Opinions on buying first mask e.g. price/performance etc etc (on this site)

[TommyK1993]

Hey, I just wanted some opinions on what to buy for a first mask, I have been given a few suggestions (Empire E
-vents, dye i4s, V-force Grillz) and have been given the advice to try pairs on owned by paintballing friends however I would like to know what everyone prefers and why it makes a good mask to get a wider opinion.

Also, I would like some opinions on how much people will be likely to be sell them for on this site (as a student it is highly unlikely to get a new one) I think this would be a good idea as I know they're extremely durable and friends who have bought masks have said that even after over 2 years they are still in very good condition.

Thanks

 

[Gassy]

it all depends on whats comfortable for your face shape , alot of people love the dye i4's but they are too small for my faceshape so I wear vforce grills.
searching the classified section will give you a good idea of current market value of all brands of used mask.
Also your mask is the most important piece of equipment you will buy so don't be cheap when choosing one.

 

[BaconDude]

What Gassy said. I use i4s simply because of the low profile and how comfortable they are. I used to use E-Vents, but when running and gunning off the break the bottle slid across the bottom of the mask which put my first shots off target.

Currently prices for i4s second hand will go between £50 and £60. I got mine for £55.
E-Vents usually around £20 to £25.

But try the goggles on first.

 

[ShaineMali]

My experience of mask fitting is this.....

The masks with deep lenses ie. bridge of nose to bottom of the foam on cheeks. will fit a larger variety of face shapes/types.
Ones i have tried are.

Dye i4's- comfy
Empire E-vents 09 - Currently use
V-force Profiler - comfiest mask ever imo, but no dual pane lenses as yet

I own both the Empire and the V-force purely because they cover my face the best. The Dye i4's didnt! Left my chin very exposed and could have got a whole ball rammed into the back of my throat if caught at the wrong time while shouting. One of the comfiest mask's i have tried though.

At the other end, Mask's with shallow lenses i have tried and owned are.

Proto axis pro - v-nice goggle
Sly Profit - the most wierd fit ever!
V-force Grill - v- nice

These 3 sit to far up my face giving me very close to obscured vision, The bottom foam sits far to close to my eyes (must be my nose)

Hope this helps

 

[phil-boy]

As has already been said, Goggles are down to each individual. You can either try your friends on or if your at an event you may be lucky enough to have a few vendors there that will let you try some Goggles on.

My personal opinion and in my current Goggle Collection are

Events for Tourney play - Am sponsored by Kee and Empire, but was already using these goggles before the sponsorship came in - These are the best I have ever used and worn (My Opinion)
V force Grillz for Scenario Play - I do like these goggles but would prefer if a thermal lense was available - Has recently been released and I will be upgrading the Lense in due course. I wear these as its a different team I play with and this is what they fancied buying.

I have to admit that I do like the looks of the Dye i4's but have never owned a set and cannot comment on these, but reviews I have seen indicate they are good.

The only thing I would add is the following - We all love paintball and I believe that the most important piece of equipment is the goggles - for this reason and this reason alone, this is the only item of equipment that I will purchase BRAND NEW along with BRAND NEW Lenses. I admit that you can get some decent secondhand deals BUT, you do not know what type of use second hand goggles and lenses have had. New can be expensive but is alot cheaper than losing an eye !!!!!

Hope this helps.

My Twopenneth for you.

Phil

 

[TommyK1993]

Thanks to everyone talking about fit, that's the thing I've been most interested in. Based on what you've said and reviews I've read/watched, the i4's are smaller but if you have a small face/head (like mine) they offer good protection and a good fit, other ones I've rented in events are just too big for me, but I will take the biggest bit of advice and try a set on first, I want to be sure of course

 

[Bambulus]

, but I will take the biggest bit of advice and try a set on first, I want to be sure of course

Good choice


Still remember the first time I tried on a pair of i4's, I threw them off immediately and thought 'WTFNEVER'. Ended up buying a pair for a good price from here, and even though I've been through several masks since, I always end up going with the i4's. They're just so damn comfy, and they've never caused any trouble.

E-Vents and Grillz are also VERY comfortable, I just used to have issues with fogging I might have to give Grillz another run with the new lenses though

And welcome to p8nt!

 

[TommyK1993]

Thanks How are they all for mouth and chin protection? I've played in rental masks which have hardly any breathing space and it just puts me off a severe amount. Even more so when you can get half the paint from the ball in your mouth, how's the coverage and hardiness of the area?

Thanks, my brother (who plays speedball with his uni team) told me to make sure you ask about everything hahaha

 

[BaconDude]

I have no issues. If I open my mouth as wide as possible my chin is a bit exposed... but then why would you be having a dental check up on field in a game.

 

[Bambulus]

The Dye mask sits very close to the face, and is made of a much stiffer material than things like the Grillz or Flex's. When I say sit's closer, I mean literally up against the face - the bottom edge of the mask sits right against my jawbone, even leaving the corner of my jawbone exposed. I've yet to be shot there, so I can't comment on if that's a problem or not.

E-vents and Grillz sit a bit away from the face and are larger, meaning they probably provide more cover, especially when you're shouting and more of the jaw is exposed. At full stretch my chin is right out of my i4's. Although this sounds weird, I actually feel safer in my i4's because of them sitting so close. When I wore a set of Grillz, because it felt very open underneath the mask, my chin felt really exposed, despite them probably being more covered. I'm just used to a close sitting mask now.

As for ventilation, i4's are incredibly breathable despite them only having the one set of venting at the front. They don't feel claustrophobic at all, although it could probably be better protection-wise. I once took a shot directly in the venting, resulting in a mouthful of paint and shell-shards. Didn't taste good, and I think it had split my lip slightly, too. This is generally not a problem though, I've taken many shots to the face in many masks, and they all result is a similar bad-tasting mouthful. Grillz are equally as vented at the front, but is a more 'open' mask because of the extra room away from the face, you won't have any trouble breathing in them.

E-Vents are probably a safe bet, protection wise. They're big enough to cover everything, and are made of a similar stiff-ish material to the i4's. The venting is also organised in a way that isn't as open as Grillz or i4's, so it's probably better for mouth shots too, if you're worried about that at all. I had to get rid of my original pair because they didn't breathe very well and kept fogging up, though they have added a lot more venting in the most recent incarnation, so they're probably very easy to breathe in now

Don't take what I say as gospel, these are just general notes from my previous experiences. When you get to try them on, just go with what's comfortable and what works for you. All of the masks are safe, and are worn by thousands without issue