New Prescription Lampworking Safety Glasses Options

[kevingreenbmx]

To all the prescription glasses wearers out there that have been wondering what to do since Aura shut down: Phillips Safety now has their Soda Flare Poly and BoroTrueView 3.0 filters available in prescription!

It looks like those are the only ones available in prescription for now, but hopefully they will expand the offerings to include Shade 5 and Split-lenses soon.

[rcktscientist]

Another option for people with prescriptions that change over time is the fit-overs. Also, if you want shade 5.0, this would be a choice. I have both fit-overs and flip-ups. The fit-overs can be a challenge to fit your regular glasses 'inside' them for a comfortable fit. The flip-ups can feel flimsy, although built fairly tough, but seem to get worn out faster.

[jellybellykelley]

I am going to be looking for flip ups to wear over my prescription glasses. I have a new script and the old ones are not too much different in script so I'll leave the flip ups attached to them.

[ESC]

I've never really understood the business model of prescription glass working lenses. Are the eyes that stable that they don't change from year to year or even over a couple years? It's been a rare checkup that my diagnosis has not changed significantly enough to need new lenses. I wear clip on lenses over my prescription lenses.

[echeveria]

Originally Posted by ESC

I've never really understood the business model of prescription glass working lenses. Are the eyes that stable that they don't change from year to year or even over a couple years? It's been a rare checkup that my diagnosis has not changed significantly enough to need new lenses. I wear clip on lenses over my prescription lenses.

That was my thought after pricing out prescription didys. I did not want to spend that every couple of years for a hobby. I really only need the near vision correction for working at the torch so I opted for stick on readers.

[kevingreenbmx]

I hated the ergonomics of clip-ons or fit-overs. The prescription are vastly more comfortable, so I felt it was worth it.

[echeveria]

Kevin I know several people that struggled with the fitovers

[ESC]

Im not sure I understand the ergonomics issue. Mine are didys set in an oval metal frame with prongs top and bottom on the outside edge. Tgey clip on to my metal frame glasses and there you go.

[kevingreenbmx]

Originally Posted by ESC

Im not sure I understand the ergonomics issue. Mine are didys set in an oval metal frame with prongs top and bottom on the outside edge. Tgey clip on to my metal frame glasses and there you go.

Every set of clip-ons I have tried have not felt secure on the primary glasses frame they were clipped on to, so i always felt like they were going to fall off or were tilted at a weird angle leaving gaps in places.

and every fit-over set I've ever tried has collided with the frames they were over and pushed the frames into my head painfully, or has had weird pressure points where they wrap around the frames.

I'm glad for anyone who hasn't had these problems, it's way cheaper to not feel like you need prescription Didys, but for me the cost was worth it. I can work for hours with my Auras that have nice well-fitted frames, and not have any sore spots or feel like something is falling off my face.

With aura gone, I'm very glad to see Phillips is stepping up to make sure something is available for if I ever need a new prescription.

[rcktscientist]

2 improvements that I've made that helped a ton are:
For clip-ons, use wire shrink wrap (the kind you heat to shrink) on the little 'legs' that contact the lenses. That seems to grip very nicely and is readily available. You can even layer it.
For fit-overs, buy them first and then take them with you when you get your glasses ordered to ensure a good fit. I have a really high number on my left eye which needs high index lenses which don't work in smaller frames so I HAD to do this but found it to be a straightforward approach that anyone could benefit from.

[ESC]

I had no idea they even made such a thing as wire shrink wrap. The insulation on my wire prongs is long gone so I'll be looking for this for mine. Thank you!