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Safety glasses buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are about to add a pair, or a whole box, to an amazon.co.uk basket, and the title already says anti-fog. A safety glasses buying guide puts the hazard first, then the letters on the lens and the frame, then the fit, and only then the price in pounds. Stars do not certify the pair. The [safety glasses comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/safety-glasses) is the table of twelve listings captured on 19 October 2026. Roles for those rows are on [best safety glasses](/hub/occupational-safety/safety-glasses/sub/safety-glasses-best). Spectacles against a sealed goggle are on [safety glasses vs goggles](/hub/occupational-safety/safety-glasses/sub/safety-glasses-vs-goggles). Chips at a saw are on [safety glasses for woodworking](/hub/occupational-safety/safety-glasses/sub/safety-glasses-for-woodworking). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are about to add a pair, or a whole box, to an amazon.co.uk basket, and the title already says anti-fog.

Our top picks

NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and green

Best overall

NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and green
8.0/10about £13.99
View offer
NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and red

Alternative

NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and red
6.0/10about £13.99
View offer
Ansell Ansell KleenGuard Nemesis

Best value

Ansell Ansell KleenGuard Nemesis
6.7/10about £8.14
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the hazard, not the brand
  2. 2.Read the lens and the frame
  3. 3.Then fit, fog, and prescription
  4. 4.What the amazon.co.uk prices in this set actually are

Start with the hazard, not the brand

Name what is flying before you name a brand. Flying chips from a saw, sparks at low energy, or rust flakes under a car are the job spectacles are built for: a front lens and side cover, with a gap underneath. Liquid splash, a chemical mist, or fine dust that has to be kept off the eye needs a seal around the rim, which is a goggle, not a temple spectacle. A faceshield is a third shape, and it does not replace the eyewear underneath when the assessment still asks for it. HSE's guidance on choosing PPE separates those shapes. At work, suitable eye protection is still free when the assessment needs it.

Read the lens and the frame

Both parts should carry a mark, and if the two marks differ the lower one is the one you can claim. Optical class 1 is the class for continuous wear. Class 2 is for occasional wear. F is the low-energy impact mark, tested at 45 m/s, and it is the usual ceiling for side-arm glasses. B is medium energy, at 120 m/s, and UK buyer notes treat B as a goggle or faceshield test, not as a reason to buy grade B glasses for an angle grinder. K is an optional scratch test. N is an optional fog test. A title that says anti-fog is not an N. Almost none of the twelve tables here print EN 166 or EN ISO 16321. A reviewer-quoted 1 FT is one person's reading of a stamp, not a field on the page.
NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and green

Testsieger

NoCry NoCry clear wrap, black and green
8.0/10about £13.99
View offer

Then fit, fog, and prescription

A close wrap that sits well on a bare face often will not clear ordinary glasses. NoCry reviews in this file say the curve does not fit over prescription frames. One UK review of the blue three-pack says that pair did. One review is not a measured gap. The two-pack that claims a fit-over, model FHYJ002-BK at £6.99, has five ratings and no written review, so the claim is still untested here. Ansell lists visible light transmission at 50% while the colour cell says Clear.

What the amazon.co.uk prices in this set actually are

The captured shelf prices on 19 October 2026 run from £4.13 to £42.99, and those figures are not all one pair. Ansell KleenGuard Nemesis is £8.14 for one pair, ASINs match, and the spec row is filled in, including that 50% transmission. NoCry black and green and black and red are each £13.99, and both show 4.4 from 61,350, so that is one shared pool. Divide only after you know the count in the box. Price is the last question.

Common questions

Is optical class 1 worth insisting on?
Yes, if you will wear the pair for more than a short task. Class 1 is the optical grade for continuous wear. Class 2 is for occasional use. A listing that never prints a class has not given you that choice. You can still buy it for a quick DIY job if the lens looks clear on your face, and you should not record it as class 1 on a site assessment.
Does anti-fog in the title mean N?
No. N is an optional test mark on the lens. Anti-fog, anti-mist, and a brand coating name in the title are claims. Honeywell does not even put anti-fog in the title, and reviewers still report mist. If the lens must stay clear in cold damp air, look for N on the lens, or accept that you may need a spare and a wipe.
Can I still buy EN 166 in 2026?
Yes, when the certificate that covers that model is still in date. GOV.UK notice 0112/25 removed EN 166:2001 from the designated list on 11 November 2025, so new certification uses EN ISO 16321-1. Existing EN 166 stock can be sold until the certificate expires. Using an older marked pair on site is not banned by that date. This comparison's tables mostly do not print either standard.
Why is one listing £4.13 and another £42.99?
£4.13 is the Honeywell A800 shelf price for what the title presents as one pair, on a page whose details ASIN does not match. £42.99 is the DTD shelf price, and a reviewer describes about 30 pairs at about £1.43. The listing does not state that count. Read the pack before you call either one cheap or dear. Neither figure is a certificate.
Are ANSI or CSA marks enough on a UK job?
They are not a substitute for the UK mark your assessment asks for. The red NoCry file includes an ANSI d3 line. Ansell's bullet says CSA-certified PPE, model 20378. One orange-grip reviewer mentions ANSI Z87.1. Those are other countries' marks. Record them as what the page says, and do not write EN 166 in the file unless both lens and frame show it.
Which of these listings actually states a lens material?
NoCry states polycarbonate on both colours, at 28 g and 30 g. Ansell states polycarbonate and also lists 50% visible light transmission. The blue three-pack states polycarbonate. Honeywell, DeWalt, DTD, the orange-grip pack, ErShiPing, the fit-over two-pack, JWDDZ, and Sullei do not state a material in the captured table. Polycarbonate on a row is still not an impact letter.

Related pages

Safety glasses for people who wear glasses

Safety glasses

Best safety glasses: a role for each strong listing

Safety glasses for woodworking: chips, not lung dust

How to wear safety glasses: fit, fog, and replacement

Safety glasses vs goggles: when a gap is the wrong shape

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured with these twelve listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. HSE: PPE overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. HSE: using the right type of PPE (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. HSE L25: guidance on the PPE at Work Regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. HSE: PPE regulations 2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. SI 2022/8: PPE at Work (Amendment) Regulations (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK designated standards notice 0112/25 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. BSI: understanding EN ISO 16321 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. JSP: how to read eye protection markings (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. uvex UK: guide to EN ISO 16321-1:2022 (retrieved 19 October 2026)