Protective Barriers & Sneeze Guards

Why Choose Acrylic & Polycarbonate Barriers?

Professional environments require protective solutions that balance safety, visibility, and aesthetics. Clear plastic barriers provide effective physical separation while maintaining the open, welcoming atmosphere essential for customer service and public interaction.

Superior Material Performance

Crystal Clear Visibility

Unlike mesh screens or opaque dividers that obstruct communication, clear barriers offer optical clarity that allows natural face-to-face interaction. Customers and staff can see each other clearly, read lips, observe facial expressions, and maintain the personal connection that's crucial for quality service.

Lightweight Installation

Acrylic weighs approximately 50% less than glass while polycarbonate is even lighter, providing impact protection with minimal weight burden on existing counters, desks, or mounting structures. This makes installation simple without reinforcing existing furniture or fixtures.

Impact Resistant Safety

Both materials offer superior shatter resistance compared to glass. Acrylic is 17 times stronger than glass, while polycarbonate is 250 times stronger, ensuring barriers won't create dangerous shards if damaged. This safety feature is critical in public spaces and healthcare environments.

Versatile Applications

Retail Checkout Protection

Create safe checkout experiences with clear counter shields that protect cashiers while allowing efficient customer transactions. Custom cutouts accommodate card readers, receipt printers, and product pass-through areas without compromising protection.

Healthcare and Medical Facilities

Essential for reception desks, pharmacy counters, and patient check-in areas where hygiene and infection control are paramount. Easy-to-clean surfaces can be sanitized frequently without degrading material clarity or integrity.

Office and Reception Areas

Professional reception desk barriers maintain welcoming environments while providing staff protection in high-traffic areas. Clear materials preserve office aesthetics while creating necessary physical separation.

Food Service and Hospitality

Sneeze guards for buffets, salad bars, bakery displays, and service counters meet health code requirements while maintaining food visibility. FDA-approved materials available for direct food service applications.

Installation Options

Freestanding Barriers

Self-supporting designs with weighted bases provide quick deployment without permanent installation. Ideal for temporary setups, flexible configurations, or spaces where mounting isn't feasible. Easy to reposition or remove as needs change.

Counter-Mounted Shields

Secure mounting to existing countertops or desks using brackets, clamps, or adhesive. Custom fabrication ensures perfect fit for specific counter dimensions and configurations.

Hanging Barriers

Ceiling-suspended or overhead-mounted options maximize counter space while providing effective protection. Perfect for tight spaces where counter area is limited or when barriers must be easily removable.

Custom Fabrication Capabilities

Transaction Cutouts

Precisely placed openings for document exchange, payment processing, or product handoff maintain protection while enabling smooth transactions. Voice ports can be included for improved communication.

Custom Dimensions

Every counter and desk configuration is unique. Our cut-to-size services create barriers that fit your exact specifications, ensuring complete coverage without gaps or wasted material.

Edge Finishing Options

Polished edges eliminate sharp surfaces for safe handling and professional appearance. Flame-polished or diamond-polished edges provide smooth, refined finishes that enhance clarity and durability.

Material Selection Guide

Acrylic - Cost-Effective Clarity

Excellent optical clarity at economical pricing makes acrylic ideal for most barrier applications. With 92% light transmission and superior scratch resistance, acrylic provides professional appearance in moderate-traffic environments. Easy to clean and maintain, acrylic barriers are the cost-effective choice for retail, office, and light commercial installations.

Polycarbonate - Maximum Strength

When impact resistance is critical or barriers face potential abuse in high-traffic areas, polycarbonate provides unmatched strength and durability. At 250 times stronger than glass, polycarbonate withstands impacts that would shatter acrylic or glass barriers. Essential for healthcare facilities, public buildings, and environments requiring maximum protection with FDA-approved options available.

PETG - Food Service Applications

For applications requiring FDA approval or superior chemical resistance, PETG offers excellent performance with good clarity and thermoforming capabilities for curved designs.

Popular Thicknesses for Protective Barrier Applications

Barrier material selection depends on traffic levels, impact requirements, and installation type. Choose the appropriate thickness based on your specific environment and protection needs:

1/8" Acrylic - Standard Indoor Barriers

The most popular thickness for retail checkout shields, reception desk barriers, and office partitions in moderate-traffic environments. This lightweight material provides excellent optical clarity with 92% light transmission while maintaining cost-effectiveness for standard installations. Ideal for temporary barriers, countertop shields, and applications where superior clarity is the priority over extreme impact resistance. Our 1/8 inch clear acrylic sheet cut-to-size service creates custom barriers for any counter configuration, while businesses installing multiple barriers can order 1/8 inch clear acrylic sheets 48x96 for in-house fabrication and installation.

1/4" Acrylic - Enhanced Rigidity

Recommended for larger barrier panels, permanent installations, or commercial environments requiring enhanced structural performance. This professional-grade thickness provides superior deflection resistance for taller barriers or wider spans while maintaining acrylic's exceptional optical clarity. Perfect for upscale retail, corporate reception areas, and installations where premium appearance matters. Available in 1/4 inch clear acrylic sheet cut-to-size for precise custom fabrication, or 1/4 inch clear acrylic sheets 48x96 for commercial barrier installers needing flexible inventory.

1/4" Polycarbonate - High-Traffic Protection

Essential for healthcare facilities, public buildings, and high-traffic environments where impact resistance is critical. This industry-standard thickness provides exceptional strength for barriers subject to accidental impacts, frequent contact, or potential abuse. With 250x the strength of glass, polycarbonate barriers maintain protection even in demanding public spaces. Order 1/4 inch clear polycarbonate sheet cut-to-size for custom healthcare or public facility barriers, or 1/4 inch clear polycarbonate sheets 48x96 for facility managers and commercial installers handling multiple projects.

3/8" Polycarbonate - Maximum Security

Specified for extreme applications requiring absolute maximum impact resistance. This heavy-duty thickness is essential for barriers in psychiatric facilities, correctional environments, government buildings, or public spaces with security concerns. Provides ultimate protection against intentional impacts while maintaining visibility for monitoring and communication. Available in 3/8 inch clear polycarbonate sheet cut-to-size for secure facility barriers, or 3/8 inch clear polycarbonate sheets 48x96 for security installation contractors handling high-protection applications.

Not sure which material and thickness your protective barriers require? Our barrier specialists can recommend the appropriate material based on your facility type, traffic levels, and protection requirements.

Maintenance and Longevity

Easy Sanitization

Smooth, non-porous surfaces allow thorough cleaning with standard disinfectants without damage. Frequent sanitization maintains hygiene standards without clouding or degrading materials.

Long-Term Durability

UV-stabilized materials resist yellowing and maintain clarity for years. Scratch-resistant options available for environments where barriers may be contacted frequently. Professional appearance lasts through daily use and regular cleaning.

Whether you need temporary barriers for quick deployment or permanent installations with custom configurations, our materials provide professional protection that maintains visibility and communication. Use our quick quote calculator for standard sizes, or contact our barrier specialists to discuss custom fabrication options, mounting solutions, and material recommendations for your specific application.