Eye protection for those of us with glasses
 

hey crew,

You where all a great help last time so I am coming back to the team for another question.

I wear glasses, and unfortunately all the cool eye wear looks like they will not fit over them.

Is there a brand or a style that is designed to put over eyeglasses?

This is my last purchase and then I am ready to play!!

Any help will be most welcome,

Later days,

Zombie.

most larger goggles will fit over glasses perfectly fine. Just about all PB goggles too.

I'm told the JT Flex is pretty good for putting eyeglasses under. Although I don't know any mask that's designed specifically to have glasses under them other than the "mounts" available that you can put the loose glasses lenses in.

If you find some holler at me, I'd like to know too since I've started wearing my glasses more and probably need to play with my glasses on now. Although I'm assuming the best way is probably getting something that has the space like the JT Flex and if it doesn't fit just cutting the foam out a bit or replacing the foam for for better fitment with glasses.

Well me, I got contacts and started using Bobster Non-Fog Eye Protection, but when I use my glasses I use paintball goggles, this is, they fog up like crazy

I normally wear contacts instead of my glasses, glasses under masks tend to fog up like nobody's business.

Same here, I wear contacts. But before then, I used a pair of ESS goggles, the one with the fan built in, they fit over my glasses, stopped the fogging cause of the fan, but you get to listen to the hum of a fan running all day.

Like a few before me I also wear contacts. I tried glasses with eye protection and had fig issues.
I recommend trying contacts.

Tank

I have no experience with this ( I'm in the market for a pair) but Bolle X800's are good, rumor has it. I remember reading it somewhere, but I could be mistaken.

Did they give you the runs? :rolleyes:

get goggles with inserts: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthr...oggles+glasses

My glasses fit fine under my Grills, I have also had no issue getting them to fit under all Proto masks. However like many others have said, I prefer to wear contacts when eyepro is required.

Provided your glasses aren't too tall, they will fit under a JT Spectra/Flex 7. I'd personally recommend looking at some of the other options here, as my glasses fog BADLY beneath mine, but in a pinch they WILL fit.

revisions with the RX inserts are amazing. Plastic Soldier Airsoft sells them here in calgary.

Yeah, the revisions are nice, my RX inserts normally hit my eyelashes (you will see some other people also complain about this as everyone is different), but for the revision, my eyelashes don't brush against it while still being very low profile goggles... (Way thinner than paintball goggles, and obviously thinner than any OTG goggles)

I have not tried ESS inserts so no idea on that ye, but should be just as good.

Since you're close to the GTA, you could also go to TAC 11, they will probably have various goggles for you to try on.

Fan may be recommended imo because if the goggles don't fog, your rx insert lenses might...

This

I use ballistic glasses with inserts. Works just fine for me.

I been using my ESS Strikers. They fit fine but sometimes it can be a bit uncomfortable.. Recommend to go with RX Inserts... some people find contacts a bit odd to wear..

ESS turbo fans... I use the clone ones (the lenses are rated, and they will except real ess lenses later) .

the group I play with we must use goggles, either paintball or ballistic rated. never ever had the goggles fog.... my glasses however, I've had fog creep up on me... but the coatings on my glasses are starting to fade and bubble and scratch etc...

ESS strike XT are the most bang per buck (about 50$ + shipping on opticplanet.com) they are the same as the fan goggles that sell for about a 180$ (minus the fan) you can install a micro computer 12v fan yourself, a switch and use a 9v battery for less than 20$!!!

But... if you intend to wear a helmet... go with the aircraft carrier deck operation goggles, they have extension wings that position the elastic band for wear with helmet

Cheers

(Ps: I only use my fan to defog in extrem condition... like 4 5 minutes per game... but if you cant remove the fog that forms on your prescription goggle... your screwed)

(Ps2: Get fogtech for your prescription glasses if you don't intend to install a fan... but you will eventually... )

(Ps3: To install the fan simply sew it to the holes in the frame after removing the foam (a MUST) anyway and cutting of the circle (you'll understand when you see it ((easier to remove for major cleanning + plus roll a piece of carboard over the battery BEFORE taping... think battery replacement)) you get about 8 hours per battery)

Glass vs plastic glasses also makes a significant difference, my glasses are glass and rarely fog. Google fit is by person though, you need to try a few over your glasses.

