This is an update and continuation from the old and now outdated "Eye-Protection and You! The Musical!" thread. This will encompass all forms of eye protection and facial protection that are currently available at the time of this writing.
Act 1: Eye-Protection:
Eye-protection refers to exactly that, protection of your eyes. It is crucial to wear in airsoft and fortunately there aren't near as many horror stories as there were in the old days, but they weren't pretty and have lead to people being permanently blinded or hindered in the affected eye. It's not a joke. Take it serious. In this section we will breakdown the different types or eye-protection (eye-pro for short), the ettiquette - the do's and don'ts of eye-pro, eye-protection care and cleanup, and we'll make some recommendations for good eye-pro for you to wear. I will try to keep the whole thing as short as possible, so you can get the biggest take-away with the minimal boring lecturing. Now onto the show..
Defining the different varities of Eye-Protection :
Full-Seal Goggles : Previously, these were the only type of eye-protection allowed at fields. Don't be mistaken, you still need something full-seal ,but we'll get to that in a second. These are defined as goggles (not glasses) that form a full seal around the face either through rubber or foam and are held to the face via a strap that can be loosened or tightened. Some include different attachments to attach them directly to helmets. These are the most common of eye-protection seen.
Full-Seal Glasses: Recently a new trend has appeared, which is completely sealable shooting glasses. These were kicked off originally by Wiley, but were never truly popular. It was not until the Oakley M-Frame w/Helo Kit system came about that these were truly popular. They have the benefits of wearing shooting glasses, allowing airflow and not requiring a strap, while having the benefits of being fully-sealed around your eyes using a rubber gasket. They are the lowest profile you can get in terms of airsoft eye-pro and are highly preferred by many for this reason.
Shooting Glasses: These are not allowed at any event, these are defined as glasses meant for shooting, that while often are rated to stop a bb or even more are still not full-seal and can allow a BB to pass through and strike the eye. It is for this reason they are banned at most events. Some National and International events allow shooting glasses, but as this is a Michigan forum we will only go off the general Michigan rule-set in that these are 100% banned.
Safety Glasses : These are glasses whose purpose is not meant to stop a fast moving projectile, but to protect your eyes from splash from chemicals, sparks, or other containements. These are not ANSI rated and will often not stop a bb. THESE ARE NOT ALLOWED! At any event. Do not try to wear these. You will be removed from almost any game.
Mesh "Goggles" : These are absolutely not allowed like Safety glasses. They offer very limited protection and can actually do more damage than not wearing goggles at all, as shrapnel from a BB can get into your eye. You also look like a bug and no one wants that.
Eye-Protection Etiquette : Do not remove eye-protection at any point during any event without moderator supervision and only in extreme situations. Extreme situations are defined as situations where you are literally unable to navigate due to fog levels. When faced with extreme situations, the proper ettiquette is as follows :
1.) Put on your kill/dead rag
2.) Sit down on the ground
3.) Radio or call for a mod. If possible get a nearby player to flag a moderator down.
4.) Have that moderator lead you to a safe area. Remove your goggles and clean the fog.
5.) Proceed off field to address the issue.
There are no other circumstances that truly warrant you removing your glasses in the field. If you are having issues with fog, remove yourself from the field completely or alternatively flag down a moderator and have them escort you to a safe place to do so.
ANY TIME! You are operating an Airsoft replica, you should be wearing eye-pro. Shooting in your backyard as well. Always wear eye-pro. I have been shooting in my backyard and numerous times had a bb come soaring right back into my face.
Recommended Brands/Models : In this section you will find some recommendations with an attempt at being unbiased. (Will be updated with links shortly)
Price will be rated by the following $0-50, $$51-75, $$$75-100, $$$$100+.
ESS TURBO FAN $$ - While these are on the end of fairly large goggles, they also include a fan and are almost guaranteed to not fog at all as there is an internal fan that is circulating air around the inside of the goggles. The drawbacks are the size, the price, and the weight and the persistent humming of the motor. Some also dislike relying on another electric part.
OAKLEY M-FRAME W/HELO KIT $$$$ - While quite expensive (if you're buying real Oakleys that is), almost anyone who has switched over to these has refused to switch back. Some users still not some slight fogging with them. However, the Author has personally used this system for over a year now and has had very little in the way of flaws. These are very low-profile and allow for good air flow. The cons are the price, a pair brand new can run you anywhere from $100-150 and that is without the $25 helo-kit to make them field legal. These are a pricey option, but in my humble opinion quite worth it.
ARENA FLAK-JAKs $ - An old staple and a cheap one at that. Thees have been around for a while. They are your very basic goggles, they aren't fancy, but they also aren't expensive and get the job done quite well. The cons are the large amount of foam, with removal of foam leaving quite wide gaps in your protection. They are also prone to fogging.
Wiley X $$$ - These are a hybrid between the full-seal glasses and full-seal goggles. They feature a glasses frame that includes a more conventional strap system as well. They also seal around the frame unlike the M-Frames which seal within the lenses themselves.
--------------FACIAL PROTECTION SECTION COMING SOON-----------------------
