MCR Safety Glasses — Crews Series Guide

MCR Safety (Crews) · 20 Series · ~154 Lens Configurations · ANSI/ISEA Z87.1+ High Impact · Polycarbonate

How do you choose from 20 MCR safety glasses series?

Short answer: three decisions, in order — frame series, lens tint, then coating. And one warning that matters more than any of them: the product title is not the product. Twenty series here carry roughly 154 individual lens configurations between them, so "Klondike KD7" names a frame and tells you nothing about what you will actually be looking through. The dropdown is where the buying decision happens, and it is the part most people skim.

The whole collection is MCR Safety, the manufacturer also long known as Crews. Prices run from a few dollars to under twenty, every model carries the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1+ high-impact mark, and the lenses are polycarbonate throughout.

Decision 1 — which frame series fits the work?

The series sets coverage, fit and style. Broadly:

• BearKat (BK1, BK2, BK3) — the lightweight wraparound. The volume workhorse and the cheapest entry into the range.
• Checklite (CL1, CL1N) — ultra-light, minimal frame, built for people who resent wearing eye protection at all.
• Klondike (KD1, KD3, KD5, KD7, KD7R) — the broadest family here, and the one carrying the most lens options.
• Swagger (SR1–SR5, UD1) — the style-forward line with soft-touch frames; the UD1 is the premium end and the only series in our sample offering polarized lenses.
• Law OG1 and Klondike OG2 — over-the-glasses designs, sized to fit over prescription eyewear rather than replace it. See over-the-glasses safety glasses for the cross-brand options.
• BackDraft BD1 and BlackKat BL — the remaining two frame styles in the collection.

Fit is not cosmetic. Glasses that sit badly get pushed up onto a hard hat brim, and eye protection on your forehead protects nothing. If you also wear a respirator, the temple arms and the seal compete — our guide to respirators with glasses covers that interaction.

Decision 2 — which lens tint matches the light?

Tint is about the lighting condition, not preference. Across the series we sampled, MCR offers:

• Clear — indoor work and anywhere light is already adequate. The default, and the right default.
• Gray — outdoor glare, with minimal color distortion. See tinted safety glasses.
• Indoor/Outdoor and I/O Clear Mirror — a light mirror for people crossing between a bright yard and a dim building repeatedly, where swapping glasses is what actually gets skipped. See indoor/outdoor safety glasses.
• Blue Diamond Mirror — heavier mirror for sustained bright outdoor exposure.
• Light Blue and Brown — contrast tints for specific light conditions.

One boundary worth stating: none of these is a welding lens. A shaded welding filter is a different product with a shade number, and a mirrored or gray safety lens is not a substitute for it — see can safety glasses be used for welding and welding safety glasses.

Decision 3 — what do MCR's coating names mean?

This is where MCR uses its own vocabulary, and where the dropdown gets genuinely confusing. From the variant options published on the listings:

• Duramass — MCR's scratch-resistant hard coat.
• MAX3 — hard coat / anti-scratch.
• MAX6 Anti-Fog — the anti-fog option, and the one to take for humid, hot or mask-adjacent work.
• MAX36 — polarized plus anti-fog, the top of the coating range.
• UV Anti-Fog and Dual Coat — further combinations appearing on specific series.

Anti-fog is the coating that decides whether the glasses stay on your face. Fogged lenses get lifted, and lifted eye protection is the failure mode that actually causes injuries — which is why paying a little more for MAX6 over a plain hard coat is usually the better call in any warm or enclosed environment. Anti-fog safety glasses collects the cross-brand options.

What do the hidden options in the dropdown include?

Two axes do not appear in any product title and are easy to miss entirely.

Bifocal magnification. The Klondike KD3 offers bifocal lenses in +1.0, +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5, in both clear and gray — eight of its fifteen variants are readers. If you have been buying separate reading glasses and safety glasses, or worse, wearing readers under safety glasses, that is the option that solves it. See bifocal safety glasses and safety reading glasses.

Polarized lenses. The Swagger UD1 offers Blue Diamond Mirror in polarized and Polarized MAX36 forms. Polarization cuts reflected glare off water, glass and wet surfaces in a way a plain tint cannot — see polarized safety glasses.

High-visibility frames. The KD7 duplicates its entire lens range in a hi-vis frame, so six of its fifteen variants are the same lenses on a brighter frame.

What does the ANSI Z87.1+ marking actually mean?

The plus sign is the part that matters. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.133, eye and face protection must meet ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and within that standard a lens marked Z87 meets basic impact while Z87+ has passed the high-impact test. Everything in this collection carries the +.

Other markings you may find alongside it identify the manufacturer and, where applicable, the hazard the lens is rated for — D3 for splash and droplet, D4 for dust, D5 for fine dust. Our ANSI Z87.1 reference decodes the full set, and are safety glasses OSHA required covers when you must wear them at all. The NIOSH eye safety topic page covers the injury data behind the rule.

Note that impact rating and lens tint are independent. A dark lens is not a stronger lens, and a clear lens is not a weaker one.

How do the series compare?

Ten of the twenty series are shown; the rest — BK2, BK3, CL1N, KD5, KD7R, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR5 and BlackKat BL — follow the same three-axis pattern. Prices are the lowest variant in each series, and the tint and coating you choose moves the figure.

Which combination should most people buy?

