Examining Cool #14 Welder's Glass Eclipse Shades

My sister got me these cool eclipse viewing shades for Xmas! They look like normal sunglasses, which is a lot cooler than those paper eclipse shades they hand out at viewing parties, and a lot more functional that just getting a sheet of black polymer. They are comfortable and feel very sturdy.

Phillips Safety Products No.14 Welder's Glass Eclipse Viewing Shades

They look like bug-eye regular sunglasses, but once I put them on I immediately realized these were no normal sunglasses. I couldn't see a thing! It's clear that these No. 14 Welder's Glass green shades filter much more light than the typical pair of sunglasses.

Check it out, when I hold them up to the light, you can't even see through them!

The glasses also come with these protective side shades. The material looks similar to what the frames are made from, but not the same thing as the lenses of the glasses. I wanted to check them out, so I held them up to the bathroom light too and could see through it. These definitely don't filter as much light - so never use the side shade thing to look at the sun!

I think the reason they give you these side extension is to help block light coming in from the sides. When you look at the sun, because the black glass is reflective you can end up being distracted by the reflection of your own eye looking back at you. These side shades help a little bit, but I ended up taking them off and just using my hands to block light on the sides.

I guess the other reason is because these are literally welder's safety glasses, so the side shades probably help protect your eyes from sparks. 

This is my first time looking at the sun through welder's glass, which makes the sun appear an eerie green! It's still pretty bright, I'm not sure if you'd be able to see any sun spots with welder's glass - but it sure does give you a nice view of the sun's disk, which is what really matters during an eclipse.

Welder's glass = Green dot

Black polymer = Orange dot