Goggles or Glasses

[adazrambo]

Any recommendations for glasses? I wear a lower half mask and currently have a set of cheap isn goggles which rub and steam up extremely easily, so was wondering if it's worth investing in a decent set of glasses?

[murph]

I can't relate to the rubbing issue with goggles, but I find that goggles fog easier on myself too, and for that reason I'd say go with a pair on glasses. It's definitely worth investing a bit more since you only get one pair of eyes and you sometimes don't really know what kind of protection you're getting with some of the unbranded shyte you find on eBay.

 

ESS is a good brand. I run ESS Crossbows with clear lenses, and have done for awhile (can't remember exactly how long, but it's certainly been over a year). I don't think they've ever fogged on me, and they're pretty comfy.

 

Also, glasses will probably feel better in conjunction with your lower face protection. With goggles, especially the kinda big style ones, it'll all begin to feel bulky and will be hella uncomfortable and probably make you sweat.

 

If fogging is really an issue, invest in some good mesh goggles. Just be aware that it's possible for small fragments of shattered BBs to pass through and potentially come into contact with your eye(s) at high velocity. I don't really know all that much about mesh eye pro though. From what I've heard 'Bitter End' is a good brand for them but I don't know of their availability here.

[Airsoft_Mr B]

Yes. I'd say it's a good idea. Make sure they're a good brand (like ESS) and give you full seal protection.

ESS Turbofans are supposed to be excellent but goggles don't necessarily have to be expensive - Bolle Cobra goggles for example are only about a tenner from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boll%C3%A9-COBFSPSI-Bolle-Safety-Goggles/dp/B006M0JPXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403549350&sr=8-1&keywords=Bolle+cobra

[jcheeseright]

boogie regulators are guaranteed 100% to fog unless you're parachuting or riding a quad bike at speed. avoid.

[Airsoft_Mr B]

boogie regulators are guaranteed 100% to fog unless you're parachuting or riding a quad bike at speed. avoid.

 

Oh :|

I'd heard they're good for airsoft

[b1n0gHo5t]

Glasses for me bought some cheap 12 pound ones..beat both my mesh & normal goggles

[Ian_Gere]

Just be aware that it's possible for small fragments of shattered BBs to pass through and potentially come into contact with your eye(s) at high velocity.

I've explained this so many times that I've reached a stage where "blue in the face" hardly even dents it, let alone covers it.

 

The force which a fragment of BB can impart to your eye is a function of mass x acceleration (in this case actually deceleration) but for all intents and purposes we can work with mass x velocity. The exact velocity of any given fragment would be very difficult to predict, so we can work with known maximums so that any conclusions we draw must cover all potentialities. Where it gets interesting is mass.

 

The largest holes in commercially available goggles are 0.297mm circles, however when BB's shatter they do not do so leaving a spheroid from the centre with half the original diameter. In fact they shatter into angular segments and we are interested in a shape in which the largest dimension cannot exceed 0.297mm:

 

 

It works out that the largest fragment which can tessellate into a sphere is 1/18th the volume and, since the density is designed to be very consistent, that is also 1/18th the mass. The shape is something like this:

...but with 1 surface curved and the others may also be a little irregular.

2.3J is the maximum allowed (0.2g BB @500FPS) so let's assume the worst case scenario* where, being the cock you know we can all be, you step right in front of a sniper as he pulls the trigger... the maximum energy a fragment can carry through the largest holes in commercially available goggles is 0.128 Joules, otherwise known as fuck all.

 

I know it's counterintuitive.

 

It's a thing that can pop your eye smashed to bits still flying into your eye - it must be far too dangerous...

 

It's a lump of metal that you get inside, how can it fly - it must be far too dangerous...

 

It's steel: it doesn't float - it must be far too dangerous...

 

What, travelling a hundred times faster than you can run - it must be far too dangerous...

 

I'd like to assume the point is made.

 

 

* Let's just ignore that it must lose a lot of momentum in the process of breaking apart and that the chances of a fragment making it through a whole without touching the sides at all must be astronomical, because although we know that these things lessen the force of any impact considerably, the amount by which they do so is not an easy figure to arrive at. Besides, in this instance we are better off arriving at a conservative solution.

