ANSI Z87+ High Impact

ANSI Z87+ is the safety standard for high-impact protective eyewear set by the American National Standards Institute. It ensures that safety glasses and goggles meet strict performance criteria for protection in hazardous environments.

Key Points of ANSI Z87+ Safety Glasses

High-Impact Resistance

Z87+ marked eyewear must pass a high-velocity impact test using a ¼-inch steel ball traveling 150 feet per second. This ensures the lenses and frames can withstand sudden, powerful forces.

Durable Frame Construction

Frames are tested for durability under impact and stress. Only frames that don’t fracture or dislodge lenses qualify for the Z87+ mark.

Side Protection

Most ANSI Z87+ glasses include built-in or attachable side shields to protect against flying debris from multiple angles.

Lens Clarity & Optical Quality

To avoid visual distortion, Lenses must meet ANSI standards for visual clarity, refractive power, and prism correction.

Prescription Accuracy

The lenses must match your RX within strict ANSI tolerances for prescription safety glasses and be made by a certified lab that submits materials for third-party testing.

How to Tell if Glasses Meet ANSI Z87+

Knowing whether your eyewear meets ANSI Z87+ standards is about checking the markings. Here’s what to look for:

Frame Markings

The frame must be permanently marked “Z87+” marking on the inside of the temple arms and the nose bridge.

Lens Markings

Non-prescription lenses will have a manufacturer’s mark—usually in the upper outer corner of each lens (for example, “PS” or “PS+” for high impact). Prescription lenses may not be marked, but the frame—typically on the inside of the temple arm or nose bridge—will read “Z87-2” or “Z87-2+” for ANSI compliance.

If you cannot find a “Z87” or “Z87+” marking on both the frame and the lenses of non-prescription safety glasses, your eyewear does not meet ANSI Z87.1 standards and should not be used in hazardous environments. For prescription safety glasses, look for “Z87-2” or “Z87-2+” on the frame—even if the lenses are not marked. If these markings are missing, the glasses are not certified for workplace safety.

Who Needs ANSI Z87+ Glasses?

ANSI Z87+ safety glasses are essential for anyone exposed to high-impact hazards or flying debris. If you’re in any of the following environments or activities, Z87+ eyewear isn’t just recommended—it’s necessary:

Construction Workers & Contractors: Protection from dust, wood chips, flying nails, and debris created by tools and demolition.

Steel Fabricators & Welders: Shielding against sparks, metal fragments, and grinding particles.

Paintball & Airsoft Players: Critical eye protection from high-velocity projectiles during gameplay.

Hunters & Sport Shooters: Defense against gun recoil, ejected shells, and outdoor debris.

Which Lens Materials Pass ANSI Z87+ High Impact?

To meet ANSI Z87+, lenses must be made from impact-resistant materials, such as:

Polycarbonate: Meets and Exceeds ANSI Z87+. It is the most common Lens used for High-Impact Safety Glasses; it is lightweight, strong, and UV-blocking.

Trivex: Meets and Exceeds ANSI Z87+. It has better optical clarity and Abbe Value than polycarbonate lenses and is used primarily in prescription safety glasses.

Prescription Tolerances for ANSI Z87+ High Impact

Prescription safety glasses must protect your eyes from hazards and meet strict ANSI optical tolerances to ensure they provide clear and accurate vision.

Here’s what that means:

Power Accuracy—The prescription must be within a narrow allowable tolerance (typically ±0.12 to ±0.25 diopters, depending on the power) so your vision is sharp and reliable.
Pupil Distance—To meet ANSI Z87.1 standards, Lenses must be fabricated within specific tolerance measurements, such as Pupil distance, Axis, and Prism.
Minimum Lens Thickness—Polycarbonate and Trivex lenses that meet ANSI Z87.+ must have a minimum thickness of 2.0mm.

ANSI Z87+ is simply a stricter version of the ANSI Z87.1 standard—it includes everything from Z87.1 but adds enhanced high-impact testing for more demanding environments. The requirements for optical clarity and prescription tolerances are the same across both standards, but Z87+ offers a higher level of protection when impact resistance is critical.