The Bolles work well as do most paintball goggles.

I use marui pro goggles with the built in fan. I don't wear glasses, but if I did, they would be perfect.

Thank you all very much for your advice!

Zombie

http://www.eye.hk/images/goggle1b.jpg

The ones that I wear. Made in Italy. I hate wearing glasses underneath goggles so I got these instead. Good for any sports, not just airsoft. Since its small, you can carry them in your pocket. Depending on what type of lens you buy, it may be expensive or prone to scratches. Impact as well as scratch resistant lens alone may cost around $200. Or like me, you can get cheaper ones that can scratch more easily while being impact resistant. Never go for the scratch resistant but non-impact resistant ones, cause u can buy a new pair of lens, but not a new pair of eyes(yet). Also, they are not bullet resistant, as bullet-proof glass cannot be made into prescription lens.

EDIT:Manufactured in accordance with EU directive 89/686/eec and en166:2001

The reason I was talking about lens is because they are prescription lens, and needs to be manufactured by another company. It's not fault of mine if you get lens that aren't in accordance with EU directive 89/686/eec, en166:2001 OR ANSI Z87.1 depending on where you buy it from. However, the Frame IS manufactured in accordance with EU directive 89/686/eec and en166:2001

TL;DR These are Safety goggles.

The minimum standards for eye protection in airsoft are ANSI rated goggles. For people like Iskaryot that don't know what eye protection should be used for airsoft it is ANSI Z87.1 .ANSI stands for American National standards Institute Z87.1 is the impact rating. The goggles should be rated at ANSI Z87.1 or above. You cannot play with shop glasses or normal sunglasses and no offense your goggles look like swimming goggles. You better smarten up your act and read more post less, alot of your post as very childish and make no sense.

These are great: YouTube - Arena Industries Ver.2 Goggle real gun bullet impact test. Can stop real rounds, comfortable, large enough to cover glasses, and fogproof (initially).
Or you can also get the TM goggles with the fans or their clones.

http://www.centrostyle.com/product_d...20eyewear.html
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/polic...t/index_en.htm

I know that you weren't trying to offend me, but I'd still like an apology. They are rated as safety glasses, in compliance with European standards because it is made in Italy. It is not fault of mine for not providing you with its safety rating, but since you called me out by name, I did.

You said my posts are childish and makes no sense. Please PM me the ones where I have confused or irritated you so I don't repeat my mistakes in the future.

Again, I'm new to airsoft, so I have lots to learn. I'm trying the best I can, but if I'm not learning fast enough, there's no reason for you to get mad at me. Even if I was stupid enough to recommend goggles that weren't rated for safety, you should not have used emotionally charged words such as "smarten up", "post less", "childish". On the other hand, if you patiently point out my mistakes, it would not only clear things up right from the get go so I won't repeat them, it would also help me learn.

After all, if I don't post my mistaken views that other people can rectify, I would never learn.

Lets both approach this from a mature manner =P

Edit: I hope I don't come of as angry or anything, just not in a good mood today with deadlines tomrrow

I have tried to rectify your mistakes before only to be totally ignored. If you want to speak but do not want to listen there is no way you can learn. Good luck with the deadlines tomorrow I know all nighters suck

If you are coming by the Toronto airsoft convention I will be happy to answer any questions you may have about airsoft.

The frame is rated for EN:166-2001. I wasn't talking about the lens, because the lens are sold separately.

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/60713537...583d05acd.html

The frame can withstand the impact of an 6mm Steel ball of a minimum of 0,86g at a minimum of 120m/s

That's more than 4 times the force exerted by a 0.2g BB traveling at 300fps.

