DeWalt Converter Protective Eyewear

A week with DeWalt’s Converter eyewear

I’ve been testing the Converter eyewear across a mix of tasks—mowing the yard on a humid afternoon, cutting MDF in the shop, and a couple of dusty demolition jobs. It’s a hybrid design that straddles the line between safety glasses and sealed goggles. That premise is compelling: combine an adjustable, lightweight frame with a foam debris seal and swap between temples or an elastic head strap depending on the task. After a week, I’ve got a clear sense of where it shines and where it falls short.

Design and build

The Converter is built around a polycarbonate lens and frame with a foam insert that traces the perimeter to keep out dust and chips. DeWalt includes both ratcheting bayonet-style temples and an elastic strap, and swapping between them is quick. The finished package is impressively light at about 0.1 lb, so it never felt like a burden during long sessions.

A few design touches stand out:

• Ratcheting temple arms let me tilt the lens plane to match my cheekbones and hard hat brim, which helps set the seal of the foam.
  
• Enlarged lens openings expand the field of view compared to many goggle hybrids. I rarely felt like I was looking through a porthole.
  
• The bridge has a gentle, cushioned feel. It’s not a separate nose pad in the classic sense, but it didn’t pinch or hotspot on me, even under the strap.

It’s a straightforward, job-first design: no shiny coatings, no polarized tints, no flashy hinges. It carries an ANSI Z87.1+ impact rating and claims 99.9% UVA/UVB protection, which covers typical construction, shop, and outdoor tasks.

Fit and comfort

Fit can make or break this category. With the temples on, the Converter felt like regular safety glasses—light, stable, and easy to take on and off. The foam sits gently against the face and creates a decent seal without digging in. Switching to the strap tightens everything up and is ideal when I’m overhead or crawling in dust.

A few notes based on my face shape and how the foam interfaces:

• The ratcheting temples let me dial in the angle, which helped minimize gaps at the cheekbones.
  
• The foam is moderately firm. It’s comfortable, but on hot days it can soak up sweat.
  
• Face geometry matters with hybrids. On my medium bridge, the seal was good; on lower bridges, I can see a small gap forming at the nose or across the forehead, especially if the strap isn’t adjusted precisely. A true “Asian-fit” option would broaden the fit range.

Overall, comfort is excellent for the weight. I wore them for two-hour stretches without a headache or pressure points. They fit under earmuffs without breaking the seal at the temples, especially when using the strap.

Optics and visibility

The smoke lens variant I used is tuned for bright outdoor work. Clarity is solid; there’s minimal distortion at the edges, and the enlarged openings give better-than-typical peripheral awareness for a sealed design. Indoors, the smoke tint is too dark for detail work, so I’d choose clear for shop tasks or the indoor/outdoor (I/O) tint if you’re moving between spaces.

There’s no hard anti-scratch coating, and that’s the tradeoff I noticed after a week. Even with careful handling and microfiber cleaning, a few hairline scuffs appeared. They didn’t ruin clarity, but if you’re rough on eyewear, plan on a protective pouch and mindful storage.

Fogging and breathability

This is the Converter’s most polarizing trait. There’s an anti-fog coating and a sealed foam perimeter, but no ventilation ports. In practice, anti-fog performance was mixed:

• In mild weather or during stop-and-go tasks, the coating kept fog at bay reasonably well.
  
• In humidity or while wearing a respirator, fog appeared at the lower lens edges during exertion, especially with the strap cinched down.

This isn’t entirely surprising: with no vents, the coating is doing all the work. For me, the real-world solution was to treat the lenses with an aftermarket anti-fog and ease off the strap tension just enough to let a whisper of air circulate. That combination improved performance significantly. If your work routinely combines heat, humidity, and heavy breathing—attic insulation, summer demo, or landscaping with a dust mask—expect occasional fog unless you add a treatment or briefly break the seal to clear the lenses.

To its credit, the foam seal blocks debris well, which is the point. But fog is the cost of that protection without ventilation. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something to plan around.

Protection and standards

The Z87.1+ impact rating puts the Converter firmly in jobsite territory. I took a couple of pepperings from angle-grinder sparks and concrete chips without issue. The foam insert stops the small stuff that always seems to find its way around standard glasses. For UV, the stated 99.9% protection is welcome outdoors, and the smoke lens reduces eye strain in bright conditions.

Worth noting: this is not a chemical splash goggle. If you’re handling liquids or working around caustics, you’ll want a dedicated, vented splash-rated goggle. For dust, chips, and high-impact hazards, the Converter is right at home.

Durability and maintenance

Polycarbonate is tough, but without a hard coat it will show wear. After a week of construction tasks and yard work, my lenses had the kind of micro-scratches you get from wiping dust off in the field. That’s solvable with habit changes:

• Rinse grit off before wiping.
  
• Use a microfiber cloth only.
  
• Store in a pouch or case instead of on the dash or tool bag bottom.

The foam insert holds up fine but will absorb sweat and fines. A quick rinse with mild soap and water at the end of a hot day kept it fresh. Hardware on both the strap and temples feels stout enough for repeated swaps; I didn’t see any play or looseness develop.

Don’t expect them to fit over prescription eyewear; they’re not an OTG design. If you need prescription lenses, consider dedicated safety RX or an insert system.

Where they excel

• Woodworking and carpentry where dust is constant and you want better-than-glasses sealing without committing to full goggles.
  
• Yard work—string trimming, edging, mowing—where debris tends to bounce back at your face.
  
• Demolition and cutting with saws or grinders, especially overhead, using the strap for security.
  
• Bright outdoor environments with the smoke lens, or mixed-use with the I/O tint.

Where they struggle

• Hot, humid conditions with a respirator or mask, unless you add an anti-fog treatment or loosen the seal.
  
• Chemical splash scenarios.
  
• Users who need a generous “Asian fit” or have very low nose bridges; getting a perfect foam seal may take more fiddling or may never be perfect.
  
• Users who demand scratch-proof lenses; there’s no hard coat here.

Pros

• Hybrid design with foam debris seal and interchangeable strap/temples
  
• Light, comfortable, and stable for long wear
  
• Adjustable lens angle via ratcheting temples
  
• Excellent field of view for a sealed design
  
• ANSI Z87.1+ impact rating and 99.9% UVA/UVB protection
  
• Multiple lens tints for indoor, outdoor, or mixed lighting

Cons

• Anti-fog is only middling in heat or high humidity, made worse by the lack of vents
  
• No hard anti-scratch coating; lenses mark up if you’re not careful
  
• Fit can be finicky on lower nose bridges or narrow faces
  
• Not OTG for prescription wearers

Recommendation

I recommend the Converter for users who want more debris protection than standard safety glasses without the bulk of full goggles, and who are willing to manage fog proactively. The comfort, light weight, and adjustable fit make it easy to wear all day, the field of view is better than most goggle hybrids, and the impact rating inspires confidence. If you work in hot, humid environments with a mask—or you’re hard on lenses and expect a heavy-duty anti-scratch coat—look elsewhere. For most woodworking, jobsite, and outdoor tasks, though, this is a practical, versatile piece of eye protection that earns a spot in the kit.