Certain jobs, particularly in the medical realm, in every military branch, and in different industrial fields, require performing certain tasks that cannot safely be done without the right protection. One of the most important parts of the human body to protect is the eyes. So how can you ensure that you have the greatest protection for your eyes when you are working, specifically with lasers? By investing in a high quality pair of laser safety glasses. If you have never had to buy protective eye wear before, finding the right pair of glasses can seem daunting and confusing at first. But it doesn’t have to be when you are equipped with the right information on purchasing your own protective eye wear. In this post, we will uncover the top six tips on how to select the best laser safety eye wear products.

1. Think About The Brand: Like any other kind of product, finding exceptional, durable laser safety eye wear will depend on the brand. Many brands are reputable, of course, and others would be considered good enough to get the job done by some people, but not as high quality as other people might prefer. Shop around and look at different brands. Consider how much you are willing to spend on the protective eye wear as well. Ask friends or colleagues for their recommendations or which brand they prefer using.
2. Ask Yourself if You Need Prescription Lenses: Naturally, everyone’s eyesight is different. Some people have 20-20 vision and in that case, they won’t need prescription lenses. But if you are near or farsighted, have an astigmatism, or wear bifocal glasses, you will need prescription lenses in your laser safety eye wear. Many manufacturers include this option so if a prescription is what you need, make this known before buying anything. Most brands offer single vision prescription laser glasses (this means that the glasses have a single prescription throughout the entire lens). However, this prescription is not for people who require a bifocal lens or extra power for reading. For people in need of this prescription, they should look into lined bifocal prescription laser glasses. These laser glasses provide distance correction and correction for reading or any close up viewing.
3. Prioritize Which Features Are Important to You: Of course the most important feature for anyone who is investing in a pair of laser safety glasses is protection for their eyes. But after that, there are several other things they probably care about and what those things are will differ from person to person. Is style important to you? Or maybe comfort and the style of the glasses? Perhaps you care more about durability or what kind of material was used to make the glasses. Decide which features are most important to you and buy your laser safety eye wear according to those features.
4. Think About The Frame: The frame of the laser safety glasses you purchase plays a pretty big role in the quality of your eye wear and your overall experience wearing them on the job. Picking the right frame style is important for three big reasons. One, you want to pick a frame style that works best for your unique facial features. If your laser safety glasses do not fit you correctly and sit on your nose securely, it will result in poor protection, thus leaving you susceptible to serious eye injury.  Secondly, and although this isn’t necessarily as important to think about as the other reasons are, you want to pick frames that match your personal style. And with so much variety in style and so many contemporary looks, you no longer have to pick safety over style. It’s easy to have both. Lastly, you need to pick out frames that match your application requirements. This depends on what you are using the laser safety eye wear for and what industry you work in. There are many different requirement options to choose from including wrap-around designs to lightweight frames and everything in between.
5. Pick The Right Filter: Not every filter offers the same amount of protection. Try to find out the wavelength of the laser that you are exposed to when you are working and pick a filter based on that. It is also important to keep in mind that if you are exposed to several wavelengths when you are working, you may need more than just one pair of laser safety glasses.
6. Look Into Optical Density: This won’t be required for every type of job, but it might be needed for your work. You might need optical density if there is a certain kind of laser that you use. Whether or not you need optical density also depends on how the laser is used. When shopping for laser safety eye wear, explain to the staff what kind of work you do so they can help you determine if optical density will be necessary. If you are ever using a laser for alignment purposes, the beam of the laser will have to be visible. And in this situation, optical density will be required for optimum eye protection.

Looking for more advice on picking out the right pair of laser safety glasses for you? Don’t hesitate to contact us today with any questions or continue reading our blog. We provide lots of valuable information on safety eye wear and are passionate about helping you find the best protection for you.