You’ve probably seen “ANSI Z87+” all over the Bomber Eyewear website. And that’s because we strive to only put out high-quality and SAFE glasses for everyone to wear. We also want to show that “safety glasses” don’t have to be boring or unfashionable. (Heck, just look at the BUZZ Bomb!) 

But What is ANSI Z87+?

The official definition is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) which is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a uniform testing standards and guidelines for a variety of products and equipment being used by businesses. And yes—glasses do fall into that category since the most common workplace accidents result in eye injuries.

The "Z87+" portion references the standards for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. These standards help ensure that personal eye and face protection devices provide the necessary protection from impact, non-ionizing radiation, and liquid splash exposures. With this standard, the choice of safety eyewear revolves around what best represents the protection needed for the specific hazards encountered in the workplace. Some of the most common hazards include blunt impact, radiation, splashes, wind, dust and small particles.

Now that we’ve covered what it means, you’re probably wondering... why do I NEED ANSI Z87+ certified glasses?

Well, let's start with the obvious why you should wear safety glasses.

1. The best defense against eye injuries

If you work a high-impact job your eyes are at risk. Protect your eyes from a variety of potential hazards at work, home and outdoors. Our best-selling BUZZ Bombs come with removable side shields which protect you from sideways wind and debris. (Note: BUZZ is only ANSI Z87+ certified when the side shields are attached.)

2. Protect your business

If you’re a business owner, then you NEED to protect your employees and yourself. According to The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1,000 eye injuries occur daily in the workplace. Safety eyewear saves businesses and workers a tremendous amount of time and money, especially in medical, worker's comp, and insurance.

3. They prevent blindness

Eye injuries are more common than people think—in and out of the workplace. By protecting your eyes, you can protect yourself from losing vision, becoming vision impaired or even blind.

4. Impact on long-term eye health

As we get older our vision will ultimately start to give out. You try to keep your mind and body healthy when you’re younger to protect yourself as you get older, right? But what about your eyes? Your eyes are a vital part of your body—don’t take them for granted.

5. Protect Others

Imagine if you had poor vision and you got behind a wheel of a car. You’re not only putting your life at risk but others as well. It’s the same in everyday life. If you’re stumbling through life because of eye related issues that COULD have been prevented with safety lenses—you’re not only a risk to yourself but others as well.

6. Save yourself pain and money

Not only is an eye injury extremely painful, it’s very expensive. Wearing protective eyewear regularly, especially when the potential hazards are most likely to cause injury, saves hundreds of thousands of dollars both by preventing and lessening the severity of injuries.

7. Sun safety

Even if you don’t work a harmful job, your eyes still need protection in your day-to-day life. Look into purchasing a pair of sunglasses that provide 99% protection from harmful UV-A and UV-B rays. This feature serves as a significant tool in the prevention of eye illness and disease caused by long-term exposure to the sun. The MANA safety glasses, for example, have 100% UVA and UVB protection.

8. Blue light safety

Other glasses target blue light which is given by computer and phone screens. Even office workers are at-risk if not protecting their eyes properly from computer vision syndrome (CVS). Removing blue light improves sharpness and depth perception and reduces eye fatigue. 

9. It’s the law

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is the agency of the DOL responsible for setting and enforcing protective workplace safety and health standards. This mandates that the use of ANSI Z87+ certified safety eyewear is required by employers to provide to their workers. Employers who fail to do so are subject to fines as high of $125,000 if not more. (And that's, like, a WHOLE lot of Twinkies you could have bought instead.)

10. Sport related injuries

One of the biggest culprits for eye injuries are sports. Basketball, water activities, baseball and softball cause the most sports-related eye injuries. And you guessed it -- ANSI Z87+ gear can protect you from that! 

11. Benefits of lens tints

Even though wearing safety glasses can protect you clear or untinted, there are also benefits to wearing certain colored lenses such as copper, orange, yellow/amber and brown. These tints are helpful in low-light situations because they make everything appear brighter. They also enhance contrast and depth perception and are great for overcast, hazy, and foggy conditions.

12. Set an example for the younger generations

As we mentioned before, you want to start treating your body—and eyes—right as soon as you can in your life. Children also need eye protection and by setting the example early on in life this will significantly reduce the risk of an eye injury for a lifetime. We all have that newbie on the job site who's a worker's comp case waiting to happen -- take them under your wing and invest in ANSI Z87+ safety equipment as soon as possible. 

Our collection of Bomber Eyewear safety glasses are especially designed to meet ANSI Z87+ and impact-resistant standards, are shatter-resistant, and are made with the highest quality materials available in the industry to provide performance and comfort that won’t break the bank.

Show off your ANSI Z87+ certified Bomber glasses by tagging us on Instagram @bombereyewear 😎!