Paintball Mask Review helps you choose your mask. We give you a short list to make selecting your paintball mask easy.

The paintball mask is the most important piece of paintball gear that you can buy. If you can't see, you can't shoot your expensive gun! Buy a quality mask first.

All the masks listed below have been reviewed by various players and are good choices. Masks with significant problems have been excluded.

Players must wear a mask (preferably goggles with a "thermal lense" to avoid fogging) to avoid serious injury to the face, ears, and eyes. Regulated fields require masks, as well as marker plugs or barrel covers to play on the field.

When a paintball hits your lense, it is a good idea for safety reasons to immediately replace the lense (follow the manufacturers recommendations).  Look for a mask with the ability to quickly change the lense.

Masks that have low profile are less likely to be hit. They will sit closer to the head, and because of less space between head and mask will offer less protection (it will hurt more). It is a trade off, and you must choose what you prefer.

Flexible masks are designed to absorb the energy of the incoming paintball so they don't break, and just bounce off. The downside is you are more likely to feel it when the mask hits your head. Solid masks are more likely to break the paintball (then you are out of the game), but you won't feel the hit. Professional players choose bounce ability over protection.

Any mask will fog given the right conditions. If the review says it doesn't fog, it still might fog if the condition is extreme enough.

Tips for buying the best mask

• Choose a mask that does not fog; if it fogs, you can't see.
• Consider the tradeoff between maximum protection and maximum bounce.
• Choose a mask with good peripheral vision.
• Consider comfort, ability to speak and hear, easy lense replacement, and durability.
• Avoid the many cheap paintball masks that sell for $25. For a few dollars more, you can get something that works.

Suggested Masks
(Click on the picture to read the review)

Beginner or Low-End Paintball Masks, $25 - $49 Most masks at this price are junk, but the ones below are selected for value	Mid-Range Paintball Masks, $50 to $69 Most masks in this price range have problems; the ones below have very few	Higher Range Paintball Masks, $70+ Masks in this price range have quality
JT USA Elite Headshield Street price: $40 No fog, protects the whole head Read Review	JT USA Proflex Street price: $50 No fog, comfortable, great bounce, vision, field of view, and audio Read Review	Proto Switch FS Street price: $70 No fog, comfortable. Good: bounce, protection, vision, field of view, audio, breathing, and lense change Read Review
VForce Armor Street price: $35 A good beginners mask, no fog, easy lense removal, comfortable Read Review	VForce Shield Street price: $60 Provides total protection (except back), chin guard, comfortable, excellent vision Read Review	VForce Morph Street price: $80 No fog, comfortable. Good: bounce, protection, vision, field of view, audio, breathing, lense change Read Review
		JT USA Proteus II Street price: $85 Low profile is the key to this mask. Good essentials, but uncertain fog. Difficult lense change. Read Review

All the products reviewed on this site are available from one or more of the following:

 Online Sports
The oldest and largest sports catalog on the internet, a large selection to choose from. Use their search box; enter "paintball gun", "paintball hopper", or whatever you are looking for.

• Paintball Guns at Amazon.com
Find a large selection to choose from at Amazon.com.