Safety Glasses Guide: Tints, Anti-Fog, Bifocal and Over-Glasses

Good safety glasses come down to four choices: the lens tint for where you work, the coatings (anti-fog and anti-scratch), the frame style (wraparound spec, over-glasses spec or sealed goggle) and, if you struggle with close work, a bifocal or full-focal magnifying lens. Bifocal safety glasses put a small reading zone at the bottom of a protective lens, so you can read a tape or a gauge without swapping to your own glasses. This guide explains each option and compares the safety glasses and goggles we have in stock.

Safety glasses or goggles?

Safety glasses (often called safety specs) are the everyday choice: light, comfortable for a full shift and easy to wear with earmuffs and a hard hat. A wraparound lens protects the front and sides of the eyes from flying chips and dust.

Goggles seal against the face. Choose goggles when the hazard can come from any direction or get around a spec: liquid splash, fine airborne dust, or grinding where debris bounces off surfaces. Vented goggles use indirect vents to let air move while keeping droplets and dust out. Many goggles are shaped to fit over prescription glasses, which suits people who would otherwise need an over-glasses spec.

There is a middle option too: foam-sealed specs such as the Esko Combat X4, which have a soft moulded EVA seal for dusty environments and come with both side arms and an adjustable elastic strap.

Lens tints: clear, smoke, amber, indoor/outdoor and mirror

• Clear: the default for indoor work, workshops and anywhere light levels change. If you only buy one pair, buy clear.
• Smoke (grey): cuts glare and brightness for outdoor work in sun. Too dark for dim indoor areas.
• Amber (yellow): commonly chosen to boost contrast in flat or low light. The Esko Magnum range comes in clear, smoke and amber.
• Indoor/outdoor (bronze and similar): a tint for people who move between the shed and the yard all day, such as the Ultras Indoor/Outdoor Bronze.
• Mirror: a reflective coating over a tinted lens for bright outdoor conditions. The Combat X4 is also sold in a silver mirror lens.

Shaded welding lenses (for example the Combat X4 in Shade 5) are a separate category: they are for specific light and heat hazards, not a substitute for sunglasses, and not a substitute for a welding helmet when arc welding.

Anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings

Fogging is the main reason people take their glasses off, which defeats the point. An anti-fog coating helps the lens stay clear in humid conditions, under a dust mask or respirator, and when you move between cold and warm areas. Some Esko lenses are anti-fog coated on both sides; the listing says which.

Anti-scratch (hardcoat) coatings protect the lens surface from abrasion. A scratched lens is harder to see through and should be replaced. Most specs in the table below list both coatings; the Ultras Indoor/Outdoor lists a hardcoat anti-scratch coating only.

Bifocal safety glasses and magnification strengths

Bifocal safety glasses have a normal protective lens with a small magnifying segment near the bottom. You look straight ahead through the plain lens and drop your eyes to read fine print, measurements or wiring. They suit people who use off-the-shelf reading glasses and do not want to juggle two pairs.

Full-focal (or full-lens) magnifying safety glasses magnify across the whole lens. They suit long stretches of close, detailed work at the bench, but distance vision through them is blurred, so they are not ideal for walking around a site.

Strengths are listed from x1.0 (shown as +100%), the mildest, up to x3.0 (+300%), the strongest we list. As a rule of thumb, choose the same strength as your usual reading glasses. If you are unsure, start lower: too strong a segment makes things blurrier, not clearer. Our ranges:

• Esko Bi-Focal Safety Spec: clear lens in x1.0, x1.5, x2.0, x2.5 and x3.0. Medium impact rated, anti-scratch and anti-fog coated, 99.9% UV protection.
• Safety Glasses-Bifocal: clear lens in x1.0 to x3.0, with a silicon nose bridge and temple pads. Medium impact rated. This line is being cleared, so strengths may run out.
• Esko MagSpec2 Full-Focal: full-lens magnification in x1.0, x1.5, x2.0 and x2.5. Medium impact rated, anti-fog coated, and dielectric (no metal parts).

Over-glasses (OTG) safety specs

If you wear prescription glasses, ordinary safety specs will not fit over them. Over-glasses specs (also called overspecs or visitor specs) have a larger lens and frame designed to go over your own glasses. The Esko Vispec2 Premium Overspec has ratchet-adjustable side arms and a medium impact, anti-fog and anti-scratch lens. Many goggles also fit over glasses. For full-time wearers, prescription safety glasses from an optometrist are worth considering.

Standards and impact ratings

Several of the Esko specs and goggles below state on their listing that they are certified to AS/NZS 1337.1:2010, and most Esko listings also give an impact rating (usually medium impact). Where a listing does not state a standard, the table says so. If your workplace requires certified eyewear, check the marking on the product itself.

Safety glasses and goggles compared

The Contract Clear, Ultras, Safety Glasses-Bifocal and Esko PC-lens goggles are clearance lines being discontinued, so stock is limited.

How to choose by job

• General workshop, site crews, visitors' boxes: a clear wraparound such as the Contract Clear or Magnum, bought by the box so spares are always on hand.
• Outdoor work in sun: smoke or mirror lens; an indoor/outdoor tint if you move between inside and out.
• Grinding, dusty work, splash: a vented goggle such as the G-MaxE, or a foam-sealed spec like the Combat X4 for dust.
• Reading gauges, labels and drawings: bifocal safety glasses in your reading strength; full-focal MagSpec2 for long bench sessions.
• Prescription glasses wearers: the Vispec2 overspec or an over-glasses goggle.
• Wearing a respirator or working in humidity: make sure the lens is anti-fog coated.

Care tips

• Rinse grit off before wiping. Dry-wiping a dusty lens is the quickest way to scratch it.
• Use a lens cleaner or a soft cloth, and store glasses in a pouch rather than loose in a toolbox.
• Replace glasses that are cracked, deeply scratched or have taken a hard impact.

FAQ

What strength bifocal safety glasses should I get?

Match the strength of the reading glasses you already use. If you do not wear readers, try a lower strength (x1.0 or x1.5) first. Stronger is not better: the wrong strength blurs your close-up view.

Are bifocal safety glasses as protective as normal safety glasses?

The magnifying segment is part of the protective lens. Check each product's impact rating: the Esko bifocal and MagSpec2 ranges are listed as medium impact rated.

Can I wear safety glasses over my prescription glasses?

Only styles designed for it. Over-glasses specs like the Vispec2, and goggles listed as fitting over prescription glasses, are made for this.

Is amber or smoke better for outdoor work?

Smoke for bright sun and glare. Amber is usually chosen for flat or low light, when you want more contrast rather than less brightness.

Do I need goggles instead of safety glasses?

Use goggles when debris, dust or liquid could get around the edges of a spec, such as when grinding overhead or handling chemicals.

Browse the full range in Safety Glasses and Eye Protection.