Anything above a class IIIa requires eye protection. By definition, a class IIIb laser can cause eye damage with direct exposure in a shorter amount of time than your blink reflex can protect you from. That is why Wicked Lasers released the LaserShades.

The green laser shades are actually red in color. (Green ones would permit the green laser light to pass…not a quality we are looking for here!) for those of us who wear glasses, the shades will fit over top of your prescription glasses.

They are designed to wrap around your eyes and to provide protection from stray beams entering in on the side. They generally provide good protection for most users.

As far as how well they work, I took some photos to try and illustrate their effectiveness.

This photo illustrates a 100mW laser after it passes through the laser shades.  The dot is a little distorted because of the thermal distortion where the beam hits the lens.

For comparison, the photo below is what the Core (5mW) looks like without being attenuated by the lens.

Conclusion: If you have anything above a 5mW laser, you need to get eye protection.  The Laser Shades by Wicked Lasers provide generally good protection and are a great price.  If you buy from WL, use your Wicked Bucks to help reduce the cost.