Eye protection, as we know, is very important. Sometimes splinter or sharp stone may cause huge troubles. However, unnecessary visit to ophthalmologist can easily be prevented by wearing of protective equipment. In this case - protective eyewear. In general, we can say that protective eyewear protect our eyes from mechanical damage, but there are types with more complex mission. When shooting, eye protection always come first. Ejected cartridge casings, gas blowback and others may cause during shooting. Such actions cause that many fragments of plastic and metal are flying all over. And at this very moment we want to have proper protective eyewear. The shooting glasses are considered to be one of this protection, but be carefull with the selection.
Lenses are the basis
As we know, glasses consist of several parts. The most important will certainly be passive protection in the form of lenses. In fact, it is plastic, glass would not be adequate protection. First, it is harder, but mainly prone to mechanical damage in the case of fall and so on. So what lenses are we looking for in the case of shooting flasses ? Rather than types, focus on companies. If we stick to well-known brands such ESS, Bollé, Oakley ... we can be sure we get the highest-quality products. Of course, there are other glasses, but practically we should focus on tests according to international standards. According to them, we know whether they meet these standards or whether these are only glasses for example for airsoft, etc. At the same time, good shooting glasses can handle the .22 LR projectile (standard rimfire). Speaking of lenses, we have to be aware of the overall shape. It is highly important that they ergonomically shaped to fit our face shape perfectly. The shape must go up to the temple for the best possible eye protection. Frame will help with the comfortable fit.
Plastic as a first choice
The lenses need good frame so they sit on your face as they should. Good frames have good nosepieces and arms. Perhaps we could ask - why the frames are not made of metal ? The answer is quite simple – processing, weight and durability. Metal is more durable, but plastic can better adapt to the shape of the head. the frames should fit naturally, they shouldn´t slide off the face or push somewhere. We will be in action for several hours and every weak point will be reflected. Therefore, try them on first to eliminate all the weaknesses. Otherwise we can be unsatisfied and waste our money.
We get what we pay for
Just as we can buy shooting glasses for 300 Czech crowns, we can buy them for 5000. It is all about our personal preferences. Either way, more expensive glasses will offer us much more comfort. Fog control should be one of the features. And the lenses should be repleceable as we are not always shooting in the same conditions. Yellow lenses for shooting in cloudy conditions, for bright sun those with UVA/UVB protection. There are different types of frames as well. Some of them may not fit well with our earmuffs, which is really unpleasant. Fortunately there are shooting glasses with thinner frames designed especially for use with earmuffs. Another features include eyewear retainer or replaceable gasket (facial seal) for better protection. There are many options, it's just about money, how much do we want invest into our health.