John M. White

The Shooting Glasses Vs Safety Glasses: What Are the Differences

Apr 22, 2024

Often used interchangeably due to several misconceptions, shooting glasses, and safety goggles serve entirely different purposes. While both prioritize eye protection, they are especially tailored for specific work settings and activities. Hence, understanding the differences between shooting glasses and safety goggles is important as it is related to eye protection. 

Therefore, we've prepared this comparison to elucidate the unique features of shooting glasses, particularly RE Ranger shooting glasses and safety goggles

Features of the Shooting Glasses:

Common features of shooting glasses are-

  • Impact Resistance: 

These stray debris in outdoor shooting ranges move fast with high force or shock, thus posing a potential hazard to your eyes while shooting. Therefore, shooting glasses are specially designed to endure the impact of debris, fragments, or pellets. 

  • Lens Tints: 

The RE Ranger shooting glasses are equipped with specialized lens tints optimized to enhance contrast and clarity in diverse lighting conditions. Whether in bright sunlight, overcast skies, or low-light settings, RE Ranger shooting glasses provide exceptional vision, allowing sportsmen to discern targets with precision.

 

For example, yellow or amber lenses in glasses for shooting enhance contrast in low-light conditions, while gray lenses maintain true color perception in bright sunlight.

  • Versatile Design: 

Many RE ranger shooting glasses feature a versatile design that is compatible with various frames half-rim, full-rim, rimless, etc. Also, its side-curve design provides a wide field of view and maximum coverage for enhanced peripheral vision and protection, reducing the risk of debris, pellets, etc. from reaching the eyes from the sides.

  • Anti-Fog Coating: 

To maintain clear vision during shooting sessions, RE Ranger glasses for shooting may have anti-fog coatings on the lenses. This coating in shooting glasses prevents condensation/fog from buildup caused by body heat or changes in temperature. Thus, offering a clear view.

  • UV Protection: 

As shooting glasses are used mostly outdoors, it is designed to offer UV protection to the eyes. The UV protection feature shields the eye from harmful ultraviolet rays, which can cause long-term damage to the eyes with prolonged exposure.

  • Visual Acuity: 

Sharp Visual acuity is crucial for accurately aiming and tracking targets during shooting sports. The lenses of Shooting glasses are designed to offer optical clarity and minimal distortion to ensure sharp visual acuity. High-quality lenses like in RE Ranger shooting glasses help maintain clear vision without compromising image quality or precision.

Features of Safety Goggles:

Here are some of the common features of the safety goggles-

  • Impact Resistance: 

Like shooting glasses, safety glasses are also designed to provide impact protection, but they are typically rated for lower-velocity impacts.

  • Clear Lenses: 

Safety glasses typically feature clear lenses to provide clear vision as it has a drastic range of applications. The clear glasses allow wearers to see clearly without color alteration.

  • Side Shields: 

A peculiar feature that safety glasses come with is either attached or attached side shields. Side shields provide additional protection from hazards that may affect the eyes through direct impact from the sides.

  • Chemical Resistance: 

The material that Safety glasses are made of has coatings that offer resistance to chemicals, preventing harmful substances from accidentally splashing into the eyes and causing injury in laboratory or industrial settings.

  • Durability: 

Safety glasses are designed to withstand frequent use in rugged environments (industrial settings). Hence, are highly durable and suitable for wearing for the long term in workplaces These are generally used where eye protection is required. For example, construction sites, laboratories, etc. 

Shooting Glasses Vs Safety Glasses: The Contrast

Here are some of the basic points based on which we can easily distinguish between these two glasses- 

  • Purpose of the Eyewear: 

Shooting glasses are specifically made for shooting sports, providing high-velocity impact protection to the eyes. Additionally, shooting glasses are crafted with specialized lens tints. The purpose of optimizing lenses with tints is to enhance contrast in different lighting conditions. 

Safety glasses, on the other hand, are crafted for use in a broader range of industrial and occupational settings. The safety glasses offer general impact protection and clear lenses for versatile use.

  • Design of the Eye Glasses: 

While both shooting glasses and safety glasses are made for resisting impact (protecting the eye from impact), shooting glasses often feature a more sporty, wrap-around design for enhanced coverage and stability during agile movements. Safety glasses commonly have a more traditional frame design. However, these glasses may come with side shields for added protection.

  • Lens Tints of the Glasses: 

Shooting glasses are commonly crafted to fit more than one lens. Hence, they come with interchangeable lens options. Also, these glasses are tint-optimized to fit the shooting environments, whereas safety glasses commonly feature clear lenses for general-purpose use in industrial settings where color perception is crucial.

  • Application of the Glasses:

Shooting glasses are used for especially shooting sports namely, sporting clays, trap shooting, skeet shooting, etc. In all these mentioned there is a requirement to target sporting clay that’s fired from specified points. 

On the other hand, safety goggles are worn in industries like construction and chemistry, sports, and DIY projects to shield eyes from debris, chemicals, and impacts. They're crucial for eye protection, and preventing injuries during work and recreational activities.

Conclusion

While shooting glasses and safety glasses share similarities in providing impact protection for the eyes, they are designed with different purposes and features specific to their respective applications in shooting sports and industrial or laboratory environments.

With the distinctions mentioned above selecting the right eyewear for the right application becomes easy. 

Next, if you’re looking for a perfect shooting eyewear for your shooting sport do visit Aviator Sunglasses today! 

Get your eye the right protection it needs!

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