7 Best Solar Eclipse Glasses for Watching Next Week’s Total Eclipse

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This plastic pair from American Paper Optics is our best overall choice due to its frequent recommendation from critics and experts we spoke with. Although relatively pricey, its sturdy build is scratch-resistant plastic, making it easy to carry like traditional sunglasses. It also includes a carry case.

The brand claims it blocks 100 percent of harmful ultra-violet, 100 percent of harmful infrared, and 99.99 percent of intense visible light. Several user reviews say they work well, with some even saying they can be comfortably worn over regular glasses.

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The American Astronomical Society lists Kesseph as a trusted North American importer. Unlike others on this list, it packages its solar eclipse glasses with a paper filter for smartphone photography. The filter is placed over your smartphone camera lens so as not to damage its lenses through magnification and capture that perfect shot.

The company sells its glasses in packs of 2, 4, 5, 50, 75, and 100, making them a great bulk buy as well. Many user reviews of packs purchased in the last few weeks have claimed they’ve been tested for safety, too.

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Given their materials, plastic solar-viewing glasses can get pricey. You can cut costs by going the cheapest route possible: paper. As effective at blocking harmful sun rays as their more robust counterparts, American Paper Optics’s solar eclipse safety glasses are thin, compact, and easily fit into your pocket. You can grab a single pair for $1 and save even more by bundling up to 4, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, or 1,000.

Of course, paper has its drawbacks. For one, it won’t hold well in transport and can easily get creased and bent. Some folks also might throw them out after a single use. Still, these are the way to see an eclipse for the cheapest price possible.

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Celestron’s EclipSmart binoculars offer enough protection to safely view and magnify the eclipse without damaging your retinas. The binoculars are ISO 12312-2 compliant and have permanent glass solar filters, as they’re built specifically for viewing the sun. This makes them safe to peer at the sun through but also virtually unusable for any purpose other than watching sunspots.

If you seek something stronger than solar-viewing glasses, reach for a pair of these. As always, when purchasing a pair of binoculars, the first number represents magnification power while the second indicates the lens diameter—the higher the number, the clearer, though less stable, the image.

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If you’re looking for a pair of glasses sturdy enough to survive years of use, reach for this pair of welding glasses from Phillips Safety. These are rated shade 14 for the highest level of eye protection. The AAS says that shade level 12 or higher is safe for viewing the eclipse. They also meet all ISO 12312-2:2015 standards for direct solar observation. They block 99 percent of UV light, 97 percent of IR radiation and only allow a transmission of roughly 0.0003 percent of visible light through them.

These are pricier than other eclipse glasses on our list, but they’re also sturdier than other plastic picks. Plus they offer some side shading, so they aid in protecting your peripheral vision as well.

Key Specs