Z87+ is a marking on safety eyewear that means the glasses or goggles have passed high-impact testing under the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 standard. The “Z87” refers to the American National Standards Institute’s eye protection standard, and the “+” specifically indicates the eyewear is rated for impact protection, not just basic splash or dust coverage. If you see this marking on a pair of safety glasses, it means both the lenses and frame have been tested against projectiles and weighted objects and held up without cracking, shattering, or allowing contact with the eyes.
What the “+” Actually Means
The Z87.1 standard covers all kinds of eye protection, from basic splash goggles to heavy-duty face shields. Eyewear marked with just “Z87” meets the baseline requirements of the standard. The “+” is what separates impact-rated protectors from everything else. It tells you the eyewear has been subjected to specific high-velocity and high-mass impact tests and passed both.
The high-mass impact test involves dropping a pointed 500-gram weight (a little over a pound) from about 50 inches onto lenses mounted on a headform. The lenses can’t crack, shatter, or allow the weight to make contact with the area behind them. There’s also a high-velocity test using a steel ball fired at the lens. To earn that “+” mark, the eyewear has to survive both scenarios without failing.
Where to Find the Markings
Z87+ markings appear in specific locations on compliant eyewear, and both the lenses and frame must be marked separately. The lenses carry the manufacturer’s logo along with a “+” symbol. The frames are marked with “Z87-2+” to indicate they’ve also been tested for impact performance. This dual-marking system exists because lenses and frames are sometimes sold separately or swapped out, and each component needs to independently meet the standard.
For prescription safety glasses, the rules are slightly different. The lens must be qualified through a material test, and any lens of the same or greater thickness at its thinnest point, made by the same manufacturer using the same material, coating, and processes, can bear the “+” mark. This means your prescription lenses don’t each need individual testing as long as they match the profile of a lens that has already passed.
Z87+ and Workplace Requirements
OSHA’s eye and face protection standard (1910.133) requires employers to provide appropriate eye protection for workers exposed to hazards like flying objects, chemical splashes, or harmful light. While OSHA doesn’t always mandate the “+” rating specifically, any workplace where flying debris or projectiles are a concern will generally require impact-rated eyewear. OSHA also requires side protection when there’s a hazard from flying objects. Detachable side shields that clip or slide onto the frames are acceptable as long as they meet the standard’s requirements.
If your employer hands you safety glasses for a job involving grinding, cutting, drilling, or any task that throws off particles, those glasses should carry the Z87+ marking. Eyewear with only the basic Z87 mark isn’t designed to stop a piece of metal or wood moving at speed.
Lens Materials That Meet the Standard
Not every lens material can pass high-impact testing. Polycarbonate and Trivex are the two most common materials classified as high-impact under Z87.1 standards, and both are widely used in safety eyewear. Standard glass and basic plastic lenses typically can’t meet the impact requirements.
Between the two, there are performance differences worth knowing. Polycarbonate is the more common and less expensive option, but impact testing has shown it can develop irreversible dimpling damage under high forces. Trivex lenses, by comparison, showed only minimal surface blemishes at the same impact levels in Gardner impact tests, making them a better choice for especially demanding environments like heavy industrial work or high-speed sports. Both materials pass Z87+ testing, but Trivex offers a bit more margin and also tends to provide better optical clarity.
Other Markings You Might See
The “+” for impact is just one of several markings that can appear on Z87.1-compliant eyewear. You may also see codes that indicate protection against other hazards. These additional markings tell you whether the eyewear is rated for things like splash protection, dust, fine dust, or optical radiation filtering. If your safety glasses only show “Z87+” with no additional codes, they’re rated for impact but not necessarily for chemical splash or dust environments. Matching the right markings to your specific workplace hazard is the whole point of the system.
The Current Standard
The most recent version of the standard is ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025. The standard has been revised multiple times over the decades, and eyewear manufacturers update their products and testing to stay current. If you’re buying safety glasses today, look for compliance with the 2025 version, though eyewear meeting the previous 2020 or 2015 editions is still common on shelves. The core meaning of the “+” marking has remained consistent across revisions: it always indicates impact-rated protection.
When shopping for safety eyewear, the simplest rule is this: if you need protection from anything that could hit your eye, look for the “+” on both the lens and the frame. Without it, you have basic-rated eyewear that may protect against light splashes but won’t reliably stop a projectile.