Best Shooting Glasses Reviews 2018

The impact rating and lens material greatly influences the price of a pair of shooting glass. Shooting glasses with the ANSI and the US military ratings tend to cost more than those without them. Similarly, different lens materials and the level of protection they offer also tend to affect the cost of the shooting glasses. If both the frame and lens are wrap-around and offer full view protection, it’ll be more expensive than those that don’t offer them.

When it comes to eye protection, you cannot really put a price tag on it. But for those that work with a budget, a good pair of shooting glasses costs between $13 and $35. It’s important to note that during our research for this review we came across cheap shooting glasses, but we chose not to feature them because they don’t offer the same level of eye protection required to make any shooting glasses effective and functional.

Before you purchase a pair of shooting glasses, it’s necessary to understand the features that make it great for eye protection. So in order to select a pair of shooting glasses that not only protects your eyesight but also improves your shooting accuracy, you need to consider the following features:

• Lens material
• Lens color
• UV protection
• Additional protection/coverage
• Frames and fit
• Impact resistant ratings

The lens material is one of the most important factors to consider before purchasing a pair of shooting glasses. There are different types of lens material, but when it comes to the lens of a pair of shooting glasses, polycarbonate is the best option. It’s the same material used to construct bullet proof glass. It’s lightweight, durable and effective as a shield for eye protection. When used in shooting glasses, it could be tinted, polarized or even clear. There’s also the trivex lens material but it’s mostly used in making prescription shooting glasses. It’s also durable and can be clear, tinted or transitioned. You may also come across plastic lenses, but they’re not certified by American National Standards Institute (ANSI), so they should be avoided.

The difference between ordinary sun glasses and shooting glasses is the certified impact resistant rating by recognized agencies. The agencies include American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with a minimum rating of ANSI Z87.1, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with a high impact rating and the United States Military standard rating with a minimum rating of MIL-PRF-31013. It’s important to note that, when compared to other average shooting glasses rated ANSI Z87.1, the military-grade glasses offer a higher impact resistance. As a general rule, all glasses that aren’t marked with the above ratings aren’t qualified to be used as shooting glasses.

Frames of shooting glasses are designed in such a way as to provide the best fit possible. Frames come in different styles and colors and are also made from different materials. Some are made from soft plastic and glasses while others are made from metal and rubber. These construction materials all offer different degrees of comfort. Those made from soft plastic and rubbers are generally more comfortable and less durable than those made from metal. We also have rigid frames and flexible frames. The flexible frames have adjustable hinges or tips and provide a superior fit to the rigid frames. Another important aspect to consider with the frame is the nose piece. For a more custom fit and comfort, shooting glasses usually come with a non-slip rubber nose rest that may or may not be adjustable.

There are so many lens colors available and while it may only be a matter of preference, the color of lens you choose can actually improve your shooting performance. Some of the more common lens colors include smoke, gray, clear mirror, amber, purple, brown, green, black, ice, vermillion (red) and polarized. Depending on your shooting condition, each color has its pros and cons. Colors like smoke and gray are excellent for shooting conditions where bright sunlight is expected because they help block glare. However, they’re not as effective in regions of low light. For shooting in dawn/dusk or night time outdoor shooting, colors like amber, mirror and polarized are more effective. Purple and vermillion tinted lens enhance target’s color against a dark background. When it comes to indoor and outdoor shooting, during the day or night, clear lens would be great. It only offers eye protection without affecting your vision. There are brands that offer shooting kits with more than one lens. This gives you the option of numerous tints that can meet different lighting and shooting conditions.

As with other sun glasses and goggles, it’s important to purchase a pair of shooting glasses that protects the eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. These harmful rays can cause different eye diseases such as eye cancer, cataracts and damage to the eye lens and cornea. It’s necessary that shooting glasses should block at least 99% of UVA and UVB. Those that offer such UV protection are usually rated UV400 or higher.

There are additional features that should be found in a standard pair of shooting glasses. If the frame and lens of the shooting glasses is wrap-around, they offer full protection and a wider field of vision. It’s also necessary that the lens is anti-fog. Some shooting glasses have a ventilating channel between the lenses and frame to help avoid fogging. Some also have anti-slip tips to keep the glasses in place during shooting activities. Most shooting glasses usually come with a soft cleaning and storage bag for cleaning and storing the glasses while others come with a storage case.

Lastly, there are shooting glasses that can accommodate prescription glasses. They’re large enough for that purpose and also offer the same eye protection that others do. There are also some shooting glasses that come with magnifying lenses and adapters. This option is suitable for older people with deficiency in eyesight or those that need the magnifiers for the length of their gun barrels.
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