| Anyone that has done any research about paintball or | | | | but far exceed the national testing guidelines. |
| knows someone who plays paintball, or even has | | | | Masks come in a wide variety of styles and |
| watched paintball being played realizes that the most | | | | appearances, so the sky is the limit as far as finding a |
| prominent thing remembered is the funny looking, | | | | mask to fit your personality. One of my favorite |
| bug-eyed mask that every player wears. The paintball | | | | masks is the Dye I4. I personally like it because it is a |
| mask is not just for looks or to fit in with the crowd. It | | | | truly thermopane type mask. It actually has two plastic |
| is the single most important piece of safety equipment | | | | protective layers with an air space between them to |
| a player can (and must) own. The only thing that sits | | | | help prevent fogging. The ventilation of the mask is |
| between your eyes and a paintball that is traveling at | | | | also exceptional, allowing a lot of air to flow between |
| upwards of 300 feet per second is your mask. | | | | the mask and your face. I like to wear a booney style |
| Take a moment and think about that last sentence. | | | | hat while playing woodsball and the basically open top |
| That paintball will travel the length of a football field in | | | | of the I4 provides plenty of comfort. The mask also |
| one second. Without a certified paintball mask on, a | | | | has an exceptional field of view so you don't feel like |
| person's eyeball would not stand a chance of | | | | you are trapped at the end of a tunnel. |
| withstanding a direct hit and remaining intact. | | | | There are many other good manufacturers of masks |
| Now that I've hopefully made my point and scared the | | | | on the market so shop around and then settle on the |
| bejeebers out of you, I will relay the good news. | | | | one that is right for you. Almost all paintball masks now |
| Paintball masks make the game safer than playing golf | | | | made can be worn comfortably over prescription |
| or football. All brand name masks must meet strict | | | | glasses. |
| guidelines to become certified as safe for paintball. | | | | In conclusion, look for the best paintball mask that you |
| Brand names such as Dye, Vforce, JT, and Empire to | | | | can afford. If you are going to skimp in certain areas to |
| name a few have submitted their paintball masks to | | | | start with, do it with other gear or even get a cheaper |
| vigorous testing and for the most part not only meet, | | | | paintball marker so that you can truly "save face". |