Quick post I know a few of you guys play paintball or work for fields across the place and I have a question for you. I'm looking for a decent mask that breathes well and can be worn for a while. I'm hoping to find something under $150 with postage, handling & insurance if I need to buy it from somewhere other than Brisbane. So if you have had any good models for me to look out especially ones you have owned throw me a picture/link please fella's. BTW: I'm not looking for top of the range gear since I still do it pretty infrequently but I do think its a worth while investment so quality is important & reputable dealers only please. Also I'm not against 2nd hand if any one in Brisbane has gear for sale that they have used and no longer require.

 

Thanks in advance guys.

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by chambersAUS

Quick post I know a few of you guys play paintball or work for fields across the place and I have a question for you. I'm looking for a decent mask that breathes well and can be worn for a while. I'm hoping to find something under $150 with postage, handling & insurance if I need to buy it from somewhere other than Brisbane. So if you have had any good models for me to look out especially ones you have owned throw me a picture/link please fella's. BTW: I'm not looking for top of the range gear since I still do it pretty infrequently but I do think its a worth while investment so quality is important & reputable dealers only please. Also I'm not against 2nd hand if any one in Brisbane has gear for sale that they have used and no longer require.

 

Thanks in advance guys.

Hey Vis. In the $150 range you will pretty well get a top of the line mask.

 

The main ones are Vforce Grills and Profilers (I own Grills) E-Vents and JT Flexes.

 

The grills have an excellent lens as do the profilers. The profilers have better coverage and possibly better vision.

The grills look evil however.

 

Jt Flexes are also pretty good.

 

Probably the best advice,is to see if you can actually try some on. Comfort and fit are 2 big things when it comes to masks.

 

Sorry at work, can't do any fancy linking stuff ATM

 

Might want to try posting in Bills as well. www.billspaintball.com

 

Watch out for Camo Kid though. He's a fascist.

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by DeliciousMaximilian

Profilers are the best. Any gear I can't import myself I get shipped from http://ansgear.com/ ... not sure about what the story with Aussie customs is though.

 

Edit: If you also need an anti-fog, I recommend "Cat Crap" - https://www.manitouimports.com.au/products/catcrap

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by MrDyll

Customs is fine with importing masks.

 

I prefer punisherpb.com. ANS stuffed up my last order. Badly.

 

I have never had any issues with Punisher though.

 

With masks though, try them on. Profilers are great but they are useless if they are not confortable.

Make sure the lenses are doubled. They do not fog up easily at all.

 

 

For $150 you can get a great mask.

More "thermal" than doubled. Profilers and Grills only have a single pane, but have a sort of sticky comound behind them that is very effective at stopping fog.

26 years of using Smith goggles for snowboarding/skiing no fog ever same for my paintball masks.

 

Thermal, I fog them but when I exercise I get very overheated so I guess I need them. I say better safe than sorry but if you aren't the sweaty type the thermal would work okay.

 

I do like the second lens for safety too though, I've seen paintballs crack plastic and the second layer is nice.

Hey VisOne,

 

What field do you play at in Brisbane at the moment? I play at Samford (Spec Ops Club) once a month, great field, good prices and always have a good time.

 

Check out http://paintballaustralia.com.au/ Brisbane paintball shop, they are in Mudgeeraba its on their site. I'm pretty sure you get a discount if you are a club member so look it up.

 

http://paintballaustralia.com.au/spec_ops.htm

 

Come along one day and see how you like it, you should get members rates for you first time visiting the club. The guys should have no probs letting you try their gear, I normally borrow gear off others as I have non of my own yet.

 

Good rule with goggles I hear is to always try go for thermal lenses.

26 years of using Smith goggles for snowboarding/skiing no fog ever same for my paintball masks.

 

Thermal, I fog them but when I exercise I get very overheated so I guess I need them. I say better safe than sorry but if you aren't the sweaty type the thermal would work okay.

 

I do like the second lens for safety too though, I've seen paintballs crack plastic and the second layer is nice.

'You are getting me wrong smoke.

 

Double lenses are "thermal lenses", as are single lenses with coatings. Both work pretty well.

 

In terms of protection, the second lens is pretty well just window dressing. It is very weak. More schrapnel to get into your eyeball if something did go wrong.

 

All the lenses are perfectly safe though. I haven't heard of any eye injuries from somebody wearing their mask. There must be millions of goggle shots every year too. Safety is not really an argument.

 

Comfort, coverage and style are probably the biggest factors. Also how well you can hear and speak out them is pretty important. Airflow is another.

 

The simple test is to put it on. If it does not fit you will soon tell. Check to see how much of your head is exposed. Try talking to someone, does your voice bounce back a lot, can you hear the other person and vice versa? Is the mask hot, possibly not enough airflow.

Other factors are the weight, easier to lok around without a heavier mask. Also the more exy masks are made of rubber which gives you more bounces than breaks. I have scored about 5 bounces off my Grills, on a rigid mask they would be certain breaks.

 

One reason I like the Vforce ones are the lenses though. They don't distort your vision much at all.

 

You can spend up to 2 hours in the mask. You want it comfortable.

Edited July 21, 200816 yr by DeliciousMaximilian

As always guys you have being incredibly helpful and I'm going to start looking these products up and Poncho I certainly think you and I will have to meet for a game soon, might even see if we can organise a Brisbane BigD/GSA gamer skirmish day. That said I have some bad news in the last two days I have had one of the best possible things happen to me I picked up a girl I have being eyeing off for a long time and she is now officially my missus, not bad considering she is 5 years my senior. However the day after that while I was taking us out to lunch I crashed my brothers car which is GTI Satria so there annoying to get parts for and what's even better it was uninsured. So I'm about so start looking at bills out to the waazoo for cars & the other fella's insurance company will be sniffing round soon so I think this is going to have to go on the back burner. What is really ****ting me though is my brother is going to make me go buy my own car now since I need a working car for tafe in less than 5 weeks and that means a 10,000 car loan over my head that I didn't want to apply for till another year or so.

 

My sop story aside thanks again for the help guys.

Agree with house, grills or profilers, More towards grills since they are newer and probably gonna get some my self later down the track when I have some spare money ( to many rc projects on the go lol) And we should be listened to, because not only are we both sexy, we are both from the aussie pball forums.. lol

 

Altho I probably wouldnt agree on asking at the (pball) forums about a mask, as everyone hates the "what do I buy threads" just like they hate it hear about pc's. Everyone has opinions on brands etc and like the rest of the world, Alot of it IS person prefference. If you do go and sign up, EVERYONE ALWAYS GETS TOLD, to SEARCH before posting lol. It has ALL been asked before, so If you sign up, search, read and inform your self before you post.. I have a few online shop links you can check if you want.

And cdn, Theres no need to be worried about saftey if you buy a good mask, it will take a BEATING. Some of the top of the line mask's will take a 9m shot to the lense and bounce without penetrating. But, dont try it at home! lol.

Edited July 23, 200816 yr by DoomKillsU