Acrylic Vs Polycarbonate.
When to use acrylic, when to use polycarbonate, and how to spec the right material for cost, finish, impact and outdoor performance. From a workshop with 65 years of delivering on our promise.
The short answer.
Pick acrylic
For a glass-clear cosmetic finish, signage, displays, balustrade infill, light boxes, indoor architectural panels and anywhere you need a polishable edge or vibrant tinted colour. It's cheaper, finishes better and is naturally UV-stable.
Pick polycarbonate
For impact-rated applications, machine guards, security glazing, marine windows, outdoor skylight domes, helmet visors and balustrade where load-bearing or human-impact matters. It's 30× tougher than acrylic but slightly hazier and harder to polish.
The numbers.
For pure visual clarity and finish, acrylic is the better material. Cast acrylic offers slightly higher light transmission than glass and significantly better optical clarity than polycarbonate, which carries a faint yellow-grey haze even in its clearest grades.
Where acrylic wins.
When you laser-cut cast acrylic the edge comes off the bed in a glass-clear flame-polished state, ready to install. When you diamond-polish acrylic up to 80 mm thick, you get a near-optical edge, the finish architects, signmakers and museum fitters specify by name. Polycarbonate doesn't take that kind of edge, its softer surface means the polish is more typically a buffed satin finish.
For retail displays, signage, illuminated letter sets, balustrade infill where the edge will be visible, and any architectural feature where finish matters, acrylic is usually the right call.
Where polycarbonate wins.
Polycarbonate has roughly 30 times the impact resistance of acrylic and 200 times that of glass. For any application where breakage is a real risk, machine guards, security glazing, marine cabin windows, helmet visors, sports facility windows, balustrades that might catch a body blow, polycarbonate is the only sensible choice.
The same applies to outdoor skylight domes. Hail, falling debris and accidental impacts mean a polycarbonate dome stays intact where an acrylic dome would shatter. UV-stable polycarbonate grades are rated for decades of outdoor exposure.
Polycarbonate is also the better choice for any application that needs structural rigidity at thinner sheet thicknesses, machine guards in 6 mm polycarbonate are stronger than 12 mm acrylic at less weight and lower cost in many configurations.
UV and weathering.
Acrylic is naturally UV-stable. Untreated, it survives years of direct outdoor exposure with no yellowing, no clouding, no degradation. That makes it the default choice for outdoor signage, light box faces, exterior architectural panels and any feature element that lives outside.
Standard polycarbonate yellows after a few years of UV exposure, visibly within 5–10 years depending on intensity. UV-stable polycarbonate grades have a co-extruded UV-blocking layer and are rated for 10–20+ years of outdoor service. For outdoor jobs always specify UV-stable polycarbonate; ask for documentation if it's a long-term install.
If your application is outdoors and impact resistance isn't critical, acrylic is usually the simpler, cheaper, longer-lasting choice. If impact matters, UV-stable polycarbonate is the answer.
A quick decision tree.
- Is the application impact-rated (machine guard, security glazing, marine, helmet, sports)? → Polycarbonate.
- Is the application a skylight dome or outdoor curve exposed to hail/debris? → UV-stable polycarbonate.
- Is the polished or flame-polished edge visible in the final install (balustrade, display, signage face)? → Acrylic.
- Is it a long-term outdoor sign or feature with no impact concern? → Acrylic.
- Is the budget tight and the application cosmetic (POS displays, light boxes, exhibition panels)? → Acrylic.
- Are you not sure? Call us on (02) 9632 5466. Five minutes on the phone usually settles it.
Common questions about acrylic and polycarbonate.
Yes, polycarbonate has roughly 30 times the impact resistance of acrylic and 200 times that of glass. It's the right choice for guards, glazing, marine windows and any application where breakage is a real risk.
Polycarbonate is typically 20–40% more expensive than acrylic on a like-for-like sheet basis. The premium is worth it for impact-rated applications. For cosmetic display work where impact isn't a concern, acrylic gives a better finish at a lower price.
Both can be used outdoors but with caveats. Standard polycarbonate yellows after a few years of UV exposure, for outdoor work, always specify UV-stable polycarbonate. Acrylic is naturally UV-stable and survives outdoor exposure indefinitely without yellowing. For long-term outdoor signage, acrylic is often the better choice.
Acrylic, by a clear margin. Cast acrylic comes off the laser with a flame-polished glass-clear edge in a single pass, and diamond-polishes to near-optical clarity for architectural and museum-grade work. Polycarbonate doesn't take a polished edge as cleanly, it's better suited to satin or matte finishes.
Both, and we run thermo forming on each daily. Acrylic forms easily at relatively low temperatures and is the default for skylight domes where impact isn't a concern. Polycarbonate requires longer dwell at higher temperatures but produces dome and cover parts that are virtually unbreakable.
Still unsure? Send us a message or call (02) 9632 5466.
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