Should you get yourself decent goggles, glasses or masks is a question that most airsoft beginners ask themselves. They all offer the purpose of protecting your face, however, some are better in certain situations than others.
In this post I have answered all those questions that you may be troubling yourself with, thanks to the research that I have gone through, talking to players and their preferences.
There are multiple opinions on this topic, but certain things hold ground.
Are Airsoft goggles better than glasses or masks outshine them all? They are all good, but there are some situations in which one will be better than the other, and all come with cons as well as benefits!
The criteria that we will compare these options according to are: Overall protection against the airsoft bbs and ricocheting bbs, amount of coverage, fogging, flexibility, and price. If you wear prescription glasses I recommend that you check my guide on safety eye protection that will fit over prescription glasses.
Why should you consider Airsoft Goggles?
The goggles are recognized as the most common practice when it comes to eye and face protection on airsoft fields. They are usually cheaper than their glasses counterparts and offer better face coverage, however often they require a player to get some face mesh to furthermore cover vulnerable spots like the face skin.
If you get yourself decent airsoft goggles they will protect you against all the bbs, including ricocheting ones and direct ones.
However, they come with certain disadvantages like increased fogging that happens often to the players using goggles, especially during summer. This can be a turn-off for some players because fogging is extremely annoying.
This fogging issue can be fixed by purchasing higher-quality goggles or by applying some anti-fogging methods.
I have created a guide on how to deal with fogging that will explain to you furthermore the problem of fogging and show you how to fix it in advance.
They are just fine when it comes to aiming and moving with them and are not heavy.
Pros: The most common face protection on the fields, seals the space around your eyes against ricocheting bbs, is not expensive, provides you with good vision, and is light to carry.
Cons: Known for fogging, may not be the most stylish option for some players
I have created a list of my top picks for airsoft safety goggles that cost under $50.
Considering Mesh Airsoft Goggles
These ones are interesting, they provide you with an anti-fog solution because they are not made out of glass but instead of metal mesh, allowing you to see through it.
However, the downfall is that some players do not like them. The reason behind that is that a broken piece of a bb (often seen as plastic dust) may get through the mesh and get inside your eye.
It is not going to be a direct impact but the dust may cause irritations if it ends up in the eye. This does not happen often but there is a chance, and I do not like taking chances when it comes to safety.
Mesh protection has obvious flaws, I would not personally use them, and many players agree with me. However, a lot of it also depends on the quality, so it’s possible to combine certain mesh protection with the glass.
Mesh goggles bonus value: Do not fog
Mesh goggles bonus cons: Do not contain glass, therefore a broken piece can get through, just like dirt.
Why should you consider Airsoft Glasses?
The glasses are also very common on the airsoft fields, but not so common on the CQB fields. The CQB stands for Close Quarter Combat and it is often played inside.
The reason why airsoft players say that glasses are good but not as good for CQB is that there are multiple ricocheting bbs present in the game. A ricocheting bb can find a way and hurt you because glasses do not offer good face coverage.
Something more sealed is going to get the job done.
Glasses offer great protection against bbs and are used very often. One of the biggest considerations that players have when they are deciding between glasses or goggles is that glasses do not fog that much.
You will have more flexibility with them because they are also lighter and fogging is a lesser problem. In terms of price, they are slightly more expensive than goggles and masks.
Pros: Very common protection on the fields, extremely light and flexible, look stylish, almost does not fog, like ever.
Cons: Most models are not fully sealed, they do not cover the entire face. Slightly more expensive than goggles, but not all models.
Why should you consider Airsoft masks?
The masks are definitely the coolest pair of equipment that you can find yourself. They come in different shapes and can look either funny or scary.
There are two types of masks, half-face, and full-face masks. The half one takes care of your bottom face, while the full one completely covers your face giving you the full service.
The half mask can be greatly used with airsoft glasses or goggles because it covers what those vision protection coverages do not.
Full face mask on its own can replace both glasses and goggles because it offers just as great protection against a bb.
I adore airsoft masks because they are safe and cool, you put them on, and there you go. Although, the biggest reason why I find them cool is that they come in so many creative and different shapes, like zombie, devil, or superhero versions of the masks.
The downside of masks is that they are heavy and make you sweat. This results in not so lovely feeling and affects your aiming. However, you may find yourself being just fine with this, especially if you are not playing for too long.
There are cheaper and more expensive models, so go buy yourself one for the sake of good looks, because certainly, they will not give up on you when it comes to protection. We are mostly considering full-face masks here that come with built-in goggles.
Bear in mind that you can also put glasses or goggles over your mask. Some masks may have that mesh protection in the eyes section so you can still put the glass over it.
Pros: Great seal and great face coverage, can be easily combined with goggles and glasses if needed, the most amazing and creative looking models.
Cons: Are heavier than goggles and glasses and sometimes more pricey, may fog, and reduce the flexibility of the player while aiming ( you may be fine with this, try it out and see whether it fits you or not).
The conclusion and final recommendation
Whatever you choose to go with is going to serve you well in terms of protection, but pay attention to other crucial safety measures like a sealed area around your eyes if you play lots of close combat games.
Do not be a hero and protect the rest of your face if you don’t like pain because sometimes a BB may hurt you more than you’d expect.
I recommend the combination of glasses or goggles and a lower mesh mask to protect the bottom of your face, it is simple and offers great protection.
Also, always test your new gear by shooting at it from various distances and then check out the results. If the glass has passed the test, it is safe.
Avoid cheap alternatives for the sake of health!