Paintball Goggles

Parts of the Goggles

When you purchase paintball goggles, you can buy a whole set, or you can pick and choose your pieces. The "goggles" themselves are a part of the whole setup. For example, there are masks that hook to the goggles and tend to cover your whole face, plus there are the interchangeable lenses available with specific models. If you already have a mask, you may only need to look up the model number and choose from several different lens colors for that particular mask.

You'll want to purchase a pair of goggles that are actually designed for paintball, rather than a pair of simple sports sunglasses.

Where to Find Paintball Goggles

In most cases, wherever you buy your paintball equipment locally should offer goggles for sale. If you can't find them, or you prefer to order online, here are a few websites to browse through:

Paintball Godz take the game very seriously, judging by the style of the paintball goggles they carry. That's a good thing, though, because you can tell your eyes will be protected from all angles. Just look at these:

• The Extreme Rage Model in Graphite isn't bright enough to make you stand out in your surroundings, and it covers your whole face. They're even designed to force out humidity to leave your lenses fog-free. All that for $39.99.
• The PCS 20/20 Thermal Paintball Goggles also ensure that you'll blend into your surroundings as much as possible. This pair has a built-in motorized fan, too, so you won't have to deal with fog. This pair is $49.99.
• V-Force Profiler Thermal Goggles in Green (other colors are available) are $59.95. They offer extreme optical clarity, dual-paned thermal lenses to decrease the likelihood of fog in your goggles, comfort, and even the ability to switch your lenses with ease.

Be sure to check out the replacement lenses for each category at Paintball Godz. You can change the look of your goggles and enjoy the benefits of different colored lenses.

Action Village's Proto Paintball Goggle Lens in Blue promises clear peripheral vision. Your game won't be skewed because your goggles blocked your view. These lenses are $23.99.

Leave it to Amazon.com to have everything. Choose from several styles. Here are a few:

• Dye Invision 2007 I3 Pro Thermal Paintball Goggles with Soft Ears in Gold is $69.95 and allows you to receive shots to the ear while barely even noticing. They're lightweight, too!
• JT Elite nVader Thermal Paintball Mask in Black is sci-fi inspired. You get thermal lenses, a removable visor, foam interior, and more. The price on these is $30.10.
• Empire E-Vent Thermal Paintball Goggles in Blue are $89.95. They have soft ear covers, and also has varied thicknesses over the surface for optimal performance. What makes this pair different from others is the way it slides under the nosepiece of the mask. That prevents paint from getting behind the goggles and into the lens.

Cleaning the Lenses

Paintball is an undeniably messy sport. So of course those goggles will need cleaning! The paint can actually eat at the lenses if you leave it there for an extended period of time, so you'll want to clean them after each game. But how do you do it? Just with water, but it's a bit more complicated than that. Here are a few resources to show you how:

• AOL's How to Take Apart Paintball Goggles for Cleaning will help you not only clean your goggles, but teach you how to safely take them apart. Make sure to check out all of the following parts, which you'll be able to find on the same page.

• If you tend to do better with written instructions, read Taking Care of Your Goggle System from The Paintball Times.