Safety glasses are ubiquitous in conversations about protective gear, whether they're about the must-have safety equipment for home mechanics or what that little guy with glasses is doing on Milwaukee Fastbacks and tape measures. And rightfully so: The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) reports that every day, about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain eye injuries serious enough to require medical attention. Most of those injuries can be avoided, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, simply by wearing the right safety equipment. In most cases, a normal pair of glasses isn't enough; you need safety glasses, and you need them to meet the ANSI Z87.1 standards.

The title of this article might read "worst to best," but those major brands are all quite decent. That's because safety glasses, generally speaking, meet the same baseline for protection. The reason is simple: In the USA, they are regulated by the ANSI Z87.1 standards. The same goes for other countries, even if the standards vary slightly. That means that safety glasses all share the core protective features required by at least one of those organizations, and often multiple ones. While some models and brands might be more comfortable, offer anti-fog coatings, or include prescription lenses, ANSI Z87.1 ensures a minimum level of impact protection for all. That means they're all up to the job when it comes to basic eye safety.