Paintball Gun

Paintball is a sport that's gaining more and more popularity. It's one of the safest sports and provides a lot of positive emotions to all the people involved in it. Two teams go head-to-head against each other, one tries to defend the flag, while the other team tries to capture it. But this is just one of the available scenarios, and believe me, they are plenty. The paintball equipment costs around $200, but if you buy strictly the top products, it can cost you about $500 in total. But no matter how much money you spend, there is one thing that is an absolute must, the most important part of your equipment - the Paintball Mask, also known as goggles. As mentioned, paintball is a very safe sport, chances of getting hurt are not a single percent higher compared with running or just walking.

Paintballs don't cause any injuries to most parts of the body, but the eyes and ears are especially vulnerable if hit by a paintball. That's why there are paintball masks made specifically for this sport that can withstand even a direct hit from a paintball traveling at well over 90 m/s. But the when buying goggles, the most important factor is visibility. In the paintball sport, visibility comes first. If you don't see your opponents, they can easily catch you off-guard. Therefore, get thermal goggles with a good field of view and never take them off during the game! If there is something obstructing your vision (foggy goggles), don't just take them off, instead call the ref and ask them for help.

Paintball masks are rated using the following characteristics: level of protection; quality of the lens; overall appearance; communication; profile; weight; comfort.

The paintball mask can not be replaced by sun glasses, ski goggles, safety goggles or anything like that. Having a paintball mask is an absolute must in this sport, because they are specially made for this and can withstand the impact of a paintball going at way over 90 m/s. As it was pointed out, having visibility is very important, because the opponents can be anywhere and you must have the upper hand by any means. That's why paintball lenses are made larger providing you with more peripheral vision. Hence, when you try a mask, check if you can see out of the corner of your eye. Another factor is fogging. Make sure you buy an anti-fog paintball mask. The cheaper types just have an anti-fog coating which eventually fades away. The better, but more expensive choice is to buy a mask with thermal lenses - two lens panes separated by a tiny air pocket.

Your ears are as vulnerable as the eyes, therefore purchase a mask that completely covers your ears. Of course, you still must be able to hear normally. The mask should also be light so you won't feel its weight when you are running around the field.