UV rays

  • Blocks glare

  • Lightweight

CONS:

  • Can fog relatively easy

Gateway Safety Glasses – Best for People Who Wear Glasses


The final pick on the best safety glasses list comes from Gateway. You get a single piece polycarbonate lens that will slip right over most prescription glasses with a little room to spare, and they come in clear or smoke coloring that makes them useful for indoor or outdoor use. The lightweight design is very comfortable to wear for hours at a time, and the adjustable temples let you get a custom fit each time you put them on that will sit flush to your face. There are also flexible tips that slide behind your ears to stop the glasses from pinching the skin or rubbing as you move around.

These best safety glasses will meet CSA Z94.3 impact standards and ANSI Z87.1 safety standards to make them very durable and reliable. You can use them for everyday projects around the house or more specialized uses in laboratories or at work. They have a modern and wide style that gives you more protection when you wear them, and the side shield will help provide another layer of protection. You’ll get an unobstructed view of your working space when you put them on, and they’re easy to fold up and store neatly between uses so they’re always in reach when you need them.

PROS:

  • Single-piece polycarbonate lens

  • Slips over prescription glasses

  • Clear or smoke coloring available

  • Lightweight

  • Adjustable temples

  • Flexible tips

  • Offers an unobstructed view

CONS:

  • Sit loose to your face

Best Safety Glasses – Buying Guide

When you start to look for the best safety glasses to help you complete your outdoor bench or work safety around your shop, what should you look for? Are there certain points that make one type of glasses better than others? If so, what are they? Even though this doesn’t have to be an expensive purchase, it’s essential that you get the best safety glasses to help protect your eyes. This buyer’s guide will outline the most important points to keep in mind.


Knowing what to look for when you purchase your safety glasses is paramount to getting the right pair for your wants and needs. Default safety goggles by waldopepper / CC BY-NC 2.0

Fit

Undoubtedly one of the biggest factors to consider when you’re picking out the best safety glasses is the fit. The goal is to find a pair of glasses that sit snug to your face without being too tight. Look for something that has adjustable temples and wings because this will let you contour to your facial shape and size better. If you wear prescription glasses, try to find a pair that will slide over them and still sit flush to your face. They should offer side protection too. If they don’t, debris can slip through when you work.

Anti-Fog and Anti-Glare Coating

Having your glasses fog up when you work is horribly frustrating, and glare can make it very hard to see your workspace. Most of my picks for the best safety glasses came with an anti-fog and anti-glare coating, but you want to make sure that it’s durable. If not, it can begin to wear away after you wear them out by your pond or after a few rounds in the workshop. This is a safety issue too. If the glasses have vents on the side, they’re less likely to fog up when you wear them.

Safety Standards

Whichever pair of the best safety glasses you choose, they should come built to a specific set of safety standards. Some on the list are military-grade for ballistic protection, and this ensures you that they’ll protect your eyes from flying debris. They should wrap around your face to provide protection on the sides as well as the front, and you want them to sit flush so debris can’t accidentally slip around them while you work. Check for specific safety standards when you buy them.


Getting a durable but comfortable pair of safety glasses can be surprisingly easy, even if you wear prescription glasses. The trick is to find ones that offer adjustable points to give you an excellent fit. Fetching safety glasses by Rain Rabbit / CC BY-NC 2.0

Durability

How durable your best safety glasses will directly dictate how long they last. If you plan to use them for more intensive projects like metalworking or working with landscaping hedging, you want something that is very durable. They shouldn’t scratch easily, and you want something that will survive accidental drops without breaking apart. Most of the glasses on the list are made out of a lightweight but durable plastic, and this resists scratching, cracking, and general wear and tear very well.

Bottom Line

The best safety glasses will provide excellent eye protection as you go about tackling all of those projects around your home or for work. I’ve picked out 10 of the best safety glasses available on the current market, and you can easily compare them side by side with the short reviews. If you need help narrowing down your choices further, take a look at the short buyer’s guide and see which glasses work best for you. Once you pick them out, you can have them shipped straight to your door.



Article Submitted by:

Jen Stark, Editor



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