How An Innovative Eyewear Brand Impacted Pediatric Healthcare
Protective eyewear is usually regarded as necessary, utilitarian, and uncomfortable. What if it could be reimagined to offer not only protection but comfort, style, and even emotional relief? The answer to this query came in the form of Stoggles, Inc., a brand known for a new kind of eyewear, reshaping expectations in medical environments and beyond.
Stoggles is a modern eyewear company founded on a desire to create protective glasses that people actually want to wear. Combining safety, everyday comfort, and fashion-forward design, its glasses shield users from blue light, UV rays, and airborne debris. They’re also fog-resistant, shatter-proof, and ANSI Z87 certified for impact resistance. These features bridge the gap between utility and self-expression.
The inspiration for Stoggles came during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Founders Rahul Khatri and Max Greenberg recognized a, quite literally, glaring problem. They realized that traditional safety glasses, widely used in clinical settings, were typically uncomfortable, prone to fogging, and were clearly designed with one group in mind: Men. The hyper-masculine design alienated women. “We wanted to change this. We wanted to empower women,” adds Khatri.
Motivated to change the narrative around safety gear, they went on a nine-month journey of research and development, partnering with international experts to perfect a proprietary anti-fog lens.
Although Stoggles was born to combine function and fashion, it soon became apparent that its impact went beyond utility. The brand found itself at the center of a surprising new application in healthcare. The same qualities that made Stoggles comfortable and approachable were now helping children feel calmer and less afraid during medical visits.
How did this happen? As part of their expansion into business-to-business sales, the Stoggles team launched a grassroots outreach campaign to hospitals and universities. “We drove a branded van to healthcare campuses with free coffee and donuts in tow,” says Khatri. “Our goal was to engage medical professionals in a hands-on way and get real-time feedback, while giving back to these heroes.”
The team didn’t expect a sudden spike in online sales in a single day. They investigated the source and discovered that a children’s hospital had placed a bulk order.
“We contacted the hospital’s procurement team. They told us that they ordered Stoggles not just for safety and cost-efficiency, although those were also factors. What happened was that the nursing staff asked for our products because they looked non-threatening,” Greenberg recalls. It turns out that Stoggles glasses helped young patients ease their feelings of overwhelm due to the sterile, intimidating environment of a hospital.
The product also helped improve the experience for staff and patients. Moreover, because Stoggles glasses have a lightweight design and flat profile, they can easily accommodate prescription lenses. These prescription safety glasses can be beneficial for nurses and medical staff who need vision correction without compromising protection.
The implications of this discovery were noteworthy. The children were the catalysts in this particular case. However, the emotional benefit of Stoggles is universally applicable. Anyone entering a medical setting, be it a patient, caregiver, or provider, can feel the mental and emotional toll of an unfamiliar environment. Stoggles can help reduce that stress by softening the visual experience and replacing harsh, impersonal gear with an approachable design.
Indeed, design has a multifaceted purpose. When functionality meets empathy and aesthetics, it can change lives. Stoggles proves that innovation doesn’t just happen in labs or boardrooms. It can also occur in the quiet moments of human connection.
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