Real prescription glasses

[cadpoint]

I was wondering if anyone would suggest a link or a good supplier for some construction grade eye protection? I have to get true prescription glasses and probably have to includes side shields. I just had my eyes examined and magnifiers on standard eye shields just won't cut it! Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

 

[Smart $]

I was wondering if anyone would suggest a link or a good supplier for some construction grade eye protection? I have to get true prescription glasses and probably have to includes side shields. I just had my eyes examined and magnifiers on standard eye shields just won't cut it! Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

A lot of it will be just exactly what you are willing to call real prescription safety glasses. Just Google (or other search engine) "prescription safety glasses" and you will see how many varieties and prices there are out there...

 

[hillbilly1]

Yeah, sideshields are part of it, order some spare shields, I had one split, and it takes 3 weeks to get replacements, so I ordered a spare set, only a couple of dollars a pair. I got mine at Pearle Vision, not the cheapest place, but convienent, as they have a lot of locations in case I need service.

 

[petersonra]

I just ask my optometrist to make my glasses up as safety glasses. It reduces your options on frames and lenses some.

 

[renosteinke]

Your optician - a real one, not the clowns at Wal-mart- ought to have a variety to choose from.

Mine happen to be 3-M, and have side shields. Even so, I wear them as my primary glasses.

 

[WorkSafe]

Just make sure the frames and lens comply with ANSI Z87. The frames and such must have this marked.

 

[K8MHZ]

Just make sure the frames and lens comply with ANSI Z87. The frames and such must have this marked.

Exactly. There is a difference between safety glasses and safety lenses.

 

[cadpoint]

I had to get more than magnifiers based on a Doctors exam. I ponied up today for these here. We will see after the 11th... Thanks for the commits.

 

[jeremysterling]

Your optician - a real one, not the clowns at Wal-mart- ought to have a variety to choose from.

Mine happen to be 3-M, and have side shields. Even so, I wear them as my primary glasses.

I've worn glasses for forty years. I am very farsighted and extremely picky about my prescription spectacles, safety-spec or not. The local Walmart has consistently sold me superior lenses. The optician is the best I've been served by. Sometimes, it takes a while to pick a frame from the somewhat limited selection.

Three years ago, I bought a pair of glasses from a "real" optician and the lenses were horrible. I threw the lenses away, the Walmart optician traced the frames and their lab in Dallas ground out some perfect lenses.

Walmart's base ANSI-spec safety glasses are very reasonably priced and I've been very happy with mine.

 

[gadfly56]

I've worn glasses for forty years. I am very farsighted and extremely picky about my prescription spectacles, safety-spec or not. The local Walmart has consistently sold me superior lenses. The optician is the best I've been served by. Sometimes, it takes a while to pick a frame from the somewhat limited selection.

Three years ago, I bought a pair of glasses from a "real" optician and the lenses were horrible. I threw the lenses away, the Walmart optician traced the frames and their lab in Dallas ground out some perfect lenses.

Walmart's base ANSI-spec safety glasses are very reasonably priced and I've been very happy with mine.

Thanks for that info. I just had a pair of reading glasses made up there. My wife was riding me about getting a "real" pair instead of the pharmacy "cheaters" I've been using. They're good glasses, but the depth of field is too narrow. They're really good only for reading, but I'm on the computer 9-10 hours a day and they just don't make it that far so I still use the cheaters!

On the other hand, I'm constantly at job sites where safety glasses are required. When I need to read something I have to sneak out the cheaters. I'll look into having a prescription pair made up. Our company just added an eyeglasses prescription plan. If you don't mind my asking, about how much did yours run?

 

[renosteinke]

Glad to hear something nice about W-M. My experience was considerably different ....

Indeed, I've had an exceptional number of negative encounters involving eyeglasses. I hope this trend has ended.

Sneak out the cheaters? For a couple years I was quite happy using safety glasses with reading lenses in them. Here'[s an example: http://www.professionalequipment.co...4517-2&cid=PESEBNG&epc=PESEBNG&source=PESEBNG

In my case, I have recently received my first 'progressive' lenses. I continue to wear the prescription safety glasses as my regular glasses as well; the side shields are simply not a distraction. I'm sure I'll soon get a 'normal' pair, but 'progressives' take a little getting used to.

 

[GoldDigger]

They're good glasses, but the depth of field is too narrow. They're really good only for reading, but I'm on the computer 9-10 hours a day and they just don't make it that far so I still use the cheaters!

My Silicon Valley optometrist often makes up trifocals for people who sit at a computer all day. Close up on the bottom for the keyboard, slightly farther away for the computer display at the top. Normal distance vision in the middle.
I have also on occasion stuck a weak pair of cheaters behind my bifocals for computer work. (Looks weird even for a nerd, but it works.)

 

[wtucker]

I've found that if you ask the optician for "safety glasses," you'll be told, "they're all safety glasses." What they mean is that they're all safety LENSES. You have to ask for "industrial safety glasses." You can get them with Crizal coating, progressive bi- or trifocals, transitions or photogray self-shading, polarized--all the regular stuff. The frames aren't sexy, but they're half the price of the designer stuff.

