ASTM F803 vs ANSI Z87: What is the difference?
ASTM F803 vs ANSI Z87: What is the difference?
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on March 28 2023.
Learn more about ASTM F803 VS ANSI Z87: What is the difference? Let's find out!
Not all glasses are considered protective eyewear.
Do you know what certifications mean while trying to select a pair of safety or sports glasses? This article will help you choose the ideal safety glass standard depending on your needs as you learn more about them.
ASTM F803 vs ANSI Z87?
The first thing to remember is if you are playing sports or working in a field or position where safety glasses are needed on the job, is that every day glasses do not offer impact protection. They can break upon impact, and do not protect your eyes from dust and debris, and as a result, cause or fail to prevent an eye injury. That’s why you need to know the ASTM F803 and ANSI Z87 standards and what the differences are.
When choosing between the two safety standards, it’s best to decide where and how you will be using them in. An easy place to start is sports versus workplace safety. The ASTM F803 standard is a sport-focused safety standard that tests frame breakage and lens retention upon impact against a ball, stick, hand, finger, and/or elbows. The ANSI Z87 standard is best intended for occupational safety and tests against the elements such as dust, liquids, or chemicals that you'll encounter at work.
| | ASTM F803 | ANSI Z87 |
| Where to use them in? | Sports (Basketball, Football, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, Racquet etc.) | Workplace (Medical, Construction, Factory, Police, Fire, etc.) |
| How are they tested? | High velocity (Ball-Impact, Finger, Elbows, Hand, Body) | High Impact & Velocity (Dust, Debris, Liquid Splash, Non-Ionizing Radiation, etc) |
What is ASTM F803?
ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) F803 is the safety standard for sports eyewear. When put to the test, the glasses can survive forces from projectiles that are fired at speeds of up to 90 mph and range in size from 40 to 65.1mm.
This safety standard protects athletes or wearer against severe eye injuries from the majority of high-impact sports and activities, such as basketball, baseball, football, tennis, racquetball, squash, and others.
Make sure the eyewear you select for sports has the ASTM F803 mark on it so you can be confident it has been tested and is compliant with the ASTM F803 impact standard.
As mentioned, everyday glasses are not built for sports so looking for ASTM F803 stamped glasses or goggles is very important. This video will show the moment of impact between a ball & everyday eyeglasses and just how important this standard is.
ASTM F803 Frame and Lens
Rec Specs F803 glasses contain a lens locking function that makes sure the lens is retained during sports and play even when the frame is hit.
Our Best Sellers in ASTM F803 Glasses:
The Helmet Spex goggle has been designed to be the best fitting frame for sports that require a helmet. This goggle features venting grooves in eye-rim for increased air flow and includes a skull cap that must be worn over the goggle and under the helmet to keep the goggle in place. Buy Helmet Spex now.
The Sport Shift has been designed for multi-sport athletes that like to change from a frame to a goggle as they shift from sport to sport. Buy Sport Shift now.
The Slam has a TPR over-molding on the eye-rims for a more comfortable fit against the face (and is shock-absorbing) as well as on the temples. Buy Slam now.
The Maxx Air features a 9-point ventilation system with venting channels along the lens perimeter, end points and nose pad for maximum air flow and heat dissipation. Buy Maxx Air now.
All of these styles are 100% Rx-able.
Want to purchase protective eyewear for sports? Shop for basketball glasses, baseball glasses, football glasses, soccer glasses.
What is ANSI Z87?
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Z87 is the occupational standard for workplace safety.
For safety eyewear to pass the basic Z87 standard, it must pass the ball drop test. This test involves a steel ball (that is one inch in diameter and weighing roughly 2.4oz) being dropped from a test height of 50 inches. For eyewear to pass, the lens and frames must remain intact.
But what about if there's a “+” next to the Z87 marking? Z87+ means that the eyewear meets a higher impact standard and goes through a much tougher set of tests than Z87...high mass/high velocity are the next two tests.
This standard indicates that eyewear provides wearers with protection against hazards such as impact, heat, chemicals or liquid splash, dust, and radiation.
ANSI Z87 Frames and Lens
Our ANSI Z87 eyewear has polycarbonate lenses, which make them shatterproof. They meet ANSI standards for impact.
Our Best Sellers in ANSI Z87 frames:
The RS-PPE RLY features a high-wrap frames with complete front & side coverage. Impact resistant polycarbonate lenses with a premium, washable and fast fog recovery coating. Buy RS-PPE RLY now.
The X8-200 w/ shield is a purpose-built safety frame to keep your eyes safe on the job. Durable and comfortable for all day wear. Buy X8-200 w/ Shield now.
The Pursuit frames feature a removable magnetic side shields with Powered by SwitchTM technology that protects the eyes from the wind, dust, and light flying particles. This frame also passes the Z87+ standards and includes the high-mass high-velocity protection. Buy Pursuit now.
Looking for safety eyewear specific for your job? Shop safety glasses for medical professionals, policemen ,firemen, and tradesmen.
All of our Rec Specs safety glasses are 100% Rx-able and the lenses can also be customized to suit your on-the-job requirements.
At Liberty, we make sure our Rec Specs frames and goggles provides the best protection no matter what you do or where you are.
