What Are Z87 Safety Glasses? | Impact Ratings Explained

If you’ve shopped for protective eyewear, you’ve seen the tiny “Z87” stamp on the arms or lens edge. That marking is a pledge: the glasses survived standardized impact testing, not a marketing slogan. Understanding what are Z87 safety glasses — and the difference between Z87 and Z87+ — matters because the wrong rating can leave you unprotected when debris flies. Here is how the system works and how to pick the right pair for your work.

What The Z87 Marking Actually Means

Z87 is the shorthand for ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, the American National Standard for occupational and educational eye and face protection. The marking appears only on eyewear that passed the standard’s testing — impact-rated lenses and frames that stay intact when struck. A pair without the stamp hasn’t been verified.

Every pair carries one of two impact marks:

• Z87 — basic impact protection, tested against a low-velocity drop-ball impact. A 1-inch steel ball is dropped from 50 inches onto the lens.
• Z87+ — high-impact protection, tested against a 1/4-inch steel ball traveling at 150 feet per second, plus high-mass impact testing.

The standard covers safety glasses, goggles, side shields, face shields, and welding helmets. It is an impact-protection standard, not a blanket guarantee against every hazard — chemical splash, dust, heat, and radiation have their own requirements within the same standard family.

OSHA’s workplace rules in 29 CFR 1910.133 and 1926.102 have historically referenced earlier editions like the 2010, 2003, and 1989 versions, so your employer’s policy controls which revision they require — even where older editions remain recognized, many employers now mandate the newest one.

Z87 vs Z87+: Which Rating Do You Need?

The plus sign is not a decoration — it doubles the impact test’s severity. For most household and light-duty tasks, basic Z87 protection is adequate. For construction-grade hazards, Z87+ is the only defensible choice.

For grinding, cutting, drilling, or anything that shoots metal chips at your face, basic Z87 is insufficient — the standard’s own testing criteria treat these as separate hazard classes. Choose Z87+ for those tasks and keep basic Z87 for lighter work.

How To Verify Your Safety Glasses Are Compliant

Marketing claims about “protective” or “shatterproof” lenses mean nothing. The only thing that counts is the physical Z87 or Z87+ mark stamped into the frame or lens, typically on the inside of the temple arm or the nose bridge.

Prescription safety eyewear follows a separate convention: the marking reads Z87-2 or Z87-2+, indicating the frames passed testing with prescription lenses installed.

A few things to check before you trust a pair:

• Match the marking to the hazard — don’t assume all Z87-marked glasses are equivalent, because Z87 and Z87+ are not the same.
• Confirm the glasses fit snugly and sit close to your face without slipping, so debris can’t enter from the sides.
• Look for side shields on basic Z87 glasses when working around others — the standard requires them for many tasks.
• Remember Z87 is not ballistic protection; it is workplace PPE tested against specific impacts, not military-grade rounds.

Sunglasses or fashion frames that “mention” Z87 in their description deserve scrutiny — only the exact compliant marking on the frame itself is reliable.

When you’re ready to buy, the top-rated Z87 polarized safety glasses roundup on this site compares tested pairs across both impact ratings, so you can match eyewear to your actual work.

Practical Selection Tips From The Standard

The ANSI standard’s guidance emphasizes fit and function as much as the impact mark. The best-rated pair in the world fails you if it slips off mid-task. Look for eyewear that is comfortable, doesn’t obstruct your vision, and stays put when you bend or move your head. Durability and cleanability matter too — scratched lenses distort vision and get discarded, which is why polycarbonate lenses dominate the market for their impact resistance and scratch coatings.

If you work in an environment governed by OSHA, check with your employer about which ANSI edition their hazard assessment requires — the accepted version can vary by company policy even when older revisions remain officially recognized.

The bottom line: read the stamp, not the packaging. If it says Z87+, you have high-impact protection for grinding and cutting. If it says Z87, you have solid basic protection for lighter tasks. Both beat unprotected eyes by a wide margin.