Back in March, when we were just getting ready to start Vision1’s summer season full of customized sunglasses, we as well as the rest of the world got interrupted by Covid 19. After the initial shock, especially because our manufacturer is located in northern Italy, we proactively started to to think what we can do to help to stop the spread of the virus.
We sat down and quickly came up with the idea of protective face shields. Pictures of face shields in use already appeared in newspapers – but we were not sure if they actually are a source of protection or rather an additional health risk by only suggesting protection? So we asked ourselves:
Is there scientific proof that Face Shields actually prevent the spread of a virus?
To answer this question, we asked a group of Viennese virologists and doctors about their opinion and they pointed us to that study: Efficacy of Face Shields Against Cough Aerosol Droplets From a Cough Simulator by Lindsley et al, 2014/NIOSH. The study analyses if infectious airborne particles are a hazard for health care workers when checking on coughing patients and if face shields can prevent infections. The simple answer is, yes, they reduce exposure of up to 96%. Find all the findings summarized in our previous article: The ‘New Norm’: Face Masks and Face Shields in Public Spaces
Now, about two months later, the renowned New York Times bases its recommendation on the same research.
Before we send you over to read the whole article, here the most important quotes:
“I believe that face shields should be the preferred personal protective equipment of everyone for the same reason health care workers use them. They protect the entire face, including the eyes, and prevent people from touching their faces or inadvertently exposing themselves to the coronavirus.
Face shields may be easier to wear than masks, like wearing glasses or a hat. They wrap around a small portion of a person’s forehead rather than covering more than half their face with material that can create the urge to itch.”
The nice thing about face shields is that they can be resterilized and cleaned by the user, so they’re reusable indefinitely until some component breaks or cracks,”
What quality features to look for in a face shield?
Being locked-out of their manufacture during the worst weeks of the pandemic in Italy, our engineers used their time to develop a product to meet Vision1’s core values: Premium quality, functionality and sustainability.
The central quality features:
Thick elastic strap and velcro fastener to ensure a tight fit paired with enduring comfort. Any personal protective equipment is useless, if the person wearing it constantly needs to touch the shield to re-adjust its position (thereby transmitting germs from his face to other surfaces). Vision1’s shield is designed to give the user the most comfortable protection.
Eco-foam between forehead and shield to give comfort, enable optical glasses to be worn underneath the shield and avoid a fogged-up shield.
Robust shield thickness to maximize lifespan and cleanability. We decided to go for a much thicker shield than many you would find out there. Two reasons: Thin shields tend to wrinkle very quickly (you know the effect from cling films). Thin polyester shields become cloudy after a few laps of disinfection. Both would result in restricted sight / large need for replacement of the shield.
Space for a smile: Make use of the shield to convey a friendly message to your customers, partners or co-workers on the shield. We enable your company’s branding as of 1,000 pieces
Convinced? Give the gift of safety and equip your loved ones, coworkers, employees, etc. with face shields. There is no minimum order quantity, we ship worldwide and from 1,000 pieces we can customize the upper printing area for you. Be in touch!
If you have any comments please reach us at hello@vision1eyewear.com. Keep on browsing our website to learn more about our eyewear or start your customized sunglasses project here. Join us on Linkedin or follow us on Instagram for the latest updates
