Goggles and safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye area in order to prevent particulates or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well, and in swimming. Goggles are often worn when using power tools such as drills or chainsaws to prevent flying particles from damaging the eyes. Many types of goggles are available as prescription eyewear for those with vision problems.

The Inuit carved goggles from caribou antler to help prevent snowblindness. The goggles were curved to fit the users face and had a large groove cut in the back to allow for the nose. A long thin slit was cut through the goggles to allow in a small amount of light. The goggles were held to the head by a cord made of caribou sinew.

Most modern cold-weather goggles have two layers of lens to prevent the interior from becoming "foggy." With only a single lens, the interior water vapor condenses onto the lens because the lens is colder than the vapor. The reasoning behind dual layer lens is that the inner lens will be warm while the outer lens will be cold. As long as the temperature of the inner lens is close to that of the interior water vapor, the vapor should not condense. However, if water vapor gets between the layers of the lens, condensation can occur between the lenses and is almost impossible to get rid of; thus, properly constructed and maintained dual-layer lenses should be air-tight to prevent water vapor from getting in between the lenses.

The requirements for goggles varies depending on the use. Some examples:

• Swimming: Must be watertight to prevent water, such as salt water when swimming in the ocean, from irritating the eyes or blurring vision. Allows swimmers to see clearly underwater.
• Power tools: Must be made of an unbreakable material that prevents chunks of metal, wood, plastic, concrete, and so on from hitting or piercing the eye. Usually has some sort of ventilation to prevent sweat from building up inside the goggles and fogging the surface.
• Motorcycle riding and other open-air activities: Prevents insects, dust, and so on from hitting the eyes.
• Laboratory: Combines impact resistance with side shields to prevent chemical splashes reaching the eyes. May also include laser protection.
• Racquetball: Protect the eyes from racquets swinging in an enclosed area and from impact from hard rubber ball.
• Snow sports: Protect the eyes from glare and from icy particles flying up from the ground.
• Meteorology: dark adaptor goggles are used before going outside at night, in order to help the eyes adapt to the dark.
• Basketball: Several NBA players have worn goggles during play, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Horace Grant and Kurt Rambis; they prevent a fellow player from scratching or hitting the eyes when trying to grab the basketball.

Fictional context

In anime, goggles (or sunglasses) worn or kept on the forehead/headgear by a character are a sign of decisiveness, bravery, or leadership position. This may have been inspired by the aviators of old, or by historical figures such as George S. Patton or Erwin Rommel. Such characters are commonly known as "Goggleboys", "Gogglegirls", or "Gogglehead".

A scene in The Simpsons, where Rainier Wolfcastle unsuccessfully tries to shield himself from a giant wave of acid by using protective goggles, has made it into the halls of internet humor. The associated phrase "My eyes...the goggles do nothing!" is often used as a humorous exclamation after viewing something unpleasant (though it is often misquoted as "The goggles... they do nothing!"). There was also another scene in another episode where Bart and Lisa and watching "Rain Delay Theater," which is airing an old low budget sci-fi movie "The Monster From Outer Space." A hull breach causes "space air" to enter the ship. The "astronauts" could not breathe until they put their goggles on.

See also

• Hard hat
• Night vision goggles
• Protective clothing
• Steel-toe boots
• Safety engineering
• Visor