Ok, I admit I don't know anything about the legality of airsoft or the insurance policies of airsoft fields. But in Europe, you'd be able to wear those in an airsoft match, unless the field requires a full paintball mask.

I'm not sure if its certified in USA or Canada or not, but from a physics stand-point, it passes.

My question is, does the CE apply to airsoft in North America?

By the way, Kingsix, I'd be more than happy to meet you and have my questions answered or "my behavior corrected". Obviously if I'm associated with you, that de facto puts us in the same boat, which is lucky for me, maybe not so much for you haha:p. I mean, I'm eager to learn, but I also like to give my own opinions. I'm not the kind to just sit, listen, and nod my head. Even if my question or opinion is stupid, I'll not be afraid to say it. If what I said really is stupid and I offend somebody, least I will know in the future. If I don't think its completely stupid and has some merit, I'll continue on the discussion like right now. Continuing the discussion is by no means not listening, or arguing. As a matter of fact, it is my DUTY to keep asking questions and having them answered in case I actually hurt somebody.

So I hope you can teach me the ins and outs of airsoft, to the point that it'd be a GOOD thing for me to be associated with you.

Edit: March 5th is a bit tight... any carpools near Mississauga?

The CE thing.... I'm not actually sure since it's an EEA thing but if you do look on the stuff you buy there is the CE mark on there a lot of the time. I assume it's just a standard legal boiler plate thing.

As for the EU directive, I've played with goggles that that comply with that directive so they're totally good but granted I'm in the UK ATM. I would really look for Z87.1-2003 if I was playing in North America (for the purposes of airsoft I'm pretty sure they offer the same protection anyways). BTW there's a new Z87.1-2010 standard out now, they should have some already on the market but I assume eyepro complying with the 2010 standard are still being tested in the labs for certification since it's only 10 months old.

Note there's also the mil specification for eyepro MIL-DTL-43511D (it also meets Z87.1-2003 since it's a "superset" of the ANSI standard covering all the Z87.1 stuff and then some). It's the one that's supposed to stop a 17 grain .22 at 550-560FPS.

Finally, there's the good old ASTM standard that paintball places usually have to comply to. This is capable of stopping at minimum an 11 Joule strike. BUT note that it's not designed to stop silica BB's. NEVER USE SILICA IN GAMES Look at some pics of the damage people in the UK/EU see as a result of Silica BB use. In fact some sites have a pair of goggles they've shot with silica BB's and the lenses are damaged just to warn players about silica use. Not sure if it's to the point where it's structurally unsafe though, but it looks like it's a significant amount of damage.

For more info look here: http://arniesairsoft.co.uk/news2/3978

To be honest, I am actually really concerned for my own safety, and when I bought my goggles(which cost me almost $200 CAD), I bought it from a optical store run by 5 Ph. D. doctors and optometrists, one of which tested my eyesight everything from color blindness, ability to view in 3D(lazyeye), blood pressure, to taking pictures of my retina, all free of charge. They frequently sell their safety goggles to airsofters in Hong Kong, which is why I was a bit disturbed when Kingsix suggested they aren't certified.

I did a bit of research and read related articles and even boring long-arse PDF files and some legal documents, before independently verifying my optometrist's claim that it is indeed good for airsoft.

So right now I'm just concerned whether or not my $200 ran down the drain because of some silly "EU certified but not in North America" legal issue.

I mean, even if I'm an experienced airsofter who's been playing for 5 years, I'd still get a bit gung-ho with $200 at stake XD

I'd be more than happy if someone who's experienced at this kind of stuff can clear this up before I actually field it.

And yes, I'd rather wear this under my paintball mask than my glasses. I'll also watch out for the Bioval BBBMAX BBs thanks for giving me a heads-up.

Awww...Looks like K6 has a new protégé! ;) KAWAII!!!

