Swiss Eye, Mechanix and Wiley-X Safety Glasses

I have recently joined an indoor rifle range where fast-fire rimfire rifles and larger centrefires are very popular, and wearing safety glasses is understandably mandatory. It’s common to think that safety glasses only protect against the rare occurrence of a gun disintegrating. However, with close proximity to other shooters, vented gas and flying brass are factors to consider when protecting your valuable eyesight.
I decided to compare three pairs of glasses at different price points from Military 1st, focusing on their ergonomic and visual aspects. First, I chose yellow lenses for all three pairs to maintain consistency for the review. Second, I considered optical distortion, which is often overlooked when using relatively inexpensive polymer lenses. It’s also important to consider more than just protection, given the unusual head angles and sightlines that may be required in various shooting positions.

Swiss Eye Lancer Sunglasses - yellow lens, black rubber frame
These are slim and lightweight at just 30g, and the single polycarbonate lens offers wraparound 100% UVA, UVB and UVC protection, plus EN 1836:2005+A1:2007 and STANAG 2920/4296 ballistic protection from impact. The lens is anti-scratch and coated to prevent fogging. A microfibre drawstring sleeve is supplied and this does a good job of keeping them clean and protecting them in transit. Although slim, I liked the slightly broader upper frame, which could deflect brass, preventing it from dropping in from above your brow line.
The rubberised arm design fits comfortably over and behind your ears, grips your head in all positions without force, and doesn’t prevent your ear defenders from completing a tight audio seal. This is fundamentally critical to address with any glasses because a broken seal significantly compromises the performance of hearing protection.
The lenses have a reverse slope to help brass cases bounce toward the floor. This also reduces reflection from the polymer lenses onto the ocular lens of your optic.

Mechanix Wear Vision Type-X F Safety Eyewear - amber lens, black frame
The Mechanix glasses are a little more stylised and offer two individual lenses with similar MIL-PRF 32432 ballistic safety standards and ANSI Z87.1 impact protection. These are very slightly heavier at 40g and show a larger, bulkier, almost hexagonal multifaceted frame shape that will certainly polarise opinion. The bridge is also deep and keeps the lenses higher up towards your eyebrows for a slightly greater vertical field of view that will definitely appeal to some shotgun shooters.
Again, the thin rubberised arms allow a good fit and ear defender seal over your ears. For a multi-positional rifle shooter, deeper lenses with a greater vertical field of view make it easier to align the sight when prone, without the frame entering your field of view.

Wiley X WX Valor Glasses - smoke grey, clear and light rust lenses, matte black frame
The Wiley-X Valor glasses come with smoke grey, clear, and light rust ballistic lenses, allowing the user to switch lenses in the field to adapt to changing conditions. There is an individual lens for each eye. The conventional wraparound design looks similar to regular sunglasses, so you stand out less. The glasses weigh 30g, making them very comfortable to wear. You get a soft touch frame, and the lenses can be changed in seconds. A handy Cordura case is supplied to store everything, with personalised compartments for each individual lens.
The lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. They also meet GL-PD 10-12 MCEP and MIL-PRF-32432(GL) ballistic standards. They are scratch-resistant and include anti-fog coatings. Light transmission through the smoke grey lens is 15%, the clear lens is 90%, and the rust lens is 53%. The Wiley-X exceed the ANSI Z87.1-2010 high impact and optical performance standards. A microfiber cleaning cloth is included, and you get a leash cord to hang them around your neck.

Conclusion
In general, all three pairs of eyewear are comfortable for long periods and can be worn with ear defenders without causing unnecessary discomfort. They also have non-distracting optics. If I had to rank them briefly, the Swiss Eye would be a great choice with no downsides. The Mechanix glasses offer a notably larger vertical field of view, but some may not like their design. The Wiley-X are the most refined and come with accessories for multiple lenses. All meet the protection requirements.
For my specific needs, I would choose the Mechanix, but I would stick with clear lenses due to the lighting conditions at my range. However, some people may prefer different coloured lenses. When using them behind a scope, there is a tiny amount of optical distortion based on the exact head angle. I found the Wiley-X to be the least prone to noticeable effects from compromised visual angles through the lenses when using various scoped rifles from the prone position. From standing and seated positions, these effects are far less noticeable with any of the reviewed units.