Wiley X and Smith Optics sit two shelves apart in the same eyewear aisle, and from across the counter their sunglasses can look like they're solving the same problem. They aren't. One brand builds its current lineup to ANSI Z87 spec, top to bottom, so every pair is rated to take an impact on a jobsite. The other builds lenses for people who spend their weekends outside and have never once thought about OSHA. Mixing the two up is an easy mistake to make and an easy one to catch at a safety audit, so it's worth being precise about which is which before you order a case for the crew.
What ANSI Z87+ Actually Requires
The Z87 mark on a lens isn't a style choice. It means the frame and lens have gone through impact testing under ANSI's Z87.1 standard, and the plus sign means it cleared the tougher high-velocity test on top of the basic drop test. We've covered exactly what that mark means and doesn't mean in more detail, but the short version is this: if a pair of glasses doesn't carry the Z87 stamp molded into the frame, it isn't rated protective eyewear, no matter how good the lens looks or how well it blocks glare. OSHA requires rated eye protection on a huge range of job sites, and "it looked tough enough" doesn't hold up when an inspector asks to see the mark.
Wiley X Builds to the Standard at Every Price Point
Wiley X is a genuine safety-eyewear company first. Nearly every current model in the catalog, from the entry-level Guard Advanced at $72 to $85 to the flagship Apex at $243 to $255, carries the Z87+ rating. That range matters, because it means a shop doesn't have to choose between fitting a budget and meeting code. The Valor, priced from $95 to $167, adds a tactical build that holds up in shooting and range use as well as on a work floor. And for anyone who needs vision correction on top of protection, Wiley X's Zulu Prescription Eyeglasses, at $195, are ground to an actual prescription while still carrying the ANSI rating, which is a different animal entirely from a pair of readers you'd pick up at a drugstore. Our full Wiley X buyer's guide breaks down the rest of the lineup model by model.
Smith Optics Builds for a Different Job Entirely
Smith Optics is not a safety-eyewear brand, and nothing in its current catalog carries a Z87 tag. What Smith does build is ChromaPop lens technology, tuned to sharpen contrast and true color on the water, on snow, and on the trail. The Syncline, at $197, is a performance sport frame built for exactly that kind of outdoor use, not for a work floor. The Guide's Choice Bifocal, priced from $207 to $327, is a genuinely clever product: a polarized ChromaPop lens with a built-in reading-strength bifocal ground into the bottom, aimed at anglers and anyone else who needs to read a knot or a phone screen without digging out a second pair of glasses. It's a great answer to a real problem. It is not, however, a substitute for rated eyewear on a job site, and nothing about how it's built or marketed suggests it should be. We've written more about what ChromaPop actually does if you want the lens-tech side of it, and the full Smith lineup is here.
A sunglass that cuts glare and a safety glass that stops a fastener are not the same product wearing two different logos.
How to Tell Which One You're Holding
You don't have to take a brand's word for it. The Z87 mark is molded directly into the temple or the lens edge on genuine rated eyewear, not printed on a hangtag that falls off in the first wash. Flip the temple over before you buy, or before you hand a pair to someone on your crew. If there's no Z87 or Z87+ stamped into the frame itself, treat it as a sunglass, not PPE, regardless of how the listing describes it. This is also why buying from a brand's full current lineup matters more than chasing a specific model name: Wiley X keeps the mark consistent across the catalog, so a Guard Advanced and an Apex meet the same baseline even at very different price points, while nothing in Smith's current lineup carries it at all.
When Each One Is the Right Call
If the question is compliance, the answer is Wiley X, full stop. That covers a crew on a shop floor, a line worker outdoors, anyone whose employer has an eye-protection policy with teeth. If someone on that crew also needs vision correction, the Zulu Rx line solves both problems in one pair instead of stacking a prescription under a pair of safety glasses. If the question is instead "I need good sunglasses for the boat and I keep losing my readers," that's Smith's lane, and the Guide's Choice Bifocal solves it well. What doesn't work is treating the two as interchangeable because they're both well-made sunglasses from brands worth paying for. They're built to answer different questions, and only one of them answers to OSHA.
The price tags overlap enough to cause confusion too. A Smith Guide's Choice Bifocal at $257 costs more than a Wiley X Apex at $243, so sticker price tells you nothing about which one is rated for a work floor. The only number that matters is whether Z87 or Z87+ is stamped into the frame, not what's on the receipt.
Common questions
Is Smith Optics ANSI Z87 rated?
No. Nothing in Smith's current lineup carries the Z87 mark. Smith builds performance and lifestyle sunglasses, not certified protective eyewear.
Can I wear Smith sunglasses on a jobsite instead of safety glasses?
Not if your employer requires ANSI Z87-rated eye protection, which covers most shop floors, construction sites, and industrial settings. Smith's lenses aren't tested or rated for impact resistance the way Z87 gear is.
What's the cheapest Wiley X option that still meets Z87?
The Guard Advanced, at $72 to $85, is Wiley X's budget-friendly Z87 line and still carries the full rating, not a stripped-down version of it.
Does Wiley X make prescription safety glasses?
Yes. The Zulu Prescription Eyeglasses are ground to an individual prescription and still carry the ANSI rating, which is different from a non-rated reader lens.
What is ChromaPop, and does it make Smith's lenses safety-rated?
ChromaPop is Smith's lens technology for sharpening contrast and color, aimed at outdoor sport use. It's about how well you see, not impact resistance, and it doesn't carry any ANSI rating.
If you're buying for a crew that needs to clear a safety audit, start with the Z87-rated safety sunglasses collection rather than guessing from the logo on the box.
