What sets Edge safety glasses apart from the competition? Is it our comfortable frames? Our anti-typical-safety-eyewear styling? Or maybe it’s our uncanny ability to design safety eyewear tailored to our consumers’ unique needs. While our easy-to-wear frames, brave styles and bespoke designs put us on the map, what has, and will continue, to propel our brand above the others is our restless imagination. 

We’ve been obsessed with charting new paths by pioneering safety-eyewear technology since our humble beginnings. We were the first to bring safety-rated polarized lenses to market. We created the first military-grade anti-fog the world has seen. We showed the world it’s possible to build frames with material that’s flexible, yet durable, enough to twist into a knot without snapping. And we always go above and beyond to verify our products’ compliance with the applicable safety standards–whether ANSI, CSA or MCEPS.  

For more information about the safety requirements we design all our glasses to meet (or exceed), our lens technologies or frame innovations, click on the title to read more. Thank you for taking this journey with us to continue pioneering and revolutionizing safety eyewear. 

  • ISEA/ANSI/OSHA

    To sum it up: In the USA, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) currently serves as the secretariat for the standards written by the American National Standards Association (ANSI), which are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA).

    What’s really happening here? According to the CDC and Department of Labor, there are more than 10,000 eye injuries in North America each day. Of these, 2,000 require medical treatment and three to five days off work. In 1922, The National Bureau of Standards created the first standard for eye protection, which has been revised, improved, and renamed over the decades. The purpose of safety standards is to set minimum requirements for protectors and advise safety eyewear construction, testing and eyewear usage with the intent to minimize eye injuries.

  • ANSI STANDARDS

    To sum it up: Safety standards, in general terms, can be divided into two objectives for safety glasses: impact protection of the lens and frame; and optical clarity of the lens.

    What’s really happening here? For Edge, compliance with ANSI Z87.1 is verified and documented by Colts Laboratory, an accredited third-party, for all requirements of the standards to ensure absolute top quality, compliant protective eyewear. Section 2.3.5 of the ANSI standard reads, “The protector manufacturer shall provide test results to the purchaser upon request.” With something so important as eyesight at stake, Edge stands by this mandate with verification of our quality and compliance standards.

  • CSA Z94.3 STANDARDS

    To sum it up: All Canadian standards are created by CSA and enforced by CCOHS, which operates as the national agency working toward the advancement of safe and healthy workplaces, preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.

    What’s really happening here? Canadian standards are strictly enforced with mandated yearly testing. Much of the testing echoes the ANSI standards for the impact and optical requirements—but CSA adds additional testing in things like flammability of material, etc. Additional enforcement is carried out by provincial and territorial labor departments and workers’ comp boards.

  • MIL-PRF 32432 STANDARDS

    To sum it up: To meet the need for a more robust standard in its ability to protect against threats to the eye found in law enforcement or on the field of battle, the Military Combat Eye Systems (MCEP) standard was established.

    What’s really happening here? Often nicknamed “The Ballistic Standard,” tactical eye-pro is tested for compliance with ANSI Z87.1, but with extreme impact velocities from a 22-caliber projectile traveling more than 660 ft/s (200 m/s). That’s over 450 mph (724 kph). MCEP lenses must maintain neutrality of color and even distribution throughout the visible light spectrum, be resistant to fogging, scratching, abrasion, flammability and be unsusceptible to chemical corrosion.

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LENS TECHNOLOGY

IMPACT RATED LENSES

To sum it up: Safety-rated lens materials are engineered to protect your eyes from an intense blunt force and fast-moving projectile.
What’s really happening here? Worldwide safety standards require protection from a vast array of impact threats to the eyes, simulating hazards on the jobsite and in real life. Velocities are simulated via a variety of test methods. The high mass impact test uses a heavy, yet slower moving spike directed at the lens. The high velocity impact test utilizes a fast-moving, yet small projectile. And the dart penetration test punishes with a low mass, low velocity sharp object. Edge impact-rated lenses, compliant with a wide variety of international standards, will always be constructed to protect eyes from the most intense impact

OPTICAL CLARITY IN LENSES

To sum it up: Safety-rated lenses must provide the user pristine optical viewing clarity in a wide peripheral plane without image distortion.
What’s really going on here? Safety standards require lenses to undergo a minimum of 10 optical clarity tests that search for any unacceptable level of haze, visual light transmittance, refraction, astigmatism or prismatic power. Each of these tests ensure the lens does not cause images to shift, be incorrectly altered or lose discernable focus. Edge lenses provide a crystal-clear viewing experience with every lens technology and lens color available.

