What is the difference between toughened and laminated glass?

They achieve safety in opposite ways:

• Toughened (tempered) glass is heat-treated to make it much stronger than ordinary glass; when it does break, it shatters into small, blunt, pebble-like fragments rather than sharp shards.
• Laminated glass is two or more panes bonded together with a plastic interlayer, so when it breaks the fragments stay held in place by the interlayer rather than falling away.

In short: toughened breaks safely and clears; laminated breaks but holds together. Toughened is the common choice for everyday critical locations; laminated is chosen where containment, security or acoustic performance is needed. One practical point — toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled or edge-worked after toughening, so it’s always made to final size, which is why an accurate measurement at the point of order is essential.