ANSI Z87.1, Explained: What the Mark Actually Means
What ANSI Z87.1 certifies, what the plus sign means, and how to read the safety markings stamped on your glasses.
Every pair of real safety glasses carries a short string of letters stamped on the frame or the lens. Most people never read it. If you are buying eye protection for yourself or a crew, that little string is the most important thing on the product, and it takes about a minute to learn to read.
This is what ANSI Z87.1 means, what the plus sign does, how to read every marking, and how to tell rated eye protection from fashion sunglasses that happen to look the part.
What ANSI Z87.1 certifies
ANSI Z87.1 is the eye-and-face protection standard published by the American National Standards Institute. A lens earns the mark by passing impact, optical-clarity, and, where claimed, splash, dust, and light-filtering tests. OSHA points to this standard when it requires eye protection on the job, which is why the Z87 mark is the line between real safety eyewear and sunglasses that only look rugged.
Z87 versus Z87+, and why the plus matters most
Plain Z87 covers basic impact resistance: a one-inch steel ball dropped on the lens. The plus sign is the one to care about on a job site. It means the lens also passed the high-velocity test, a quarter-inch steel ball fired at roughly 150 feet per second from several angles. Where a wire wheel throws strands or a bead seater can release with real force, you want Z87+. Wraparounds like the Wiley X Saber and shields like the Heat Wave Future Tech carry Z87+ and wrap far enough to cover the angles a flat lens leaves open.
Plain Z87 is the seatbelt. Z87+ is the airbag too. On a job site you want both.
How to read every marking
The codes run in a predictable order. Once you know them, you can read any pair in seconds:
- Manufacturer mark first, the brand's initials or logo.
- Z87 for basic impact, Z87+ for high-velocity impact.
- D3 splash and droplet, D4 dust, D5 fine dust.
- W plus a number for welding shade, L plus a number for light-filtering tint level.
- U plus a number for UV scale, R for infrared, V for photochromic.
If you only remember one thing, remember the plus sign. Everything else refines the picture for a specific hazard.
How to spot uncertified glasses
If a pair has no Z87 mark anywhere on the frame or lens, treat it as fashion eyewear, full stop, no matter how tough it looks or what the listing claims. Real safety eyewear is marked because the standard requires it. Vague phrases like "impact resistant" or "shatterproof" with no Z87 stamp are marketing, not certification. When in doubt, hold the frame to the light and look along the temple and the lens edge for the stamp.
Lens tints and what each is for
Once the impact rating is settled, the tint decides comfort and visibility:
- Clear: indoor, low light, night work. Clear Z87+ lenses protect without dimming.
- Smoke or grey: general bright-sun work, true color.
- Polarized: kills glare off glass, water, and painted metal. Best for outdoor and driving-heavy roles. See polarized options.
- Mirror: extra glare cut for the brightest conditions.
Which rating for which job
Grinding, cutting, or anything that throws debris: Z87+ wraparound, every time. Chemical handling or wash bays: look for the D3 splash code. Dusty demolition or dry-cut work: D4 or D5. Bright outdoor work: a tinted Z87+ lens, ideally polarized. Indoor or low-light: a clear Z87+ lens so you are not trading impact protection for the ability to see what you are doing.
Common questions about Z87
Is Z87 the same as Z87+?
No. Z87 is basic impact; Z87+ adds the high-velocity impact test. For most job-site work you want Z87+.
Do sunglasses count as safety glasses?
Only if they carry the Z87 mark. Regular sunglasses, however dark or sporty, are not rated eye protection.
Where is the Z87 mark located?
Stamped on the frame, usually inside a temple, and often on the lens itself. If you cannot find it anywhere, the product is not certified.
Does Z87 cover UV protection?
Impact and UV are separate. Look for a U-scale marking or a stated UV400 rating in addition to Z87 if sun exposure matters for the role.
Is Z87+ enough for grinding?
Z87+ is the impact requirement, and a wraparound or a face shield over it is smart for heavy grinding to cover side and downward angles.
Every frame in our Z87 collection clears the impact standard. Browse polarized for glare and clear-lens for indoor work, or read how to get a crew to actually wear them.
