4 Reasons Why Polycarbonate Windshields Beat Acrylic Every Time

If you know anything about SuperATV, you know that we love polycarbonate windshields. But they’re not the only type of UTV windshield on the market. Obviously, glass windshields are great—that’s why we make those, too—but what about other materials? Like acrylic?

Choosing the best material for your windshield starts with looking at your options and pitting them against one another. And when you’re comparing, polycarbonate and acrylic might seem pretty similar.

It’s true that they’re both types of plastic that are used for a wide variety of applications. But depending on what you’re using the material for, one usually has some advantages over the other. And when it comes to windshields, poly comes out on top.

Polycarbonate vs. Acrylic

In the simplest terms, polycarbonate and acrylic are common types of transparent plastic. They go by many names, though. If poly and acrylic don’t sound familiar, maybe one of these other names rings a bell?

• Acrylic: polymethyl methacrylate (or PMMA), Plexiglas, Lucite, ACRYLITE, OPTIX
• Polycarbonate: PC, Lexan, Makrolon, Makroclear

There are plenty of other trademarks and brand names floating around out there, but all are referring to the same two plastics: polycarbonate and acrylic.

The Perks of Polycarbonate and Acrylic

Polycarbonate and acrylic are used in a variety of applications. And when we say variety, we mean it—these versatile materials are used in everything from aquariums to TV screens to bulletproof shields. There’s a good chance you’re within reach of some poly or acrylic right this second.

They’re two totally different materials, but polycarbonate and acrylic share several qualities and benefits, especially when compared to glass. For starters, they’re much more affordable. They’re also more lightweight by volume. If you’re on a budget or worried about weight savings, either poly or acrylic is a much better option than glass.

Polycarbonate and acrylic are both high-clarity materials with great light transmission. This makes them a great choice for windshields, light fixtures, or anything else where visibility and light are important.

There are some differences between the two plastics, though. And those differences are the reasons why we’ll choose polycarbonate windshields over acrylic windshields every time.

1. Polycarbonate Is Impact Resistant

Acrylic is prone to shattering under pressure. When you’re on the trails, never quite sure of what’s around the next bend, an acrylic windshield isn’t the most assuring thing to have protecting your face.

That’s why polycarbonate windshields rock. Polycarbonate is 250 times stronger than glass. That much impact strength makes it virtually shatterproof and certainly strong enough to handle whatever the trails throw your way.

In fact, poly is so strong, it’s often used in conjunction with bulletproof glass or in riot gear. So if you want a windshield that won’t give when you roll your RZR, polycarbonate is the way to go.

Despite being durable against chips and cracks, we will note that polycarbonate is not scratch resistant. In fact, it collects scuffs pretty easily if not properly protected. That’s why our proprietary XR Optic Hard Coating is so important. This coating is an option on most of our polycarbonate windshields. It adds scratch resistance and UV protection to an already-shatterproof product.

2. Polycarbonate Is Flexible

In addition to being more impact resistant, polycarbonate is also more flexible than PMMA. This is important for a lot of reasons, but mostly during the production process. Polycarbonate is more easily shaped, which means it can be easily molded for a natural fit to your machine.

Polycarbonate can also be drilled and cut into without cracking. Our 1/4” polycarbonate sheets make it through the production process just as strong as when they began, unlike acrylic.

Acrylic is super rigid and more likely to crack when shaped or drilled.

3. Polycarbonate Is Heat- and Chemical-Resistant

Another benefit of of polycarbonate is that it’s highly resistant to heat. It has a working temperature of up to 240 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to only 190 for acrylic. Just like the flexibility aspect, this can be a huge benefit during the production process.

Polycarbonate is also chemically resistant, so substances like gasoline and acids don’t affect it the way they would acrylic. (With that being said, we still don’t recommend using just any chemicals on this material. There are specific guidelines to cleaning your polycarbonate windshield if you want to keep it in good, clear condition.)

4. Polycarbonate Is Lightweight

While both materials are way lighter than glass, polycarbonate plastic is the least heavy of these materials, even despite being the most impact resistant.

Every part or accessory you add to your side-by-side weighs it down, which can affect your performance and ride quality. So the less weight you add to your machine, the better. That’s why we love how lightweight polycarbonate windshields are.

So there you have it—four reasons why polycarbonate windshields are superior to acrylic. From extreme impact resistance to being super lightweight, you really can’t go wrong with poly.

To find the right windshield for your side-by-side, you don’t need to do much more than jump on our website. We have multiple styles to suit any rider’s needs: full, half, flip down, flip, and rear.

Plastic windshields aren’t your thing? We’ve still got you covered—check out our selection of glass UTV windshields!