Best optics: curved or flat lens safety glasses?

[Tommie]

Specifically when looking through a scope. Is there a real, scientific reason why one design would provide a clearer image? Photos are just to illustrate the two lens designs, not these specific glasses.

 

[std7mag]

I wear both types. The top pair pictured is akin to my prescription safety glasses.
The bottom pair is usually just plastic with no vision correction. But they do now come in "cheater" bifocals. With 1.5, or 2.0 magnification.

If your eyesight does not need prescription correction, by all means use the bottom pair.

If you are using correction, my biggest problem with glasses has been the transition type. They darken way too much for my liking.

 

[Toolbreaker]

I wear contact lenses 90% of the time, so I usually wear the style that you show in the lower picture for both work and shooting. Although I don't think it's really what your asking about, I find the curved style to be less prone to glare & flashing than my prescriptions which have much less curvature. They also transmit less reflection from the ocular lens, which is something I've run into while looking through an optic. All of these effects can be mitigated with something as simple as a baseball cap usually, but it's still something to consider.

 

[DDriller]

I have prescriptions glasses in both styles. To me the curves lens has a broader area with correction to see easier while shooting.

 

[Tommie]

I wear contact lenses 90% of the time, so I usually wear the style that you show in the lower picture for both work and shooting. Although I don't think it's really what your asking about, I find the curved style to be less prone to glare & flashing than my prescriptions which have much less curvature. They also transmit less reflection from the ocular lens, which is something I've run into while looking through an optic. All of these effects can be mitigated with something as simple as a baseball cap usually, but it's still something to consider.

That makes sense

 

[shoobe01]

I am very RX lenses. I don't understand the optics but discussed when getting a whole pile of new glasses this spring, that curved lenses don't accurately represent the prescription. So my new outdoor/shooting glasses are fairly flat, and I am very happy shooting with them.

Optics being optics, I gather the same thing is true for non-RX lenses.

Also good one mentioned above: glare. You ever notice how things like attack helicopters have windows made of flat panels, not a big curved bubble? It's not structure or armor, but because it glares less. A curve glares over a wide range, but a panel at one angle only.

 

[Packrat1947]

This is just food-for-thought on using non one-piece lenses. Luckygunner. This is probably a non relevant photo as it involved #8 bird shot. I don't know any details though.

Somewhere I read that mil spec glasses only have one piece lenses.

 

[Tommie]

This is just food-for-thought on using non one-piece lenses. Luckygunner. This is probably a non relevant photo as it involved #8 bird shot. I don't know any details though.

Somewhere I read that mil spec glasses only have one piece lenses.
View attachment 1290555View attachment 1290555

Dude! Great point! Thank you!

 

[shoobe01]

No, milspec doesn't mean 1 piece. But does generally mean attachment of the lenses to either the frame or a cylinder (another part that gets inserted into the frame) so on impact they don't fall apart. I don't know which part of the spec, but indeed there's a part where failures should not themselves cause injury. Ballistic products in general spend a lot of time avoiding generating "secondary projectiles". Screws that hold stuff to helmets are very carefully selected, for example.

That foam head is a lot softer than your head, I hope, and the lens is heavy and dull on the edges so not likely to be an especially dangerous projectile itself. But having the protective bit fall out means secondary impacts are no longer protected against so it's still bad and still a good example of why quality PPE matters.

 

[ben lurkin]

I’ve had both types as prescription safety glasses. I could never get used to the curved style as it distorted my peripheral vision. Never tried shooting with them as I only wore them about a week before giving up on them.