[Ian_Gere]

And also be aware that glasses have been proven to be unsafe when wearing a half face mask, because BB's can deflect off the mask under the lower edge of the glasses and hit you in the eye. Regardless of whether or not you wear a mask with glasses however, the fact that they have gaps wider than 6mm from any direction at all is potentially extremely dangerous.

 

Consider all the directions from which a ricochet can hit you, bouncing up off your gun, your pouches, etc. How about friendly fire hitting you from behind your temple, passing inside the glasses and bouncing off the interior into your eye. How about if you are lying down, so that the gap between the rim and your forehead is facing forward...?

 

Shooting glasses are not designed for airsoft. Eyepro which does not seal against your skin is a hazard which is proven to allow full BB's to hit the eyes. Do not use them.

[halfsack2691]

Although goggles do steam up, look for a model with a fan in to alleviate that problem and you've got full seal protection without running into trees or walls, ESS turbofans are probably the best tried and tested brand (they used to make the army's issued ballistic glasses and goggles). Don't be too hasty to buy the cheapest ten quid pair of glasses, you only ever get one set of eyes.

[Samurai]

I've been using glasses in the last 7 years for airsoft. I would only wear goggles for CQB only games, but most of the time I use glasses even then. Never had any problem with it.

Zekler 75 is the best for me.

[Spatch]

I've just switched from glasses to mesh having had an unreal job done by heroshark converting an old set of my Oakley X-metals which the lenses had cracked in converted to mesh, used them for the first time today and will now not change back, if you want to avoid fogging then mesh is the only way to go, heroshark also sells standard glasses and goggles in a few different forms at very reasonable prices indeed

[team flex]

I've just switched from glasses to mesh having had an unreal job done by heroshark converting an old set of my Oakley X-metals which the lenses had cracked in converted to mesh, used them for the first time today and will now not change back, if you want to avoid fogging then mesh is the only way to go, heroshark also sells standard glasses and goggles in a few different forms at very reasonable prices indeed

May I ask how the quality of the mesh is? I am looking to buy some goggles from him, but obviously I need them to be safe. Is he very good like people say and has anyone ever had problems with them before?

[Spatch]

Oh it's top notch, far better than the standardy mesh goggles you can buy off the shelf, I shall post some pics up of them tomorrow when I finally unpack all my gear so you can see the quality of the workmanship

[Richie Boyle]

i originally bought revision goggles which are a full flush fit and give excellant view but i prefer the revision goggles currently on issue to the british army. i have a mate serving and he sent me them as a surprise. good seal and definately up to standard for this sport. they were subject to an involuntary test in the field ie i got hit and they easily stood up to a bb. they do fog up but some sort of anti fogging solution does the trick

[Chock]

I've been using mesh goggles more recently in combination with one of those mesh lower face protectors. This is because it gets damn hot at indoor CQB and then you're gonna sweat and fog up glasses, or even a mask unless it has a fan. Mesh lets the air get in easily and it would stop anything going for your eyes, and in spite of there being mesh over your eyes, it's so close that you don't focus on it, so it does little in the way of restricting your vision. I do have one of those M04 gas masks and I might try that at indoor this week, but either way they're a better choice than glasses; I would not rely only on shooting glasses alone, they're simply not designed to fully protect you from anything other than a direct hit from straight ahead or ricochet back from your target, and even then such a shot could ping up off your weapon and come under the glasses. Of course by that time it would have depleted much of its energy, but as others have said, you only get one pair of eyes.

 

If you must wear glasses rather than a mask or goggles, then make sure you have a head strap securing them on your face; the last thing you want is them falling off as you leap about trying to duck for cover as someone shoots at you, or one hit knocking them off and then another hitting your eyes if someone lets rip on full auto. Sod law says that shot is going for your face, and at best it's gonna sting like crazy, at worst it would take your eye out.

