Safety Glasses With Full Lens Magnifiers

[David2011]

After a close call with a piece of hot steel when I was about 20 eye protection has always had my attention. When I started needing reading glasses I eventually found safety glasses with bifocal readers in them but never really liked them. My prescription for glasses is very weak so I go with no correction around the house and shop most of the time but some help is mandatory when I get close to things. Having to look down my nose through the bifocal lenses wasn't always convenient or even possible, especially when working at eye level or looking up.

Recently I found a line of safety glasses from a company called Delta Plus that have whole lens magnifiers in a large range of diopters from 0.75 to 2.0. I bought them in 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 to cover everything from general wear around the shop to reading fine scales and other detail work. No affiliation with them; just wanted to let you know about them. They're currently in the $9-$13 range and Z87 or better rated. Available through safety equipment retailers and Amazon.

 

[rabler]

I keep about a half dozen of the full lens pairs in the shop to be sure I have one on hand. I do find normal drug store readers to be necessary for under the welding helmet as the safety glasses are too prone to fogging there.

 

[SouthernChap]

I use the magnified safety specs I have 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.

1.0 are for wandering the shop trying to spot where I left the Allen wrench.

1.5 are for general work where I don't need to get close up.

2.0 are for close-ish work.

2.5 are for machine tool work.

3.0 are for reading and very close up work.

You may be able to see a couple of issues with this.

- It's a PITA.

- It's inevitably not good for my eyes as I forget to move back down the diopter when I'm done with close work and none of the diopters really match my various prescriptions.

Bit short of disposable right now but there are definitely prescription safety specs and then varifocal safety specs in my future.

 

[CJ5Dave]

For the welding helmet you can fit internal magnifiers on the inside. Various diopters, less than $10.

 

[RickKr]

I've had to wear readers for over 30 years. Really hated it as I was very near-sighted and wore contact lenses for over 50 yrs to avoid wearing glasses. But in my mid-40s, couldn't avoid it any longer. I hated the bifocals because of that tilting needed and didn't like not having full field vision. So, combination of contacts and drug-store readers is what I found I could tolerate.

However, while the full field magnifiers/readers worked well for me for general and moderately close work, but I found I needed extra magnification for really close up work. 20 some odd years ago I started fly fishing and found I needed just that for tying the tiny tippets to the flies. I got what I call "dual-bifocal" glasses. 2X magnification in the main field, 4X in the bifocal area. Went to a safety supply house to get true safety glasses, but they required a prescription. Got that from my ophthalmologist. I then found they work great in the machine shop and many other tasks. Been using them ever since when I need both. Had the cataract lens replacement surgeries for both eyes a few years ago and now my distance vision is 20/20 or better. Still have to use readers though and still use the dual-bifocals.

 

[GeneT45]

Elvex (cheap) and Pyramex (higher quality) are two other brands to look at. I share your distaste for bifocals.

GsT

 

[David2011]

It looks like Delta Plus is under the Elvex brand on Amazon. Sometimes it's hard to find exactly what I want on Amazon even if I know that the carry it. That was the case with Pyramex. I can't use 1.5 diopter lenses except for close work; can't see a screw or much of anything smaller than a tool on the floor through them. Pyramex didn't seem to have the lower powers in the style I liked.

I use the magnified safety specs I have 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.

1.0 are for wandering the shop trying to spot where I left the Allen wrench.

1.5 are for general work where I don't need to get close up.

2.0 are for close-ish work.

2.5 are for machine tool work.

3.0 are for reading and very close up work.

You may be able to see a couple of issues with this.

- It's a PITA.

- It's inevitably not good for my eyes as I forget to move back down the diopter when I'm done with close work and none of the diopters really match my various prescriptions.

Bit short of disposable right now but there are definitely prescription safety specs and then varifocal safety specs in my future.

I agree with the PITA factor. I'm trying to find a small wall hanging cabinet to store safety glasses and readers all in one place and keep the sawdust and other crud off of them. I could build something but would rather buy than spend time on it.

 

[Red96]

Safety glasses are available with prescription progressive lenses, just like regular progressive eye-glass lenses. Your optometrist can hook you up. Probably can get them through Costco too. Around $100 IIRC.

 

[David2011]

Safety glasses are available with prescription progressive lenses, just like regular progressive eye-glass lenses. Your optometrist can hook you up. Probably can get them through Costco too. Around $100 IIRC.

That would be my last place choice. I often end up taking my prescription progressive glasses off so I can see better. I've been wearing progressive lenses since 2007 or so and am not a big fan. The sweet spot for correction is often not where I need it. I feel like they give me tunnel vision. Since they are for distance near the top of the lens they aren't good for eye level or above closeup work.