You can, as someone mentioned above, get occupational trifocals that'll give you distance vision in the center and near vision at the bottom AND top. They're useful for reading a tape measure overhead.

Photochromic lenses like transitions and photogray won't dim while you're driving. The dimming is caused by the ultraviolet light from the sun, and the laminated glass in the windshield filters out 99% of UV light.

 

[jeremysterling]

Thanks for that info. I just had a pair of reading glasses made up there. My wife was riding me about getting a "real" pair instead of the pharmacy "cheaters" I've been using. They're good glasses, but the depth of field is too narrow. They're really good only for reading, but I'm on the computer 9-10 hours a day and they just don't make it that far so I still use the cheaters!

On the other hand, I'm constantly at job sites where safety glasses are required. When I need to read something I have to sneak out the cheaters. I'll look into having a prescription pair made up. Our company just added an eyeglasses prescription plan. If you don't mind my asking, about how much did yours run?

It's been two years but I want to say around $120 for the Z87's out the door. The frames are $30, and I went for one step up on the lenses, no transitions, because if I'm wearing these I have a hardhat on to shade my eyes.

I asked the optometrist about bifocals because I said I was constantly looking over the tops of my glasses to see close up. She asked what kind of work I did and when I told her I was a (field) electrician she recommended no bifocals and get reading glasses for reading only. I liked her advise as it makes little sense for someone who needs to see close up while looking up standing on a ladder and have the reading part of the lens at the bottom of the lens.

 

[jeremysterling]

My Silicon Valley optometrist often makes up trifocals for people who sit at a computer all day. Close up on the bottom for the keyboard, slightly farther away for the computer display at the top.

You can, as someone mentioned above, get occupational trifocals that'll give you distance vision in the center and near vision at the bottom AND top. They're useful for reading a tape measure overhead.

I hope the trifocals are within my glasses budget!

 

[BPoindexter]

If you want "cheaters" to use with a computer I highly recommend these:

Glasses

Just ordered my second pair. Focal length is perfect for sitting and looking at a monitor. The are not safety glasses though. For those that just need reading safety glasses say +1.50 for exapmle you can get inexpensive Z rated with the diopters which is what I use. Come in clear, tinted (UVA/UVB), several varieties. Grainger has them for sure and lots of places online.

 

[hillbilly1]

I've found that if you ask the optician for "safety glasses," you'll be told, "they're all safety glasses." What they mean is that they're all safety LENSES. You have to ask for "industrial safety glasses." You can get them with Crizal coating, progressive bi- or trifocals, transitions or photogray self-shading, polarized--all the regular stuff. The frames aren't sexy, but they're half the price of the designer stuff.

You can, as someone mentioned above, get occupational trifocals that'll give you distance vision in the center and near vision at the bottom AND top. They're useful for reading a tape measure overhead.

Photochromic lenses like transitions and photogray won't dim while you're driving. The dimming is caused by the ultraviolet light from the sun, and the laminated glass in the windshield filters out 99% of UV light.

Not all, depends on the state regs, in North Carolina they are, but in Georgia (unless they have changed it) they are not.

 

[M_e_l_v_i_n]

Uvex Genesis XC

Uvex Genesis XC

I use Uvex Genesis XC safety glasses. {PDF brochure} They are standard wrap around safety glasses available in a wide variety of tints (clear, grey, semi mirror, amber etc.) that you attach prescription glass to via a special frame. Because the prescription glass is behind the plastic safety shields they don't get scratched and switching to a new set of plastic safety glasses when your old ones get scratched/damaged takes only a few seconds. Mine are single focal but I can't see any reason one couldn't get any combination of bi tri or progressive lense for them.

They cost less than my old standard prescription glass with side shields and they weight a lot less because the glass area is about half the size.

There is also a version of these glasses that take the same insert that don't wrap around as much for people with high cheek bones.

And I think they are kinda styling .

 

[6sunset6]

There are also lenses called Double Dees. They have a reading or what ever you need both top and bottom. So when you are looking up you only have to tilt slightly and not crank your head 180d back.
I had a prescription pair which were great. Then I got my eyes laser fixed . I never got another prescription pair but I got a pair from Mcmaster Carr. Safety frame ,wrap around and various magnifications for the double dee part.

 

[ggunn]

In my case, I have recently received my first 'progressive' lenses. I continue to wear the prescription safety glasses as my regular glasses as well; the side shields are simply not a distraction. I'm sure I'll soon get a 'normal' pair, but 'progressives' take a little getting used to.

Good luck with that; I never got used to the progressive lenses I had. There is topologically no way to transition smoothly from one diopter to another, and that results in some parts of the lens being astigmatic. Also, the close reading parts of the lenses I had were so small that to read a book I had to move my head (or the book) back and forth. I finally went back to single vision lenses for distance and drug store readers for close up.