BASE CURVE ON LENS

To sum it up: Base curve is defined as the front surface curvature of a lens and is used as a design element to follow face curvature for proper fitting.
What’s really going on here? Effective safety-rated glasses are formfitting and reduce open gaps, which could allow eye threatening particles to enter between the lenses and the user’s face. With the variety of face shapes and sizes to accommodate, properly fitting glasses use a few common ergonomic lens base curves coupled with appropriate frame housing to ensure proper fit and reduction of exposure to the eyes.

TAPERED LENS

To sum it up: Edge lenses are engineered with a tapered lens thickness to ensure images viewed through the lens do not shift and maintain true positioning.
What’s really going on here? All Edge lenses are cut with a gradual taper of thickness, starting in the optical center and growing thinner toward the temporal edge to compensate for visual distortion caused by the curvature of the lens. Without proper tapered lenses, the viewing experience would be, as some describe, “the Coke bottle effect,” causing images in the viewing field to shift side to side or up and down.

3X ANTI-SCRATCH

To sum it up: All Edge polycarbonate lenses are triple coated with a high-quality scratch resistant material for lens clarity preservation.
What’s really going on here? Polycarbonate material is the most common substrate used for safety glasses, due to its soft, flexible nature. These traits provide the material an incredible ability to absorb impact. The downside of a soft, flexible material is that it is, by its nature, susceptible to scratching. Edge lenses are coated and cured three times during the manufacturing process with a hard-coat, scratch-resistant surface on all lenses.

UVA/UVB/UVC FILTRATION

To sum it up: Ultraviolet (UV) light is a range of non-visible, high-energy wavelengths that cause significant and permanent damage to the eyes if not properly filtered. All Edge lenses filter 99.9% of harmful UV rays.
What’s really going on here? Polycarbonate is an organic synthetic resin, which, due to its molecular structure, is optimal for filtering out 99.9% of dangerous UVC, UVB and UVA radiation. This includes clear lenses. Lens tinting and mirror coatings can also filter and reflect harmful rays away from the eyes. Ultraviolet rays can cause permanent damage to all layers of the cornea, retina and, ultimately, result in the cloudiness of lens cataracts or the burned sunspots of photokeratitis, often referred to as “welder’s flash.”

VAPOR SHIELD ANTI-FOG

To sum it up: In 2013, Edge created the industry’s first “military grade,” permanent anti-fog—known as Vapor Shield™. This technology is impervious to fogging, even in the most extreme conditions.
What’s really going on here? Traditional anti-fog solutions are offered as a topical spray, which seldom work and require near-constant reapplication by the user. Some brands have experimented with dipped and spray coatings at the lens manufacturing level, which improved performance, but still does not match the level of Vapor Shield in its ability to resist heated condensation, ambient humidity and steam.

POLARIZED LENS

To sum it up: Polarized lenses block distracting glare from reflective surfaces, such as water, sand, concrete or snow. Such glare can lead to tired, strained eyes or ocular migraine headaches.
What’s really going on here? Ever wonder what put Edge on the map? In 1998, we pioneered the world’s first safety-rated polarized glass. The technology is comparable to looking through a set of horizontal blinds. The slats filter light, just as polarized lenses do. The reduction in the amount of light entering the eyes all day is an added benefit of this unique lens technology.

G-15 LENS

To sum it up: This unique lens technology reduces eye strain. The G-15 lens is engineered to create comfortable, relaxed eyes in extreme light conditions.
What’s really going on here? In the 1930s, the US Air Force engineered the G-15 technology used in this lens for aviators exposed to high altitude and extreme light conditions. The wire frame glasses immediately achieved the nickname “Comfort Cables.” As another first in the industry, along with our pioneering safety-rated polarized lenses, Edge introduced the G-15 lens to the safety industry. These lenses maximize transmission of light in the middle of the visible light spectrum in the colors most easily perceived by the human eye, leaving the eyes relaxed from strain. As an added benefit, the G-15 technology transmits all colors true to life without alteration.

BLUE LIGHT FILTER

To sum it up: Image definition and depth perception is the distinct advantage of lenses that filter blue light.
What’s really going on here? The blue light spectrum has very short wavelengths immediately following the UV light range. Though the waves are not dangerous to the eyes, they are very difficult to focus in front of the retina and excess amounts cause a sensation called ‘Blue Blur.” Edge lenses that filter out this excess light rays leave the viewing experience crisp, vibrant in the warm color hues and in proper depth relativity.

AQUA PRECISION MIRROR

To sum it up: Mirrored lenses offer unsurpassed visual clarity. This unique lens technology also solves a previous dichotomy of shading the eyes yet keeping images clear and distinct.
What’s really going on here? This fascinating technology was developed by NASA for the portholes of satellites and astronaut helmets to block infrared light and reduce transmission at both ends of the spectrum. Would it be surprising to know that Edge was the first company to bring this lens technology to the safety industry to keep the viewing experience bright and clear, even under the harshest bright light conditions?

