Best Eye Protection Goggle: Hand2mind 6 inch clear safety goggles

Let’s talk safety goggles!

There are couple different styles of goggles that offer eye protection—which is best for you depends how much eye protection you need.

Snorkel-mask style goggles seal around the eyes and offer perhaps the best protection for lab work, mechanics or wood working.

One advantage to this style: they work OVER prescription or reading glasses.

Other models reviewed in this article are goggles that resemble those used by swimmers—instead of a single pane lens, these have two individual lenses. No, they aren’t designed for the pool . . . but look much the same. Some folks find these more comfortable. But they won’t work with prescription glasses.

We tried out several different styles—and yes, some were more comfortable than others. For the best eye protection goggle, we will recommend Hand2mind’s single lens style goggle. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Unobstructed view! That’s a big advantage of single lens design and these goggles are well designed.

• Fit over prescription glasses.

• Lightweight at 2.4 ounces. That made them more comfortable for longer-term wear, in our opinion.

• Good brand with emphasis on learn-at-home tools, kits and other educational products.

• Affordable.

• Adjustable elastic strap.

• Flexible rubbery-like material contacts with face. We found it to be most comfortable.

What Needs Work

• Fog? Yes, these masks can fog up, when used for a long period of time, according to some online reports. We didn’t have that issue, but we did try them out here at the mothership in Colorado—which doesn’t have much humidity.

• Good for teens and adults, less so for younger kiddos. That’s our opinion, based on the goggles’ overall size.

Best Double Lens Goggle: Pyramex I-Force Sporty Dual Pane Anti-Fog Goggles

For sports activities (think racquetball, basketball), dual frame goggles are probably a better bet—they offer excellent eye protection, but allow for more head movement.

We recommend Pyramex’s I-Force goggles, designed much like swim goggles with excellent quality with flexibility. Best feature: you use them with an elastic band or stems. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Flexibility—elastic band OR stems. For a tighter fit (and more eye protection), the elastic band is great. If comfort is important, included steams make these goggles more like glasses.

• Best for anti-fog. The outside lens is coated with H2X anti-fog technology.

• Great for cycling.

• Slim design.

• Lightweight at 1.6 ounces. 

• Quick release strap.

• UVA/B/C protection = great for outdoors.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Scratch too easily.

• Better for medium to large size faces, in our opinion.

• Some glare—that’s an issue with all two-pane goggles, however. Good news: these goggles also come with grey or yellow lenses, which helps cut glare.

Best Glasses-Style Goggle: 3M Safety Glasses

Glasses-style goggles offer a good compromise between snorkel-style goggles and dual pane goggles. They are lightweight and easy to wear, but still offer good eye protection (thanks to a foam gasket). We like these goggles for outdoor activities like cycling in the summer, where dual pane goggles like those recommended earlier might be too hot.

We think 3M Safety Glasses are the best glasses-style goggles, after trying on several brands of similar styles. The provide good eye protection with a wrap-around design that most folks find easy to wear.

What We Liked

• Excellent for outdoor sports.

• Protection from UV rays

• Wrap-around design = wide viewing area.

• Affordable.

• Removable foam gasket has airflow vents.

• Good anti-fog coating, although a small number of reports online note that they fogged up for some folks. That was the minority view, however.

What Needs Work

• Don’t work with prescription glasses. 

• Less tight fit = less eye protection. Goggles with stems (instead of an elastic strap) have one downside—they offer less protection, in our opinion. That’s because they simply don’t hug the face as tightly. However, we realize some folks may find glasses-style goggles more comfortable . . . so that’s a trade-off!

Best Goggles Small Faces: AmazonBasics Safety Goggle (3-pack)

When it comes to goggles, one size usually does NOT fit all. For smaller faces (or younger adults), we recommend AmazonBasic’s Safety Goggles. The curved design is a plus and minus for these goggles— a plus if you have a smaller face, as they offer a tight fit. A minus if you don’t, since the fit probably won’t be as ideal.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Affordable for 3 pack.

• Anti-fog. These goggles did a good job at not fogging up.

• Elastic headband is adjustable.

• Lightweight at just 10.1 ounces.

• Comfortable fit.

• Works with glasses.

• Single lens = unobstructed view.

What Needs Work

• Didn’t work well on larger faces.

• Too rigid for some folks. 

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

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