Can You Play Paintball With Glasses? Complete Guide

The most important thing when playing paintball is that you can see your opponents. If you’re nearsighted or have astigmatism this might be challenging. Shooting your opponents accurately before they shoot you is the main reason for the game.

So Can You Play Paintball With Glasses?

The answer is yes, you can absolutely play paintball with glasses. All you will need to get started is the right gear: a mask that fits comfortably with your glasses and one that doesn’t fog up easily.

Getting the perfect mask for your needs can be quite difficult when you only have few options to choose from at the venue for rental. If you’re planning on playing often, then what you should do is invest in a mask. But even with the rental mask you’ll certainly have a good time and be as effective as anyone else on the field.

The Two Main Problems That You Face

Base on research there are 64 percent of the population that wear glasses and only 11 percent wears contact lenses. So as you can see there are quite a lot of people that faces the same problem. The two main problems that exist include:

Mask: Your main focus is having the perfect mask that fits comfortably with your glasses and finding the right one for your needs can be quite challenging. But the good news is that they do exist.

Fog: Having your mask and glasses fogging up at the same time can be a big problem. What sense does it make to continue playing if you can’t see out of your mask?

The Right Mask

It’s usually rare to rent a mask at the venue that’s built for comfort. They’re quite inexpensive and tend to be average quality. One thing for sure is that they are not made to accommodate glasses.

This is why we highly recommend purchasing a high quality mask that fits you comfortably. There are two high end mask that accommodate glasses that you can invest in today. These mask are the Tippmann Intrepid and the Empire E-Flex.

Empire E-Flex – Best Paintball Mask

• This high end mask is low profile, but still has enough room to fit your glasses comfortably
• Thermal, anti-fog, dual-pane clear lens, will provide you great optics with no distortion and is equipped with a viewing angle of 270 degrees
• This mask is extremely comfortable due to the foam, beaded silicone strap, good breathability, and unimpeded hearing and voice projection
• It features a reduced silhouette that helps to make you less of a target.

Tippmann Intrepid – Runner Up Paintball Mask

• We love the fact that the lens sits at a distance, allowing you to wear glasses under goggles
• It has expanded coverage for ear, chin and jaw
• This is a spherical, thermal, dual pan lens which helps to prevent it from fogging up
• It features tri-layered foam for comfort
• Detachable forehead visor and quick release system

How Do These Compare to Other Paintball Masks?

Yes, I can absolutely testify that these are great mask with some unique features, but how they rank compared to the others. You will note that both the Tippmann Intrepid and Empire E-Flex rank pretty high as well.

Top 7 Paintball Mask on the Market

1. V-Force Grill
2. Empire E-Flex
3. Virtue VIO Extend
4. JT Spectra Flex 8
5. Tippmann Intrepid
6. Empire Helix
7. Save Phace Diss

Not only will you be able to use these mask with your glasses, but you’re also investing in superb quality.

Fogging Glasses and Mask

Fog on your glasses or mask normally happens when moisture on your face evaporates in the mask. You can expect this to occur when the interior of the mask becomes warmer than outside.

Condensation takes place on the lenses. Whenever you wear glasses, you usually take a double hit of fog. Just remember that both your glasses and mask can get condensation which means your vision is greatly compromised.

Fog on your glasses and mask is quite annoying and can be extremely dangerous. You’ll always urge to remove your mask and wipe everything down. We don’t think this is a wise idea. Even if you think nobody is around, a stray shot may hit you right in the eye.

So is it even worth it? Not being able to see properly while on the battlefield will definitely affect your gameplay. So the best thing you can do is try your best to prevent fogging.

How to Prevent Fogging?

There are a few things you can do can to prevent fogging for both your glasses and mask. Here are some preventative actions you can take for both.

1. Anti-Fog Glasses

The first thing you want to do is ask your optometrist about anti-fog glasses. You could go with Optifog lenses. This brand is definitely one of the best when it comes to buying anti-fog lenses. What you’ll get is an exclusive anti-fog property that works when you drop a special formulated activator to each side of the lens weekly.

What we really like is that the anti-fog coating on the lens helps to retain the activator. Using this alone will prevent all fogging from happening.

You should definitely opt for a frame that allows for more circulation by not being too close to your face.

2. Fog Resistant Coating For Your Mask

When purchasing a mask you should opt for one that’s fog resistant. What the manufacturer does it applies a thin layer of coating to the inside of the mask. It usually works amazing but I don’t recommend it as a long term solution. The reason being is because the coating gets slowly removed each time you clean the lens. So as you can see it’s not permanent.

3. Anti-fog Spray

This is absolutely great for cleaning lens. I think the best idea would be to keep it in your gear bag and use it to clean your lens every time you play. It’s not the most effective option, but it does helps.

All you have to do is simply spray it on both your mask and glasses lens. First make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and simply wipe it off with a small piece of cloth. After applying it to both your mask and glasses it should reduce the condensation.

4. Proper Ventilation

One of the main reason for fog is the lack of air circulation. If there is no air circulation, there won’t be nowhere for hot and humid air to escape through. It normally settles on the cooler lens.

What happens is that your warm breath and sweat from your face and head form condensation on your glasses and mask lens. Here is what you can expect from a good ventilation:

• A good ventilation will help keep inside of the mask cooler
• It will provide the hot humid air with ways to escape without having to worry about it landing on your glasses or mask lens
• It will help to keep inside of the mask in equilibrium with the outside temperature

Buying a mask with proper ventilation should be one of your main priorities. Having a good ventilation also comes with a few other benefits besides de-fogging. For example, it will help you:

• Keep your head and face cooler
• Hear a lot better
• Breathe easier

5. Fan

There are some small fans you can buy on the market that you can easily attach to your mask. They are well made to circulate air and equalize the outside air with the inside air. However, they tends to have a few drawbacks.

They’re noisy and the noise coming from the fan will give away your position
They don’t have the ability to move much air

6. Dual-pane Lens

One of the best way to prevent fog in your mask is to invest in one that has dual-pane lens. They are known to be thermal masks. The main difference between a single pane and a dual-pane is that a single pane is exactly what it says – single pane.

A thermal or dual-pane is a lot more complex. It’s equipped with two separate lenses that are fused together around the edge. There is a layer of air between them. What the air does is cushion between the two lenses acts as insulation between the outside lens and the inside lens.

The only downside that comes with the dual-pane mask is the fact that it’s more expensive. They’re not the best out there, but they do a pretty good job and it’s considered to be the best option for long term.

Homemade Methods to Prevent Fog

If you’re still unsure what to do, there are some things to defeat fog once and for all.

Shaving cream – Apply it to the lenses then let it dry for about a minute. Rub it off after

Soap – You can apply it the same way as the shaving cream

Vaseline – You can do this the same as the two before but it could damage the lens

Water repellent spray – These sprays are used by scuba divers, bicyclists and snowboarders.

Conclusion

By trying these methods mentioned above, you can totally have a clear vision while playing paintball. If you’re planning on playing paintball very often, then the investment is definitely worth the money. It doesn’t make sense to enter the game if you can’t see your enemies.

Related Guide:

• Can You Ship a Paintball Tank