Rental Masks (Whatever Brand is cheapest is usually what's rented out) - In terms of comfort this mask is obviously superior to Rental's. Because it hasn't been worn by hundreds of other players.
Marker Setup:
Still Building my Setup
Strengths:
Range of Vision, Comfort, Graphic, Lenses easy to change, Feels Secure
Weaknesses:
Hard Plastic/Bounce Factor, Price
Review:
Note: I actually own the "Warlord" version of this mask, however the build is identical. The graphics are the only difference.
To the high level tournament player, this mask is something probably looked down on, given it's fairly large with the forehead shield on, it's solid plastic throughout, and in general doesn't feel like a tournament mask. However, it really is a great product. I'm a new player in Paintball, and this is my first mask. I couldn't be happier. The protection it provides really outweighs the need to play as tight as possible for me. And should I ever want to make it a smaller target, the forehead guard comes off to make for a pretty damn small mask.
The Graphic, which let's be honest: it's probably the main reason to buy this mask, is awesome. It's very detailed. Like I said before I have the Warlord model, and it really does look intimidating. I played a few games, and I would have players that refused to get near me just because it was so intimidating.
However there are two downsides that make this mask difficult sometimes. There is the "bounce" factor. Most masks are built with a rubber like plastic, and therefore the odds of a ball bouncing off the mask (rather then breaking) are increased. However, with that said I have never really experienced a ball bouncing when wearing a rubberized mask. It seems like a Paintball traveling at 260FPS is going to break when it impacts your mask, rubber or not. However, it is worth noting, that if a ball were to bounce, it probably wouldn't be on this mask. The other issue is the lower jaw area. I have a big head, I'm willing to admit this. But if I open my mouth wide enough, I can see my bottom row of teeth. It just seems to jut out a little to far from the face. I know I'm going to get hit in the chin eventually running this mask, which is a little worrisome. There's also no real way to make up for this short coming. I'll probably end up buying a second larger (and cheaper) mask for Speedball, and use this mask for Recball.
ALSO: As a note. If you plan to get this mask, ***heed the warning of cleaning***. I have followed the instructions very carefully (warm water and soft non-lint cloth to clean) and the mask is holding up fine. If you use paper towels and windex, expect the mask to be trashed after the first use. You will have a very sturdy, very hard to see out of, mask then.
Conclusion:
I love this mask, and don't regret getting it at all. For speed ball and tournament like play, it's probably not optimal, but given it's comfort, and design it's great for Recball and just Paintballing in general.
