Acrylic vs Polycarbonate: Which Should You Choose?
By Plastix Team
When it comes to transparent plastic sheets, acrylic and polycarbonate are the two materials that come up most often. Both offer excellent clarity, but they serve very different purposes depending on your project requirements.
Acrylic (also known as Perspex, Plexiglass, or PMMA) offers superior optical clarity, up to 92% light transmission, which is actually better than glass. It's UV-stable and available in an enormous range of colours and finishes. For signage, display cases, and architectural features, acrylic is usually the first choice.
Polycarbonate, on the other hand, is virtually unbreakable. It offers 250 times the impact resistance of glass, making it the go-to material for safety glazing, machine guards, and any application where impact resistance matters more than scratch resistance.
The cost difference is worth noting too. Acrylic is generally 30-40% less expensive than polycarbonate for equivalent thicknesses. If your application doesn't require extreme impact resistance, acrylic delivers better value.
At Plastix, we stock both materials in a wide range of thicknesses and can cut either to your exact specifications. If you're unsure which material suits your project, our team can help you make the right choice.