Indoor general work: clear lens, anti-fog coating. The single most common correct answer, and the one people under-buy because a hard coat costs less.

Outdoor all day: gray lens with a hard coat, or Blue Diamond Mirror if the glare is severe. Polarized if you are working around water, glass or wet roadway.

In and out repeatedly: indoor/outdoor. The point is not that it is optimal for either condition — it is that it removes the swap that people skip.

Over prescription glasses: OG1 or OG2. Do not try to wear standard safety glasses over spectacles.

If you need reading magnification: the KD3 bifocal, in the diopter you already use for reading.

Editor's pick: the Klondike KD7 in clear with MAX6 anti-fog — fifteen lens options on one frame, the anti-fog that keeps glasses on faces, and a hi-vis frame available on the same platform if your site requires it. For a lower price point the BearKat BK1 covers the same job in a lighter frame.

Affiliate disclosure: WC Safety is an independent review site. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We do not sell products directly, and no brand paid for placement.

Our methodology: what is on this page, and what it cannot do

We counted this collection against the storefront rather than trusting the heading: twenty MCR series, every one priced and carrying a SKU. Because the variant counts alone showed roughly 154 configurations behind twenty titles, we then read the actual variant lists from three series — the KD7, the KD3 and the UD1 — rather than assuming what the dropdown contained. Every tint and coating named above is quoted from a live listing. What we have not done is read all twenty: the tint and coating vocabulary here is confirmed to exist, but it is not confirmed to be exhaustive, and we do not claim every option appears on every series. Prices shown are the lowest variant in each series, because a single "from" figure is the only honest way to price a fifteen-variant listing in a table.

MCR Safety Glasses FAQ

Is MCR Safety the same as Crews?

Yes. MCR Safety is the manufacturer long known as Crews, and both names appear on product literature for the same lines.

What does Z87+ mean on MCR safety glasses?

Z87 meets basic impact under ANSI/ISEA Z87.1; the plus sign means the lens passed the high-impact test. Every model in this collection carries the plus.

What is the difference between Duramass, MAX3, MAX6 and MAX36?

Duramass and MAX3 are scratch-resistant hard coats. MAX6 is anti-fog. MAX36 adds polarization to anti-fog. The coating is chosen in the dropdown, not by series.

Which MCR safety glasses have bifocal lenses?

The Klondike KD3, in +1.0, +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5, in clear and gray. Eight of its fifteen variants are bifocals, and nothing in the product title says so.

Which MCR safety glasses are polarized?

The Swagger UD1 offers Blue Diamond Mirror polarized and Polarized MAX36. Polarization cuts reflected glare off water, glass and wet surfaces in a way a plain tint does not.

Which MCR glasses fit over prescription glasses?

The Law OG1 and Klondike OG2 are over-the-glasses designs sized for it. Standard safety glasses should not be worn over spectacles.

What lens tint should I choose?

Clear indoors, gray for outdoor glare, indoor/outdoor if you cross between the two repeatedly, and polarized where reflected glare off water or glass is the problem. Tint follows the lighting condition, not preference.

Do I need anti-fog?

In any warm, humid or enclosed environment, yes. Fogged lenses get lifted off the face, and lifted eye protection protects nothing — it is the most common way safety glasses fail in practice.

Can I use tinted MCR safety glasses for welding?

No. A welding filter carries a shade number and blocks the radiation an arc produces. A gray or mirrored safety lens is a glare tint, not a welding shade.

Does a darker lens mean more impact protection?

No. Impact rating and tint are independent. A clear Z87+ lens and a mirrored Z87+ lens have passed the same impact test.

Why does one MCR product have fifteen different options?

Because the listing is a series, not a single item. The frame is fixed and the lens tint, coating and sometimes frame color or magnification are chosen in the dropdown — which is where the real product decision is made.

How many products are in this collection?

Twenty MCR series, carrying roughly 154 individual lens configurations between them, priced from a few dollars to under twenty.

Where MCR sits in the wider eyewear range

Searches for crews safety glasses land here because Crews is MCR — the two names describe one manufacturer. Bearkat safety glasses and swagger safety glasses are series within it rather than separate brands, which is why a series name and a model number often return the same frame with different lenses. For the cross-brand category see safety glasses and the wider eye protection range; for enclosed splash or dust protection a wraparound is not enough and you want safety goggles. To work out what your task actually requires, the OSHA PPE hazard assessment tool walks through it, and OSHA 1910.133 covers the rule itself.

Why trust WC Safety on MCR safety glasses?

WC Safety reviews workplace PPE full-time as an independent affiliate site — we do not sell products, hold no inventory, and accept no paid placements. The easy version of this page lists twenty series and their prices. This one opens by saying the titles are close to meaningless, because twenty listings carry about 154 lens configurations and the dropdown is where the real choice is made. We read the actual variant lists rather than guessing at them, which is how the Klondike KD3's bifocal range and the Swagger UD1's polarized options surfaced at all — neither is mentioned in any product title. We also say what we did not check: three series were read in full, so the tint and coating vocabulary here is confirmed to exist but is not claimed to be complete. And we draw the line at welding, because a mirrored lens and a welding shade are not the same thing whatever they look like. Standards referenced are ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.133. Reviewed by Steven Eaton, WC Safety editor. Last reviewed: July 2026.