Fall is just around the corner, and you’ve decided to lessen your workload this year by purchasing a new leaf blower. Not only will you clear your yard significantly faster but also with less effort. However, there are safety precautions you need to enforce, and one of them is that you should always wear the best safety glasses to protect your eyes.
Despite their name, leaf blowers actually have quite a wide range of uses especially if you’re the type that loves to get creative. Leaf blowers are also great for clearing snow from your doorsteps, drying your car, coasting debris out of your gutters with handy leaf blower attachments.
The common ground that the vast majority of leaf blower uses hold is that they often force items from one position to another. The problem with this is the debris you target can also get shot up and blown into the air; thus, becoming an issue. This justifies the fact that you need to wear safety glasses.
So, let’s take a look at some of the different types of protective eye wear that might be best for you:
Types of the Best Safety Glasses
When buying a pair of safety glasses, it’s important that you buy one that’s right for you. Not only taking comfort and style into account, but you should also focus on aspects that can further increase safety such as polarization and clear anti fog lenses, as well as whether you’re already wearing prescription glasses or not.
Next, do you want safety glasses with clear lenses or tinted.
Below is a list of the types of the best safety glasses to choose from:
- Bifocal lenses prevent the user from having to switch between different pairs of glasses as the lens is split in two: short and far distances. This helps increase safety when using a leaf blower as you’ll clearly be able to see if any objects could get kicked up by the machine.
- Anti fog help provide the wearer with a consistently clear view of the area that they’re working in without the worry of suddenly fogging up and then needing to clean or remove the glasses just to have a clear lens.
- Polarized lenses are excellent for those sunny months as they allow for an uninterrupted line of sight by eliminating any chance of flashes of light or glare across the lens. This is far superior to your usual, cool-looking lens tints.
- Magnifier lenses are essentially the same as bifocals with the key difference that the entire lens is magnified to a chosen diopter power.
- OTG (Over glasses safety glasses) are designed to be worn over glasses. This lets the wearer increase their eye protection without sacrificing their quality of sight.
- Full frame or wrap around offer a thicker more sturdy frame.
- Scratch resistant or impact resistant lens help to keep the wearer’s field of view clear by preventing any large scuffs and scratches that might be caused by debris hitting the lens. A polycarbonate impact resistant lens will protect the lenses too,
- Foam lined add another layer of protection against dust and other airborne debris by providing a snug fit against the wearer’s face. They are also typically more comfortable to wear, making them ideal if you have to wear safety glasses for a prolonged period of time.
- Mirror and tinted lenses operate in a similar way as they both reduce the amount of light that passes through the lens. This makes them great for bright environments or when you need a clearer view in snowy conditions while you use your leaf blower to clear your steps.
- Prescription type are great if you require corrective lenses.
As you can see, there is a large variety of the best safety glasses and some of great features which can be combined. That means you’ll be able to customize a pair to meet your job-specific requirements. Regardless of your choice, wearing any form of safety glasses or safety goggles will help reduce the chances of foreign objects entering your eyes when using all types of gardening tools.
What to Look for When Buying
Now that you know the main variants of protective glasses that are available, it’s important to know what other features are important when finding the perfect pair for you. Below, we’ve listed some items that you might want to consider before your purchase.
Also note, if your safety eye wear do not have a 787 on the lenses then they are not Ansi (American National Standards Institute) compliant eye wear protective safety glasses. This marking implies the glasses are of higher standards.
- Frame Size
The size of the frame you need is directly linked to the circumference of your head, so make sure you know the general measurements of your head in order to get the best fit. Having a pair of glasses that are too tight, you could end up with a headache, while a too loose pair won’t offer adequate protection as well as it being likely to fall off during use.
- Style
The style of the safety glasses or safety goggle can also play a role in the amount of protection offered, most offer uv protection. The stylish type not only offer protection from the front but also typically have some form of side shields for better protective coverage. Some also come with an adjustable strap too.
- Lens Type
The lens type should match the activity. For example, if you’re using a leaf blower in a more industrial setting that has a higher chance of hard debris hitting the lens, you may be more inclined to focus on protective eyewear that offer a high level of scratch resistance. Or anti fog scratch resistant if the weather is unpredictable.
- Weight
How much they weigh can play a huge part in how comfortable you find them. Obviously, lightweight glasses are more comfortable as they can be worn for longer periods of time without feeling like a nuisance on your face.
- Lens Strength
The strength of the lens you require will depend upon the power of the leaf blower you’re using and the distance the objects can reach. Safety glasses have measurement labels namely F, B, A, and T; F can withstand small objects traveling up to 45 meters per second, B 120 meters per second, A 190 meters per second, and T can withstand impacts at extreme temperatures.
For simple home use, F is more than adequate, but if you want a pair with some extra versatility, it might be worth considering A or T levels.
- Brand
Buying from a well-known safety glasses brand can really set your mind at ease as you can trust the quality of their products, which is especially important when it comes to eye protection. Some of the better brands currently in the market include Oakley, Nemesis, UVEX, Dewalt Concealer, and 3M safety glasses.
The main difference you’ll find between the higher end brands is the styling; otherwise, they all offer the highest level of protection across the varying lens types.
- Price
You can spend less than $10 to more than $100 without a problem because the key is to determine the intended use before you make a purchase. For example, someone who only uses their leaf blower during the fall or winter months is less likely to need a higher quality pair than someone who will use them every day at work in an industrial setting.
As with many products, you do get what you pay for, and you can’t really put a price on protecting your eyes from harm.
Just as a side note, when it comes to the best safety glasses there aren’t really specific glasses for men or women as it comes down to the shape and size of your face.
Extra Levels of Safety
You should always use the best safety glasses to protect your eyes while using your leaf blower. It is an absolutely crucial first step in your personal protection from harm as well as irritants. For those looking to do a little extra, we’ve listed just a few other ways you can increase your overall protection.
Dust masks are a great second step and relatively significant protection method since, depending upon the blower’s micron filter level, they’ll prevent you from inhaling any particulates that are kicked up by using your best leaf mulcher. This is especially great if you’re clearing debris and dirt while not sure of what’s lying beneath.
Gloves and full-bodied clothing, such as long sleeve tops and full-length trousers, are another excellent method when it comes to protecting your body as they’ll drastically reduce the chance of any irritants or harmful elements from direct contact with your skin. Read our article on using the best leaf scoops for easily picking up leaves, sticks and other debris.
Ear plugs are not only fantastic at keeping foreign objects and particulates out of your ear canal but also reduces the damage caused to your hearing when using a powerful leaf shredder or louder gas leaf blowers for a prolonged period of time.
Summary
Foreign bodies of varying sizes, from dust particulates to small objects can be easily lifted off the ground and into the air due to the blow back nature of a leaf blower. If these objects would find their way to your eyes, at the very least, they would become irritable, but in more drastic cases, it could cause permanent damage including blindness.
There is a large variety of protective and stylish eye wear options that have specific and general functions available today.
The best safety glasses are relatively inexpensive and offer an easy and safest way for the protection of your vision. Be sure to always have them readily available when you use with a leaf blower or any power tool.
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