The curved, reflective surface of a precision spherical mirror offers all sorts of safety protection. Though spherical mirrors form what's called a "virtual image" -- or an image in which the outgoing rays don't intersect -- hundreds of industries rely on them every day. School buses use spherical mirrors each weekday to help drivers keep a look out for children, retail stores use them to safeguard their inventory against shoplifters, and vehicle inspectors and weigh stations use them to make sure interstate trucking is being conducted safely and legally. Spherical mirrors manufacturers run the gamut from specialty sites to general purpose spherical mirror stores.

Unless you're looking for spherical mirrors manufacturers that sell optics for cameras or telescopes, finding what you need should be easy and inexpensive. Get the kinds of spherical mirrors your business needs with the following listings:

1. Spherical mirror suppliers for retail businesses

2. Specialty spherical mirrors for the optics industry

3. Spherical mirrors for traffic and transportation

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shop with a spherical mirror supplier dedicated to safety in the retail industry

Spherical mirrors for the retail industry are much bigger than those for the transportation and optics industries. When they're bigger, they're more noticeable to potential shoplifters and let security staff check out blind spots. Look for acrylic options since they are typically free of distortion and resist breakage.

I recommend: Deluxe Enterprise Operations offers acrylic options complete with mounting hardware. L.K. Goodwin Co. sells stainless steel options.

Get specialty spherical lenses and mirrors from optics specialists

Spherical lenses and mirrors for the optics industry are always considerably more expensive than those used for safety purposes. That's because the technology used to manufacture these mirrors is much more precise and their surfaces are typically polished for the most true-to-form mirrored image.

I recommend: Opto Sigma Corporation offers spherical mirrors in a variety of curvatures. For custom optics, contact Phila Optics with your specs.

Find precision spherical mirrors online to help keep the transportation industry safe

For traffic safety, the two most popular forms of precision spherical mirrors are convex mirrors and inspection mirrors. Convex mirrors let big rig drivers visually scan a large area, while heavy-duty inspection mirrors come in handy with features such as wheels and adjustable handles.

I recommend: ChiSupply.com sells a variety of spherical mirrors, both traditional and portable, for the transportation industry. Buy spherical mirrors for hand-held applications from Security Products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A dome-shaped spherical mirror used in the transportation industry typically offers a 160-degree view. Look for a spherical mirror to buy, figuring size by allowing one inch of spherical mirror for every foot between the mounted mirror and where you think you will most generally view the mirror.