Mag-Safe Safety Glasses

Every once in a while, I come across a product that impresses me enough that I want to let my readers know about it.

Mag-Safe Safety Glasses, available from Enviro Safety Products, are one such product.

Eye safety is critically important if you are working with power tools, and especially when working with a lathe, mill or grinder which can throw off dangerous chips and swirls of metal.

If you have read my article “How to Cut Your Thumb Off”, you know how important this can be in real terms.

For ordinary needs, you can get some decent safety glasses at your local Home Depot or Lowes, or, if you’re lucky enough to still have one in your area, your local hardware store.

But if you’re over 40, chances are that you need some corrective lenses as well as protective lenses. If you wear prescription glasses, you can probably find some good safety glasses that will fit over them.

In my case, though, I need glasses for reading and close-up work, but don’t wear prescription glasses.

About two or three years ago, I did a web search looking for some safety glasses that also provided magnification - similar to drug-store reading glasses, but with the features of safety glasses.

I happened upon Enviro Safety Products site and ordered two pairs of Mag-Safe glasses, in two different diopters - for close up work and real close up work.

These are very rugged glasses - made from polycarbonate plastic - and the lenses are very clear and of good optical quality.

They are large, providing full coverage of your eyes and good visibility, with integral side-shields to stop those stray chips coming at you from left field.

They have served me well since then and have gotten quite a lot of use and abuse. Eventually, the lenses became slightly scratched and I decided to order a few new pairs.

Now, let me tell you, I did not take special care of these glasses. They have been dropped, dozens of times, on all kinds of surfaces. Not infrequently I throw them into the toolbox along with a bunch of tools when setting out to work on household chores and repairs.

So, if you take even reasonable care of them, they will last for a very long time. Enviro Safety Products sells two varieties of protective cases which should help in this regard.

The glasses are available from 1.00 to 3.00 diopters in increments of 0.25. At $14.95 per pair (06/07), I consider them to be a real bargain.

If you’re not sure what diopter you need, go to your local pharmacy and try out some of the reading glasses - they’re marked with the same diopter ranges.