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 best value comes from matching the material to the job rather than choosing on sheet price alone. Acrylic is normally the better starting point for display-quality work; polycarbonate earns its place when impact resistance reduces the risk of breakage or replacement.
Before ordering, confirm the required dimensions, thickness, fixing holes, edge finish and whether the panel will be indoors, outdoors or near moving equipment. Plastix can then price a stocked cut-to-size option or review the setup as a quote.