If you're wondering: EN 167:2001 is the directive for the test methods for the EU while EN166 is the marking standards and nomenclature. I can't seem to find EN167 though (well I did but the website wants like 70 quid for it.....).

I know with the ANSI Z87.1-2003 standard it's tested by "shooting" 1/4" steel balls at the lenses at various velocities (I assume that's diameter here, so I get approx .1341 cm^3 for volume).

Taking the velocity and weight of a steel ball (assume 100% pure steel) the density is about 7.8 g/cm3 so about 1.05g for a 1/4" steel ball.

So doing the math for the joule conversion of that steel ball being shot at 250 ft/s it comes out to roughly 3.03J. Definitely less than the energies that we see in Canada. At 500 FPS with .20's you're only sitting at 2.31J, and most of the time it'll be under 420 FPS or 1.63J.

Anyways, if the EU test is done by shooting a 6mm steel ball at the glasses (going with the test method you've posted in this thread) then 6mm is slightly under 1/4" (.236 inches to be exact). Don't fret that it's a smaller/lighter projectile you still need to factor in speed. At 120m/s you're looking at 394 FPS according to my calculations. So by my calculations a .86g 6mm steel ball flying at 394 FPS will exert 6.17J of energy. For your goggles to survive a 6.17J strike you're totally good since the ANSI standard is only surviving a 3.03J strike.

NOTE HOWEVER THAT THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN PLAY WITH THOSE GOGGLES AT A PAINTBALL FIELD YOU MUST USE ASTM (OR SIMILARILY RATED) GOGGLES/MASK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOCAL SITE RULES!

As you know insurance companies are looking for any way to not pay out and if it's established that players were not wearing ASTM rated PB goggles (in fact these are rated to 11Joules so I'm told) then that's enough proof that they don't need to pay since the field owner did not follow the insurance stipulations to the letter. Even if players were wearing MIL standard goggles that can stop a .22 at 550 FPS (and that's way more than 11Joules if you do the math) the insurance company will still argue that it doesn't need to pay out.

PS: If I've started to spell things with an "s" instead of a "z" or use the words chips (for fries), flat, quid, nutter or any of those words... yeah it's probably because I've been here for close to 7 months now.

EDIT: The only thing you need to worry about is the Bioval BBBMAX "CLEAR" BB's (silica). The standard opaque/Biodegradable ones AFAIK are good to go just like any other standard airsoft BB.

Thanks for the calculations. Although I'll invest in a paintball mask just in case I need to go to a game at a paintball field, I'm glad my goggles are safe enough for other fields. And if someone complains that they are not ANSI Z87.1-2003 rated, I'd just slip on my paintball mask. And I also guess everybody reading this thread now knows who I am when I wear those goggles with my Chinese BDU at games.

They don't have to be ANSI or CSA anything, as long as they are equivalent or better.

Construction workers, or anybody that has a requirement for safety boots(this example applies to other equipment as well) do this all the time. They are given the ANSI/CSA standars from which to buy, so they just have to prove that what they did buy is, equivalent or better.

You can easily solve the fogging issue with a simple spray on liquid. Go to the dollar store and you may find a small spray bottle that has anti-fog in it. I remember this being sold by the buckets at the motor show to prevent the fogging inside the car. Spray it on and wipe. It will last for about a day or two but long enough to let you play.

Alternatively, you can use a very diluted (small drops) of handwash or soap you can find and wipe it on the surface. Wipe with dry cloth or damp to remove any haze. The soap film will repell any moisture from attaching to the surface.

It all depends on the host, or field's insurance policies.

It would be better to test your own lenses before playing to confirm they won't break or shatter.

Probably test at 400 fps with 0.2g bbs on full auto like this:
YouTube - Arena Industries Ver.2 Goggle 6mm BB impact test

(Many games you will find up to 430 fps so it isn't something insane like the 600+ fps test in that video which only caused a blemish anyways)

Chances are if it is 787.1 rated they may still dent, and you would probably want back up replacement lenses too.