[Ian_Gere]

Of the polycarbonate lenses I've tried, Revision Bullet Ant's, with the dust filter foam removed from the vents, wiped with Fog Tech the night before and polished with the cloth which comes with ESS Advancer V12's just before use have proven the best - fog free for about 4hrs CQB, but once the fogging starts, further Fog Tech &/or ESS cloth polishes only last about 30-40mins before fogging again. Those new Bolle ones don't fog, but the liquid sweat still obscures vision.

 

If you can find a mesh size which suits your eyes, so you always focus beyond it, that is the way forward imo. Personally I find Hero Shark's perforated sheet never quite disappears from my vision, but without doubt his mesh is the strongest out there - I'm sure it would stop 00 buckshot. To my mind thin wire mesh given strength by concave shape and a perimeter wire is the best, but nobody makes goggles like that commercially, so you have to do it yourself...

 

[Deek]

I would like to echo what Ian_Gere has said regarding glasses, or even incorrectly placed goggles, over lower face protection; bb's can get past and cause injury, so be careful.

 

I wear mesh goggles, and yes a bb can impact and shatter causing issues; only last weekend I dealt with an incident involving just this scenario - thankfully the player followed advice, didn't rub his eye and I retrieved the plastic fragment with no detriment to the player at all.

 

[boring] Risks of eye damage:

 

No eye protection: Direct impact on eyeball - whilst it has been proven that direct impact from a bb fired at 1j at point blank range will not penetrate the eyeball (globe) it will cause corneal abrasions and possibly hyphemas, which can leave lasting damage.

 

Glasses: Indirect impacts - glasses will stop direct impacts onto the eye from a bb, however direct impacts may occur, as in theory it is possible for a bb to strike the inside of the lens and then impact onto the eyeball. The energy loss will result in less serious injury as it would from a direct impact and it is more likely that the bb would impact onto the soft tissues around the eye.

 

Mesh goggles: Fragments - a bb may shatter upon impact with the mesh allowing sharp fragments to enter the eye which could potentially cause corneal abrasions. The energy reduction from the impact with the mesh would probably slow the fragment down enough that eyeball penetration would not occur.

 

Lensed goggles: Nothing - a good set of close fitting goggles with lenses would almost completely negate the risk of an eye injury occurring from a bb impact, regardless of location.

 

Lower face protection: Indirect impacts - if worn incorrectly, i.e. eye protection is pushed forward by lower face protection, there is a risk of bb ricochet behind the eye protection. Injury is more likely to be soft tissue rather than eyeball impact.

[/boring]

 

Personally I use mesh goggles as they don't fog and are comfortable

[Lozart]

I've explained this so many times that I've reached a stage where "blue in the face" hardly even dents it, let alone covers it.

 

***physics stuff***

 

You are absolutely right, but as someone that has had damage to the surface of my eye in the past while yes, there is no energy to speak of in the particles that do come through they are still potentially sharp and damaging if they get into the eye. Having been shot in the goggles several times yesterday (three times in one game) I for one wouldn't want that amount of grit getting into my eye (and contact lenses).

[Ian_Gere]

It's no worse than sand in your eye at the beach - just don't rub it: rinse with water and you're fine.

[M_P]

I'd rather wear goggles than have to bother with that tbh

[Lozart]

It's no worse than sand in your eye at the beach

 

Some of us consider that bad enough to not want to wear mesh though....

[murph]

I've explained this so many times that I've reached a stage where "blue in the face" hardly even dents it, let alone covers it.

 

*physics stuff*

Well, that's me told.

 

Like I said, I know very little, if anything at all, about mesh, probably to the point where I shouldn't be making such comments. Considering I haven't tried mesh, the fact I've followed a blatant urban myth and the depth of your explanation, I can't wrong you.

 

So, in reply to the OP:

 

 

 

Mesh

 

Good goggles (seriously consider fan models)

 

Glasses with bloody good protection (they leave little space to the point where it's impossible for a BB to fit though, but still be prepared to expect the worst).

[n1ckh]

I have both mesh googles and glasses

 

The googles dig in and give me a headache, the glasses fog up but there is spray that can stop them fogging up

 

IMO I would go with the glasses