ESS Protective Glasses Review – The Best of the Best

Okay, let’s face the facts.  First, Dan and myself are the worst people when it comes to safety.  I have a lame excuse and that is because when I first started in the trades, safety wasn’t taken seriously, like it is now.  I was never encouraged to use glasses, ear protection or anything else.  Now I know that is a lame excuse, but I am trying to take safety more serious because it only takes one bad thing to change your life forever.  In regards to Dan’s excuse, well what can I say, he pretty much speaks for himself on that one.

Okay, in all seriousness, safety is important and should be at the front of everyone’s mind , which brings me to ESS.  I first found out about these glasses because they were issued at my fire department.  I had never heard of them before, but when I tried them on I couldn’t believe how comfortable they were.  So naturally I had to research them and find out more about them.  ESS is a premiere protective eye wear company.  They make tough, reliable and comfortable protective eye glasses.  Their primary customer base is military, police and fire. The men and women who serve this country are exposed to extreme conditions, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.  If they are good enough for them, they are good enough for me.  While these are the most comfortable glasses I have used, I have been lucky enough not to have to test these glasses in the real world. However there have been plenty of people who have,  You want to see how good these are, just take a look at the testimonials.  Next time you see someone in uniform who serves this country, make sure you stop them and say thanks for what they do.

After wearing them and using them I thought how great would it be to introduce them to everyone at TIA. Besides the military, these are perfect for hunters, contractors, sportsman and more.  For me, finding a comfortable pair of glasses means I will be wearing them more.  Knowing that they protect the men and women in our military means I am confident they will protect me under any conditions.  Such as wood a kick back from a table saw where the wood is shot back at you or any of the other thousands of things that can happen when working with power tools.  I am sorry about the long winded article before we start, but I am passionate about ESS and protecting your eyes.

We only have two eyes and as of today the medical field hasn’t figured out a way to reproduce the eye.  This is one of the reasons we need to think about PPE and always wear them.  Now I have been trying to get better at wearing my safety glasses, but it has been hard.  I haven’t found a pair that is comfortable and doesn’t bother me.  Yes I have found some, but after wearing them long term, they tend to feel uncomfortable behind my ears or on my nose.  Which brings me to two types of glasses I want to introduce you to:

CrossBow

I want to let you know two important things about these glasses.   First, they are made right here in the USA.  Second, the Crossbow series is included on the U.S. Army’s Authorized Protective Eyewear List and the only approved eye protection for the U.S. Marines.

We have the Crossbow two glass kit, which comes with a clear and smokey lens, which is great for any lighting conditions.  The Crossbow series is one of the most comfortable and clearest pair of safety glasses I have ever put on.  One reason is the Crossbow uses its ClearZone Flowcoat technology which minimizes scratches and provides anti fog capability.  How bad does that suck when you’re sweating, you put on your glasses and they fog up around the corners.  With the Crossbow, you don’t have to worry about that.  With the CSSOpticstm you get a true distortion free view.  Now when I say comfortable, I mean comfortable.  Sometimes I like wearing a hat to protect my bald head and sometimes I just light up the sky with the reflection. Either way it always seems like glasses have that pressure point that bothers me after a while.  With the Crossbow glasses, I don’t get that.  One reason is the CSS Tri-TechTm fit which basically eliminates pressure points.  Plus, this also provides a no-slip frame.

The Crossbow also has a feature called the Dedbolt system which allows you to exchange/replace lenses quickly.  This system opens for easy access and when in the lock position, they stay in place, even under extreme conditions.  You can even have RX lens made and you can insert them into your frames.

Okay, I am trying to do this article without sounding like a sales pitch, but it is extremely hard because I believe in these glasses.  I want you to understand all the technology that goes into these glasses and these aren’t just the run of the mill glasses.  They are truly a great pair of glasses you can count on and leave the rest of the PPE eye wear in the rear view mirror.  I love how these glasses wrap around and feel comfortable.  While most safety glasses cover your eyes, they still leave an opening for stuff to get in.  The Crossbow series really feels like it covers up these gaps and truly protects your eyes from all angles.

Credence Mirrored Cooper

The next set of safety glasses are the Credence glasses.  These are ones you might be more familiar with and see them around.  The frame (Thermoplastic) of these glasses features low profile temple arms which provide comfort, even with a helmet, hat or ear protection.  The lenses (Polycarbonate) have a broad wrap which provides a larger or wider view.  Unlike the Crossbow series, these lenses are not interchangeable.  As with the Crossbow series, these have an anti scratch lens coating.

Talk about backing your product, ESS will give you a full refund within 30 days.  If that isn’t enough, they will give you a 5 year warranty on your glasses, so you know these are strong if they are willing to back it up with that type of warranty.  One thing I forgot to mention is that even the case these glasses come in is great.  It’s not a cheap case.  It’s strong and tough.

Bottom line these are hands down the best pair of glasses you can get from the best eye protective company.  ESS puts technology into these glasses to make them last, reduce scratches and reduce fog that blurs your vision.  When it comes to protecting your eyes, you can’t put a price on it.  You want something that will take the abuse, be strong over time, comfortable and will not let you down in a time of need.  If you want the best, go with ESS.  As a note we didn’t get paid for this article.  This is just a company I believe in and product I believe in.  I reached out to them to introduce you to ESS.

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ESS Glasses