safety glasses

[laserlover]

why doesnt some company just make safety glasses that protect against red, blue, green, violet, and ir light? i mean i would pay 200 dollars for safety glasses that would protect me from all laser accidents! i considered buying all the safety glasses out there, taking the lenses, and putting them together for the ultimate safety glasses but realized that it would cost 250+ dollars plus my time and effort! who cares if they are a 1/2 inch thick if my eyes are safe!

 

[Razako]

Because if you block out red, green and blue you have effectively blocked out most visible light and you won't be able to see a thing through them.

 

[styropyro]

If you want to block out all of those colors (not just specific wavelengths) you are basically asking for something like this:

There are some goggles that block out a few wavelengths though, check out OEM laser systems for those.

 

[FrothyChimp]

Take a look at the difference between these two sets of glasses. One set is broadband with specific wavelengths selected. The other is a broadband with all wavelengths selected

Broadband (specific wavelengths)
http://store.oemlasersystems.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_7_17&products_id=246
These really don't cover blue but do cover pretty much the targeted wavelengths for common low output laser systems in the visible range with higher OD in the IR.

Broadband (no specific wavelengths)
http://store.oemlasersystems.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_7_17&products_id=259
These give you protection across the visible spectrum but look at the visible light transmission (VLT), it's only 2%. You would have a tough time seeing with those on but then again if you are in a super bright laboratory maybe they wouldn't be so bad.

One thing you have to keep in mind when purchasing protective eyewear: They were never designed for hobbyists. That is why it is difficult to find specifically targeted lenses across the entire spectrum because that is not what happens in industry or research. I hate to tell you but the market forces at work here are not in favor of the enthusiast. As such you often need two to three pair of glasses to cover the hobbyist spectrum of lasers.