Although acrylates and methacrylates are the state-of-the-art monomers for protective and decorative coatings, skin and inhalation irritancy and potential cytotoxicity of monomers present serious health hazards. Monomers like vinyl carbonates or vinyl carbamates can overcome these problems with their generally lower cytotoxicity and yet similar photoreactivity to (meth)acrylates. The reviewed classes of monomers have not attracted industry's attention until now due to expensive synthetic methods though recently developed affordable routes offer prospect for their increasing use (88 references).