WELDING FILTER

To sum it up: Welding lenses filter low (IR3) and medium (IR5) levels of infrared light produced during gas welding, brazing and torch cutting. Potentially dangerous levels of UVC light exist with these activities.
What’s really going on here? Every type of welding machine or welding process should advise a strict recommendation for proper eye protection needed while working. Edge strongly advises users to follow given recommendations for proper eye protection with such intense and dangerous light emittance.

MAGNIFIERS

To sum it up: Edge progressive magnifiers come in 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5x power options for viewing intricate work and fine details on the spot, without changing to reading or prescription glasses.
What’s really going on here? Too often, people assume that prescription glasses are safety rated for impact and coverage. Though safety lenses can be made for vision correction, Edge magnifying glasses are a safety-rated, cost-effective solution for image magnification.

PHOTOCHROMIC

To sum it up: In continually changing light conditions, photochromic lenses, featuring auto-darkening/auto-lightening capabilities, are the perfect solution to adjust appropriate light transmission for comfortably shaded eyes.
What’s really going on here? With a transmission time dark to clear in less than 60 seconds, an added benefit of these lenses is that they moderate appropriate levels of light, instead of relying on the eye’s continual pupil dilation. Sore, tired eyes are the result of over-exertion in environments of continually changing light levels. Photochromic lenses are the perfect solution for this need.

FRAME TECHNOLOGY

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

To sum it up: Certain Edge glasses are engineered to accommodate replacement lenses for tint color changes, or to replace damaged lenses when necessary.
What’s really going on here? Listening to our consumer has always been foundational to the Edge brand, as eyewear usage is extremely diversified in its environmental and practical use. Workers are on the job for a long period of time, and during a wide variety of changing light conditions. Swapping lenses to have the appropriate light filtration is possible with our interchangeable-ready frame styles.

TWISTABLE FRAMES

To sum it up: With nothing like it in the market today, Edge frame material is durable, and impact rated, yet lightweight and flexible for extended daily wear.
What’s really going on here? Since 1998, Edge frames have been constructed with a unique compound frame material strong enough to pass safety impact standards and yet flexible enough to tie in a knot.

XS/XL FIT

To sum it up: With such a vast array of head shapes and sizes to accommodate, Edge offers narrow (XS) and wide (XL) sizes in certain frame styles to ensure a comfortable, ergonomic and secure fit.
What’s really going on here? Standard frame widths are measured inside temple right, to inside temple left, and typically measure approximately 128mm. Our XL frames, at those same points, measure 150mm. Our XS frames measure 122mm in-between the temples. The temple tip distances are also proportionally modified in sizing.

FIT OVER RX

To sum it up: For people wearing vision correcting RX glasses that are not safety rated, Edge offers an over-the-glass (OTG) safety spectacle to protect against impacts and flying particles.
What’s really going on here? Safety should never be compromised to accommodate vision and, of course, the inverse is true. Too often, assumptions are made that a customized prescription spectacle may be enough to protect eyes as safety glasses would. As eyes are irreplicable, that risk should never be taken and doesn’t need to be with comfortable and compliant OTG Edge safety glasses.

THIN TEMPLE

To sum it up: Thin temple glasses are engineered with 1.5mm thickness and are designed to eliminate temple pressure of glasses when worn with ear protecting headsets or communications headphones.
What’s really going on here? Many “over the ear” protective devices apply significant pressure to the sides of the head to form a proper seal against loud noises and many are now equipped with noise cancelling technology. These cause pressure problems when worn with glasses that have thick temples and may also result in a gap that lets in ambient noise when “the seal against the head” is not complete. Edge thin temples eliminate both problems

TPR GASKETS

To sum it up: TPR gaskets formed around the inside of safety eyewear frames create a sealed fit to prevent dangerous airborne debris from entering the eye.
What’s really going on here? Another revolutionary Edge first, this technology replaces the traditional foam gasket with remarkable face-forming flexibility, and allows for proper venting to keep particles out and vision clear with proper air flow, comfort and a true face seal.

TPR NOSE PADS/TEMPLE TIPS

To sum it up: Keeping glasses comfortably and securely on the face to properly protect eyes is best accomplished with thermoplastic rubber (TPR) incorporated at critical connection points between the glasses and face.
What’s really going on here? Many Edge frame temple tips and nose pads are engineered with this thermoplastic rubber (TPR) compound called Megol, which prevents slipping and keeps glasses secure as it becomes tacky with heat or moisture from the face.