Darkpaintball

The most important piece of our game is sometimes over looked. We think well I have one that works so there is no reason to change it. Well if you think this, you are sadly mistaken. In this article I will discuss the importance of purchasing new masks and lenses and how to go about doing it.

Why get a new mask? You may be asking yourself this simple little question right now. Well heres your answer: Though you may not see them, your mask is covered in microscopic scratches. After a period of time you mask begins to wear down. This can lead to taking a hit right in the goggles and it breaking through and causing injuries that may lead to blindess. Now I know none of us want a trip to ER with an eye getting shot out. So I suggest getting new lenses for your mask every season. They aren't that expensive and can be picked up at almost any online store or pro sho.

What to look for in a new mask? New masks dont seem to hard to pick out but sometimes they can be. You cant just pick a mask because of how it looks there are alot more factors that come into play:


Price - A major factor of purchasing a mask is price. A tournament level goggle system can cost well up to $100. Most of us dont want to spend that kind of money on these top-of the line masks, such as Dye Invisions, V-Force Profiler, and the JT Proteus. There are some masks that are very good quality but not as high as tournament masks. Examples of these would be V-Force Morphs and the JT Proflex's. There are also the most cheap masks, the ones that will cost you anywhere from 20- 40 dollars. Examples would be the V-Force Armor or Shield. Also The JT Nvader series is a good choice if looking for a cheap goggle system. Also you can get new lenses that will make you goggle system look newer and perform better thanks to crystal clear lenses.
Here is a break down of prices and good masks you can get.
$20-$40 - JT Nvader, V-force Armor, JT Nforcer, and the JT Spectra.
$40-$60 - JT Proflex and the V-force shield. (not many masks fit into this section.)
$60-$80 -V-force Profiler, Dye Invision, Jt Proteus, and Proto Switch

Cleaning- Yes, goggle lenses need cleaning. There are some goggle lenses that are a pain to clean, like Dye Invisions, but there are definatley some goggle systems that take literally seconds to clean, like any of the V-Force mask series. This is the kind of mask that is nice, to be able to quickly take out your lense, wipe it down, and then put it back in. For the kind of mask that is hard to clean and remove the lense, you will want to carry an extra lense around so that way instead of cleaning you can take one lense out, store it somewhere, and then put in the new lense. The next thing that needs to be said is NEVER USE ANY KIND OF CHEMICAL FOR CLEANING YOUR LENSE! This is a very important thing to understand. The chemicals will speed up the process that breaks down your lense. To clean them use water to clean them and wipe them dry with a soft cloth. Also, if your goggles fog, then get a Anti-fog solution approved by the manufacturer of your mask.

Fit - The fit of your mask can be very important. You do not want to play a day of paintball were it feels like your mask is about ready to fall off. When you first try on a mask, make sure that it fits snuggly and make sure that it will accomadate your glasses if you wear them. There is no right way for a mask system to fit though. Its all personal preference.

Protection - This is another big factor. The mask is the most important protectional piece in our sport. When picking out a mask make sure that it has a goggle system, chin protector, protection for the sides of the face, and in some cases a neck protector though it is not needed.

Field of Vision - This is just the amount that you can see when you are on the field. The higher the field of vision the more that you are able to see.

This is about everything that you are goin to need to know when buying a new mask. Always make sure that the required protection is there. That is the most important. One more thing, always obey the most important rule in paintball ALWAYS WERE YOUR MASK! Play fair, play safe., and have fun.

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FEEDBACK

Master of Paint

Good post, took some time to write it seems like.
Rep point and sticky maybe. You should try to add a section where you take masks from different levels (tourney, rec, and starter or something like that) and point out the pros and cons, so that people will know what features they are getting for the price.

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_Clark


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sNoW PIrAnHa

Good post, I pmed a mod about giving you a rep point. I think you should organize it so you have like 20-40 dollar masks 40-60 dollar masks and 60-80 dollar masks, and list em. Otherwise pretty good, you should also mention reflective lenses, they're really helpful if its bright out.

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"I have no mercy or compassion in me for a society that will crush people, and then penalize them for not being able to stand up to the weight"- Malcom X

Cerebeus

I've done that in the sticky above you.. But I can only add masks that I've either used or had info sent to me from people that have used them..

So I can still edit my post with other masks if people PM me Pros and Cons of masks that I dont already have.

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pearlsea

good post, needs to be stickyed.

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