The best youth shooting glasses: five frames for kids, ranked by rating and by whether the maker actually cut them smaller

Why youth sizes exist

An adult frame on a child's face rides on the temples, sits high on the bridge, and leaves a gap between the lens and the cheek that a bounced BB can find. The coverage that earned the rating on a test head is not on the child's head. A youth frame is narrower, shorter in the temple and lower at the cheek; Walker's says the Clearview Youth is "engineered specifically for smaller heads", Radians says the DU-Y1 is "specifically designed to fit smaller heads and faces", and Z87.1 itself has an "H" mark for frames made for smaller heads (see what Z87+ means). Wiley X's Youth Force line is sized for ages 5–16 but meets ASTM F803, the sports standard, rather than Z87.1+, so it is not on this list.

BB, pellet and airsoft: what the AAO says

The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that hospital admissions for eye injuries from air guns rose 600% since 2010, that the average age of those injured fell from 16 to 9, and that about 3 in 10 young patients were left with vision worse than 20/50 after treatment. Its guidance on eyewear is direct: "Ballistic eyewear is the only protective eyewear designed for use with air guns and other weapons", and it cautions that ski goggles and civilian "Z"-rated safety eyewear are insufficient. A BB is small, light and fast, and it bounces; a sealed goggle with a strap and a MIL-PRF rating is the closest thing a parent can buy to that advice. The full data is on BB gun and air gun eye injuries.

Why the order

Rating and sizing together. The Clearview Youth and DU-Y1 both state a Z87.1 rating and a small cut on the maker's page — Walker's with the high-impact wording and a UV figure, Radians with the current 2020 edition. The I-Force is the only MIL-PRF product here and the only one built for air guns; it is one size, and it fits a child because it seals to the face with foam and a strap rather than relying on temple length. The Mini Ztek is a small adult frame with the current Z87.1-2020+ rating: right for a teenager, big on a nine-year-old. The Champion pair is everywhere and inexpensive, and its rating reaches us only through a retailer's "Z87.1 rated" with no plus, which is why it is last.

Fitting a child

1. Put the glasses on the child and have them look down at their shoes. The frame should not slide.
2. Look at the cheek from the side. No daylight between lens and skin.
3. Put the muffs on over the glasses. Then have the child turn their head fast. Nothing should shift.
4. Ask if it hurts anywhere. A child will take off a pair that pinches the moment you look away.

Rubber temple tips (DU-Y1, Mini Ztek) and a strap (I-Force) are the two features that keep a pair on a head that moves a lot.

The mistake parents make

If you buy one

The youth checklist

• Does the maker say "smaller heads" or print a size? Walker's and Radians do. "Youth" in a title alone is a claim, not a dimension.
• Is the rating on the page? Z87.1 with a plus or "high impact" for the range; MIL-PRF for air guns.
• Rubber tips or a strap? One or the other keeps it on.
• Clear lens? Yes, for a first pair; tints are a later luxury.

For the shop, the yard and Nerf, the same frames in a different order are on best kids' safety glasses.