Collective opinions on which mask and why
- Thread starter Dusty
- Start date
So which mask do you use/recommend then Tom? (I'm new to paintball and haven't tried any decent masks out yet)
You can't really go wrong with any of the major brands.
Masks like the Dye i4's are tiny, so much so that people with big heads can have their jawlines exposed but they're still a very popular mask. Personally, I like a bit of coverage and don't mind if it's increasing my profile, i mean really, how much more of a target is it going to be at my level of play? I'm not exactly a whippet of a lad so the size of my mask is the least of my worries.
I wear Grillz or Proflex. Proflex for comfort and nostalgia, Grillz for ease of cleaning, comfort and they do look nice too. I know, deep as a puddle me.......
Masks like the Dye i4's are tiny, so much so that people with big heads can have their jawlines exposed but they're still a very popular mask. Personally, I like a bit of coverage and don't mind if it's increasing my profile, i mean really, how much more of a target is it going to be at my level of play? I'm not exactly a whippet of a lad so the size of my mask is the least of my worries.
I wear Grillz or Proflex. Proflex for comfort and nostalgia, Grillz for ease of cleaning, comfort and they do look nice too. I know, deep as a puddle me.......
I've deliberately not posted on this thread before, some threads when people ask about specifics get a mix of people saying x is best or people saying try as many as you can
Dustys point with this thread is for people to give good recommendations and the reasoning behind them
I stepped in on 'visibility' as both visibility and comfort are equal in there requirements
Visibility could be interpreted in two (or even three) ways:
1)Can you actually see through the lens? (EG is it fogged?)
2)How are the goggles and lens shaped? (EG your field of view, can you fit in glasses etc)
3)Have you got the right lens? (EG tinted or mirror lenses can be too dark in the woods)
If you can't see then the goggles are pointless
But with even the cheapest, oldest and most abused goggles you can add anti fog or change the lens if it is too bad
If they are uncomfortable then they are equally pointless. You won't want to wear them
For comfortable glasses they do not have to be top of the range and can be a cheap pair
If a cheap pair of goggles are made with hard plastic this could affect the comfort, but if they match the size and shape of your head and the foam is in the right place then they will be comfortable
I have owned a good number of goggles and still have most of them, often using them to lend out
My originals were secondhand and the equivalent of 'punter' goggles
Next I went for i3s
Then the jt Headshield
I didn't like the feeling of being enclosed
Next I think was a 'free' set, again punter style, from saved up online points with an advertising based search engine
Currently I use either e-vents, which are rubbery, or sly annex goggles which do compare with punter goggles but are also well made and comfortable
I tried on i4s when they came out and didn't like them with my big head, I've tried them on recently again and have been considering them while trying on others around
Then I visited the guys at NPF and tried on the angel eyes prototype, which feel ideal. So will next be having the c2 eyon
Ok so I got the HD Gold lens sent out to me, and thought Id give a quick review on this product.
As you can see from the photos, the Gold tint is pretty light, but looks a great deal more pronounced inside the house, and almost see through outside in the daylight. Other than that it is a standard great quality lens from Empire, and looks a bit more badass than the stock colours.
The mirror coloured options will offer you a much more pronounced colour on the outside I would suspect.
Wearing it, it gives everything a SLIGHTLY blue tint, like a smoke/tinted lens would, but probably slightly less so on this colourway, and the vision is very good once you clean off the residue that the inner lens protection that you peel off gave. With the residue on, I was thinking the vision was no-where near perfect, but a closer inspection then a quick clean sorted that.
If you are playing in full sunlight these are excellent lenses, and offer a touch of bling that all goggle manufacturers seem to be offering. Any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them!
As you can see from the photos, the Gold tint is pretty light, but looks a great deal more pronounced inside the house, and almost see through outside in the daylight. Other than that it is a standard great quality lens from Empire, and looks a bit more badass than the stock colours.
The mirror coloured options will offer you a much more pronounced colour on the outside I would suspect.
Wearing it, it gives everything a SLIGHTLY blue tint, like a smoke/tinted lens would, but probably slightly less so on this colourway, and the vision is very good once you clean off the residue that the inner lens protection that you peel off gave. With the residue on, I was thinking the vision was no-where near perfect, but a closer inspection then a quick clean sorted that.
If you are playing in full sunlight these are excellent lenses, and offer a touch of bling that all goggle manufacturers seem to be offering. Any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them!
Bought a JT Flex 8 (Full headshield model) as my first mask couple months back and have not had any problems at all.
Its super comfy and fits perfectly - I have a pretty average size head.
The lense the Flex 8 comes with is a dual pane thermal, Ive never had any fogging problems on any of my games.
Recently I have took the head shield off the mask and its now just a JT Flex 8 - Unfortunately you have to break 4 small rivets to do this but you could always re attached the headshield with some Velcro very handy.
Cleaning is straight forward and so is removing the lense.
I would highly reccommend this mask for a first time buyer and for people who really dont like head shots
http://postimg.org/image/oc3v4lrdv/ - With head sheild
http://postimg.org/image/3qp3cp9sz/ - Side rivets
http://postimg.org/image/c7olnmehv/ - Front rivets
http://postimg.org/image/vglodmyn7/ - Without head shield
Its super comfy and fits perfectly - I have a pretty average size head.
The lense the Flex 8 comes with is a dual pane thermal, Ive never had any fogging problems on any of my games.
Recently I have took the head shield off the mask and its now just a JT Flex 8 - Unfortunately you have to break 4 small rivets to do this but you could always re attached the headshield with some Velcro very handy.
Cleaning is straight forward and so is removing the lense.
I would highly reccommend this mask for a first time buyer and for people who really dont like head shots
http://postimg.org/image/oc3v4lrdv/ - With head sheild
http://postimg.org/image/3qp3cp9sz/ - Side rivets
http://postimg.org/image/c7olnmehv/ - Front rivets
http://postimg.org/image/vglodmyn7/ - Without head shield
I can understand what your saying but in my opinion the i4s are designed for little people with little faces but besides that great mask just wish it had more coverage of your face but grillz are great if you want comfort breathability and visibility Empire E-Flex all day longyeah for sure
hope this helps
Bought a pair of I4's, Tried them on and they just seemed to fit best for me (But I am a small person with a small head)
I have used I4's in the past and really liked wearing them, I don't love their price tag though.
I have used I4's in the past and really liked wearing them, I don't love their price tag though.
Ive seen plenty of normal sized people wearing i4's. Just cause they dont fit you, doesnt mean they are meant or designed for little people. Just to clarify, there is nothing wrong with DYE i4 goggles.I can understand what your saying but in my opinion the i4s are designed for little people with little faces but besides that great mask just wish it had more coverage of your face but grillz are great if you want comfort breathability and visibility Empire E-Flex all day long
hope this helps