As someone with poor eyesight working as a mason, I always felt like I faced a Catch 22: either run the risk of damaging my expensive prescription lenses on the job, or swap them for safety glasses and work with unfocused vision. But recently I found an innovative solution to my problem online: Panther LightSpecs Vindicator lighted prescription safety glasses, which promised to solve my eyewear problem for a very reasonable price. The non-prescription version of the glasses starts at about $20, but after providing the supplier VS Eyewear with my prescription and specifying the lens material, the price bumped up to about $60, which is still a great value.
I chose the polycarbonate 1.59 single-vision plastic lenses with the scratch-coating option, which was a good $10 investment, because the glasses have yet to scratch. Other options are available, including bifocals, polarization, anti-fog coatings, and transition lens, which will boost the price of the glasses up accordingly.
The LightSpecs are named for the two LED lights attached on the brow-ends of the frame. Powered by two CR1632 lithium batteries, these lights act like a headlamp, but with more direct light, like looking with the headlights from a car. Though not as bright as a headlamp or flashlight, the light is bright enough to read a measuring tape or check the level in a dark inside corner and is a very helpful feature.
